Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Irim Sarwar

davidrlurie @davidrlurie.bsky.social · 7h

Trumpers are deeply frustrated that their violence is being met with nonviolence.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7h

New in PN: Scenes from Portland's imaginary insurrection

"I’ve been taking images that are nowhere near this one conflict driveway — ones of puppies & kids playing, & families having picnics — b/c the idea that Portland is burned down & a war zone is just preposterous" — @timdickinson.bsky.social

Scenes from Portland's imaginary insurrection

"It would be funny if it wasn’t so f**king serious," Tim Dickinson says.

www.publicnotice.co

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 7h

I love this for him.

Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 7h

Dr. Phil’s anti-woke TV network goes broke www.dailykos.com/stories/2025...

Dr. Phil’s anti-woke TV network goes broke

After the end of his popular daytime talk show in 2023, Dr. Phil McGraw launched a right-wing media network, and a new report from Slate documents a network in chaos, with suspended programming and .....

www.dailykos.com

Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 11h

"My brother, my guide, my clear mirror"

I don't have the lyrics in front of me, so can't translate the Hindi for you yet, but love this paean to close, supportive male friendships. If these friendships were the norm for men, we would be in a far better place.

youtu.be/6PAwA0lrjjM

Ed Sheeran × Arijit Singh – Dost (My Brother) | Hindi-English Duet (Official)

YouTube video by Rhythm Verse

youtu.be

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Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 2d

1/Stop everything and read/watch/bookmark this massive investigation between @motherjones.com @lighthousereports.com Le Monde, Der Spiegel, Paper Trail Media a vast global surveillance empire used to target politicians, journalists, tech CEOs, and... Jared Leto.
ow.ly/2LUF50Xb7KE

The surveillance empire that tracked world leaders, a Vatican enemy, and maybe you

We uncovered a massive data trove. It revealed the hidden world of First Wap, whose untraceable tech has targeted politicians, journalists, celebrities, and activists around the globe.

ow.ly

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 23h

"The basic thing about you, Nick, is that each time you find someone lying to you, you are utterly amazed, even though you've devoted most of your life to uncovering liars."

"I wear the coat of a cynic, only to conceal the heart of...an agitated otter." 🤣🤣🤣

#TheHack

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Coates is Odd This Day @oddthisday.bsky.social · 1d

It’s the 111th anniversary today of the birth of Harry Rée, who was a teacher and conscientious objector when the Second World War broke out, and by the time it ended, when he was 31, had invented ‘blackmail sabotage’ and got a DSO, an OBE, a Croix de Guerre, and a Medaille de la Resistance

b/w photo of a man in socks and sandals, jacket, short and jumper, in front of a wall with a bike leaning on it, and with a pipe in his mouth. If you wanted one image to sum up the word ‘nonchalant’, this would be it

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 1d

One of the terrible things about the conservative elites’ attacks on higher education is that they are giving their constituents the impression that the universe isn’t big, complicated, and fascinating — that it really does take this many people to work out how even a small fraction of it works

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 1d

Of all the AI generated transcripts I have been forced to read, 'Jinn church' is probably far and away my favourite invention. But also, having grown up as a Muslim 👀👀👀

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 1d

100% here for Kermit as the leader of the Frog Resistance. Jim Henson would be so very proud.

Melissa Nadia Viviana @resistrebelrevolt.net · 2d

Amphifa: Amphibians Against Fascism 🐸

Fight psy-ops with psy-ops! Wear an inflatable costume on Oct 18th! ☮️

Vive la Révolution (des animaux gonflables)! ✊🏼

tinyurl.com/inflatableport

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 2d

A transphobic pressure group is trying to ban trans women from Hampstead women’s pond – we’re fighting back goodlawproject.org/s/4860b3

Keep Hampstead women’s pond inclusive

A transphobic pressure group is trying to ban trans women from Hampstead women’s pond – we’re fighting back

goodlawproject.org

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max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 2d

Joint statement from the networks declining to agree with the Pentagon's new press policy. Fox News, Pete Hegseth's former employer, is a signatory.

