Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Ian Bassin

Dave Levitan @davelevitan.bsky.social · 1d

“We can give $20 billion to Argentina but we can’t afford the CDC’s measles experts” is a hell of an argument

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Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 1d

Texas is preparing emergency resources for wildfires and floods. The Texas National Guard should be THERE — not in Illinois.

We stand ready to support their return home so they are best positioned for helping Texans respond to any natural disasters.

Abbott activates emergency resources ahead of growing wildfire threat, flood risk in Texas

With expected growing wildfire danger across Texas and the potential for a flood risk this weekend, Gov. Greg Abbott is activating more state emergency response resources Friday.

trib.al

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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 1d

Per CDC source: At internal leadership meeting this afternoon, it was shared that 1,257 people were RIF'd at CDC. Number may not be final. Apparently, chief of staff was unaware that RIFs were going to occur so not clear who is making decisions. (Short 🧵)

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Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 1d

I’m sure Jim Comer will bring the same vigorous oversight he brought to Hunter Biden.

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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 1d

Trump said he deserved a cut for brokering the TikTok deal, and at once there was agreement that his son Baron would have a top executive slot... though he hasn't asked for it, and has no apparent qualifications to hold it. This is how Trump 2.0 works. www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025...

Barron Trump tipped for top TikTok job

US president’s 19-year-old son could be appointed to the app’s board

www.telegraph.co.uk

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David Rothkopf @djrothkopf.bsky.social · 2d

Yes. Molly is right. This is the way. The only way.

Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 2d

This is the way

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

M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment

www.nytimes.com

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Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 1d

"If we were even to suppose the national rulers actuated by the most ungovernable ambition, it is impossible to believe that they would employ such preposterous means to accomplish their designs."

Oh Alexander, honey.

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 2d

Quoted by Judge Perry today in her opinion in Illinois v Trump

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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 1d

Make your plans for #NoKings. October 18th. Free speech is action. Please join in. You'll see me at one of the events.
www.nokings.org

No Kings

As the president escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS non-violent movement continues to rise stronger. We are united once again to remind the world: America has No Kings and the power ...

www.nokings.org

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Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:

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Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 2d

The Court, blocking Trump's deployment of Texas NG to Illinois: "not even the Founding Father most ardently in favor of a strong federal government believed that one state’s militia could be sent to another state for the purposes of political retribution." storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

storage.courtlistener.com

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Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 2d

“Scott Walter, the president of Capital Research Center, agreed that his group had not found evidence that the Soros network had committed a crime.” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...

Report on Soros Cited by Justice Dept. Does Not Show Funding for Terrorism

www.nytimes.com

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 3d

CHICAGO — Outside an elementary school during dismissal… horrifying. What have we become?

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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 3d

Shapiro: I filed that amicus brief last night to make it very clear that the Pennsylvania National Guard is under my command.

The way the President has chosen to deploy the Guard in other states—and, in at least one case, deploy the Guard from one state into another—is extremely dangerous.

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George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 @gtconway.bsky.social · 3d

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Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 3d

The precursor to the Insurrection Act, which President Washington invoked to call up militia during the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794, required concurrence of a Supreme Court Justice that an insurrection was occurring.

Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 3d

DOJ is basically arguing in Court that if the President "determines" that literal martians have landed from Mars and are attacking the United States, Trump can invoke any emergency power he wants and the judiciary can't question it.

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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 2d

Spiegel on the criminal complaint against James: The US legal system has become a farce. When lackeys can file charges on the orders of their masters, no one can feel safe anymore. Then arbitrariness prevails. The end of the rule of law and freedom. And that affects everyone

US-Justizministerium klagt prominente Trump-Gegnerin Letitia James an

Die Vorwürfe lauten Bankbetrug und falsche Angaben: Das US-Justizministerium hat Anklage gegen Generalstaatsanwältin Letitia James erhoben. Die Widersacherin von Donald Trump reagierte mit einer Kampf...

www.spiegel.de

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Jacob Soboroff @jacobsoboroff.bsky.social · 4d

just talked to Gov. Pritzker who dared President Trump to “come and get me” after POTUS threatened him with arrest. But Pritzker said he thinks Trump will chicken out.

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Patrick Chovanec @prchovanec.bsky.social · 3d

"THEY WERE EVENTUALLY LET GO AFTER SHOWING THIER DOCUMENTS". In other words, they were pulled out of their cars for looking "Mexican".

CollinCountyDems @collincountydems.bsky.social · 3d

This is terrifying!

ICE breaks into this woman’s car in the pick-up line at West Loop Elementary school in Chicago and detains her before she can pick her kids up from school. (They were eventually let go after showing their documents)

This is Trump’s America.

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Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 3d

DOJ is basically arguing in Court that if the President "determines" that literal martians have landed from Mars and are attacking the United States, Trump can invoke any emergency power he wants and the judiciary can't question it.

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The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 3d

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

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Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 3d

Again, Trump has crossed a Red Line no president has ever crossed: personally ordering the criminal prosecution of an American he doesn't like despite DOJ not finding evidence of any crime.

If Trump can do this to the powerful, he can do it to you. That's not freedom, and its not America.

New York Attorney General Letitia James @newyorkstateag.bsky.social · 3d

This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.

I am not fearful — I am fearless.

We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights..

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Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 3d

Donald Trump is not a king — and his administration is not above the law.

Today, the court confirmed what we all know: there is no credible evidence of a rebellion in the state of Illinois.

And no place for the National Guard in the streets of American cities like Chicago.

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Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 3d

Hamilton warned that without Senate confirmation, a president might appoint officials "who had no other merit than that of being in some way or other personally allied to him, or of possessing the necessary insignificance and pliancy to render them the obsequious instruments of his pleasure."

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d

MSNBC reports that Lindsey Halligan presented the case to the grand jury

bsky.app/profile/anna...

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d

Per Fox News, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia is currently weighing whether to charge NY AG Letitia James with mortgage fraud.

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Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 4d

If you come for my people, you come through me.

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Protect Democracy @protectdemocracy.org · 3d

VICTORY: Today, together with our partners, we won an emergency order stopping federal agents from using violent force against protestors in Illinois. Federal ICE/DHS agents are now blocked from using tactics like tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse lawful assembly. protdem.org/474KWsA

Court Halts Unlawful Suppression of Speech by ICE

DHS ordered to stop violating First Amendment rights of press, clergy, and protesters in Illinois

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