Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jason Cochran

@jascochran.bsky.social

1.1K followers 2.2K following 1.1K posts

Writer, nerd, outfluencer. EIC at Frommer’s. Trapped in Biffhorrific. Author of “Here Lies America”

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · Jan 8

Be very careful with this feature.

Some people are putting together lists of positive posters under negative Starter Pack titles in the hopes that you’ll unfollow good people.

Check the list of every Starter Pack before mass following or mass unfollowing.

5 3 47

Reposted by Jason Cochran

Daniel Comeaux @danielcomeaux.bsky.social · 7h

I mean this seriously - if this is the way the federal government treats the states, what is the incentive to participate in the union? We are being invaded, robbed, and assaulted. Where does this end? Nowhere good.

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 8h

Trump announced today, seemingly at random, that he is cancelling fed funding for Gateway Tunnel, a tunnel for intercity & commuter trains under the Hudson River.

The motivation for the cancellation—which is likely to be contested—appears to be purely the president’s hatred of Sen Schumer.

Mark Abraham @markabraham.bsky.social · 8h

"If this system of transportation collapses, the Northeastern economy and the economy of the country collapses." The most important economic development project in the entire nation threatened with cancellation: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/n...

1 8 20

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 11h

They think a white supremacist country is within their grasp, so they will fight dirty. Be prepared. Keep your wits.

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 20h

A president attacking his own people is civil war.

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 21h

Trump is upfront in saying he will use the shutdown to punish Democrats, and here are the receipts. About $27.2 billion cut from Dem districts compared to about $0.7 billion in GOP districts.
We all complain about the media, but need this type of in-depth journalism.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Trump Halts Billions in Grants for Democratic Districts During Shutdown (Gift Article)

The Trump administration has frozen or canceled nearly $28 billion primarily located in Democratic-led districts, according to an analysis by The New York Times.

www.nytimes.com

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 1d

I’m sad to learn about the passing of Drew Struzan.

His posters are as meaningful to my generation’s definition of all-time classic movies as is the work of artists like John Williams and Steven Spielberg. He was a great.

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 1d

The View doesn't need to say a word against MAGA when it has people like Cheryl Hines on the show to blunder for themselves.

2 1

Reposted by Jason Cochran

Asawin Suebsaeng @swin24.bsky.social · 2d

I’m part of the problem because I completely forgot about this

Rachel Maddow @maddow.msnbc.com · 2d

oh. right.

www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

23 180 870

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 2d

Reading history is a form of travel.

Reposted by Jason Cochran

Pop Crave @popcrave.com · 2d

Spotify has reportedly been running ICE recruitment advertisements in the US.

26 85 190

Reposted by Jason Cochran

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 2d

Wow, wow, wow. This has always been legally possible but the law has virtually never been enforced — and now this is the SECOND case I've heard of in the last month (first involving a person with a green card) of a noncitizen being charged for failure to carry their papers.

Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 2d

NEWS: ICE gave a Rogers Park man a $130 ticket for not having his papers on him. They rounded him up last week and eventually let him go, but not without a fine that some critics say is un-American. Trump admin enforcing little-used law
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/13/i...

ICE tickets Chicago man with legal residency $130 for not having his papers on him: ‘It’s not fair…I’m a resident’

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement fined Rueben Antonio Cruz $130 for not having his papers with him.

www.chicagotribune.com

93 1.3K 3K

Reposted by Jason Cochran

Larry Glickman @larryglickman.bsky.social · 2d

The idea that political dissent can only be the product of “paid protesters” or “outside agitators” has a long history. Here is the Mississippi columnist Tom Ethridge in June 1963 concerned that attendees at the upcoming March on Washington might be “whipped into a frenzy by skilled agitators.”

“Aug 28 has been set as the date for this mass invasion of the captial by upward of 100,000 negroes…”

44 220 570

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 2d

People like Bari Weiss and Larry Ellison are ruling over corpses.

Michael Savage @michaelsavage.bsky.social · 2d

Last month, something unusual happened in TV - none of the main channels got a million viewers at 9pm. The bigger problem was it happened a 2nd & 3rd time soon after.

Another unwelcome landmark for linear TV & our shrinking shared TV experience.

Does it matter?

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/o...

‘It was a binding experience’: TV producers mourn decline of hot 9pm slot

UK broadcasters used to rely on big audiences at 9pm, but as viewing habits change, figures are falling below the 1m mark

www.theguardian.com

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 4d

It’s gonna bust soon 🍿🍿🍿

Reposted by Jason Cochran

Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 4d

Unconstitutionally taking money that the law says must be spent on one purpose & using it for something else—when it's to establish personalist control over the FUCKING MILITARY—is about as dangerous a constitutional crisis/failure as you can imagine

Via: www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...

The Office of Management and Budget sent a notification to Congress about their intent to use research and development funds to pay members of the military, two sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News.

A spokesperson for the OMB confirmed to NBC News that it plans to use the research and development funds and that there are two years' worth of funds available within the Department of Defense.

110 2K 5.8K

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 4d

I cannot defend the [American] South. As long as they could be successful in their schemes for holding the political power of the nation, they were prepared to hold by the nation. Immediately those schemes failed, they were prepared to throw the nation overboard.

-Anthony Trollope, 1862

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 5d

The regime is failing and is getting nervous. This is when they start acting in desperation.

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 5d

They cannot arrest an entire nation.

Reposted by Jason Cochran

👻madeline boOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 7d

the answer to the trolley problem is not to pick who to sacrifice, it’s to dismantle the system that led to an unsafe trolley crossing.

if any part of your morality strategy involves picking a group to let die on a hill, throw the entire strategy out. it’s wrong.

24 350 1.3K

Reposted by Jason Cochran

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 8d

“.. On closer inspection, however, it turned out that the image was not a photograph of a real event in Portland, but instead a fabrication created by combining two photographs of scenes that unfolded in South America nearly a decade apart ..”

@theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

720 7.6K 14K

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 7d

Probably because 99% of Americans don’t know what despotism means

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 8d

Respect can never be demanded. It can only be granted.

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 8d

Budget Travel magazine got a new EIC who thought he was a hot shot. At his first staff meeting, he told a room of pro travelers, “Don’t kid yourselves. We only choose destinations to make our friends jealous.”

The staff silently turned on him.

It became his last job in magazines.

max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 8d

Bari Weiss introduced herself to CBS News staff today on the network's 9AM call, saying she wants to "win," which requires restoring trust to CBS. She also said she was excited for staff to get to know the Free Press, and ended her remarks by saying: "Let's do the fucking news."

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 8d

Did you notice that no one in the U.S. used the word “leftist” until the time Putin began meddling in American politics?

Reposted by Jason Cochran

Frommer’s Travel Guides @frommers.com · 9d

From rural airline service to aircraft safety to health on cruise ships, the damaging effects of the federal government shutdown are wide and largely under-reported.

#travel #airline #cruise #shutdown #safety

www.frommers.com/tips/miscell...

The Unexpected Travel Effects of the Federal Shutdown

The U.S. government shutdown is changing travel. Unfortunately, some consequences aren't being discussed—particularly what it means for safety.

www.frommers.com

2 2

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 9d

Not to mention he has competing alcohol brands

Jason Cochran @jascochran.bsky.social · 10d

I love Hopton Street. The span of history in a block