Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 9h

Newsom is pretty reasonable on trans policy, despite the ire leveled at him. All of these policies are about privacy. Everyone deserves privacy.

transitics.substack.com/p/newsom-bre...

Newsom Breaks Anti-Trans Streak, Signs a Slew of Trans Protections Into Law

The message? Pressure works.

transitics.substack.com

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Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 10h

Concepts of a plan

Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 11h

Yes, we are the Nazis now:

open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...

Are We the Nazis Now?

How do we meet this moment?

open.substack.com

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George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 16h

Authoritarianism is a cancer. And it's growing, metastasizing. In America. Now.

YOU are the cure. Do your part and join us on Saturday.

Do it for your country. For the Constitution. For your freedoms.

While you still can.

@ofthebraveusa.bsky.social

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Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 1d

In a way, he is having a leopards-eating-face moment.

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 2d

Nice recap

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Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 2d

This looks about white to me.

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Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 2d

In this area of unsettled politics, I am continually shocked at who I find myself aligned with. But this Cato Institute take down of the authoritarian “compact” is good.

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 3d

New from me at Cato: I go through the numerous and massive First Amendment and academic-freedom violations of Trump's proffered "compact" with universities and then talk about the mechanism by which it would be enforced, by way of what I describe as a "retroactive push-button guillotine."

Universities Must Defend Their Independence by Rejecting Trump's "Compact"

The Trump administration has proffered a “compact” to universities that would require them to surrender their independence and academic freedom. How many First Amendment violations can we identify in ...

www.cato.org

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John Paul Helveston @jhelvy.bsky.social · 3d

I knew MIT hired smart people
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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The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 4d

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

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Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 4d

“Both equally” 35 percent among independents because they are people who don’t know how to think but think they do.

Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 5d

Democracy dies in WaPo’s drivel.

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 5d

You’ve gotta be kidding me.

This WaPo editorial presents a misleading revisionist history of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s criminal cases against Trump.

Then it has the gall to compare that to Trump’s overt targeting of his perceived enemies.

Really embarrassing stuff.

But the mere fact that a legal tool might be available does not mean it should be used. The
current rage over Grassley's revelation shows why. Smith showed little restraint in his pursuit of a former president. He charged Trump for official acts he took as president. He sought a gag order to limit Trump's ability to criticize the prosecution. He tried to accelerate the case to try a leading presidential candidate before the 2024 election.

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Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 6d

With all the caveats about anonymous posters, this is still staggering, a revelation of what a sliver we see reported across mainstream & alt media combined; and this itself is obviously just a sliver. www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/...

From the AskReddit community on Reddit

Explore this post and more from the AskReddit community

www.reddit.com

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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 6d

Remember, it was the Washington Post who gave Bondi a thumbs up to be confirmed. Democracy Docket made clear from day one that she was an election denying sycophant.

No surprise at their coverage of today. Support independent, pro-democracy media today. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0

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Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 6d

Any normal person would be embarrassed by this, but MAGA lacks shame, so nothing they do embarrasses them.

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 6d

Kristi Noem confronts enemy combatants in the Portland war zone today.

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Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 6d

This strikes me as pretty bad

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Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 6d

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 6d

"This is supposed to be an oversight hearing" -- Schiff helpfully ticks through all of the incriminating questions -- and there are many of them -- that Bondi refused to answer during today's hearing

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Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 6d

I know it's tiresome to play the "imagine if the parties were reversed" game, but thinking about how Republicans (and right-wing media) would be reacting if a Democratic-controlled House was refusing to swear in a newly elected *Republican* member may be the apotheosis of this particular meme.

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Preorder Read This When Things Fall Apart @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 7d

I’m. So. Tired.

I don’t just want you to pay attention to Chicago because I want you to understand our plight. I want you to see how hard people are fighting and know wtf you’re made of. We’re not just fighting for this place. This is for all of us.

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Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 7d

Every damn “moderate” “independent” person who voted for this (and yes, they voted for this) needs to really sit down with themselves before the next election and figure out what their actual values are and vote those, not the damn price of eggs.

Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 7d

CHICAGO (AP) — Storming an apartment complex by helicopter as families slept. Deploying chemical agents near a public school. Handcuffing a Chicago City Council member at a hospital.

apnews.com/article/chic...

Using helicopters and chemical agents, immigration agents become increasingly aggressive in Chicago

Activists, residents and elected leaders say increasingly combative tactics used by federal immigration agents are sparking violence and fueling neighborhood tensions in the nation’s third-largest cit...

apnews.com

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Rep. Ilhan Omar @repilhan.bsky.social · 7d

If you ever wondered what Republican “governance” looks like, this is it.

A government shutdown.
Federal workers who don’t get paid.
A President who golfs during a shutdown.
National guards and ICE deployed to attack and arrest Americans.
Millions of Americans losing their healthcare.

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Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 7d

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed.
trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b-----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

trib.al

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Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 8d

This from @govpritzker.illinois.gov on @cnn.com

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Cristian Farias @cristianfarias.com · 8d

This video of Chicagoans intervening to save a man from being abducted off the streets by ICE is making the rounds on Instagram.

Community action works.

Source: www.instagram.com/reel/DPZL2AL...

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