Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Casey Seiler

Times Union @timesunion.com · 2h

Matthew Mardon was killed last month in a car crash. His teammates at Empire State Kickball League remember him for his selflessness and competitive spirit.

Matthew Mardon was killed in a car crash. At his kickball league, his memory lives on

Matthew Mardon was killed last month in a car crash. His teammates at Empire State Kickball League remember him for his selflessness and competitive spirit.

bit.ly

1

Reposted by Casey Seiler

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3h

Q: Politico reported on a group chat of young Republicans. Does this just reflect some bad apples?

HOCHUL: Some bad apples? These are the future of the GOP. This is so vile it's hard to find the words to put into context ... there's gotta be consequences ... this bullshit has to stop.

250 2K 7.1K

Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 3h

"The comments shared in the group chat that have been reported are extremely troubling and disappointing," Reilly tells the Staten Island Advance. "They do not align with my values. As a result, Mr. Giunta’s assignment in my office has ended."

1 3 8

Reposted by Casey Seiler

◥◤Kriston Capps @kristoncapps.bsky.social · 5h

On Oct. 1, a gas explosion caused a public housing project in the Bronx to partially collapse.

On Friday, HUD fired all the federal government's housing inspectors: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Affordable Housing Left Vulnerable After Trump Fires Building Inspectors

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development cut its inspection team two weeks after a public housing building partially collapsed in the Bronx.

www.bloomberg.com

3 40 74

Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 6h

Maddening: Now we have both sides in this dispute — New York, the feds — refusing to answer very basic questions about the status of the driver and the documents submitted to obtain a Real ID and a CDL. www.timesunion.com/state/articl...

DHS says New York falsely stated immigrant's CDL was legal

Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that New York falsely stated Anmol only had one name.

www.timesunion.com

3

Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 6h

All but one of these examples is from Peter Giunta, chief of staff to Assemblyman Mike Reilly, R-Staten Island.

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 7h

POLITICO: “.. They referred to Black people as monkeys and ‘the watermelon people’ and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies .. and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery.

@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

4

Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 6h

After initially refusing to tell WRGB whether or not Albany's airport was running a video of Noem blaming Democrats for the federal shutdown — the TU's Steve Hughes went to the trouble of driving over to see that it was in fact playing — the airport announced the video had been pulled.

Albany airport yanks Kristi Noem video blaming Democrats for government shutdown

Albany International Airport was among airports nationwide playing a video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem blaming Congressional Democrats for the federal government shutdown.

www.timesunion.com

1 1 8

Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 6h

Starring Peter Giunta, chief of staff to New York state Assemblyman Mike Reilly, R-Staten Island.

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 7h

'“Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic,” Joe Maligno...wrote'

'Many of the chat members already work inside government or party politics, and one serves as a state senator.'

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

1 7 21

Reposted by Casey Seiler

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 7h

Imagine commenting on this and not knowing who Fred Friendly was.

Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 8h

Fox News host Emily Compagno claims that the backlash to Bari Weiss being named CBS News editor-in-chief is due to her being Jewish:

"This kind of thing would make me laugh if there was not an antisemitic thread in there."

1 2 11

Reposted by Casey Seiler

Renee DiResta @noupside.bsky.social · 9h

I'm sorry, is the Trump Administration talking to a tech platform?

Is it...requesting content moderation?

Today following outreach from @thejusticedept, Facebook removed a large group page that was being used to dox and target @ICEgov agents in Chicago.
The wave of violence against ICE has been driven by online apps and social media campaigns designed to put ICE officers at risk just for doing their jobs. The Department of Justice will continue engaging tech companies to eliminate platforms where radicals can incite imminent violence against federal law enforcement.

180 1.3K 4.6K

Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 11h

Because the Times Union gets the bulk of its national and international wire coverage from @apnews.com, I'm supportive of its decision to (my characterization) tell the Pentagon press office to go pound sand.

New York Times, AP, Newsmax among news outlets who say they won't sign new Pentagon rules

The New York Times, The Associated Press and the conservative television network Newsmax are among five outlets on Monday who say they won't sign a new Defense Department document about its new press....

www.timesunion.com

1 6

Reposted by Casey Seiler

Jill Lawrence @jilldlawrence.bsky.social · 13h

Journalism rule at AP and USA Today, the two places I worked for most of my career: Sources who criticize, praise or speculate need to be named.
AP: www.ap.org/about/news-v...
USAT Network: content-static.usatoday.com/styleguide/U...

southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 1d

Auspicious start for the new CBS News, laundering unattributed cop shit-talking through the incoming editor-in-chief’s blog and failing to correct a misspelling of the story subject’s name in the web headline for three days.

7 80 220

Reposted by Casey Seiler

Times Union @timesunion.com · 15h

When Jamison Thrower blacked out after being hit in the chest during a scrimmage, athletic trainer Allison Pritchard knew what to do.

