Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Jim Saksa

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 8h

Remember when Stephen Miller claimed the Chicago apartment raid was on a building “filled with Tren de Aragua terrorists”?

Well, DHS has now dropped the number of alleged TdA members arrested in the building from 2 to 1.

Just one "verified" Tren de Aragua member and one U.S. citizen with an active warrant were among the 37, DHS said, without saying how it had verified that gang affiliation. Others taken that day, the agency said, were "illegal aliens."

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Jim Saksa @jimsaksa.com · 5h

You all laugh, but I covered the philly naked bike ride for WHYY once and sometimes, when I close my eyes, I see some of the horrors I saw that day.

The Oregonian @oregonian.com · 5h

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson calls Sunday's naked bike ride in protest of the Portland ICE facility and and Trump troop deployment "the most threatening thing I’ve seen yet"

www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...

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Jim Saksa @jimsaksa.com · 8h

Winning a conviction was never the intent. It is just using the legal process to smear an enemy. Canning an experience prosecutor and illegally appointing a hack who'll get booted from office were just the cost of doing business

www.democracydocket.com/analysis/all...

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 16h

So glad that @tanvi.bsky.social followed up on this group of people; those who were in Border Patrol detention centers on the days Trump took office, people from countries where deportation wasn't easy for the Trump admin, who ended up dumped in Panama to send a message to other migrants.

Tanvi Misra @tanvi.bsky.social · 16h

his summer, I went to Panama and met Jharana, a 33-year-old from Nepal who had been deported there in a group of 300 others — the 1st group to be sent to a third country. I wrote about what happened to her and others over the year for
@nymag.com -->

nymag.com/intelligence...

What Happened to The Migrants The U.S. Dumped In Panama?

Nearly 300 people were sent to a country they’d never lived in. The journey didn’t end there.

nymag.com

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Reposted by Jim Saksa

Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 9h

This is not morally or legally different than lining up two dozen men and shooting them in the face.

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Jim Saksa @jimsaksa.com · 11h

You should respond, desperate to patch things up, even if you have to liquidate the Caymans bank account to buy the biggest diamond known to man.

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Jim Saksa @jimsaksa.com · 11h

This is some good stuff from @whyy.org and I'm proud to be a member (still!). Glad to see public media stepping up to help their own and keep important reporting alive in central PA

radio.wpsu.org/2025-10-13/w...

WPSU lives another day. Penn State board approves transfer to WHYY

WPSU-TV and radio will become part of Philadelphia-based WHYY, under a plan Penn State trustees unanimously approved Monday, a month after the board's finance committee rejected a similar proposal but...

radio.wpsu.org

Jim Saksa @jimsaksa.com · 11h

Amazing how every single one of these dudes is a fat goober. Every single one looks like a mouth breather with nasty halitosis who gets winded walking up a single flight of stairs.

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

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 13h

📲 To follow along for real-time court updates, join us on Bluesky (@democracydocket.com) tomorrow at 10 AM ET. We’ll be bringing you LIVE updates on Louisiana v. Callais oral arguments that you won’t want to miss.

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Kevin Morris @kevintmorris.bsky.social · 14h

Tomorrow, SCOTUS will hear arguments in Louisiana v. Callais, a major threat to (what remains of) the 1965 Voting Rights Act. But this isn't the first time the VRA has faced dire threats; in 2013 and 2021, SCOTUS weakened other provisions. We can learn from those why Callais could be so dangerous 🧵

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Jim Saksa @jimsaksa.com · 13h

Please read my preview of what might be one of the most consequential political cases this Supreme Court will hear, and let me know what I should be listening out for tomorrow during oral arguments!

Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 13h

NEW: “I would bet my left arm that they will tell us that Section 2 is in violation of the Fifteenth Amendment.”

For decades, Section 2 has forestalled attempts to discriminate against minority voters. But tomorrow, SCOTUS will consider declaring it unconstitutional.

Fair Elections — and Perhaps Control of Congress — at Stake as SCOTUS Hears Challenge to VRA

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 13h

NEW: “I would bet my left arm that they will tell us that Section 2 is in violation of the Fifteenth Amendment.”

For decades, Section 2 has forestalled attempts to discriminate against minority voters. But tomorrow, SCOTUS will consider declaring it unconstitutional.

Fair Elections — and Perhaps Control of Congress — at Stake as SCOTUS Hears Challenge to VRA

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

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Paul T. Levin @paultlevin.bsky.social · 19h

The people behind the inflated protests are performing a monumental service to democracy & peace in the US. The Regime wants riots, but these animal characters are not only an effective protest, grabbing attention & mocking ICE, they seem to reduce the risk of violent protests. It's perfect.

50501: The People’s Movement ❌👑 @50501movement.bsky.social · 1d

The Portland Frog army has now infiltrated Tulsa, OK and they’ve made an unlikely alliance with the T-Rex infantry and Sharks on Hoverboards mercenary forces.

This is truly terrifying.

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Michael E. Mann @michaelemann.bsky.social · 1d

So pleased to see two of my favorite stations #WPSU and @whyy.org join forces to keep public media alive in central PA
(and thanks to Penn State Trustees for reversing course in supporting this venture): www.psu.edu/news/adminis...

