Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Anne Applebaum

@anneapplebaum.bsky.social

400K followers 540 following 1.3K posts

staff writer @theatlantic.com and senior fellow @snfagora.bsky.social. author of GULAG, IRON CURTAIN, RED FAMINE, TWILIGHT OF DEMOCRACY and AUTOCRACY INC https://linktr.ee/anneapplebaum

Videos

Anne Elizabeth Applebaum is an American journalist and historian. She has written about the history of Communism and the development of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. She became a Polish citizen in 2013. .. more

Political science 48%

Sociology 16%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · Aug 26

Paperback, with new preface, available TODAY
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725302...

68 320 1.3K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Kim L. Scheppele

Julie DiCaro @juliedicaro.bsky.social · 15h

So Kilmer Abrego-Garcia will not challenge a deportation to Costa Rica, who has agreed to for him residency, but DHS won’t agree to send him there because it’s not cruel enough.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...

For weeks, Mr. Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who is married to a U.S. citizen, has made clear that he would not challenge his deportation if he were sent to Costa Rica, which has promised him legal residency and guaranteed that he would not be sent back to El Salvador.

But the Trump administration has refused to deport him to Costa Rica, and in an earlier hearing this week, Judge Xinis pressed the administration to consider the option or clarify why it was unacceptable.

64 1.3K 3.7K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Andrew Curry, Michelle Everson , and 4 more Anne Applebaum, Andrew Curry, Michelle Everson, Scott A. Imberman, Samantha Brennan, Prakash Kashwan, David Spurrett

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 23h

The deportation order derives from the crime of which he has now been exonerated.

www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

He was wrongfully imprisoned for 43 years. Moments after being released, ICE took him

Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam now faces deportation.

www.miamiherald.com

100 1.1K 2.5K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, John Horgan, Jane E. Fountain , and 4 more Anne Applebaum, John Horgan, Jane E. Fountain, Rebecca Tushnet, Stacy D. VanDeveer, Anne Norton, Michael J. Hicks

Tom Joscelyn @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social · 1d

“I spent three nights and three days in federal custody. During that time, I was never told what I was charged with, was not allowed to shower despite being covered in tear gas and pepper spray, had no phone call to my family, and no access to an attorney.” - George Retes, U.S. citizen and veteran.

I’m a US citizen and a veteran. ICE arrested me for no reason.

Jailed for three days without an explanation or ability to notify anyone, George Retes argues the only path to healing starts with the government taking accountability for its actions.

newsletter.ofthebrave.org

330 5.7K 11K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Elizabeth Stokoe, Edgar Morgenroth , and 3 more Anne Applebaum, Elizabeth Stokoe, Edgar Morgenroth, Lyndsey Stonebridge, David Bartram, Vaughan S. Roberts

Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: The British politician, his Russian intelligence handler & a Kremlin plot against the US & Ukraine.

My new piece about Nathan Gill and Nigel Farage for @thenerve_news in which we ask:

Why, even now, is no-one asking questions?

t.co/BUTtpK9C4S

52 990 1.5K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum

Reposted by Stephan Lewandowsky, Steve Peers, John Palfrey

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 1d

The Trump administration has promoted the anti-vax, anti-science movement which has now produced an epidemic www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Hundreds of U.S. students quarantined amid measles outbreaks

At least 270 unvaccinated kids are staying home from school as measles continues to spread nationwide. "Expect more," one expert said.

www.nbcnews.com

82 720 1.6K

Reposted by Diane Ravitch

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 1d

youtu.be/Q_oFL_b719g?...

You Don't Own Me - Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn & Diane Keaton

YouTube video by decay21450

youtu.be

59 420 1.9K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, David Darmofal

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 1d

ICYMI — Trump lied that Chicago had “4000” murders, when it’s projected to have 380 this year (way down from last year)

If it’s so bad there why does he have to keep lying about it?

170 840 2.6K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Diane Ravitch, Stacy D. VanDeveer

Raider @iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · 1d

Portland 🔥

590 4.7K 18K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Carl T. Bergstrom, Karen Benjamin Guzzo , and 1 more Anne Applebaum, Carl T. Bergstrom, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, Richard M. Carpiano

Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 1d

Seeing a lot of celebration of this as a win.

But at NIH we have seen this exact play before.

It looks like it is the Vought strategy -and to stop the lawless firings we have to see the bigger picture.
A 🧵:

Trump Administration Will Rehire Scores of Experts Fired in Error

www.nytimes.com

14 320 770

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan , and 10 more Anne Applebaum, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, Rosemary A. Joyce, Joseph Schafer, Daniel W. Drezner, Jason Lyall, Sarah Roberts, Aurélien Mondon, Michael J. Hicks, Matthew P. McAllister, Meredith Farkas, David R. Shumway

Old White Nepo Hat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 1d

Should the New York Times be sold to Pennysaver and its editors sent to work in Amazon warehouses? It depends on who you ask.

310 2.1K 10K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 1d

Echoes of a very dark past.

