Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Karen Elder

Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 1h

Mark Hertling and I discuss the very unusual early retirement from a combatant command of Adm. Alvin Hosley, and implications for the future of the Trump Administration's congressionally unauthorized and likely illegal use of military force in the Caribbean.

www.thebulwark.com/p/why-so-man...

Why So Many Military Leaders Are Leaving Early (w/ Mark Hertling)

Bill Kristol and General Mark Hertling discuss the sudden early retirement of Admiral Alvin Holsey raising concerns about U.S.

www.thebulwark.com

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Filipe Campante @filipecampante.bsky.social · 2h

I think at this point it’s fair to say that we’re no longer under the rule of law.

Trump Orders Santos to Be Freed From Prison ‘Immediately’ www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/u...

Trump Orders Santos to Be Freed From Prison ‘Immediately’

www.nytimes.com

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 1h

Impunity for his allies even as he forces prosecutions of his enemies (Comey, James, soon possibly Schmitt and more) and prepares to deploy the IRS against groups that oppose him

Filipe Campante @filipecampante.bsky.social · 2h

I think at this point it’s fair to say that we’re no longer under the rule of law.

Trump Orders Santos to Be Freed From Prison ‘Immediately’ www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/u...

Trump Orders Santos to Be Freed From Prison ‘Immediately’

www.nytimes.com

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Maladroithe @maladroithe.bsky.social · 3d

When you’ve pissed off WeRateDogs so much they’re calling you “fucking losers” on Main you have absolutely lost all merit in the court of public opinion

weratedogs v
1/5
BORDER PATROC
ICE AGENTS KILL DOG
DURING UNLAWFUL SEARCH, REFUSE TO RENDER AID, AND LEAVE WITHOUT IDENTIFYING THEMSELVES

weratedogs This is Chop. He was shot and killed by masked assailants in plain clothes who go by ICE.
Unsurprisingly, they did not care enough to help the family as they tried to save him. Even more unsurprising, they did not find any evidence of the migrants they were there to terrorize in the first place.
Do not open your door for these fucking losers. Rest easy Chop
14/10
CBP Office of Professional Responsibility:
202-344-1808
JointIntake@cbp.dhs.gov
El Paso Border Patrol Sector:
915-834-8400
fpfelpaso@cbp.dhs.gov
Rep. Veronica Escobar (El Paso):
915-541-1400
veronica.escobar@mail.house.gov

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Maladroithe @maladroithe.bsky.social · 3h

Now WeRateDogs is TRIPLING THE FUCK DOWN and talking about how often cops shoot dogs

Screen grab of the WeRate Dogs podcast where they’re talking about cop violence against dogs

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Jimmy Kimmel @jimmykimmel.com · 3h

When you’re making your #NoKings posters, remember… Donald Trump LOVES a good nickname.

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shauna the golden gate ghoul @goldengateblond.bsky.social · 1h

these are excellent. adding my own: Peppermint Petty

Jimmy Kimmel @jimmykimmel.com · 3h

When you’re making your #NoKings posters, remember… Donald Trump LOVES a good nickname.

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Helen Kennedy @helenkennedy.bsky.social · 1h

Two more career prosecutors fired for refusing to indict NY AG Letitia James because they could not find probable cause to charge her. 🎁

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/u...

Prosecutor Who Rejected Trump’s Pressure to Charge James Is Fired

www.nytimes.com

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 1h

🤷🏼

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Karen Elder @karenelder.bsky.social · 1h

GO DUCKS 🇺🇸🦆!!

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Dave Karpf @davekarpf.bsky.social · 4h

“At least Santos had the Courage, Conviction and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”

…He sure isn’t being subtle.

MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 5h

BREAKING: Trump commutes sentence of disgraced former congressman George Santos.

“I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”

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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 4h

🚨BREAKING:President Donald Trump publicly endorsed the North Carolina GOP’s latest congressional gerrymander Friday, celebrating a proposed map that would secure Republicans an additional U.S. House seat in 2026 — by further eroding fair representation for Black and Democratic voters.

Trump Praises North Carolina GOP for New Gerrymander That Further Erodes Fair Representation

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 4h

we're living through a time when no breaking headline is surprising

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 5h

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump says he has commuted sentence of former US Rep. George Santos in federal fraud case.

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Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 4h

“He lied like hell,” Trump said. “But he was 100 percent for Trump.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/u...

Trump Says He Is Commuting George Santos’s Fraud Sentence

www.nytimes.com

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Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) @repstansbury.bsky.social · 4h

I’m home this week and holding multiple in-person and virtual Town Halls in NM-01! Join us to discuss the latest on the government shutdown and what comes next.

