Author | Lightnews

Jim Lippard @lippard.bsky.social · 1h

Jan Brunvand's urban legends books have a number spread by police departments, such as "Mickey Mouse acid," LSD distributed to children on temporary tattoos, gang initiations involving driving with headlights off then following and assaulting cars that flash their brights, etc.

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Jim Lippard @lippard.bsky.social · 1h

decades

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Stacy Fahrenthold @sfahrenthold.bsky.social · 2h

Here it is: the Trump Administration "draft proposal" to the University of California. Published bc faculty sued for its disclosure.

Its terms go beyond what Trump demands in similar compacts to other universities.

EVERYONE should read: faculty, students, admins, alumni.
ucop.edu/communicatio...

ucop.edu

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"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux @bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 3h

As folks are noting, $130m isn't anywhere near enough to actually pay the troops; the DoD spends something like $16bn on personnel costs per month.

It is, however, more than enough to send everyone to prison for a couple of years under the antideficiency act for improperly appropriating funds.

Joseph Rezek @rezekjoe.bsky.social · 3h

We literally have laws!!! Who will stop this!!!

Pentagon Accepts $130
Million Donation to Help Pay Troops During
Shutdown
The move could violate a law prohibiting federal agencies from spending money in excess of congressional appropriations or from accepting voluntary services.

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Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · 3h

The more evidence mounts that Platner is lying, the more convinced I become that he is lying not only about his past but also about his current views.

Kaivan Shroff @kaivanshroff.bsky.social · 4h

CNN confirms that multiple sources suggest Graham Platner knew his tattoo was a Nazi symbol years prior to launching his campaign — and is now blatantly lying about it.

www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...

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GHOULLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 3h

hell of an image, man

Ben Daniel (he/him) @revbennyd.bsky.social · 1d

Here's a photo of my friend and colleague, Jorge Bautista, getting shot in the face with a flashbang grenade. The ICE Agent is so afraid of Jorge (who was posing no threat) that he has wet himself. Please share this photo. Everyone needs to know what cowards ICE agents are.

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Jim Lippard @lippard.bsky.social · 4h

The Trump administration seems to love nothing more than to engage in actions which undermine the very pretext they give for engaging in them.

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Constant Scream @ajaxsinger.bsky.social · 6h

To be clear, the thing that will absolutely fuck us in the "drug war" is losing the cooperation of Colombia, Peru, and Mexico and it very much looks like we're doing it.

Shipwreck @shipwreck75.bsky.social · 6h

Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s administration began evaluating the potential expulsion of U.S. military personnel and CIA agents from Colombian military bases, according to reports from local media.

colombiaone.com/2025/10/24/c...

Petro Mulls Ending US Military and CIA Presence in Colombia

President Gustavo Petro is reportedly considering ending U.S. military and CIA, Intelligence agencies presence in Colombia.

colombiaone.com

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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 5h

Treasury Dept employees got a second email last night telling them again not to take pics of the demolished East Wing of White House, a Treasury employee tells me.

Why? Because the images are devastating, of course.

Demolition of the East Wing is complete as of Thursday.

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hilzoy @hilzoy.bsky.social · 6h

Really interesting.

We are SO unprepared for this.

www.sinicapodcast.com/p/the-great-...

The Great Reckoning: What the West Should Learn from China

This essay was originally published in The Ideas Letter and is reprinted here with permission.

www.sinicapodcast.com

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Ellen Nakashima @ellenwapo.bsky.social · 7h

While legal experts say military operators are not likely to be prosecuted for involvement in the cartel strikes, junior officers are nervous, sources say. Some have asked military lawyers for written sign-off before taking part; such sign-off hasn't happened, said one source.

shorturl.at/0u6Ge

Top Democrats demand details of spy agencies’ role in boat strikes

Democrats are demanding that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard share intelligence on lethal operations against alleged narcotics traffickers.

www.washingtonpost.com

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No Joyman @nojoyman.bsky.social · 1d

Old Soviet joke:

Why do ICE agents travel in groups of three?

One can read, one can write, and the third keeps an eye on the two intellectuals

Joe Kassabian @jkass99.bsky.social · 1d

New ICE recruiting methods have resulted in half of this group of absolute winners failing AN OPEN BOOK TEST

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Emanuel Maiberg @emanuelmaiberg.bsky.social · 8h

Marc Andreessen, who sits on Meta's board, is funding a click farm www.404media.co/a16z-backed-...

a16z-Backed Startup Sells Thousands of ‘Synthetic Influencers’ to Manipulate Social Media as a Service

Andreessen Horowitz is funding a company that clearly violates the inauthentic behavior policies of every major social media platform.

www.404media.co

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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 13h

rushing to integrate undercooked, misrepresented, and misunderstood technology into every corner of our lives just so a handful of terrible people could make more money might have been a bad idea

Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 13h

“An artificial intelligence system apparently mistook a high school student’s bag of Doritos for a firearm and called local police to tell them the pupil was armed.”

US student handcuffed after AI system apparently mistook bag of chips for firearm

Baltimore county high schools have gun detection system that alerts police if it sees what it deems suspicious

www.theguardian.com

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Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · 8h

This should be seen as what it is: a huge step towards ending free and fair elections.

Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg 🇵🇸 @elizabethweill.bsky.social · 11h

Breaking: The Department of Justice announced it will "monitor polling sites in six jurisdictions [in New Jersey and California] ahead of the upcoming November 4, 2025, general election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law." www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justi...

