Author | Lightnews

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Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 6h

The messaging debates are disconnected from the fact that bills that Democrats brought to the floor of Congress have provisions that poll extremely well, whereas the bills that the GOP brought to the floor in Trump I and Trump II are among the least popular bills ever seen in modern polling

Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 15h

Utterly bizarre to describe climate change policy as some kind of radical-left albatross.

The IRA contained precisely the kind of 'kitchen table' programs everyone says Democrats should focus on — and they're popular!

The problem was that Americans *didn't know* what the IRA was or who passed it.

It is completely obvious that the party lost in 2024 because it overcommitted to a range of unpopular left-wing positions, some of which yielded disastrous policy results (like the Biden migration wave) while others merely persuaded constituencies that had voted Democratic in the past (like blue-collar Midwesterners or culturally conservative Latino men) that the party now cared more about climate change

In poll after poll, Americans have said that they know little to nothing about the IRA, with the most recent poll, out in April 2024, finding that 4 in 10 people say that they don’t know enough about the law’s provisions to have an opinion on them. At the same time, a July 2023 Data for Progress poll found that large numbers of Americans support provisions in the IRA when asked specifically about them, including tax credits for businesses that produce clean electricity, electric vehicles, and new clean energy technologies (69%); rebates up to $14,000 per household to improve home energy efficiency (71%); and ramping up production of American-made clean energy technologies (73%). And perhaps most significantly, support for these key IRA provisions has grown over time among all likely voters, especially Republican voters.

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Sara Luterman @slooterman.bsky.social · 11h

You can’t even use SNAP to buy a hot rotisserie chicken unless you live in a state with a special waiver.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

ROB SCHMITT: People are using SNAP benefits to get their nails done, to get their weaves and their hair. This is a really ugly program.

SEN. RON JOHNSON: That program needs to be dramatically reformed.

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🗽LOLGOP🗽 @thefarce.org · 5h

Along with the many crimes John Roberts legalized for Trump, he basically erased any pretension of Congress’ War Powers and mocked the idea of illegal wars or military strikes, at least for the president.

Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 5h

Trump Administration Tells Congress War Law Doesn’t Apply to Cartel Strikes

By Ellen Nakashima and Noah Robertson

The Office of Legal Counsel told Congress it is not bound by a decades-old law requiring Congress to give approval for ongoing hostilities–the 1973 War Powers Resolution.

Gift link!

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Katelyn Oldham *Do not obey in advance.* @katelynstarrpdx.bsky.social · 12h

These are violations of international law as well as of our constitutional separation of powers. More importantly, it is morally repugnant to murder people without trial based solely on speculation. Particularly when the speculation comes from an administration of known fabulists and liars.

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 15h

Awful: Pentagon officials told lawmakers Trump now claims authority to bomb people merely “affiliated” with “narco-terrorist" groups, Rep Adam Smith tells me. But under questioning, they wouldn't say what “affiliated” even means!

Lots of fresh info in my new piece:

newrepublic.com/article/2025...

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Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 7h

There’s a name for this.

C O R R U P T I O N

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Secretary of Defense Rock @sodrock.bsky.social · 6h

Dems *really* need to embrace anti-corruption

Ben Penn @benjaminpenn.bsky.social · 6h

Scoop: FBI ousts senior official after Kash Patel’s fury over news of his use of government jet to see girlfriend perform. The removed head of critical incident response group was 27-year FBI veteran who oversaw aviation sections.
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...

FBI Ousts Leader as Patel Fumes Over Attention to Agency Jet Use

The FBI forced out a senior official overseeing aviation shortly after Director Kash Patel grew outraged about revelations of his publicly-available jet logs indicating he’d flown to see his musician ...

news.bloomberglaw.com

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davidrlurie @davidrlurie.bsky.social · 3h

This is an exemplary opinion, and carefully demonstrates that -- even in this "Kavanaugh stop" era, when racist stereotypes are deemed a constitutionally sufficient basis for a Terry stop -- the "outrageous" conduct of Trump thugs can lead to constitutionally impermissible territory.

