Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 13m

And remember this piece! Yellowstain “has a documented history as a conservative operation owned and run by GOP political consultants and lobbyists with deep ties to corporate interests in Alabama.” truthout.org/articles/ant...

Anti-UAW Media in Alabama Is Owned by Influential GOP Consultant With Corporate Ties

Links between Yellowhammer’s ownership and Alabama’s anti-union forces shed light on what autoworkers are up against.

truthout.org

John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 13m

And it’s not like any of this is hidden. yellowhammernews.com/ownership/

Ownership

Ownership Paul Shashy is the owner of YHN Media Group LLC He also founded SR Communications, where he most recently was Katie Britt’s campaign manager for the United States Senate. Before Senator Brit...

yellowhammernews.com

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 17m

… accepts the primary consumers to be various Alabama ‘Big Mule’ minions and VIPs needing content that’ll comfort them and keep our electorate suitably focused on damn near anything except materialism, class concerns, power relations, organizing against the oligarchy …, such definitely tracks.

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 17m

😳 Yellowstain claiming highest level of ethical conduct and how ‘integrity is the foundation upon which our delivery of news and information is built’ has me 🤔😵‍💫😫🤣 ... ‘Based in fact’ or ‘trustworthy’ seems a stretch. As to this ‘edifying for the consumers of our content’ language, however, if one …

Yellowstain blurb under their ‘About’ page. Screenshot on 19 Oct 25.

“Integrity is the foundation upon which Yellowhammer Multimedia is built.

As Alabama's second-largest media outlet,
Yellowhammer Multimedia holds our staff and our contributors to the highest level of ethical conduct across all of our platforms. Integrity is the foundation upon which our delivery of news and information is built.

Facts are the lifeblood of our media outlet

Yellowhammer strives to deliver content based in fact and edifying for the consumers of our content. Yellowhammer's process of content creation consists of numerous layers of factchecking and careful editing. Creating trustworthy content is essential to the duties we owe our consumers.”

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Reposted by John Gunn

Schooley @schooley.bsky.social · 1h

Compare yesterday's millions to this and how we couldn't escape breathless coverage of the Tea Partiers at their peak.

April 15, 2009 is said to have been the day that had the largest number of tea party demonstrations reportedly in more than 750 cities.[73] Estimates of protesters and locations varied. The Christian Science Monitor reported on the difficulties of calculating a cumulative turnout and said some estimates state that over half a million Americans participated in the protests, noting, "experts say the counting itself often becomes politicized as authorities, organizers, and attendees often come up with dramatically different counts."[74][75] Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, estimated that at least 268,000 attended in over 200 cities.[76] Statistician Nate Silver, manager of FiveThirtyEight.com, has said that a cumulative crowd size estimate from credible sources was of 311,460 attendees in 346 cities, which accounted for all capitols and major cities little noticeable or no reliable media coverage in other protests could have contributed to a lower number of attendees and locations.[77] The largest event, in Atlanta, drew between an estimated 7,000 to 15,000 protesters.[77][78][79] Some of the gatherings drew only dozens.[74]

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Jared Yates Sexton @jysexton.bsky.social · 1h

Anytime you ask “why did the Times cover it this way?” or whatever corporate media it is, remember that influential moderates are the tool of the wealth class and are there to normalize whatever the wealthy want and create doubt regarding reform and change.

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 1h

It’s a relatively easy question to put to Britt’s office about how the ‘subsidy cliff’ isn’t about ‘millionaires.’ While they’re certainly going to dissemble, dodge … the assignment is to report this ALL out to readers. Let them see how utterly pathetic and brazen Britt is being.

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 1h

Dems want MILLIONAIRES to continue receiving COVID era subsidies Princess Bigmulia? Has Katie Britt suggested striking off subsidies for ‘millionaires’ or even adjusting ‘400% of the federal poverty level’ (a quite low amount, esp in some states) as a compromise to avoid/end shutdown?

Katie Britt (Princess Bigmulia) goes up on Sunday morning ‘news’ shows on 19 OCT 25 and says, “Democrats and Sen Schumer are holding Americans hostage over the Unaffordable Care Act because they want millionaires to continue receiving COVID era subsidies.” As usual, ‘Christian’ Katie can’t seem to help herself. She’s wearing her obligatory cross necklace and shamelessly telling porkies, stretching the truth, spinning the situation, etc. I’ve repeatedly had people make excuses for her pandering and Trump-humping given Alabama’s electorate. This sort of slop like this is something that’s a given. Her biggest fan expect this. They adore her for this trash. A halfway competent press would call her out on her hooey. Often as not she knows that she’s going to get a pass. Multiple reasons for this including risk of losing access, how terrible Tuberville is …

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Sean Casten @seancasten.bsky.social · 2h

This is what Katie Britt describes as a "commitment to the American people". Everything about today's GOP is an embarrassment. Including Senator Britt's cowardice.

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Reposted by John Gunn

molly conger @socialistdogmom.bsky.social · 14h

sometimes after they tuck the president in at night he secretly stays up past his bedtime posting a hundred AI slop videos from the same account he uses to issue official policy statements. it rocks.

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molly conger @socialistdogmom.bsky.social · 14h

and another thing: he’s not mad. please don’t put it in the newspaper that he got mad.

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 14h

That’s me. Generally positive reception from passersby. Only a few exceptions and even the harshest one was a mild ‘Dumbasses.’

