Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 6h

BREAKING via WSJ

The Trump administration is planning sweeping changes in criminal division at the IRS.

Full Story: on.wsj.com/3LbVFtK

The Trump administration is preparing sweeping changes at the Internal Revenue Service that would allow the agency to pursue criminal inquiries of left-leaning groups more easily, according to people familiar with the matter.
A senior IRS official involved in the effort has drawn up a list of potential targets that includes major Democratic donors, some of the people said.
The undertaking aims to install allies of President Trump at the IRS criminal-investigative division, or IRS-CI, to exert firmer control over the unit and weaken the involvement of IRS lawyers in criminal investigations, officials said. The proposed changes could open the door to politically motivated probes and are being driven by Gary Shapley, an adviser to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 3h

Again, it is a full-blown federal felony crime for anyone in the White House or Executive Office of the President to order tax investigations into anyone.

And it's not just a crime to DO it, it's even a federal crime for an employee not to REPORT such an order to the Treasury Inspector General.

26 U.S. Code § 7217 - Prohibition on executive branch influence over taxpayer audits and other investigations
U.S. Code
Notes
prev | next
(a)Prohibition
It shall be unlawful for any applicable person to request, directly or indirectly, any officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service to conduct or terminate an audit or other investigation of any particular taxpayer with respect to the tax liability of such taxpayer.

(b)Reporting requirement
Any officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service receiving any request prohibited by subsection (a) shall report the receipt of such request to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

(c)Exceptions
Subsection (a) shall not apply to any written request made—
(1)to an applicable person by or on behalf of the taxpayer and forwarded by such applicable person to the Internal Revenue Service;
(2)by an applicable person for disclosure of return or return information under section 6103 if such request is made in accordance with the requirements of such section; or
(3)by the Secretary of the Treasury as a consequence of the implementation of a change in tax policy.
(d)Penalty
Any person who willfully violates subsection (a) or fails to report under subsection (b) shall be punished upon conviction by a fine in any amount not exceeding $5,000, or imprisonment of not more than 5 years, or both, together with the costs of prosecution.

(e)Applicable person
For purposes of this section, the term “applicable person” means—
(1)the President, the Vice President, any employee of the executive office of the President, and any employee of the executive office of the Vice President; and
(2)any individual (other than the Attorney General of the United States) serving in a position specified in section 5312 of title 5, United States Code.

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OtakuNoCreepo 🎃 @wessoman.bsky.social · 3h

I see that image and immediately hear this music:

youtu.be/UGQ5sOWuzy8?...

All Pac-Man Cutscenes

YouTube video by wes

youtu.be

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Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 3h

Imagine thinking domestic violence isn’t “really serious”

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 15h

Q: This has been reported for a while. Cory Mills was accused of beating a girlfriend in his DC apt. Are you concerned about these allegations?

JOHNSON: You have to ask Rep. Mills about that. He's been a faithful colleague. I don't know the details. Let's talk about things that are really serious

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unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 4h

Crazy how these guys just keep showing up everywhere

ICE Agent in skull mask Broadview Illinois

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Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 4h

We don’t hate America.

We hate what Trump is doing to it.

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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 4h

AOC: You're damn right that it's a Democratic priority to keep people from getting poisoned, from dangerous chemicals

You're damn right that it's a Democratic priority to bring down the cost of housing

If they want to say that that's a Democratic priority, they're right,

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 4h

BERNIE: “I worry we are increasingly becoming an oligarchic form of society, where a very small # of people control our economy + have huge influence over both political parties. if there was ever a time to stand up for working families and prevent authoritarianism, this is it.”

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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 4h

AOC: Trump should be having congressional leaders in the WH. Do you see that every day? No, you don't because they're playing golf and they're going to mar-a-lago and the Republicans in the house have been on vacation for weeks now

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 4h

Portland has fallen!