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 2d

Via you know who you are and can tag yourself if you like, 100% this:

Red background. Christian Nationalism is looking at Jesus' three temptations and thinking he made the wrong choices. -William Youngblood

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Dr Stylite @columnist.bsky.social · 2d

Great stuff from @stephenkb.bsky.social And while I think the Brexit was a disaster denialism is clearly most pronounced in the Conservative Party, it continues to affect the rest of the political spectrum in the form of we have to make the best of it / the situation will never change etc.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 2d

How Brexit drained the Tories’ talent pool on.ft.com/4qarx21 | opinion

How Brexit drained the Tories’ talent pool

The party can’t keep expecting successful people to pretend that leaving the EU was a good idea

on.ft.com

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Reposted by Irim Sarwar

Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 3d

I thought this was lovely.

"A few years ago I received a DM from Zohran Kwame Mamdani. Only recently did I discover its existence. It was a very unusual DM—especially coming from a local assemblyman who would soon be running for higher office. He had very little name recognition at the time, and could have benefited from publicity. But unlike the thousands of messages I’ve received from people with something to promote, Zohran did not ask to be featured on Humans of New York. Instead he asked if he could introduce me to taxi drivers that were struggling beneath the burden of debt. Coming from a man with political ambitions, this self-denying request was so strange as to be almost singular. I don’t endorse politicians on Humans of New York. But I’ll endorse a good man. And it was a good man who cleared 30 minutes from his schedule yesterday to swing by Grand Central and visit Dear New York’s Vanderbilt Hall Exhibition. Nearly fifty-student artists were visiting that day with their families, and I thought a surprise visit from this widely-loved future mayor would be a special memory for all of them. Before Zohran’s arrival I was convinced I’d made a terrible mistake. The exhibit was filled to capacity with adult visitors. Dear New York is self-funded so there was very little staff and security for crowd control. In the crush of people I was almost certain this special day for the kids would devolve into thirty minutes of selfie requests. But everyone rose to the occasion."

black text on white background

"Hundreds of adults quickly cleared the room and stood outside the exhibit. Eleven very notable adult photographers are also featured in the show, but even they took a step back, so that these students could briefly have the stage to themselves. Each child stood by their work and Zohran was able to meet all of them, one at a time, and honor their contributions to the most-visited art show in New York City. Thanks to everyone who ceded the stage yesterday to make this moment possible. Thank you Zohran for literally sitting down on the floor so that these young artists could feel so tall. Thanks for continually centering other people in your life and work. And thank you, for being such an important part of Dear New York."

A large group of children and adults pose together indoors in front of a sign reading "DEAR." A man in a suit sits cross-legged in front, surrounded by smiling kids. The background features an ornate architectural detail.

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 3d

Superb S3E3 of #BlueLights.

Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 3d

Proud to have her as my baptismal saint. Will totally be using this line over and over.

Mollie Wilson O'Reilly @mollieoreilly.bsky.social · 3d

Time for this again

Over a picture of a statue of St. Catherine of Siena's wimpled and veiled face looking at something with grim mouth and narrowed eyes, the quotation "Don't make it necessary for me to complain about you to Christ crucified."

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Mollie Wilson O'Reilly @mollieoreilly.bsky.social · 4d

The Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale has added these (and more) quotations from various papal teachings about care and concern for immigrants to the windows outside its main meeting room. This is the kind of catechesis we need more of in the U.S. church.

A window pane with this text: "...No one would exchange his country for a foreign land if his own afforded him the means of living a decent and happy life." —Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum (1891), no. 47

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, living in exile in Egypt to escape the fury of an evil king, are, for all times and all places, the models and protectors of every migrant, alien, and refugee of whatever kind, who, whether compelled by fear of persecution or by want, is forced to leave his native land, his beloved friends and relatives, his close friends, and to seek a foreign soil." —Pope Pius XII, Exsul Familia Nazarethana (1962), Apostolic Constitution

"The poverty and misfortune with which immigrants are stricken are yet another reason for coming generously to their aid... It is necessary to guard against the rise of new forms of racism or xenophobic behavior, which attempt to make these brothers and sisters of ours scapegoats for what may be difficult local situations..." John Paul II, World Migration Day (1996)

"Migrants present a particular challenge for me, since I am the pastor of a church without frontiers, a Church which considers herself a mother to all. For this reason, I exhort all countries to a generous openness which, rather than fearing the loss of local identity, will prove capable of creating new forms of cultural synthesis." Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (2013)

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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 3d

We cannot allow extremists to divide us.

