Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by David Rotenstein

Filipe Campante @filipecampante.bsky.social · 10h

This is not a minor issue: it’s a serious threat to democracy. We’re rapidly transitioning into a world where, as long as you support the president, you can be above the law; if you’re in the opposition, you have a target on your back. Opposition can’t survive under these conditions.

Filipe Campante @filipecampante.bsky.social · 10h

I think at this point it’s fair to say that we’re no longer under the rule of law.

Trump Orders Santos to Be Freed From Prison ‘Immediately’ www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/u...

Trump Orders Santos to Be Freed From Prison ‘Immediately’

www.nytimes.com

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David Rotenstein @davidrotenstein.bsky.social · 10h

That was remarkably easy!

Angela Sutton (she/her) @drangelasutton.bsky.social · 10h

Best block list

eva (^_^)/ @eva.computer · 13h

white house has joined bluesky
click here to block all official us government accounts instantly

bsky.app/profile/did:...

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Reposted by David Rotenstein

David S. Bernstein @dbernstein.bsky.social · 10h

By my count: Of the 15 Departments of the US Government, 13 launched new BlueSky accounts tonight (all but Justice and HUD), and all 13 have posted explicitly partisan political posts blaming Democrats and/or Chuck Schumer for the government shutdown.

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Reposted by David Rotenstein

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 13h

I expect they're going to break records for the number of blocks on here

The White House @whitehouse-47.bsky.social • 27m
What's up, Bluesky? We thought you might've missed some of our greatest hits, so we put this together for you.
Can't wait to spend more quality time together!
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≤ 56
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Homeland Security @homelandgov.bsky.social
HELLO FELLOW AMERICAN PATRIOT!

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David Rotenstein @davidrotenstein.bsky.social · 13h

Blocked both of them. That was easy & somewhat cathartic.

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David Rotenstein @davidrotenstein.bsky.social · 13h

Covington, Kentucky.

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Reposted by David Rotenstein

Jay Willis @jaywillis.net · 18h

I found it pretty charming to learn that after Roger Taney died, sitting lawmakers called his death a "victory for liberty and the Constitution," suggested that he was probably burning in hell, and joked (?) that they'd rather hang him in effigy than do literally anything to honor his memory

Roger Taney’s Contemporaries Hated Him As Much As You Probably Do

Ordinarily, members of Congress do not publicly suggest that recently deceased Supreme Court justices are burning in hell. But Roger Taney was no ordinary Supreme Court justice.

ballsandstrikes.substack.com

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David Rotenstein @davidrotenstein.bsky.social · 21h

Basic question: how can she work for her constituents if she doesn't yet legally have the authority to act on their behalf?

Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 21h

I like how Jake doesn't challenge the claim

U.S. mainstream media is like the ken doll of journalism, all the essential bits sanded off into a smooth hump to avoid offending anybody

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Johnson: "Grijalva should be working for her constituents right now. I don't know what she's doing. I keep seeing their political stunt videos. She should be in her office. She should be working or in the district for her constituents" (Grijalva is not in fact a Rep. b/c Johnson refuses to seat her)

Reposted by David Rotenstein

David Simon @audacityofdespair.bsky.social · 1d

"House slave."
Think about this for a brief moment. Think of just how fecal and vicious a man has to use such a term in this context. This is leadership by the absolute worst of us, the most vile trash that we could scrape from the gutter and elevate to govern a nation.

Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 2d

😡😡😡😡

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David Rotenstein @davidrotenstein.bsky.social · 1d

Yay: I got to use “gambling joint stickman in a story!”

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David Rotenstein @davidrotenstein.bsky.social · 2d

This is a great start. What about smaller dailies & alt-weeklies? I write lots of history for local daily & weekly newspapers and magazines and they all pay. That said, some of my steady publishers are cutting way back on freelance work b/c of external factors ....

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David Rotenstein @davidrotenstein.bsky.social · 3d

Pig.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3d

Trump ignores a question from a woman reporter but says, "I just like to watch her talk. Good job. Thank you darling."

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Reposted by David Rotenstein

Musa Okwonga @okwonga.bsky.social · 3d

It’s funny how black people are expected to reach across the aisle to voters like these, while no one ever expects them to reach across the aisle to black people. Amazing who gets to be human, and who doesn’t.

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 3d

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...

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Reposted by David Rotenstein

Louise Seamster @louiseseamster.bsky.social · 3d

I have a new paper out in @ersjournal.com, through a special issue on the mechanisms of racism, co-edited by @amandalewisphd.bsky.social and #EduardoBonilla-Silva. 50 free eprints at link
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/2WFQ9...

Mechanisms, smoke and fun-house mirrors: when naming racism is not enough

In this paper, I explain how public discourse around racism can hinder understanding of racist processes, becoming its own mechanism of racism. The general attribution of Flint's water crisis as a ...

www.tandfonline.com

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Reposted by David Rotenstein

Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 4d

Solidarity is the only way

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Reposted by David Rotenstein

Charles Johnson @charles.littlegreenfootballs.com · 4d

Sein Kampf

Time magazine cover featuring a photo of Trump from a dramatically low angle

HIS
TRIUMPH

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Reposted by David Rotenstein

Kieran Healy @kjhealy.co · 4d

A couple of parking signs for anyone who wants to print them out for this coming Saturday.

Parking Signs

If you want to print out a poster for October 18th, here are two; fully-guaranteed countrywide but maybe especially suitable for in and around New York. No King Anytime sign ...

kieranhealy.org

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David Rotenstein @davidrotenstein.bsky.social · 3d

Seems to me that if @publicsource.org got into Charland's personal finances & the things the Pgh. City Councilor claims limit his ability to buy a home, the reporter also might have dug a little deeper. What about Charland's prolonged divorce proceedings, etc.? www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-c...

City Council's lone renter is among growing group boxed out of homeownership in Pittsburgh

Councilor Bob Charland is a fierce critic of Mayor Ed Gainey’s housing policies. Unlike other public officials, he’s still in search of homeownership.

www.publicsource.org

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Reposted by David Rotenstein

Dr. Vaughn Joy @gvaughnjoy.bsky.social · 4d

PSA: Public Scholars

I'm working on a resources page for our website to help scholars find homes for their op-eds, guest blogs, and otherwise expertise.

If you run a site or podcast that regularly posts such things and would like us to share it as a potential place to pitch, please let me know!

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David Rotenstein @davidrotenstein.bsky.social · 4d

If you’re looking for a way to break up the Monday morning blahs, ask Alexa: “How long can a human hold a fart?”

Reposted by David Rotenstein

Adrian Teal @tealcartoons.bsky.social · 4d

Quick study of festering cock-wart J.D. Vance.

#caricature #art

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Reposted by David Rotenstein

Rep. Summer Lee @repsummerlee.bsky.social · 4d

Today, on #IndigenousPeoplesDay, we honor the vibrant Indigenous communities and people across our country.

Indigenous people in the US and around the world deserve sovereignty, freedom, recognition, and respect for their cultures and histories.

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Reposted by David Rotenstein

Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 4d

Front page of Scottish newspaper The National today.

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David Rotenstein @davidrotenstein.bsky.social · 4d

The Silver Spring Historical Society is again telling its story of Norman Lane. A few years ago I wrote about a different take on the man once dubbed "The Mayor of Silver Spring." blog.historian4hire.net/2020/06/03/n...

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