Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Jesse Eisinger

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 15h

President Trump has long railed against the “fake news” as an “enemy of the people.” But this week, the president showed how far he has come in finding a new use for the media: as props.

For Trump, media manipulation is his show of force

The president has long attacked the media as “fake news,” but the White House has created a new crop of journalists to advance its policy priorities.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Jody Rosen @jodyrosen.bsky.social · 20h

I know we're not supposed to talk about Woody Allen, but ANNIE HALL is one of the supreme American movies & Diane Keaton's wild charisma is 90% of the reason why. And btw her performance of "Seems Like Old Times" is pure magic—up there with the greatest musical scenes in cinema, zero doubt

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d

Same day that the US announced a $20 billion bailout of Argentina that will benefit Trump's political allies and donors.

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d

CNN reporting that 4,000 federal employees were fired on Friday, in HHS, Education, Energy, HUD, Homeland Security, Patent and Trademark Office, EPA.
www.cnn.com/2025/10/10/p...

Trump administration lays off thousands of federal workers during government shutdown | CNN Politics

More than 4,000 federal employees received layoff notices Friday as part of the Trump administration’s broad effort to reshape the government while it remains shutdown, according to a court filing Fri...

www.cnn.com

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Heartland Signal @heartlandsignal.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING: Masked Border Patrol agents aggressively arrested WGN video producer Debbie Brockman in Lincoln Square Friday morning, supposedly for "obstructing justice." (Video via Josh Thomas on Facebook)

Follow @heartlandsignal for more.

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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 1d

I've given instructions to my reporters that if I ever send something like this, they have my permission to frag me.

Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 2d

News: Bari Weiss just sent a memo to staffers at CBS News asking them to produce a memo explaining "how you spend your working hours—and ideally, what you've made (or are making) that you're most proud of."

One CBS News staffer puts it like this to me: "We just got Elon Musked."

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Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 2d

Picture how big the Hoover Dam is. An absolute unit. The Hoover Dam has a power capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).

The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 2d

SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled

The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency

@heatmap.news

Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says

It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.

heatmap.news

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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 2d

Is that true? Or can both be true? My (inexpert) understanding is that foreign students enrollment is up but total enrollment is flat at elite schools, which have gotten harder to get into.

Yes foreign students tend to pay full freight & that may subsidize some US students — but fewer of them?

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Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 2d

Elon Musk’s Boring Co. has been accused of nearly 800 environmental violations in Las Vegas

The state COULD have fined the company more than $3M...

BUT

Regulators are only seeking a penalty of $242,800.

By @anjeanette-damon.bsky.social and Dayvid Figler

Elon Musk’s Boring Co. Accused of Nearly 800 Environmental Violations on Las Vegas Project

Nevada could’ve fined the company more than $3 million, but regulators are seeking a reduced penalty of $242,800, citing an “extraordinary number of violations.”

www.propublica.org

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Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 2d

James’s NY state ethics disclosures indicate that she didn’t rent the Virginia property out for very long.

In her 2020 disclosure, she reported that she received between $1,000-$5,000 in rent from the property.

In 2021, she reported no rental income from the property.

bsky.app/profile/anna...

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 2d

Indictment alleges that James claimed the property as a 2nd home but used it as a rental investment property.

It says she rented the property out but conveniently doesn’t specify the timeframe or duration.

That’s notable bc you can rent out a 2nd home and the rider allows short-term rentals.

1/

On or about August 17, 2020, JAMES, as sole borrower, purchased the three (3) bedroom,
(1) bathroom property located at 3121 Peronne Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia 23509 (the
"Peronne Property"), for approximately $137,000, financed with a mortgage loan of approximately $109,600 (Loan #4430025978) backed by Fannie Mae.
6. The loan was originated by OVM Financial under a signed Second Home Rider, which required JAMES, as the sole borrower to occupy and use the property as her secondary residence, and prohibited its use as a timesharing or other shared ownership arrangement or agreement that requires her either to rent the property or give any other person any control over the occupancy or use of the property.
7. Despite these representations, the Peronne Property was not occupied or used by JAMES as a secondary residence and was instead used as a rental investment property, renting the property to a family of (3).
8. This misrepresentation allowed JAMES to obtain favorable loan terms not available for

In addition to the covenants and agreements made in the security Instrument Borrower and Lender further covenant and agree that Sections 6 and 8 of the Security Instrument are deleted and are replaced by the following:
6. Occupancy, Borrower will occupy and use the Property as Borrower's second home. Borrower will maintain exclusive control over the occupancy of the Property, including short-term rentals, and will not subject the Property to any timesharing or other shared ownership arrangement or to any rental pool or agreement that requires Borrower either to rent the Property or give a management firm or any other person or entity any control over the occupancy or use of the Property. Borrower will keep the Property available primarily as a residence for Borrower's personal use and enjoyment for at least one year after the date of this Second Home Rider, unless Lender otherwise agrees in writing, which consent shall not be unreasonably with-held, or unless extenuating circumstances exist which are beyond Borrower's control.
8. Borrower's Loan Application. Borrower shall be in default it, during the Loan application process, Borrower or any persons or entities acting at the direction of Borrower or with Borrower's knowledge or consent gave materally false, mislead-ing, or inaccurate information or statements to Lender (or failed to provide Lender with material information) in connection with the Loan. Material representations include, but are not limited to, representations concerning Borrower's occupancy of the Property as Borrower's second home.
BY SIGNING BELOW, Borrower accepts and agrees to the terms and covenants
contained in this Second Home Rider.