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little lamb @puddleofbrain.bsky.social · 3h

If you’re new to bluesky you should find and account you like and pretend it’s your wife. Show its posts to your coworkers and be like I love her so much

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OtakuNoCreepo 🎃 @wessoman.bsky.social · 6h

January 10th, 2026: Former right wing internet personality 'CatTurd' has died today. Sources have confirmed that the former X poster died of a simultaneous heart attack and a stroke upon having to smile and tell a woman in a hijab to have a nice day after giving her change at the Dollar General."

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 7h

Reminder that any political party trying to make it harder to vote is sending a clear message: they can't win on their ideas alone.

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Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 7h

the thing about Bill Kristol finally getting on the right side of history versus David Brooks doing it is that Kristol actually figured out how to *stop* sounding like an incredibly snide grandpa who’s judging you for not owning a $4 million house in Georgetown

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Bill Corbett @billcorbett.bsky.social · 9h

Pre-RIP Catturd, you’ll need to find a job and it will kill you

👹👻 boo-rit 👻👹 @britculpsapp.bsky.social · 9h

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Dominic Michael Tripi &
@DMichaelTripi
X.com
NEW: X executive says creator monetization program may potentially be ended, saying that the system does
"more harm than good."
10:27 AM • 10/15/25

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Tyler, from the Internet @tylerfromtheinternet.com · 7h

Welcome to bluesky, the team running the place hates you, please enjoy these oldheads during your brief stay

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Politico @politico.com · 11h

EXCLUSIVE: Capitol Police are investigating a swastika found in GOP Rep. Dave Taylor’s office.

“The content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms," Taylor said in a statement.

Capitol Police called to investigate swastika in GOP congressional office

An American flag altered to include an image of a swastika was found in Rep. Dave Taylor’s office.

www.politico.com

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Jordan @slclunk.com · 10h

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Jordan @slclunk.com · 13h

Your standard online liberal who worked at a conservative think tank in college

Peacemaker looking at a mural of hitler and saying “Fuck. How'd I miss that?”

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Perry Bacon @perrybaconjr.bsky.social · 9h

I read the piece. You shouldn't. He dismisses the "No Kings" protests as liberals in blue cities. He invokes Rosa Parks, as if rural white people in the 60s loved everything that the movement then was doing. "We need a movement but not this one" is a core centrist tact these days.

Ezra Levin ❌👑 @ezralevin.bsky.social · 9h

Is this a joke. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

America Needs a Mass Movement—Now

Without one, America may sink into autocracy for decades.

www.theatlantic.com

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 7h

would love to know where vought got the authority to shutdown a government agency established by statute

Reuters @reuters.com · 12h

White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers reut.rs/4qjMIyT

White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers

White House budget director Russell Vought said he wants to close the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and expects to do so within the next two to three months.

reut.rs

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Bill Mudron @mudron.bsky.social · 8h

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OtakuNoCreepo 🎃 @wessoman.bsky.social · 7h

It is a good sign. "Fuck you, make me" is how you bring down tyranny.

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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 7h

that they left em masse, at least, seems like a good sign

Scott Nover @scottnover.bsky.social · 8h

NEW for @washingtonpost.com:

Pentagon reporters exited the building in unison Wednesday after turning in their badges, having refused to sign the Defense Department's press policy.

@nancyayoussef.bsky.social called it a “sad day for those who support a free press.”

Reporters leave Pentagon en masse after refusing to sign on to new rules

After turning in their press credentials, journalists covering the Defense Department walked out rather than comply with its restrictive new policies.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Scott Nover @scottnover.bsky.social · 8h

NEW for @washingtonpost.com:

Pentagon reporters exited the building in unison Wednesday after turning in their badges, having refused to sign the Defense Department's press policy.

@nancyayoussef.bsky.social called it a “sad day for those who support a free press.”

Reporters leave Pentagon en masse after refusing to sign on to new rules

After turning in their press credentials, journalists covering the Defense Department walked out rather than comply with its restrictive new policies.

www.washingtonpost.com

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