Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Karen Wickre

Josh @joshmallow.bsky.social · 2h

"She should be doing the job I'm literally preventing her from doing."

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2h

Johnson: "Grijalva should be working for her constituents right now. I don't know what she's doing. I keep seeing their political stunt videos. She should be in her office. She should be working or in the district for her constituents" (Grijalva is not in fact a Rep. b/c Johnson refuses to seat her)

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Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 6h

this is a prime opportunity for democrats to explicitly tell their voters "they say you're a terrorist, but youre just a patriotic american who is trying to get by in this world."

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8h

Leavitt: "The Democrat Party's main constituency is made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals."

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Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 6h

Oh no. A legend of radio and relish.

NPR @npr.org · 6h

Susan Stamberg, an original National Public Radio staffer who went on to become the first U.S. woman to anchor a nightly national news program, has died. n.pr/4qjVMDS

NPR 'founding mother' Susan Stamberg has died

Susan Stamberg, an original National Public Radio staffer who went on to become the first U.S. woman to anchor a nightly national news program, has died.

n.pr

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NPR @npr.org · 10h

Washington, D.C.'s vending machine LitBox distributes books, with a serving of hope as local writers struggle with arts funding cuts. n.pr/4nYSLHq

A book vending machine provides an outlet for D.C.-area authors after funding cuts

Washington, D.C.'s vending machine LitBox distributes books, with a serving of hope as local writers struggle with arts funding cuts.

n.pr

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Reposted by Karen Wickre

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 11h

This is why it’s impossible to negotiate with Republican leadership in Congress. Once you reach an agreement with them and things pass, the Trump admin just flushes that agreement down the toilet and Republicans who made the deal remain silent. bsky.app/profile/atru...

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h

THUNE: Fund the government the old fashioned way -- I don't think you need rescissions

VITALI: Have you said to the WH, maybe don't do another rescissions package? Feels like it's poisoned the well

THUNE: It's in everybody's best interest, including the WH, to do a normal appropriations process

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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 11h

Where we stand, in long arc of history:

-Story on left, adding race as a factor when that favors white people.

-Story on right, banning race as a factor when that favors non-whites.

I often complain about NYT headlines and story-play. But these are strong. Including "If Court Guts 1965 Law."

Two headlines on front page of NYT.

First is "Trump Weighs Transforming Refugee Policy. White People Would be Given Preference."

Second is "Justices May Ban Race as a Factor in District Maps. Nation's Political Balance Could Shift If Court Guts 1964 Law."

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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 18h

The government is still shut down, right? www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...

Trump Hosts Dinner for Wealthy Donors to White House Ballroom

www.nytimes.com

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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 20h

15 US states and territories have formed a new Public Health Alliance, which will counter the absence of federal leadership by tracking outbreaks, issuing guidance, buying vaccines and more.

Members of the new alliance include CA, CO, CT, DE, GU, HI, IL, MD, MA, NJ, NY, NC, OR, RI, WA.

Map: Governors Public Health Alliance
* Guam is also a member of the alliance
Updated October 15, 2025
Map: @luckytran • Created with Datawrapper

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Karen Wickre @kvox.bsky.social · 22h

So much this. Same IP address, same devices, and constant paywalling among the MANY subscriptions I have…

Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 23h

People have the dials on their paywalls tuned so high SUBSCIBERS have trouble getting in. I love @status.news and @sfstandard.com but I’m paying! I shouldn’t have to jump through so many hoops every time I click a link and esp if I have the app!

Reposted by Karen Wickre

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 1d

AZ AG Mayes: If I have to, I’ll take Speaker Johnson to court. There's no legitimate reason for him to refuse to swear her in right now. And it's not fair for Mike Johnson to be holding the state of Arizona hostage because he doesn't want to release the Epstein files.

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Derf Backderf @derfbackderf.bsky.social · 1d

Unbelievable.The U of Indiana ordered its student newspaper to have NO NEWS in its next print edition (The Indiana Daily Student is mostly online) only Homecoming related articles. The director pushed back, and his boss immediately sacked him!

Everywhere you look the free press is being crushed.

Edmund Lee @edmundlee.bsky.social · 1d

Astounding move by Indiana University to direct its student newspaper on what they can and cannot print:

www.idsnews.com/article/2025...

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS: IU fires student media director after he refused to censor the IDS

Indiana University directed the IDS to stop printing news.

www.idsnews.com

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Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 23h

Imagine thinking domestic violence isn’t “really serious”

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Q: This has been reported for a while. Cory Mills was accused of beating a girlfriend in his DC apt. Are you concerned about these allegations?

