Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Russ McNamara @mcnamarawdet.bsky.social · 13h

When you already know the answer, don’t make the headline a question.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 13h

As President Trump tries to send the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, conservative influencers are working to support his claim that the city is burning with viral clips from one block. https://wapo.st/4q5HM0n

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Darren S. Layne @funkyplaid.bsky.social · 1d

'One influencer, for instance, accuses the Portland police chief of “allowing violent terrorists” to “run the city,” which is horseshit of the highest order.'

Larry Glickman @larryglickman.bsky.social · 1d

Careful and powerful analysis by @gregsargent.bsky.social of the New York Times treating Trump's propagandists as "provocateurs" and decision to treat MAGA's ideologically-driven lies as part of a legitimate clash of perspectives in describing Portland.
newrepublic.com/article/2016...

MAGA Implodes over Kristi Noem’s “Stare Down” with Man in Chicken Suit

A good New York Times piece on Portland nevertheless demonstrates how the conventions of objective reporting fail to accurately capture the bad faith driving pro-Trump propaganda.

newrepublic.com

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Keith Boykin @keithboykin.bsky.social · 13h

Yesterday it was a high school homecoming in Mississippi. Today it’s a bar in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Another mass shooting leaves at least 4 people dead and 20 injured. This is America.

4 people were killed and 20 more were injured in a shooting at a bar in South Carolina, sheriff says

A mass shooting at a crowded bar on the idyllic South Carolina island of St. Helena left four people dead and at least 20 injured.

www.wisn.com

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Russ McNamara @mcnamarawdet.bsky.social · 13h

You clearly haven’t been to a protest. The anti-ICE / anti-Trump protests in Detroit (with its large Arab American population) are the same people who protested Harris/Trump/Biden.

I know you need someone to blame for why she lost, but I assure you those protesters care more abt Gaza than Harris.

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Russ McNamara @mcnamarawdet.bsky.social · 14h

Pro-Palestinian activists weren’t important enough to talk to on the campaign trail.
Pro-Palestinian activists weren’t important enough to speak at the DNC, but somehow they kept her from winning the election?

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Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 2d

The entire American economy is being held hostage to the whims of a guy who doesn’t understand how the economy works

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Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 14h

Sunday reading:

I wrote about the aggrieved extremist who is currently firing thousands of federal workers and ravaging state capacity based on conspiratorial nonsense - and about mainstream media’s infuriating tendency to sanitize Russell Vought and the regime he serves.

This week’s piece:

We need to talk about Russell Vought – But Properly

Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy

steady.page

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Russ McNamara @mcnamarawdet.bsky.social · 14h

To say this episode pissed me off to no end would be an understatement.

Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 14h

About a week ago, the New York Times’ “The Daily” podcast portrayed Russell Vought as a devout Christian, a true “small government” conservative who loves the free market, and a man with a great work ethic. A remarkable combination of credulousness and deliberate whitewashing.

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southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 14h

The deportation order is based on Vedam’s conviction for murder—a crime he did not actually commit and for which he’s now been wholly exonerated. He entered the US at 9 months old and was a legal permanent resident before his conviction. We are so, so, so far from the light of justice.

Lynn Becker @cmgiulini.bsky.social · 1d

After spending 43 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, evidence hidden by the prosecution reversed his conviction. Rather than finally enjoying freedom, ICE abducted him for deportation

Depraved.

www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

He was wrongfully imprisoned for 43 years. Moments after being released, ICE took him

Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam now faces deportation.

www.miamiherald.com

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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 16h

“Who was president in 2020?” remains one of the most pertinent questions in American politics—absurd, yes, but here we are—and that extends to “who was president January 1 - 19, 2021?”

Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 16h

That’s a nice trick, since Biden wasn’t the president on Jan 6.

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Russ McNamara @mcnamarawdet.bsky.social · 1d

What is there to be done with this? This cannot be reformed.