Justice Department to Monitor Polling Sites in California, New Jersey

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced that it will monitor polling sites in six jurisdictions ahead of the upcoming November 4, 2025, general election to ensure transparency, ballot ...

www.justice.gov

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Jim Lippard @lippard.bsky.social · 10h

Seems like the plaintiff doesn't know what they are doing. bsky.app/profile/gowd...

Paul Gowder @gowder.io · 10h

Loool

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Dr. SkySkull @drskyskull.bsky.social · 10h

Trump is doing Canada a favor by showing them that we are not to be trusted, AT ALL. Even the slightest pushback will cause the end of trade in a big temper tantrum.

(Honestly we all already knew this but it's a further reminder.)

Total Lowlife Hat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 12h

Also as I understand it the Reagan ad was run by Ontario Province, not by Canada’s federal government or privy council or whatever. Imagine if countries cut off trade with us because of shit Alabama or Vermont did.

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Hey, nobody *made* them vote for the host of Wrestlemania 4 @legalminimum.bsky.social · 11h

Thread. I’ve said for a while that under Trump 2, plaintiffs’ lawyers and juries are going to become our product safety regulators. Things like this are how and why. Here’s how the arguments will go. Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, etc will continue to have standards.

Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 12h

1/ Last month, the EPA proposed a rule that will significantly weaken safety reviews for toxic chemicals used in the U.S. Weakening these reviews can open the door to more exposure to toxic chemicals, including PFAS and formaldehyde.

Trump EPA seeks to weaken scrutiny for some of US’s most toxic chemicals

New rule would shorten the time it takes to review chemicals, and alter the methodology used to assess their dangers

www.theguardian.com

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Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 11h

How you know you're over the target

Steve Benen @stevebenen.com · 11h

On Wednesday, Nancy Pelosi suggested that those who break the law should be held accountable, even if those people are federal agents.

On Thursday, AG Pam Bondi said she’s launching a DOJ investigation into the House speaker emerita. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

AG Pam Bondi announces investigation into another Trump foe: Nancy Pelosi

www.msnbc.com

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Jim Lippard @lippard.bsky.social · 11h

absurd

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 11h

Former cop is in jail for committing thought crime against the memory of Charlie Kirk theintercept.com/2025/10/23/c...

The Absurd Prosecution of a Man Who Posted a Charlie Kirk Meme

Larry Bushart Jr. posted trolling memes on a Facebook thread about a vigil for Kirk. He’s been in a Tennessee jail ever since.

theintercept.com

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Quinta Jurecic @qjurecic.bsky.social · 12h

approximately seven million people were out in the streets protesting last week. these people need to grow a spine. www.ft.com/content/1377...

James Meek @jamesmeek.bsky.social · 19h

Ed Luce watching democracy die in the United States of America

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Hazen Hammel @hazenhammel.bsky.social · 1d

I've seen lawyers ripped for trying to implement a politician's stupid ideas, disciplined for unethical conduct, mocked for ignorance, cautioned for impulsive behavior, or threatened with prosecution.

But I have never seen all of that, all at once

until now

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 1d

Finally, someone (Tish James atty Abbe Lowell) is making a stink about Lindsey Halligan stalking @annabower.bsky.social.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

In initiating this contact, Ms. Halligan—the lead prosecutor on this case as of the date of
this filing—commented on the credibility and general strength of the evidence presented to the
grand jury. She also commented, more generally, on the purported strength of the case she was
bringing, complained about the New York Times’ coverage of a certain witness’s grand jury
testimony, and stated the article did not convey a “full representation” of what took place before
the grand jury. These extrajudicial statements and prejudicial disclosures by any prosecutor, let
alone one purporting to be the U.S. Attorney, run afoul of and violate the Federal Rules of Criminal
Procedure, the Code of Federal Regulations, this Court’s Local Rules, various rules of ethical and
professional responsibility, and DOJ’s Justice Manual.

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Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 1d

Here are the companies destroying the east wing of the White House

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Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 1d

The perversion of our nonpartisan criminal justice system exactly mirrors the methods used to establish the Erdoğan dictatorship in Turkey—now in its 22nd year.

Forcing public servants to “find” crimes by political opponents equates to suspending our Constitution. It will harm all on Right & Left.

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 1d

No evidence, but the pretextual case isn't dismissed. DOJ will instead keep looking to find some way to bring charges against Schiff. Even when the president's opponents escape charges (for now), it's still heads Trump wins tails they lose. www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...

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Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 1d

IMPACT of photojournalism and local reporting. @chicago.suntimes.com Anthony Vazquez [left] and @ashleerezin.bsky.social's [right] photos of Bovino from by @apnews.com 12:53pm (EDT). ~3 hours later, Judge Ellis expands Bovino's deposition.

Major error by Bovino because he can't deny knowledge.

Bovino in full camouflage holding with an assault rifle. the other agents are wearing gaiters, sunglasses and gas masks.

caption:
U.S. Border Patrol Commander-At-Large Gregory Bovino stands with federal immigration enforcement agents during a
skirmish with protesters in Little Village neighborhood, Chicago Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago
Sun-Times via AP)

Updated Oct 23, 2025 12:53 p.m.

Greg Bovino, the chief patrol agent for the U.S. Border Patrol El Centro sector, asks a pedestrian their birth country as
the pedestrian films federal agents detaining a man who took off running away from them as they were walking on
North Clark Street near West Superior Street in the River North neighborhood, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Chicago.
(Ashlee Rezin /Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

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