Our city must always be a place where people of all faiths and none can live side by side knowing they aren’t just safe to be who they are - they are celebrated for it.

All beliefs are welcome in London – we cannot allow extremists to divide us | Sadiq Khan

Attacks against Jewish and Muslim communities are on the rise, and some politicians are exacerbating tensions by appealing to our worst instincts, says London mayor Sadiq Khan

www.theguardian.com

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 3d

Indeed, though if we're harsh about it, deservedly so.

Actions, consequences.

John Collins @logicallyjc.bsky.social · 3d

We remain in the dumbest timeline.
open.substack.com/pub/logicall...

America’s Economy Is Not a Reality Show

Trump keeps mistaking policy for spectacle, and this one could cost us trillions.

open.substack.com

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NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · 3d

Trump's insistence that Joe Biden was president on January 6 raises new questions about Joe Biden's memory.

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 3d

What joy, but tinged w/ rage that Netanyahu killed the vast majority of them - some directly, like the IDF shooting 3 hostages, only checking b/c one was white enough - and most of the rest through starvation & indiscriminate bombing. Remember, H*m*s offered a deal in October 2023. Binny refused.

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 3d

Hamas has released all 20 remaining living hostages.

The Israeli military says it has taken custody of them and will transport them onward to Israel. Follow AP's live updates.

Live updates: Israel says Hamas hands over first 7 hostages to Red Cross as part of Gaza ceasefire

The key exchange follows a breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war. U.S. President Donald Trump was also arriving in the region along with other leaders to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans.

bit.ly

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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 3d

A miracle they’re still alive. Elated for their families. Can’t help but think of all the hostages who would have also come home two years ago had Netanyahu chosen his own people over his thirst for war.

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 3d

Hamas has released all 20 remaining living hostages.

The Israeli military says it has taken custody of them and will transport them onward to Israel. Follow AP's live updates.

Live updates: Israel says Hamas hands over first 7 hostages to Red Cross as part of Gaza ceasefire

The key exchange follows a breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war. U.S. President Donald Trump was also arriving in the region along with other leaders to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans.

bit.ly

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 3d

Qatari money should do that quite nicely:

theintercept.com/2025/10/11/q...

Did Qatari Money Drive Trump’s Push for Gaza Ceasefire?

Trump’s stance on Gaza shifted after Israel’s attack on Qatar — a close ally where he and his family have key business deals.

theintercept.com

Reposted by Irim Sarwar

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 3d

This is what one of the biggest Diwali celebrations outside of India looks like.

Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate light overcoming darkness, hope overcoming hardship, and unity in our diversity.

A person stands on stage addressing a large crowd gathered in Trafalgar Square for Diwali on the Square. Colourful tents and festival stalls fill the area behind the crowd, with the National Gallery visible in the background.

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 3d

I bang on about this a lot: I think the combination of a global pandemic, underregulated internet/SM, collapse/corruption of trustworthy media, plus now unregulated genAI, is a wildly toxic environment for radicalisation & mental health. We see the results of that in our politics & lives every day

James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 4d

Everyone knows at least one person (normally, but not exclusively, a guy) whose gone properly mental due to net rabbit holes.

We see public figures regularly go mad and destroy themselves.

And we have, at a policy level, just decided to put our fingers in our ears and go nahnahnah

Alastair Meeks @alastairmeeks.bsky.social · 4d

Last night I heard of another friend of a friend who has been lost to a rabbit hole of online propaganda. We need to start treating this as a serious public health concern.

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