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 1d

This dismissal opinion on a failed ICE arrest that @seamushughes.bsky.social found is worth reading in its entirety. Come for the debunking of DHS "fiction," stay for the snark about wiener dog, but definitely take time to read the 18 USC 111 analysis.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

The sworn affidavit submitted in support of the Criminal Complaint in this matter tells a
very different—and largely fictional—story. For example, Special Agent Steven Fuentes of ICE,
HSI, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) swore to the following:
On June 20, 2025, [HSI, ICE-ERO, and TxDPS] were conducting
surveillance at a residence on Benrus, in San Antonio, Texas, in the Western
District of Texas. Database checks indicated that Jaime Albert
QUINTANILLA-Chavez, with a Final Order of Removal from an
Immigration Judge, was residing at the above address. At approximately
0715 a.m., QUINTANILLA exited the residence and entered a white Dodge
Ram. The Dodge Ram was towing a trailer containing construction
equipment. Both license plates for the truck and trailer were expired.
ECF No. 1 ¶ 2 (emphasis added). Fuentes also swore that (1) the Defendant refused to “follow any
commands”; (2) after the Defendant was blocked in between the officers’ vehicles, he was given
“multiple verbal commands to exit the vehicle”; and (3) the Defendant “fought the law
enforcement officers.” Id. ¶¶ 3–4. Fuentes further testified at the preliminary hearing that the
Defendant was surveilled (and taken into custody) because he was subject to a Final Order of
Removal from an Immigration Judge. See ECF No. 12, 6/26 Preliminary Hr’g Tr. at 4:20–25.
Despite HSI’s sworn statement to the Magistrate Judge that the vehicle was stopped
because of expired license plates, the Assistant U.S. Attorney conceded at a bond hearing in July
2025 that Fuentes had “misrepresented what was going on.” ECF No. 29, 7/10 Hr’g Tr. at 8:12–

The Defendant pulled over, came to a stop, and took out his cell phone to call a friend to come
pick up the only other occupant of his vehicle: his weenie dog, Rocky. ECF No. 29, 7/10 Hr’g Tr.
at 29:9–18. The Defendant’s friend saw from his video messaging application that there were men
aiming guns at the Defendant and yelling at him. See id. at 25:17–21.

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Gillian Brockell @gbrockell.bsky.social · 5h

Trump deported Iranian Christians with open asylum claims for religious persecution four weeks ago.

He expelled other Iranian Christians, including children, to Panama in February.

Reuters @reuters.com · 6h

Trump threatens US military action in Nigeria over treatment of Christians reut.rs/4qBrVXy

Trump threatens US military action in Nigeria over treatment of Christians

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he has asked the Defense Department to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria if the Nigerian government "continues to allow the killing of Christians."

reut.rs

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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 3h

First RFK Jr. wanted to take fluoride out of water and has had some success in Republican jurisdictions that think scientific evidence is for chumps.

But that wasn’t enough harm for him, so now he’s restricting kids’ access to fluoride supplements.

FDA restricts use of kids' fluoride supplements citing emerging health risks

The Food and Drug Administration is restricting the use of fluoride supplements used to strengthen children’s teeth.

apnews.com

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Bradley P. Moss @bradmossesq.bsky.social · 10h

This is flat out false. SNAP cannot be used for that. It’s not permitted under federal law and no states have an exemption for it.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

ROB SCHMITT: People are using SNAP benefits to get their nails done, to get their weaves and their hair. This is a really ugly program.

SEN. RON JOHNSON: That program needs to be dramatically reformed.