From the Chicago Sun Times: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

140 1.3K 4.2K

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 2d

Why would I have any credit?

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 2d

I am sure she has said many things that I disagree with. Nevertheless the grassroots movement she has led is remarkable

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Patrick Dunleavy

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Anna O. Law, Lisa W. Fazio , and 9 more Anne Applebaum, Anna O. Law, Lisa W. Fazio, John Horgan, Rosemary A. Joyce, Bonnie Honig, Rebecca Tushnet, Scott A. Imberman, Erol Akçay, Kate Starbird, Pablo Piccato, Southern Africa

Josh Moody @byjoshmoody.bsky.social · 2d

MIT rejects "compact" proposed by the Trump administration.
MIT prez wrote: it "would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution" and "is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone."
orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...

Regarding the Compact | MIT Organization Chart

orgchart.mit.edu

33 490 1.8K

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 2d

“I went around the country saying, ‘I have nothing to offer but work. I have nothing to offer you but [the possibility] that we’re going to get together, and we’re going to put this country back on our feet. So we’re going to do this right.’ And people cried and prayed.” - Machado

9 57 450

Reposted by Brigid Laffan, Mario Macis

Reposted by Teja Tscharntke, Anna Nagurney, Daniel W. Drezner

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 2d

Nobel Peace Prizes have often been awarded to people who fight autocracy. Maria Corina Machado fits right into that tradition

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Why María Machado Deserved the Nobel Peace Prize

The Venezuelan opposition leader shows why participation matters.

www.theatlantic.com

230 1.6K 7K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, W. Andy Knight, Stacy D. VanDeveer

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 3d

Do they have a prize for blowing up boats in the Caribbean and then bragging that people who made their livelihood fishing there for generations are now afraid to go out on the water?

490 3.2K 12K

Reposted by David Darmofal

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 3d

I moderated this conversation with Machado and David Smolansky, the elected mayor of El Hatillo who was forced into exile, last December @snfagora.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUw1...

Venezuela's Epic Movement Towards Democracy

YouTube video by Johns Hopkins University

www.youtube.com

8 84 430

Reposted by Alejandro Gaviría, Nicola Giocoli

Reposted by Robbert Sanderman, Axel Bruns, Joe R. Feagin , and 7 more Robbert Sanderman, Axel Bruns, Joe R. Feagin, Mark D. White, Bonnie Honig, W. Andy Knight, Stacy D. VanDeveer, Dana R. Fisher, Jan Bransen, David Darmofal

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 3d

Congratulations to Maria Corina Machado, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize - her incredible optimism has already changed her country. I spoke to her, and wrote about her, at the beginning of this year:
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

The ‘Anthropological Change’ Happening in Venezuela

Maduro is still in place, but a pro-democracy movement is transforming the beleaguered country.

www.theatlantic.com

310 3.3K 13K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Joanna Bryson, Jan W. Mueller , and 2 more Anne Applebaum, Joanna Bryson, Jan W. Mueller, David G. Rand, Susan Hyde

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 3d

Regrettably relevant research today

Disguised Repression: Targeting Opponents with Nonpolitical Crimes to Undermine Dissent
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

2 180 470

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Scott A. Imberman

Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 3d

Just bone chilling. And when the imprisonment of critics is combined with his offer to enrich and immunize his loyalists, this is how democracies die fast.

But it's still our choice. Don't let him silence you.

480 3.5K 11K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Joanna Bryson, Joe R. Feagin , and 44 more Anne Applebaum, Joanna Bryson, Joe R. Feagin, Brendan Nyhan, Jesse H. Kroll, Patrick A. Jansen, Daniel L. Millimet, David Feldman, Eric Goldman, Fabián Muniesa, Jacob Montgomery, Bruce D. Baker, Juan Cole, Erwin Dekker, Sanford F. Schram, John Foot, Devon Greyson, W. Andy Knight, Nazita Lajevardi, Stacy D. VanDeveer, Scott A. Imberman, Caroline Fohlin, Florian Keller, Michael D. McDonald, Jason Lyall, Kate Starbird, Victor Pickard, Thomas Masterson, Nils Zurawski, Nelson Flores, Henrik Skaug Sætra, Arlene Stein, Federica Genovese, Richard M. Carpiano, Olivier Jourdan, Klaus Oschema, Meredith Farkas, Brandon Whitcher, Daxton R. Stewart, Albin Wagener, Nicole Guenther Discenza, Manisha Sinha, Aviel Roshwald, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Bruce Buchan, Southern Africa

The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 3d

The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.

1.9K 23K 56K

Reposted by Anne Applebaum

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Gavin A. Schmidt, Bessma Momani , and 3 more Anne Applebaum, Gavin A. Schmidt, Bessma Momani, James Goodwin, Mark Rice, Henry Jones

NPR @npr.org · 3d

A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down. n.pr/3KIfcSn

This 4-year-old's heart is failing. A federal grant that might help him was canceled

A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.

n.pr

140 1.6K 2.6K