JOHNSON: You have to ask Rep. Mills about that. He's been a faithful colleague. I don't know the details. Let's talk about things that are really serious

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Nicholas Slayton @nslayton.bsky.social · 23h

The one guaranteed thing about trump is that he openly admits to things. Without prompt. He violates the Stringer Bell Rule all of the time.

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d

Trump is upfront in saying he will use the shutdown to punish Democrats, and here are the receipts. About $27.2 billion cut from Dem districts compared to about $0.7 billion in GOP districts.
We all complain about the media, but need this type of in-depth journalism.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Trump Halts Billions in Grants for Democratic Districts During Shutdown (Gift Article)

The Trump administration has frozen or canceled nearly $28 billion primarily located in Democratic-led districts, according to an analysis by The New York Times.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Karen Wickre

Dare Obasanjo @carnage4life.bsky.social · 23h

America is going to feel the impact of Hillary losing in 2016 and Trump getting to choose 3 Supreme Court justices for generations.

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Jenny Boylan 🦞 @jennyboylan.bsky.social · 23h

PEN America offers grants to authors needing emergency support. More at:

PEN America U.S. Writers Aid Initiative

PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative offers grants for writers in the United States facing acute financial need following an emergency situation.

pen.org

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Reposted by Karen Wickre

EveryLibrary @everylibrary.bsky.social · 1d

Fifteen libraries across Alaska will be gaining access to a large online database of national and in-state news sources.

Grant funding will give 15 Alaska libraries free access to many paywalled newspapers

The libraries can now offer online access to up-to-date news, plus an archive of old papers.

buff.ly

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Reposted by Karen Wickre

Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 1d

It's fundamentally insane that providing health care coverage is left to employers. hbr.org/2019/03/why-...

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James Hell Brooks @kleinman.bsky.social · 1d

Increasingly we need candidates who'd be comfortable cutting a wrestling promo

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Mamdani: "I just want to speak directly to the president. I will not be a mayor like Mayor Adams who will call you to stay out of jail. I won't be a disgraced governor like Andrew Cuomo who will call you to ask how to win this election. I can do those things on my own."

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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 1d

Once again, I ask - without trying to being overly alarmist - what anyone has seen since January to make them believe the 2026/28 elections will be free, fair, & democratic by any meaningful definitions of the words.

bsky.app/profile/mcop...

Cas Ⓜ️udde @casmudde.bsky.social · 1d

Oopsie!

The Supreme Court Case That Could Hand the House to Republicans

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Karen Wickre

Senator Scott Wiener @scottwiener.bsky.social · 1d

They’re moving step by step toward a massive crackdown on progressive organizations, funders & activists, based on literally nothing other than their need to freeze themselves in power.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

JD Vance: "Because we have such a big problem with left-wing political violence, we have to train the investigatory and law enforcement powers of the govt to focus on that particular problem ... we really have to retrain the entire govt to focus on this left-wing violence problem. We are doing it."

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Aman Batheja @amanbatheja.bsky.social · 1d

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

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Reposted by Karen Wickre

The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 1d

The nativist right keeps talking about “heritage Americans.” It's a buzzword engineered to move the goalposts on immigration even further, argues @alibreland.bsky.social.

Are You a ‘Heritage American’?

Why the far right wants to know if your ancestors were here during the Civil War.

bit.ly

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Patt Morrison @pattmlatimes.bsky.social · 1d

If the McCarthy-era question were asked today of some people -- "at long last, have you no shame?" -- the answer would be "no." 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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Reposted by Karen Wickre

Carve Her Name @carvehername.bsky.social · 1d

#OnThisDay, 15 Oct 2017, Alyssa Milano suggests people use Tarana Burke's phrase "Me too" if they have ever been sexually harassed or assaulted. It becomes a worldwide phrase to highlight harassment and abuse.

Time article: time.com/time-person...

Screenshot of the early "me too" tweets. One reads "Suggested by a friend - if all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote 'me too' as a status we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem."

The Time Person of the Year cover for 2017 called 'The Silence Breakers'. It includes Taylor Swift, Ashley Judd, Adama Iwu, Isabel Pascual and Susan Fowler. The wider Time piece featured 35 people who had been part of #MeToo, including Tarana Burke.

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Barack Obama @barackobama.bsky.social · 2d

California, this November 4th, the whole country is counting on you.

Prop 50 puts our elections back on a level playing field, preserves independent redistricting over the long term, and lets the people decide.

So return your ballot today. Vote yes on 50.

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