Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · 20h

#SaturdayNightMassacre #Watergate #PresidentialPower #Accountability #ChecksAndBalances #RuleOfLaw #DemocracyInCrisis

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · 20h

The event became a defining test of presidential power and accountability. In recent weeks, removal of high-level officials and public figures who have criticized President Trump have made headlines, calling into question the limits of presidential power and accountability.

1

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · 20h

On this day in history in 1973, the “Saturday Night Massacre” shook the nation as President Nixon ordered that the special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal be fired.

1 1

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · 20h

#SaturdayNightMassacre #Watergate #PresidentialPower #Accountability #ChecksAndBalances #RuleOfLaw #DemocracyInCrisis

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · 20h

The event became a defining test of presidential power and accountability. In recent weeks, removal of high-level officials and public figures who have criticized President Trump have made headlines, calling into question the limits of presidential power and accountability.

1

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · 6d

As federal force deployments escalate in U.S. cities, we revisit our 2020 episode on Trump-era authoritarianism. How does this discussion from Trump’s first presidency reveal about threats to democracy now? #ucla #protests #protectdemocracy #trump #democracyunderthreat #portland #chicago

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · 7d

#IndigenousPeoplesDay #DecolonizeHistory #ColonialViolence #LandBack #NativeResistance #HistoricalJustice #EraseColonialMyths #IndigenousRights #NativeHistoryMatters

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · 7d

Many institutions have shifted to recognizing October 13 as Indigenous Peoples Day to shift the focus from colonization and conquest to Indigenous survival, resilience, and ongoing resistance.

1

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · 7d

On this day in history, Americans have historically commemorated the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. For Indigenous people, however, this date marks the beginning of centuries of colonization, displacement, violence, and cultural erasure.

1 1

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · 13d

Trump’s deployment of national troops to cities like Chicago have parallels in authoritarian government worldwide. This episode of then & now considers Brazil's military regime and its aftermath, and explores the long-term effects on Brazilian and global politics. #history #Trump #Chicago #portland

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · 20d

While Then & Now is on hiatus as we redesign our podcast for Season 6, we’ll be revisiting older episodes that still have relevance today. This week's revisited: Aaron David Miller explores U.S. diplomacy’s role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
🎙️ tinyurl.com/yceajf4n

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Sep 18

As culture war politics intensify, conservatives frame “traditional” family values as vital to national survival. This week, @neiljyoung.bsky.social traces how religious narratives persist in U.S. politics and underpin the Trump-evangelical alliance.

🎙️: tinyurl.com/2w7sjpm6

1 1

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Sep 6

This week, Jennifer Klein joins us to explore #CancerAlley —the 100-mile stretch of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Jennifer examines how industrialization and environmental racism have shaped the lived experiences of residents in this corridor.

🎙️ tinyurl.com/4w8vurmj

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Aug 28

This week's revisited episode of then & now analyzes historic crises at UCLA in the context of current federal scrutiny.

Listen here: tinyurl.com/yryc3apu

Be sure to read our new report, The Challenge to University Autonomy in an Illiberal Era, here: luskincenter.history.ucla.edu/lchp-reports/

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Aug 20

This week, Ben Zdencanovic joins David N. Myers to discuss their collaborative work on a new LCHP report, The Challenge to University Autonomy in an Illiberal Age: Historical and Comparative Perspectives.

Listen here! tinyurl.com/3cudxd5w

Read the full report here: tinyurl.com/mvxzj8tz

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Aug 7

This week, we are joined by Dr. @neiljyoung.bsky.social to investigate how #conservative Christian family values were cemented within American conservative activism and became integral to the rhetoric of the #Trump presidency.

Listen here! tinyurl.com/2w7sjpm6

1

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Jul 31

This week, Dr. Noelle Turtur examines the enduring legacy of #fascism in Italian politics, its continued influence on Italy’s democracy, and broader implications for #authoritarianism and far-right movements beyond Italy’s borders.

Listen here: tinyurl.com/3kf3km8x

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Jul 24

In the wake of massive federal funding cuts to #publicbroadcasting by the #Trump administration, guest host Dr. Ben Zdencanovic is joined by Professor Josh Shepperd in this episode of then & now to discuss the complex historical development of #NPR and #PBS.

Listen here! tinyurl.com/4j6jt9cn

2 9 34

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Jul 17

In this week’s revisited episode of then & now, Professor Aziz Rana examines how narratives of a postwar “liberal order” frequently overlook the United States’ longstanding practices of #expansion and settler #colonialism.

🎙️ Listen here: tinyurl.com/37bk8zy3

1

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Jul 10

In this episode of then & now, Professor Benjamin Nathans discusses his recent book, "To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause," recipient of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and the Pushkin House Book Prize.

Listen here: tinyurl.com/496tmnrd

1

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Jul 3

In this week's revisited episode, Dr. Kelly Lytle Hernández joins us to trace the deep roots and urgent realities of mass incarceration and mass deportation in the United States.

Full episode here: tinyurl.com/2reethsa

1

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Jun 30

On this day in history in 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, launching the interstate system – now central to debates on infrastructure renewal and climate-resilient transit.
#Eisenhower #FederalAidHighwayAct #UrbanSprawl #PublicTransit #ClimatePolicy

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Jun 25

This week, Dr. Jamaal Muwwakkil joins us to discuss the rollback of #affirmativeaction and #DEI initiatives in U.S. universities. He emphasizes the significance of these shifts for Black and Latinx students as they navigate the landscape of higher ed.

Full episode here: tinyurl.com/yv7v57e3

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Jun 18

This week’s revisited episode considers LA's long history of uprisings and clashes between protestors and law enforcement. We explore parallels between #protests past and present, and the ongoing struggle against #policeviolence and #racialprofiling.

Listen here: tinyurl.com/1992LA

Luskin Center for History and Policy @historypolicy.bsky.social · Jun 11

This week, Dr. @neiljyoung.bsky.social joins us to unpack the evolving ties between the Gay Right and the Republican Party—especially as the current Trump administration seeks to reinforce binary gender norms and curtail protections for LGBTQ individuals.

Listen here: tinyurl.com/29ws79hr

1