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jaoswald.bsky.social @jaoswald.bsky.social · 5h

WTF does "being careful" mean with diversity? People should be careful to only live in the neighborhood they are allowed to live in, only take jobs they are allowed to have, go to the school they are allowed to attend? Or what? Consider fucking all the way off.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 7h

Katie Miler, the wife of the US homeland security adviser threatened that the government would denaturalize him because he disagreed with her: "You better check your citizenship application and hope that everything was legal and correct."

Wajahat Ali @wajali.bsky.social · 8h

The weakest

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Katie Miller is threatening the citizenship of a critic | Arwa Mahdawi

Threatening to deport your critics, even those with US citizenship, seems to have become Maga policy

www.theguardian.com

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Dave Infante @dinfontay.com · 9h

can't believe outlets are running moral-panic headlines again based on flimsy anecdata from the *same* trade group (the national retailer federation) and sponsored by the *same* anti-theft company (sensormatic) that had to retract this *same* "study" just two years ago for being bogus.

Retailers Dealing With Increasing Levels of Theft and Violence

Report emphasizes importance of preventive measures, coordination with law enforcement

progressivegrocer.com

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Matthew Best @matthewbest.bsky.social · 7h

Also gotta love the "whatever that is" line that makes it sound like Cuomo has no idea what's going on in New York, given the pilot program started in like 2021 according to the "whatever that is" BHEARD site.

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Jason Karsh @jkarsh.bsky.social · 6h

‘I hate you. I hate New York City. If you don’t give me power your lives will be hell. Send me your daughters so I can harass them.” - Cuomo’s closing message, basically

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 7h

"Nice isn't what we need in a Mayor" is an amazing closing pitch

Cooper Lund @cooperlund.online · 10h

Jesus Christ this Cuomo ad that ran during the Army/Air Force game

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Larry Glickman @larryglickman.bsky.social · 6h

Douthat writes that 2024, when Harris lost by 1.5% of the popular vote, was "an ideological referendum and progressivism lost." I wonder why he didn't view the 2020 election, when Trump lost by 4.5% of the popular vote, as a far more significant loss for conservatism.
bsky.app/profile/larr...

Larry Glickman @larryglickman.bsky.social · 7d

Comparing the relation between the presidential election results in 2020 and 2024 with the post-election commentary is a fascinating exercise.

2020
Biden 81,283,501 popular votes, 51.3%
Trump 74,223,975 popular votes 46.8%

2024
Trump 77,302,580 49.8%
Harris 75,017,613. 48.3%

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 7h

Roberts released a longer statement on X that I presume Greenblatt was responding to.
It absolutely does contest anti-semitism, but it does not walk back the Heritage position that Carlson did nothing wrong in platforming Fuentes, who deserves to be heard.
He says Fuentes should not be cancelled!

Kevin Roberts
@Kevin RobertsTX
Yesterday I said that I abhorred views expressed by Nick Fuentes-and that the best way to fight antisemitic ideas was to challenge them head on.
Fuentes replied on X by saying "I don't know what exactly you 'abhor' about my views." Allow me to elaborate-because there is plenty to condemn.
First, the @Heritage Foundation and I denounce and stand against his vicious antisemitic ideology, his Holocaust denial, and his relentless conspiracy theories that echo the darkest chapters of history. We are disgusted by his musings about rape, women, child marriage, and abusing his potential wife.
Fuentes made grotesque analogies to try to cast doubt on the murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust and has said "I think the Holocaust is exaggerated. I don't hate Hitler." Fuentes called for the death penalty for "perfidious Jews" and other non-Christians, stating that "when we take power, they need to be given the death penalty."
Fuentes praised Hitler and in the Tucker interview said he is a "Stalin admirer."
Fuentes stated that his goal is "total Aryan victory" and claimed that "black people should be in prison for the most part." This is but a sampling of his vile daily rhetoric.
Racism and antisemitism are not relics of the past. They have blossomed on the Left on university campuses and grown on the Right through figures like Fuentes.

