Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Paul Constant

@paulconstant.com

4.2K followers 2K following 3K posts

Seattle-based writer of journalism, criticism, progressive economics and politics pieces, and comic books. Snelson, my comic with Fred Harper was a New York Public Library Best Adult Comic selection for 2022. Email: thisispaulconstant at gmail dot com.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · Oct 11

Lots more folks on here these days, so it's re-introduction time. Hi! My name is Paul Constant. I write about books, politics, economics, technology, and Seattle. I'm a fellow at Civic Ventures, I write comic books, and I have a free monthly newsletter. You can find links to all that on my website:

About/Contact

I’m Paul Constant. I write journalism, criticism, essays, and comic books. I’m a fellow at Civic Ventures, a public policy incubator, and a cofounder of the award-winning Seattle Review…

paulconstant.com

4 8 77

Reposted by Paul Constant

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 1h

ICE just arrested a singing giraffe in Portland.

Robby Roadsteamer @roadsteamer.bsky.social · 3h

🚨 *Breaking News* Robby Roadsteamer has been detained by ICE Portland after singing Rod Stewart with the Portland Frog! We need your help!

Please support Robby's campaign and lawyer fees at robbyroadsteamer.com link on bio 💙🦒🦒🦒

72 740 1.9K

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 1h

The Pope must return to the call of his holy mission, as passed down from Jesus: Maximizing profits for shareholders.

K. Chen @tznkai.bsky.social · 1h

"the Pope ... needs to shun humanitarian progressivism" is a a sentence someone decided to advertise this piece with. That is a choice someone made

Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · 4h

lol Claremont is mad at the pope

americanmind.org/salvo/christ...

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 15h

I’ve been really enjoying Poison Ivy all along—it’s your best serial work so far. But I would live forever in that weird little coastal Washington town, if I could!

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 17h

One of my favorite things about writing a newsletter is that it's also my reading journal. For instance, last month I was happily surprised by @gwillow.me and MK Perker's graphic novel The Stoneshore Register. You'll get similar brief thoughts on my reading life in every issue.

Seattle author G. Willow Wilson's latest comic with artist M.K. Perker, The Stoneshore Register, is a quiet little masterpiece. It's about a young journalist who gets a job writing at a tiny newspaper in a coastal Washington state town where weird things happen. It's a perfect mix of Our Town and Twin Peaks, and a hopeful refugee narrative. It's right up there with my favorites of
Wilson's work.

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 17h

Tomorrow, I'll be sending out an issue of my free newsletter, including a recommendation for one of my favorite novels of the year so far. If you'd like to get it in your inbox, you can subscribe through the link below. (Did I mention it's free?)

Paul Constant Is Reading and Writing in Seattle

A free monthly newsletter about politics, books, and comics—not necessarily in that order.

buttondown.com

1 2 13

Reposted by Paul Constant

Sam Adams @samadams.bsky.social · 1d

"If we ever had a leak of this chat we would be cooked fr fr"

‘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

4 23 69

Reposted by Paul Constant

Goldy @goldy.horsesass.org · 1d

In 2020 we published in TIME about the $50 trillion upward redistribution of income since 1975. The editors told us it was one of their most widely read online pieces ever, and begged us for more. Four years later we pitched an update ($79 trillion)—they weren't interested.
time.com/5888024/50-t...

TIME headline: The Top 1% of Americans Have Taken $50 Trillion From the Bottom 90%—And That's Made the U.S. Less Secure.

4 70 130

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 1d

A beautiful day on Little Si.

A little chipmunk leaning against a rock.

A screen full of pine trees, as viewed from Little Si.

Reposted by Paul Constant

Molly Knight @mollyknight.bsky.social · 3d

Whistling when ICE is about to kidnap someone for no reason is incredibly effective. They know what they are doing is wrong and will scatter in the wind when too many witnesses gather.

FORM A CROWD
STAY LOUD
PROTECT EACH OTHER
CODE I:
ICE NEARBY
BLOW QUICKLY IN A BROKEN RHYTHM:
PRE-PRE-PRE!
→ ALERTS THE COMMUNITY THAT ICE AGENTS ARE IN THE AREA.
ROGERS PARK WHISTLE PROTOCOLS
WHY A WHISTLE? ON THE STREETS
• A SIMPLE TOOL FOR FAST ALERTS.
• LOUD.
RECOGNIZABLE.
IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE.
• OUR VOICES ARE
STRONGER TOGETHER.
WHISTLES GUIDE
PEOPLE TO:
• FOLLOW ICE CARAVANS
• CATCH UP WITH THE CROWD
• ALERT NEIGHBORS
TO JOIN IN
NOISE = VISIBILITY.
CODE 2:
CODE RED
BLOW THREE LONG BLASTS:
PREEEE-PREEEE-PREEEE!
→ ICE IS DETAINING SOMEONE.
FORM A CROWD, STAY LOUD.
DON'T STAY SILENT. STAY NONVIOLENT.
WHY IT WORKS
• INSTANT ALERT
SYSTEM
• FASTER THAN SOCIAL MEDIA
• TURNS SILENCE INTO COMMUNITY
ACTION
ORIGINAL FLYER CREATED BY:
WHAT YOU CAN DO
• WEAR YOUR WHISTLE AROUND YOUR NECK
TEACH FAMILY
EIGHBORS TH
CODES
• USE IT WHEN ICE IS
SPOTTED
• PROTECT EACH OTHER, ALWAYS
TOGETHER, WE KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
FORM A CROWD, STAY LOUD.
THIS FLYER DISTRIBUTED BY:
PROTECT RP
• @PROTECTRP_