Penn State Board of Trustees approves new deal for WPSU | Penn State University

The Penn State Board of Trustees today unanimously approved the material terms of a proposed transaction to transfer the operating assets of WPSU public radio and television stations to WHYY, a public...

www.psu.edu

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George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 2d

blah blah Hunter Biden blah blah Burisma yada yada

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Men in Blazers Media Network @meninblazers.bsky.social · 1d

CAPE VERDE, POPULATION 560,000, QUALIFY FOR A FIRST-EVER WORLD CUP 🇨🇻

The second-smallest nation ever to achieve that feat. Every US state has a bigger population, yet the Blue Sharks are on their way to football's big dance. Astonishing and inspiring 🦈

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jen rice @jenrice.bsky.social · 1d

it's insane how few people have any idea about the cat 5 hurricane the supreme court is about to cause with louisiana v. callais

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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 2d

Until recently, it was rare for any DOJ lawyer to have a catchphrase — especially one used on social media to “own” opponents. But Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon does, and her online persona may be hurting her cases. https://bit.ly/4okeA47

Trump's Terminally Online DOJ Could Be Killing Its Cases Just to Own the Libs

Read more here.

bit.ly

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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 1d

🚨Democracy Docket’s Jen Rice spent the past two weeks in El Paso covering a crucial hearing on whether Texas’ Trump-approved gerrymander can be used in the midterms. From the RNC’s role to a shadowy paper trail, here are the top takeaways👇 https://bit.ly/4pXR0LY

‘We Could Not Have Clearer Facts’: Minority Advocates Say Racial Motive Is Evident As Texas Redistricting Hearing Wraps Up

Read more here.

bit.ly

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Jim Saksa @jimsaksa.com · 1d

I've been saying for years: Just pick someone like Vespucci. You can change the name on the base of any statue, no one knows what these guys look like anyway. Make the day a celebration of all immigrants again, like it was when it started.

Katelyn Boo-urns @katelynburns.com · 1d

name an italian more worthy of an american holiday than columbus

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Central NJ Yimby 🏗️🚲🚇🇺🇸 @princetonyimby.bsky.social · 1d

A lot of Republicans down the Jersey Shore turned out to be great friends of the whales when there was a chance that some offshore wind farms might get built. Looking forward to hearing about how they react to this news...

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 2d

Republicans are aiming next to dismantle the marine mammal protection act, which protects whales, dolphins, manatees, polar bears, and sea otters.. among other ocean wildlife. 🦦

Horror Tor, friend of Union ghosts @splitrailfence.bsky.social · 2d

I love it. Makes me happy.
Weird that I'm now seeing your post here after I just read about the bill to end the 1970s marine mammal legislation to protect these beautiful creatures.
abcnews.go.com/Politics/wir...

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Tom Joscelyn @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social · 2d

“I spent three nights and three days in federal custody. During that time, I was never told what I was charged with, was not allowed to shower despite being covered in tear gas and pepper spray, had no phone call to my family, and no access to an attorney.” - George Retes, U.S. citizen and veteran.

I’m a US citizen and a veteran. ICE arrested me for no reason.

Jailed for three days without an explanation or ability to notify anyone, George Retes argues the only path to healing starts with the government taking accountability for its actions.

newsletter.ofthebrave.org

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D. Earl Stephens @dearlstephens.bsky.social · 2d

📌“The fact that I am American means, among other things, people can’t say, like they did about Francis, ‘he doesn’t understand the United States, he just doesn’t see what’s going on.’
“Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed?”

-Pope Leo in a direct rebuke of the hideous Trump

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 2d

It's hard to help Americans left behind because so much of US identity is rooted in individualism. The average American conservative holds all three positions at once:

— Virtue signals about supporting US manufacturing
— Against raising the minimum wage
— Buys foreign imports because they're cheap

HardPass4 on Twitter tweets: "I'm willing to pay more for quality products if they are made in America, by Americans, who are paid a decent income." The tweet shows Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Speech" painting, which is often used to show the tweeter is expressing a brave opinion.

HardPass4 on Twitter tweets: "MINIMUM WAGE JOBS WERE NOT MEANT TO BE A CAREER. Why does no one understand this? Entry level jobs are STEPPING STONES to better jobs. No one wants to work towards that though."

HardPass4 on Twitter tweets: "Buy $5 gloves instead of $50 ones. Trust me." The tweet shows a box of "Gorilla Grip" gloves.

The label on Gorilla Grip gloves show they're made in China.

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Caitlin G. DeAngelis @caitlindeangelis.bsky.social · 2d

ICE kidnapped a 7th-grader with a pending asylum claim and spirited him out of state without notifying his parents, seemingly with the cooperation of the local police in Everett, MA.

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/12/m...

Everett 13-year-old arrested by ICE and sent to Virginia detention facility
By Marcela Rodrigues Globe Staff,Updated October 12, 2025, 44 minutes ago

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A 13-year-old boy was arrested by ICE in Everett and sent to a juvenile detention facility in Virginia.
A 13-year-old boy was arrested by ICE in Everett and sent to a juvenile detention facility in Virginia.
A 13-year-old boy was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Everett after an interaction with members of the Everett Police Department and sent to a juvenile detention facility in Virginia, according to his mother and immigration lawyer Andrew Lattarulo.

The boy’s mother, Josiele Berto, was called to pick her son up from the Everett Police Department on Thursday, the day he was arrested. After waiting for about an hour and a half, she was told her son was taken by ICE, Berto told the Globe in a phone interview.

“My world collapsed,” Berto said in Portuguese.

From the police department, the boy was taken to ICE’s holding facility in Burlington on Thursday evening, where he spent a night before being transferred by car to the Northwestern Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Winchester, Va., on Friday morning, his mother said. The juvenile facility is more than 500 miles away from Everett.

The boy is a 7th-grader at Albert N. Parlin School in Everett, his mother said. The teen and his family, who are Brazilian nationals, have a pending asylum case and are authorized to work legally in the United States, Lattarulo said.

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