Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Michael Derby

D. Earl Stephens @dearlstephens.bsky.social · 5h

📌“The fact that I am American means, among other things, people can’t say, like they did about Francis, ‘he doesn’t understand the United States, he just doesn’t see what’s going on.’
“Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed?”

-Pope Leo in a direct rebuke of the hideous Trump

57 960 3.9K

Reposted by Michael Derby

Michael Edison Hayden @michaelehayden.bsky.social · 4h

“They are highly organized … [they] have purchased their own animal costumes”

Andy ngo mad about muppets again — this time in Chicago

190 860 3.9K

Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 2h

Recall how the NYPD felt they could treat a duly elected mayor of New York City.

2 20

Reposted by Michael Derby

Philadelphia Inquirer @inquirer.com · 2h

Every day at noon, no matter how busy, Johny Merida Aguilar left his construction job and hurried to his 5-year-old son's school to feed him. His son has brain cancer and generally only accepts food from his father.

Merida Aguilar was arrested by ICE in September and faces deportation to Bolivia.

He was caring for his 5-year-old son with brain cancer. Then he was detained by ICE.

A court has temporarily blocked Johny Merida Aguilar's deportation to Bolivia.

www.inquirer.com

25 420 650

Reposted by Michael Derby

Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 7h

This is infuriating. She excuses the orders as "preliminary," but that's an argument for applying settled law or preserving the status quo. Allowing POTUS to disregard Congressional appropriations and fire independent agency heads are neither, they're a radical restructuring of Constitutional order.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h

Amy Coney Barrett defends heavy use of the shadow docket: "If we wrote a long opinion, it might give the impression that we have finally resolved the issue, and in none of these cases have we finally resolved the issue."

43 320 1.1K

Reposted by Michael Derby

Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 8h

Once they understand that it is an unelected bureaucrat carrying out a coup, who knows.

The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 1d

His slip of the tongue reveals who’s really in charge. trib.al/AoXcgAq

“Illinois governor says we’re provoking actions that are unlawful,” Miller said on CNN. “If I put federal law enforcement and National Guard into a nice sleepy Southern town, is anyone gonna riot?”

100 630 1.7K

Reposted by Michael Derby

Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · 8h

A thing I have learned from being online since 1995:

If you're a writer, editor, journalist, academic, you have to be ready to go contrarian when you feel it. And if you're feeling it all the time, such that it's become your idenitity, that's a signal. You broke your mind.

11 81 300

Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 8h

TACO time?

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 8h

“Don't worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment.”

15

Reposted by Michael Derby

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 13h

New, from me:
Trump's 3 step plan to create a military omniforce
1. Purge - those deemed disloyal
2. Merge - different parts of law enforcement/military
3. Surge - impose the omniforce on Dem cities; instigate unrest; assert dominance; silence dissent
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/purge-merg...

Purge, Merge, and Surge

Trump is creating a omniforce of armed loyalists to establish his police state

donmoynihan.substack.com

47 660 1.6K

Reposted by Michael Derby

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h

STEPHANOPOULOS: I didn't insinuate anything. I asked you whether Tom Homan accepted $50k as was heard on an audio tape recorded by the FBI in September 2024. You did not answer the question. Thank you for your time.

VANCE: No, George, I sai--

STEPHANOPOULOS: We'll be right back

1.3K 3.3K 16K

Reposted by Michael Derby

Kevin Rothrock @kevinrothrock.me · 11h

nothing from George Orwell or Terry Gilliam rivals the horror that is today's LinkedIn copy

8 12 87

Reposted by Michael Derby

Jill Lawrence @jilldlawrence.bsky.social · 11h

If you doubt the American apocalypse is imminent, or even already here, read this @donmoyn.bsky.social take on Trump’s rapidly growing “omniforce” of armed thugs. open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...

Purge, Merge, and Surge

Trump is creating a omniforce of armed loyalists to establish his police state

open.substack.com

2 51 110

Reposted by Michael Derby

Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 15h

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

320 1.4K 5.3K

Reposted by Michael Derby

👁🌻🦊⚙️⚓ Bob, Engineer, Pusher of Paper @navmecheng.bsky.social · 1d

> It is 2025 BC. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis

> It is 2025 AD. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis

Soldiers at the Bass Pro Shops pyramid in Memphis, TN.