A Darrow School basketball player suffered cardiac arrest. A trainer saved him.

When Jamison Thrower blacked out after being hit in the chest during a scrimmage, athletic trainer Allison Pritchard knew what to do.

bit.ly

1

Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 1d

Seems like a good time to celebrate this especially accomplished soldier in the war on bullshit — come by and support the Museum's work drawing attention to excellent watchdog journalism.

Museum of Political Corruption @corruptmuseum.bsky.social · 1d

#YesFacts
#YesAccountability
#YesDemocracy
#NoKings

www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-nelli...

2

Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 1d

Tomorrow is the deadline for reporters to sign the amended Pentagon press agreement. Here's what the Times Union's editorial board said about the initial version — and we see nothing in the revision that has changed our advice to the @apnews.com and other other outlets: Don't sign.

Editorial: Leashing watchdog journalism

As the Pentagon moves to turn reporters into mouthpieces for the state, news organizations need to hand in their credentials — right now.

www.timesunion.com

6

Reposted by Casey Seiler

Times Union @timesunion.com · 1d

The woman, who was severely injured, was arrested by State Police soon after she was released from the hospital.

Albany woman charged with drunken driving in single-vehicle crash that killed 2 on I-787

The woman, who was severely injured, was arrested by State Police soon after she was released from the hospital.

bit.ly

1

Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 1d

CBS replatforming Free Press content as tell-me-about-your-article interviews on their chat shows is going to be fantastic, compelling TV.

Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 1d

Promoting the editor-in-chief's personal side project. Zero named sources in a story that promotes the editor-in-chief's personal political position. Misspelling the subject's name. It took one day for CBS News to become a conservative blog.

www.cbsnews.com/video/some-n...

CBS News: Some NYPD officers worry about Mandani becoming NYC mayor the Free Press reports.

5

Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 1d

Excellent data visualization from the Hearst Dev Hub wizards that allows you to track price fluctuations at the grocery store — short-term and over the long haul. www.timesunion.com/projects/alb...

See how grocery prices have changed over time in the Capital Region

This dashboard uses weekly grocery data from thousands of stores to show how prices have changed over time

www.timesunion.com

2

Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 1d

What’s most devastating here is the analysis of lazy-ass journalism.

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 1d

John Oliver is good at his job

youtu.be/gieTx_P6INQ?...

Bari Weiss: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

YouTube video by LastWeekTonight

youtu.be

1 9

Reposted by Casey Seiler

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 1d

John Oliver is good at his job

youtu.be/gieTx_P6INQ?...

Bari Weiss: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

YouTube video by LastWeekTonight

youtu.be

21 210 840

Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 1d

Pollsters to Cuomo: youtu.be/cS3612EIcF4?...

Reposted by Casey Seiler

Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 2d

Andrew Cuomo is incapable of speaking clearly and directly about Trump’s authoritarianism.

380 1.1K 4.9K

Reposted by Casey Seiler

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 1d

I did not know that Marc Benioff was the grandson of Marvin Lewis, the godfather of BART.

San Francisco Chronicle @sfchronicle.com · 1d

Marc Benioff called for the National Guard in S.F. The city doesn’t need the military on its streets. It needs the Salesforce founder to follow his grandfather’s example, Peter Hartlaub...

Marc Benioff wants troops in S.F.? There’s a path back to sanity, and it’s close to home

Marc Benioff called for the National Guard in S.F. The city doesn’t need the military on its streets. It needs the Salesforce founder to follow his grandfather’s example, Peter Hartlaub...

bit.ly

3 4 31

Reposted by Casey Seiler

Emilie Munson @emiliemunson.bsky.social · 1d

We heard immigrants held at Border Patrol stations across northern NY often cannot be located or reached by their attorneys, with CBP refusing to confirm their custody. More on these “legal black holes” in @timesunion.com

Emilie Munson @emiliemunson.bsky.social · 1d

NEWS: Immigration authorities are increasingly detaining migrants including kids in temporary holding rooms at ICE and Border Patrol offices around NY for 3 days or more. These spots have no beds, showers, hot meals and were never meant for overnight detentions

www.timesunion.com/news/article...

Migrants languish in ICE, Border Patrol hold rooms across New York

In Buffalo, Albany, New York City, and along the Canadian border, detained migrants are waiting longer and longer in temporary holding facilities.

www.timesunion.com

3 5

Reposted by Casey Seiler

Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 2d

Pope Leo quotes Hannah Arendt:

“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."

www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...

Pope Leo calls for news agencies to stand as bulwark against "post-truths," lies and manipulation

Pope Leo XIV has encouraged international news agencies to stand firm as a bulwark against the "ancient art of lying" and manipulation.

www.cbsnews.com

170 3.1K 9.4K