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Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 2d

Indictment alleges that James claimed the property as a 2nd home but used it as a rental investment property.

It says she rented the property out but conveniently doesn’t specify the timeframe or duration.

That’s notable bc you can rent out a 2nd home and the rider allows short-term rentals.

1/

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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 2d

TIL there's an investment firm called Carl Marks & Co.

Named for a real guy with that name.

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Noah Dahl @noahdahl.bsky.social · 3d

Rutgers University has refused to comment on this situation, or in any way defend their employee against bogus claims that his work encourages violence.

Only one person is receiving death threats here. Specific, repeated death threats in response to TPUSA's watchlist.

And Rutgers says nothing....

Melissa Gira Grant @melissagiragrant.com · 3d

Incredibly alarming—after the whole ridiculous antifa roundtable at the White House, as Mark was moving with his family to Europe after threats…

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Jacqueline Sweet @jsweetli.bsky.social · 4d

NEW: A MAGA X account often shared by Senator Mike Lee and House Republicans like Nancy Mace--that often alleges Democrats encourage voting fraud-- is run by a man who not only has never stepped foot in the US, he also illegally donated to an American campaign.

www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

The Viral MAGA Accounts Run by a Man Who Has Never Been to America

Two influential MAGA social media accounts are run by Rumen Naumovski, a Macedonian who may have illegally donated to a U.S. election.

www.rollingstone.com

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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 4d

Once they wanted to dismantle the Dept of Education.

Now these activists want to use it for their own goals.

One of those? Eliminating public schooling.

@megomatz.bsky.social & @jsmithrichards.bsky.social
www.propublica.org/article/educ...

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Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 4d

Here’s video of the incident

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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 4d

Trying to figure out which Safdie I should be more worried about: Lovable But Flawed Brute Has One Last Chance or Quirky Dreamer Overcomes Great Odds

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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 4d

This reporter handled a ridiculous situation with grace.

Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 4d

Someone who used to work with Katie Porter sent me this clip from a train wreck interview with her and said “now imagine what she’s like when there aren’t cameras around.”

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Defakator (Officiel) 🧆 @defakator.bsky.social · 6d

Haddock : Quelle semaine, hein ?
Tintin : Capitaine, on est lundi, il est 10h

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 6d

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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 6d

I covered cops for years.

Cops
-are identifiable; hence badge numbers
-have body-cams so civilians can perhaps see the facts
-have conduct subject to civilian oversight

Immigration agents
-identities are secret
-aren't using body-cams
-face no oversight office. Trump killed it

NightMar on Hicks Street, Part 4: The Rabbit’s Revenge @histoftech.bsky.social · 7d

“Body slamming, teargas and pepper balls: viral videos show 🧊 using extreme force in Chicago

A facility in Broadview, a mostly Black suburb, has become the site of escalation and ‘targeted attacks’ on protesters”

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

Body slamming, teargas and pepper balls: viral videos show Ice using extreme force in Chicago

A facility in Broadview, a mostly Black suburb, has become the site of escalation and ‘targeted attacks’ on protesters

www.theguardian.com

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jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 7d

correspondent for The Economist

Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 7d

I visited the apartment building ICE raided on Tuesday today. Story to come, but you can walk right in. Half of the apartments have no doors on them. Children's stuff abandoned in some flats. *Citizen* residents told me they were arrested and held for hours in zipties. This is America

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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 8d

NEW: A 20-year federal prosecutor, fired abruptly this week even as he lead case against Abbey Gate bomber, warns his colleagues: the Trump administration is sacrificing national security to purge Trump's perceived adversaries.

w/ @dnlbrns

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

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Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 11d

You'll be shocked to learn New College of Florida is on the brink of implosion just a couple of years after DeSantis engineered an extreme right-wing takeover

Fun fact: NCF's new overlords spend $134K per student (!!...the average at other FL publics is $10K) www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...

Spending Soars, Rankings Fall at New College of Florida

Student outcomes and rankings are slipping at the liberal arts college while spending is up. Critics believe the college is at risk of implosion, and some are calling for privatization.

www.insidehighered.com

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Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 10d

Last night, the ADL took down its "Glossary of antisemitism" which included an entry for the term "globalist," describing it as a far-right codeword for Jews.

Hours later, the official DHS account authors a post with a common far-right meme, saying that "globalists" will be denied entry to the US.

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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 10d

The ADL’s reaction to Musk’s Nazi salute was to say, pretty much, “Who knows? He could have been just confident in his deodorant!”

Maybe there’s a lesson in here for whether you should try to placate MAGA.

Noah Shachtman @noahshachtman.bsky.social · 10d

This is both shocking and a long time coming. As I reported for @nymag.com, the ADL made few friends in the Trump administration, despite its many, many attempts to please MAGA. nymag.com/intelligence...

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