68 3.4K 11K

Reposted by Michael Derby

Mike Madden @mikemadden.bsky.social · 1d

CDC lays off, then rapidly un-lays off, the people in charge of responding to measles www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

More than 1,000 CDC staff receive layoff notices during government shutdown

Another round of mass layoffs has struck CDC. The agency had already been cut during a reorganization this year, and more employees are now being shed amid the government shutdown.

www.washingtonpost.com

5 18 50

Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 1d

“The Sun-Times has documented four unmarked cars carrying federal officers without required plates, offering another way to shield their identities. Federal officials say they’re meeting regulations.”

Federal immigration officers wear masks, no name tags — now some drive cars without license plates

The Sun-Times has documented four unmarked cars carrying federal officers without required plates, offering another way to shield their identities. Federal officials say they’re meeting regulations.

chicago.suntimes.com

33 240 490

Reposted by Michael Derby

Quantian @quantian.bsky.social · 1d

If it wasn’t incredibly obvious before that X revenue sharing is treated as a slush fund for Elon to funnel cash to his future baby mommies and favorite right wing influencers, it is explicit now.

6 25 200

Reposted by Michael Derby

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 1d

Trump said he deserved a cut for brokering the TikTok deal, and at once there was agreement that his son Baron would have a top executive slot... though he hasn't asked for it, and has no apparent qualifications to hold it. This is how Trump 2.0 works. www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025...

Barron Trump tipped for top TikTok job

US president’s 19-year-old son could be appointed to the app’s board

www.telegraph.co.uk

470 1.1K 2.5K

Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 1d

A big deal for inflation and also whether you’ll have reliable food supplies, due to Trump policy choices.

Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 1d

"The Labor Department warned in an obscure document filed with the Federal Register last week that 'the near total cessation of the inflow of illegal aliens' is threatening 'the stability of domestic food production and prices for U.S. consumers.'”

Trump administration says immigration enforcement threatens higher food prices

U.S. farmers face labor shortages and potential food price hikes due to Trump’s immigration policy, the administration acknowledged in a Federal Registry document.

wapo.st

19 87 320

Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 1d

Goldman Sachs: “We continue to expect total net immigration of 0.5mn in 2025, a pace moderately below the pre-pandemic trend of 1.0mn per year. For 2026, we have penciled in an average pace similar to 2025.”

1 8

Reposted by Michael Derby

Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 1d

"Sceptics are privately - and some now publicly - asking whether the rapid rise in the value of AI tech companies may be, at least in part, the result of what they call 'financial engineering'. In other words - there are fears these companies are overvalued."

A tangled web of deals stokes AI bubble fears in Silicon Valley

Some are worried that the rapid rise in the value of AI tech companies may be a bubble waiting to burst.

www.bbc.com

37 140 440

Reposted by Michael Derby

Rich Raho @richraho.bsky.social · 1d

Chicago priest Fr. Larry Dowling describes procession to ICE facility: “No one had the courage to speak directly to us. No one from Homeland Security could stand in the presence of the Monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament. No wonder. Evil is repelled, recoils in the presence of Christ.”

290 4.9K 16K

Reposted by Michael Derby

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING: Some of the layoffs at CDC are being REVERSED.
Here is my updated story.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

More than 1,000 CDC staff receive layoff notices during government shutdown

Another round of mass layoffs has struck CDC. The agency had already been cut during a reorganization this year, and more employees are now being shed amid the government shutdown.

www.washingtonpost.com

35 290 730

Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 1d

Republican group buys critical voting machine company: “The newly formed company, Liberty Vote, also vowed to follow the executive order Trump signed last spring seeking sweeping changes to election policies that multiple judges have put on hold for violating the Constitution.” Via AP

Former Republican election official buys Dominion Voting — a target of 2020 conspiracy theories

Voting equipment company Dominion Voting Systems, a target of false conspiracy theories since the 2020 election, has been bought by a firm run by a former Republican elections official.

apnews.com

1 7 13

Reposted by Michael Derby

Andrew Lawrence @ndrew.bsky.social · 1d

every single tech idea is like “soon our robots will be capable of playing catch with your kid, freeing you up to spend more time working on your employers’ spreadsheets”

120 2K 9.2K