We have limited capacity in Rio Rancho, so RSVP to ensure you have a spot! RSVP here: linktr.ee/repstansbury

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 5h

Trump's mass deportations aren't just pointlessly cruel.

His own Labor Department is now warning they are "threatening the stability of domestic food production and prices" for Americans.

We should be offering the people who feed us a path out of the shadows — not demonizing them.

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Home of the Brave @ofthebraveusa.bsky.social · 15h

Find your local #NoKings peaceful protest here @ofthebraveusa.bsky.social: www.nokings.org?SQF_SOURCE=h...

No Kings

As the president escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS non-violent movement continues to rise stronger. We are united once again to remind the world: America has No Kings and the power ...

www.nokings.org

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Home of the Brave @ofthebraveusa.bsky.social · 15h

Humor is kryptonite to Trump, so let's have fun tomorrow!

March, dance, sing, and laugh at your local No Kings peaceful protest on Saturday. #NoKings
@gtconway.bsky.social

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George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 13h

My corgi Clyde is coming to #NoKings.

You can preview his outfit here.

You can join us everywhere, here 👉 nokings.org/#map

While we're at it, how much money do you think I should stuff into the Cava bag in the video? 🤔🤣

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 6h

UPDATE — MEMPHIS: “Elected officials claim deployment of the National Guard violates the TN Constitution… Councilman JB Smiley Jr., Commissioners Erika Sugarmon & Brooks, Mayor Lee Harris, Reps. Hardaway & Salinas, Sen. Yarbro plaintiffs in the suit…” www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/l...

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Paul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 6h

"The person we shot tried to ram us with their car" is the new "The person we shot was reaching for his waistband"

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 9h

Important: Sen Chris Murphy just sent pointed questions to Kristi Noem about DHS's account of shooting of US citizen by Trump's paramilitary forces in Chicago. The official line is imploding. Murphy wants Noem to explain why DHS misled. More like this, Ds.

New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2019...

Trump’s Secret Police Shot a Citizen. Then Damning New Info Emerged.

As the official Trump administration line about the shooting of a Chicago woman crumbles, Senator Chris Murphy is asking pointed questions about what really happened here. Will we ever get answers?

newrepublic.com

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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 6h

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

Top nuclear weapons agency to furlough most staff amid shutdown

House Republicans pointed to the staff reductions as a national security consequence of the shutdown, pressing Senate Democrats to yield and vote to reopen the government.

www.politico.com

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Adam Rothman enjoys a good sandwich @adamrothman.bsky.social · 5h

This is an instance where "what could go wrong?" escalates quickly.

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 6h

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

Top nuclear weapons agency to furlough most staff amid shutdown

House Republicans pointed to the staff reductions as a national security consequence of the shutdown, pressing Senate Democrats to yield and vote to reopen the government.

www.politico.com

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 6h

I went with the more mature option, despite my initial snark in the OP; to emphasize that even if they are 100% correct and the guy was not present lawfully and was ineligible to be hired, then it's THEIR background check systems which failed, and they should be a lot more concerned about that.

High Church Raccoon⛪️🦝 @pilgrimaltsburg.bsky.social · 6h

Real opportunity to pull a Regina George on DHS: So you agree police terrorize communities?

a woman with blonde hair is smiling and wearing a pink shirt

ALT: a woman with blonde hair is smiling and wearing a pink shirt

media.tenor.com

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 6h

Excited to inform you all that the Department of Homeland Security is currently attempting to ratio me (and failing, as of more than two hours later).

With a heavy sigh, I repeat: bring back professionalism. For the love of god. You're running comms for the government of the USA. Act like it.

@DHSGov account says "Ratio." They are QTing a post that I wrote (next picture reproduces in full) asking, with a fair amount of snark, why DHS was blaming Governor Pritzker for the Hanover Park PD having hiring someone who allegedly was a visa overstay. They post two headlines about an Illinois law which authorized noncitizens with valid work authorization to become cops.

The post that set this off, in which I too was QTing the DHS account. The DHS post about the Hanover Park PD incident reads as follows: ".
@GovPritzker
doesn’t just allow illegal aliens to terrorize Illinois’s communities, he allows them to work as sworn police officers.

Radule Bojovic overstayed a B2 tourist visa that required him to depart the U.S. on March 31, 2015. Over a decade later, he was still illegally in the U.S. working as a police officer for the Hanover Park Police Department earning a salary of $78,955.

Criminal illegal aliens have NO PLACE in our communities, especially on our police forces."

My QT response to this was: "What the heck does Governor Pritzker have to do with a local police department hiring decision?

Do the people running @DHSgov not even know the basics about how state governments work?"

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