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thekoolaidmom.bsky.social @thekoolaidmom.bsky.social · 19h

#NoKings event in Fairhope, Al.
A woman was arrested for "lewd conduct" because she was dressed in penis suit with a sign that said "No dick-tator"
3 cops on a 53 yo woman.

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BeTheChange @klkrause.bsky.social · 19h

Over 100 attendees in rural, Dadeville, AL, county seat of Tallapoosa County. The first rally they held had less than 20 people. And this is in a deeply red state.

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 1d

Beyond how our One Special Boy justifies cutting Santos loose early because he’d always voted Republican, Blumenthal’s bluster, failure to be precise, not correct assumptions … isn’t anything like what’s being told here. Trump managed to lie ‘worse’ even as he’s attacking someone else for lying.

As part of Trump’s post in commuting Santos’s sentence, he wrote regarding Senator Richard Blumenthal,

“As everyone remembers, 'Da Nang' stated for almost twenty years that he was a proud Vietnam Veteran, having endured the worst of the War, watching the Wounded and Dead as he raced up the hills and down the valleys, blood streaming from his face," wrote Trump. "He was 'a Great Hero,' he would leak to any and all who would listen — And then it happened! He was a COMPLETE AND TOTAL FRAUD. He never went to Vietnam, he never saw Vietnam, he never experienced the Battles there, or anywhere else. His War Hero status, and even minimal service in our Military, was totally and completely MADE UP."

Blumenthal, to my knowledge, never did anything like what Trump is alleging. He did sometimes tell his story accurately and sometimes he told it in a way using ‘in Vietnam’ or using ‘when we came home’ so that someone would or could understand he was claiming he’d served in theater, in combat, etc. This has all been widely covered.

I’m not aware of ANY instance where Blumenthal ever talked of racing up and down the hills seeing the dead and wounded, having blood streaming down his face, etc. Trump’s capacity for lying remains so high that he seemingly can’t help but pull this sort of garbage.

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 1d

Chances of any outlets here being able (or willing to even attempt) to get Senator Coach Tubs to respond to reporting on Dallas ICE shooter’s motivations are slim to none. However, they could at least ask and then convey whatever they received to their readers. www.npr.org/2025/10/16/n...

Shooter at Dallas ICE facility was motivated by notoriety over ideology

A newly released police report states that Joshua Jahn lived with his family and didn't have a job.

www.npr.org

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 1d

Note the outfit here that did mention this crackpot moment is presenting such in a sympathetic manner. 😬 And FWIW, the author of the piece is one of the sons from the Bontrager Family Singers. IIRC, he’s married to a daughter of Curtis Bowers of ‘Agenda: Grinding America Down’ infamy. Even more 😬.

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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 2d

Hard to convey in 300 characters Alabama’s blazing contempt for the lower court in the redistricting suit, or its oleaginous attempts a flattering Brett Kavanaugh into changing his mind, so read Kyle’s column.

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 2d

If you’re more of an ‘I’d prefer to just read something’ person. 👏for this ‘un. Quite frankly it’s terrifying yet … www.propublica.org/article/russ...

Russell Vought, Trump’s Shadow President

From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought has drawn the road map for Trump’s second term. Vought has consolidated power to an extent that inside...

www.propublica.org

John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 2d

😬 Definitely worth the time. 😬 youtu.be/w1LuV82l0vs?...

Russell Vought: The Shadow President

YouTube video by ProPublica

youtu.be

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 2d

You want it to where everyone from officeholders up on Goat Hill to regular folks across Alabama grasp how jacked up and bent Dawson’s bunch is. You want it to where hardly anyone, even fellow nuts and cranks, would want to risk donating one thin dime to support the garbage 1819 pushes out.

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 2d

I’ve told a few people privately what’s needed and so far little, if anything, seems afoot. We need a knowledgeable, steady, nimble, strategic … operation to delegitimize, ridicule … Dawson and his 1819er crowd. Hammer them over their radicalism, their dark money, their hair-on-fire approach, etc.

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 2d

A reactionary crank and zealot like 🔒 Dawson at the helm of 1819 ‘News’ citing Sam Francis as a positive influence shouldn’t surprise. If Francis is unknown, Google can get you started. 😬 That this 🌰 is rather prolific on the socials and lacks a filter, is seemingly stupid … is a huge opportunity.

Bryan ‘Padlock’ Dawson, the big bossman and senior zealot at the mystery money-funded 1819 ‘News’ posting on Xitter on 16 October 2025 image of best known book by Sam Francis.

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Eric Klinenberg @ericklinenberg.bsky.social · 3d

For those of you keeping score, 18-22 year-old students calling for an end to slaughter in Gaza are so racist they need to be expelled or deported, but 24-35 year-olds celebrating Hitler, rape, and, um, racism are just kids being kids so chill.

Also, racism is over so no need for Voting Right Act.

JD Vance brushes off racist texts by adults in Republican group chat as ‘what kids do’

Vice-president downplays messages such as ‘I love Hitler’ in chat by 24 to 35-year-olds to ‘stupid jokes’

www.theguardian.com

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John Gunn @johngunn.bsky.social · 2d

If Brand D or ‘the left’ or … had anything near to the messaging artillery that what now passes for conservatism but is actually reactionary radicalism possesses, they’d be throttling Trumpworld over bailing out that an-cap goose in Argentina with $20 ($40?) billion. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/u...

Big Investors Await Windfall From Trump’s Argentina Bailout

www.nytimes.com

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