82 2.9K 5.8K

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 2d

He talks about heaven like he’s a high school sophomore who just learned a big midterm paper is due tomorrow.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Trump: "I don't think there's anything that's gonna get me in heaven. I think I'm not maybe heaven bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly on Air Force One. I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to make heaven."

1 10

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 3d

We also need a puffer cummerbund (a pufferbund?) for more formal occasions.

1 15

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 3d

YES! YES! We’re finally 45% of the way to a full puffer suit and tie set!

An ad with a photo of a truly hideous blazer made out of a puffer jacket. The copy reads:

Introducing a new kind of blazer: Sharp, weather-resistant, and engineered with lightweight Thinsulate® fill.
IT'S A BLAZER.
IT'S A PUFFER.
IT'S...BOTH.
MACK WELDON

4 29

Reposted by Paul Constant

Colleen Frakes @colleenfrakes.bsky.social · 4d

The Bigfoot Kid's Book Fest is happening TODAY!
I'll be signing from 1-4
www.bigfootkidsbookfestival.com

3 9

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 4d

The New York Times experienced the first Trump term and then had a four-year grace period to think seriously about how to responsibly cover a president who lies all the time. At this point, we have to determine that they’re rooting for him.

David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 4d

A classic case of irresponsible both-sidesism from the NYT. The story is that Trump and MAGA propagandists are lying about Portland to incite a conflict, not that there are different views of the matter.

8 27

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 4d

God, these were awful.

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 4d

Tik Tok is only going to get worse when MAGA management takes over. It’s time to get off the platform.

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 4d

Huh: TikTok took down my 8-second video featuring this image of Debbie Brockman — the news producer just detained by Trump’s CBP agents — saying it violates the “joy of TikTok”

4 9

Reposted by Paul Constant

Liselle Baker @elles-bells.bsky.social · 4d

Courtesy of Ryan Cordell and Queer Media

1 6 21

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 4d

Oh hell yeah.

A London police car, which is a hatchback/station wagon thing that is bright yellow and blue checkerboard with white highlights.

2 1 17

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 4d

But...but I was informed in a very popular meme that everyone having free access to assault weapons was the best and only way to eliminate feral hogs?

Both Leary and Reed strongly advise farmers not to shoot hogs on their
own but instead call MDC, which works with the landowner for removal. "If you go out and there's a sounder of 20 hogs, one hunter may remove one or two of them," Leary says. "But then those other 18 that remain out there continue to reproduce. Hunting also scatters them, making it more
difficult to trap."

Reposted by Paul Constant

Elman Steven @esteven.bsky.social · 5d

Reminds me of an observation an acquaintance made years ago that, unlike other police forces, the LAPD always dressed like they were going to kick your ass.

1 7

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 5d

I would consider becoming a cop if that was the standard.

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 5d

One of the things we have to do is require police officers to wear slightly doofy uniforms again. Powder blue, short sleeves, conductor’s hats, dress shoes, stripes down the legs. It won’t solve everything, but dressing like a mass murderer causes more mental harm than you’d think, too.

The People's Fabric @peoplesfabric.com · 5d

Check this guy out.

3 7 59

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 5d

“…it is not too late for them to call for the release of detained Saudi activists…Human Rights Watch didn’t call for comedians to boycott the Riyadh Comedy Festival, but simply asked them to express their support for free speech by urging the release of Saudi activists unjustly imprisoned.”

Human Rights Watch ‘Cannot Accept’ Donations From Aziz Ansari and Other Comedians Who Performed at Riyadh Comedy Festival

Human Rights Watch says it 'cannot accept' donations from Aziz Ansari and other comedians who performed at the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia.

variety.com

1 1 18

Reposted by Paul Constant

Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 5d

Brett Kavanaugh assures me this is the sort of minor inconvenience that shouldn't disturb anyone.

CollinCountyDems @collincountydems.bsky.social · 5d

This is terrifying!

ICE breaks into this woman’s car in the pick-up line at West Loop Elementary school in Chicago and detains her before she can pick her kids up from school. (They were eventually let go after showing their documents)

This is Trump’s America.

9 470 1.4K

Paul Constant @paulconstant.com · 5d

Oh, yeah, I'd missed this post yesterday. I'm excited to have it be a year-round film center again.

Now in Columbia City, the Tasveer Film Festival Brings Movies, Masala Popcorn, and a 'Monumental' Experience

Columbia City's old Ark Lodge Cinemas has a new life as the Tasveer Film Center, home to this year's Tasveer Film Festival — and a vibrant hub for South Asian storytelling.

southseattleemerald.org

1 1