Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jim Whitney @jimwhitney.bsky.social · 3h

How about those free market folks in the administration

www.cnbc.com/2025/10/15/t...

Trump administration will set price floors across range of industries to combat China, Bessent says

China has driven foreign competitors out of business over the past two decades by using its market dominance to slash prices, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

www.cnbc.com

Jim Whitney @jimwhitney.bsky.social · 4h

Your taxpayer dollars hard at work...

Aman Batheja @amanbatheja.bsky.social · 4h

Axios: "The most expensive political ad campaign of the year is being run by the Department of Homeland Security."

DHS has spent "at least $51 million this year on ads thanking President Trump for securing the border, according to AdImpact."

U.S. government pays for 2025's most expensive political ad campaign

The next closest ad campaign is the $41 million effort to support California's redistricting measure.

www.axios.com

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Mike Walker @newnarrative.bsky.social · 5h

U.S. Says It Revoked Visas of Some People Who Criticized Charlie Kirk

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...

U.S. Says It Revoked Visas of Some People Who Criticized Charlie Kirk

www.nytimes.com

1 5 4

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · 16h

You can say amazing things if you know that the follow-up question will be "wow."

(Smith didn't plant anything at Mar-a-Lago because he was hired months after it was searched.)

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 16h

Eric Trump: "We found out that Jack Smith was actually planting classified folders in Mar-a-Lago"

96 570 2.5K

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 16h

Jeffries: "If Donald Trump can find $20b to bail out his right-wing dictator friend in Argentina, it's extraordinary to me that Republicans are unwilling to even have a discussion about how we address the healthcare crisis that they've created."

89 1.2K 4.1K

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Adam Klasfeld @klasfeldreports.com · 18h

Extraordinary NYT story:

Trump’s DOJ pressured out another US Attorney in WESTERN Virginia for finding that a grand jury probe his bosses demanded was unwarranted.

They wanted a case discrediting the Russia probe — evidence be damned. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/u...

U.S. Attorney Was Forced Out After Clashes Over How to Handle Russia Inquiry

www.nytimes.com

28 790 1.6K

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 22h

The entire first two months of the Biden administration were taken up by obsessive complaining about how he wouldn't do press conferences & wasn't taking policy questions (bsky.app/profile/mcop...).

This? Gone tomorrow. Totally different set of standards applied to two totally different parties.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Trump: "I don't take questions from ABC fake news after what you did with Stephanopoulos to the vice president of the United States."

83 430 1.6K

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com · 21h

NEW: Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes threatens legal action if Mike Johnson continues to refuse to swear in Adelita Grijalva. www.politico.com/live-updates...

Arizona attorney general threatens legal action against Mike Johnson for failing to seat Adelita Grijalva

The Democrat accused Johnson of playing “political games” by delaying the swearing-in ceremony.

www.politico.com

310 1.6K 6.1K

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23h

Trump ignores a question from a woman reporter but says, "I just like to watch her talk. Good job. Thank you darling."

1K 1.1K 3.3K

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · 23h

Donald Trump is giving $20 billion of taxpayer money to Argentina – to help his political ally stay in power and bail out Wall Street hedge funds – while Americans at home can't afford health care or groceries.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23h

Trump on Milei: "If he loses, we will not be generous with Argentina."

92 730 2.3K

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 1d

“.. Tuesday brought a major and highly symbolic rebuke. Fox News, the very same network .. which employed Hegseth .. rejected his attempts to control media coverage of the Defense Department he now leads.”

@cnn.com
www.cnn.com/2025/10/14/p...

8 80 350

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Politico @politico.com · 1d

EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of leaked messages show leaders of Young Republican groups joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape in a private Telegram chat.

Inside rising GOP leaders’ racist chats — obtained by POLITICO and spanning more than 7 months👇

‘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

530 3.3K 5.7K

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 1d

PIMCO, on the #shutdown:

“.. At this point, this standoff feels like a war of attrition with neither side suggesting they will blink .. we think is likely to last until November and possibly extend to Thanksgiving.

“.. we are on the precipice of the longest full government shutdown in history.”

59 110 530

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 1d

".. The outlets’ decision means their reporters will have to turn in their credentials on Wednesday and lose the ability to report from the Pentagon building and US military bases."

@bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

News Organizations Refuse to Sign Onto Pentagon Press Limits

Several news organizations including Bloomberg News, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal refused to sign new reporting limits set out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon.

www.bloomberg.com

20 85 270

Jim Whitney @jimwhitney.bsky.social · 1d

I'm sure the 20+ million Americans who count on the subsidies don't see them as a boondoggle

www.aol.com/articles/mik...

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., slammed the expiring Obamacare subsidies at the center of the government funding standoff a “boondoggle” as the shutdown approache...

Mike Johnson calls Obamacare funds a 'boondoggle' as shutdown drags on

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., slammed the expiring Obamacare subsidies at the center of the government funding standoff a “boondoggle” as the shutdown approaches the two-week mark with no end in sight.

www.aol.com

1

Jim Whitney @jimwhitney.bsky.social · 1d

I can't believe this would happen in the Trump administration, especially in an area that is 65% Republican.

1

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Republicans Against Trumpism @rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social · 1d

Chris Christie: “Thie is no longer, the Department of Justice, is no longer the premier prosecuting office in America. What it is now is a capo regime who goes out and executes hits when directed by the Don to do so. That’s what it is.”

760 6.1K 20K

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 1d

It’s a start. Keep making phone calls to keep partisan politics out of airport safety PSAs.

1K 7.2K 29K

Jim Whitney @jimwhitney.bsky.social · 1d

Ageless spirit?

1

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Paul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 1d

Time magazine is owned by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who just came out as a Trump supporter and said it would be great if he sent the National Guard to invade San Francisco

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 1d

Just in case the dramatically low Leni Riefenstahl-style angle was too subtle, they used a word from her most famous movie

Time magazine cover featuring a photo of Trump from a dramatically low angle

HIS
TRIUMPH
by ERIC CORTELLESSA
THE LEADER ISRAEL NEEDED
by EHUD BARAK
HOW GAZA HEALS

37 290 770

Jim Whitney @jimwhitney.bsky.social · 1d

Just another technology platform -- ala X, FB/Meta. Almost feels like the magazine should have to change names given how different the current product is from past years. Oh well, good thing not too many people read it.

1

Jim Whitney @jimwhitney.bsky.social · 1d

Would you look at that?

The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 1d

Ahead of a cryptocurrency selloff, two accounts placed bets against the market minutes before tariff news broke and scored $160 million

A Historic Crypto Selloff Erased Over $19 Billion, but Two Accounts Made $160 Million

Ahead of the selloff, two accounts on Hyperliquid placed massive bets that bitcoin and ether would fall.

on.wsj.com

Reposted by Jim Whitney

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: More than half of the roughly 1,300 layoffs notices at @CDCgov have been rescinded. But analysts with top-secret clearance working on biodefense preparedness at another health agency have lost their jobs, per sources. Our story 1/4
@washingtonpost.com
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Hundreds of CDC layoffs reversed, but biodefense preparedness staff hit

More than half of the roughly 1,300 CDC layoff notices have been rescinded, but workers at health agencies who work on biodefense and mental health still lost their jobs.

www.washingtonpost.com

13 140 260

Jim Whitney @jimwhitney.bsky.social · 1d

Just an insane race to make politics not just winner take all, but a sure fire effort to turn off all but the most partisan among us. A race to the bottom where few talented people will even consider running for office.

Reposted by Jim Whitney

George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 1d

540 1.8K 6K