Nick Fuentes's antisemitism is not complicated, ironic, or misunderstood. It is explicit, dangerous, and demands our unified opposition as conservatives. Fuentes knows exactly what he is doing. He is fomenting Jew hatred, and his incitements are not only immoral and un-Christian, they risk violence.

Our task is to confront and challenge those poisonous ideas at every turn to prevent them from taking America to a very dark place. Join us—not to cancel—but to guide, challenge, and strengthen the conversation, and be confident as I am that our best ideas at the heart of western civilization will prevail.

For those, especially young men, who are enticed by Fuentes and his acolytes online—there is a better way. I look forward to talking more about this in the days to come.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 8h

Roberts says he disagrees with Fuentes but he deserves the right to be heard and debated.
This is what ADL is praising? It is not their standard for college campuses, where they have pushed govt to undertake institutional and individual punishments for speech far less anti-semitic than Fuentes.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 9h

Jonathan Greenblatt doing clean-up for Kevin Roberts at the Heritage Foundation is the same as Kevin Roberts doing clean-up for Tucker Carlson is the same as Tucker Carlson doing clean-up for Nick Fuentes

Jonathan Greenblatt tweeting his support for Kevin Roberts

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Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones.bsky.social · 9h

Let’s be clear, most EBT users are white. The reason he’s specifically lying about “weaves” and we’ve seen so many AI fakes of Black women ranting about food stamps is they need to make BW the face EBT because they know many Americans don’t care if Black people suffer, and some actually wish for it.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

ROB SCHMITT: People are using SNAP benefits to get their nails done, to get their weaves and their hair. This is a really ugly program.

SEN. RON JOHNSON: That program needs to be dramatically reformed.

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Evan Sutton @evansutton.bsky.social · 11h

"[O'Brien] has decided to go along with Trump and everything that he’s done. But not just Trump, also the ruling class, the employer class, billionaire class, because that’s who Trump represents." Hell yeah. You love to see it. ✊ www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Labor activist takes on Teamsters leader allying with Trump: ‘He doesn’t represent the workers’

Richard Hooker Jr is running to replace Trump ally Sean O’Brien as president of the Teamsters International union

www.theguardian.com

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Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 15h

This right here, this exact sentence, is THE problem in American political journalism.

The IRA *was* cheap energy and good jobs! That was the whole bill! Democrats did precisely what political pundits are telling them to do and the pundits just ignore it.

the party now cared more about climate change and various academic fixations than cheap energy and good-paying jobs.

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jaoswald.bsky.social @jaoswald.bsky.social · 11h

The Republican majority wants him as Speaker, this is all by design. (Also, if they remove him, literally the only thing the House is allowed to do is to try to choose a replacement and they might not be able to manage that, so we would be even more dysfunctional.)

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jaoswald.bsky.social @jaoswald.bsky.social · 11h

This single person is only doing this because the Republican majority wants him to take the flak for the shutdown. He does not actually act alone, but his play-acting deflects the anger away from every Republican House member who is abandoning their duty because they are afraid of Trump.

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Senator Ron Wyden @wyden.senate.gov · 13h

Turns out the sweetheart deal that Trump's former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta gave Epstein back in 2008 was even worse than we thought. Epstein's emails show Acosta tanked an investigation that had Epstein dead to rights on money laundering, and other financial crimes.

Jason Leopold @jasonleopold.bsky.social · 1d

🚨 EXPLOSIVE NEW investigation: We uncovered previously undisclosed details about an 18-month money laundering investigation into Jeffrey Epstein that took place alongside the 2007 sex crimes probe, according to emails obtained from Epstein's personal Yahoo account
🎁 www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

Jeffrey Epstein Went to War Over Money Laundering Probe in 2007 Sex Case

Federal prosecutors opened a financial-crimes investigation into Jeffrey Epstein in 2007 amid their larger sex-trafficking probe. The financier and his legal team waged a war against them, his emails ...

www.bloomberg.com

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