Lynn Becker @cmgiulini.bsky.social · 1d

After spending 43 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, evidence hidden by the prosecution reversed his conviction. Rather than finally enjoying freedom, ICE abducted him for deportation

Depraved.

www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

He was wrongfully imprisoned for 43 years. Moments after being released, ICE took him

Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam now faces deportation.

www.miamiherald.com

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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 1d

Per CDC source: At internal leadership meeting this afternoon, it was shared that 1,257 people were RIF'd at CDC. Number may not be final. Apparently, chief of staff was unaware that RIFs were going to occur so not clear who is making decisions. (Short 🧵)

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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 1d

Manly men brutalize, terrorize a teen girl

Redsky @redsky.pirhoo.com · 1d

Northwest Chicago Suburb: ICE Agents Rip 15-Year-Old Girl from Car, Slam Her to Ground She Screams Im 15! as Man Kneels on Her Neck

Link | Subreddit

Northwest Chicago Suburb: ICE Agents Rip 15-Year-Old Girl from Car, Slam Her to Ground She Screams Im 15! as Man Kneels on Her Neck

www.reddit.com

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Russ McNamara @mcnamarawdet.bsky.social · 1d

www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/aaa...

“AAAGGGHHH!!!” A Memo from Animal, Your New Editor-in-Chief

“[Editor-in-chief of CBS News] Bari Weiss told network staffers in a morning editorial call that she wants to ‘win’ before delivering a rallying cr...

www.mcsweeneys.net

Russ McNamara @mcnamarawdet.bsky.social · 1d

Sage advice from Animal, if the Muppet percussionist were to be put in charge of CBS News.

REMEMBER: WE NOT BREAK NEWS. WE POUND NEWS LIKE BONGOS UNTIL NEWS BREAK ITSELF.

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E.A.R. @primateyell.bsky.social · 1d

I actually gasped. As a former public health reporter the MMWR is a big deal

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 1d

The editors of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) were apparently fired today.

The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.

We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: @CDCgov hit hard by massive firings that several staff describe to me as a “bloodbath.”
Among those RIFd:
—leadership of the center for immunization and respiratory diseases;
—leadership of global health center
—leadership of the measles outbreak response; 1/4

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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 2d

Is it cancel culture when they threaten to kill you?

www.nj.com/news/2025/10...

Sold-out Ta-Nehisi Coates speaker appearance in N.J. canceled over security reasons

Organizers canceled a sold-out Ta-Nehisi Coates event in Montclair citing undisclosed security concerns.

www.nj.com

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Heartland Signal @heartlandsignal.bsky.social · 2d

BREAKING: Masked Border Patrol agents aggressively arrested WGN video producer Debbie Brockman in Lincoln Square Friday morning, supposedly for "obstructing justice." (Video via Josh Thomas on Facebook)

Follow @heartlandsignal for more.

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Jocelyn Leitzinger @jocelynl.bsky.social · 2d

There's a real disconnect between what we hear from @govpritzker.illinois.gov & other elected leaders about how we won't stand for ICE abducting people & Trump's delpoyment of the National Guard

&

what we see from local and state police as their treatment of protestors looks increasingly like ICE

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 2d

Troopers with batons aggressively shoving crowd back.

Just saw two demonstrators arrested.

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Jim Daley @jimdaleywrites.bsky.social · 2d

I'm at the scene where ICE abducted multiple people from Lincoln and Foster this morning.

A WGN producer was among the people taken, allegedly because she was among a group of bystanders who tried to intervene. ICE agents hit this car while making their getaway.

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Imani Gandy Corn 🎃 @angryblacklady.blacksky.app · 2d

Remember how people lost their minds when I said go to a protest but don't rsvp to one

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Robert McNamara @romcnm.bsky.social · 2d

THIS is a news item that everyone pay attention to.

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Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 2d

News: Bari Weiss just sent a memo to staffers at CBS News asking them to produce a memo explaining "how you spend your working hours—and ideally, what you've made (or are making) that you're most proud of."

One CBS News staffer puts it like this to me: "We just got Elon Musked."

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Noah Berlatsky @nberlat.bsky.social · 4d

this is an incredibly evil thing for fetterman to break party ranks on.

like...maybe worse than manchin or sinema?

Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 4d

Trump has been illegally bombing boats off the coast of Venezuela.

Tim Kaine and Adam Schiff forced a vote on reasserting Congress's role over war powers and ending this reckless
warmongering.

It failed 48-51.

Murkowski and Paul voted yes.

Fetterman voted no.

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