Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Rob Watts (RobWords) @robwords.bsky.social · 4d

The NATO Phonetic Alphabet (ALFA, BRAVO, CHARLIE etc.) is neither a phonetic alphabet, nor a product of NATO.

I've sifted through loads of old documents to find its true origins and, OSCAR MIKE GOLF, is it fascinating.

Check out my video here (2 million people already have!): youtu.be/UAT-eOzeY4M

The genius logic of the NATO phonetic alphabet

YouTube video by RobWords

youtu.be

8 25 100

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

John Ismay @johnismay.bsky.social · 11h

An artillery shell fired during 250th anniversary celebration of the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton on Saturday detonated prematurely over Interstate 5, damaging a California Highway Patrol vehicle on JD Vance's security detail www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/u...

Artillery Shell Detonated Over Interstate 5 During Marines’ Celebration, California Officials Say

www.nytimes.com

460 1.5K 4.4K

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 17h

Those with sharp eyes might detect a subtle difference in NYT play last month of an event in one city, w 100,000+ attendees, versus play this morning of some 2500+ events w many millions of attendees, in all 50 states.

See if you can spot it! /s

Then you can find today's story on p A23

Front page of NYT on September 22, 2025, with large top-of-page photo of a Charlie Kirk memorial service, and the lead page-one story on the same topic.

Front page of today's NYT, Oct 19, with no story about the nationwide protests, and a "below the fold" montage of two photos, and a link to a story on page 23.

160 1.1K 3.4K

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Larry Glickman @larryglickman.bsky.social · 21h

This is quite a hed/subhed.
1) Start with Vance. Use strong action verb. Accept the autocratic premise that the “Marines’ Might” are Vance’s to flex.
2) Mention the protest second and absurdly describe them as in the thousands
3) Treat Trump’s strong man use of the military as a partisan scuffle.

Vance Flexes the Marines’ Might as Thousand Protest Trump’s Agenda
VP JD Vance’s trips o a military base in California illustrated rising tensions between the federal government and Democratic leaders

92 800 3K

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Popehat Or Danger of Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 18h

Don’t let the frogwater that’s boiling us alive let you skip over this: we murdered another country’s citizens in cold blood, and when their leader objected, we called him a drug dealer and cut off aid to his country. That’s freakish.

Dag. @3fecta.bsky.social · 19h

Petro objected to the US bombing a Columbian fishing vessel that had the emergency beacon on because they were broken down, that we subsequently bombed. One Columbian fisherman survived the attack.

This is the official US response to Petro's comments.

110 2.6K 7.5K

Brett Tamahori @tamahori.bsky.social · 10h

As somebody that lives in a Five Eyes country, I'm honestly curious how much info other members of Five Eyes are still sharing with the US, given that country leaks live a sieve these days.

Okay, NZ will still be doing sharing, I'm pretty sure the NSA pays more of our spy's budget than we do.

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 1d

Dutch intelligence suspends sharing arrangements with the US after concluding that high level intel was routinely being shared by the White House with their friends in the Kremlin. www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/n...

Nederlandse diensten delen minder informatie met de VS: ‘Soms vertellen we dingen niet meer’

Het aantal dreigingen dat op Nederland afkomt is groot, zien de hoofden van de AIVD en de MIVD elke dag: niet alleen Russische agressie, maar ook de opmars van China als digitale macht en binnenlands ...

www.volkskrant.nl

3 8

Brett Tamahori @tamahori.bsky.social · 10h

Oathbreaker who either is incapable of understanding his job, or totally unwilling to even pretend to do it, continues to not only refused to do his job but seems offended by the idea that he might even pretend to do your job.

Also ya know, the Party of Family Values has child abusers to protect.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18h

KARL: I mean, you could swear in Adelita Grijalva tomorrow, right?

MIKE JOHNSON: No, not tomorrow. We couldn't. We wouldn't.

1

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 1d

Dutch intelligence suspends sharing arrangements with the US after concluding that high level intel was routinely being shared by the White House with their friends in the Kremlin. www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/n...

Nederlandse diensten delen minder informatie met de VS: ‘Soms vertellen we dingen niet meer’

Het aantal dreigingen dat op Nederland afkomt is groot, zien de hoofden van de AIVD en de MIVD elke dag: niet alleen Russische agressie, maar ook de opmars van China als digitale macht en binnenlands ...

www.volkskrant.nl

340 4K 7.1K

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Elizabeth N. Saunders @profsaunders.bsky.social · 18h

This story is extraordinary even by 2025 standards. Marco Rubio, the nation's top diplomat, made a deal with Bukele and agreed to renege on informant agreements in a years-long DOJ investigation into MS-13, totally undercutting credibility of such agreements.

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

Rubio promised to betray U.S. informants to get Trump’s El Salvador prison deal

To secure U.S. access to President Nayib Bukele’s notorious CECOT prison, Rubio agreed to turn over several MS-13 leaders central to a long-running Justice Department investigation.

www.washingtonpost.com

82 1.8K 3.8K

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

ionomycin @ionomycin.bsky.social · Jun 9

closing hour

drawing of a giant humanoid sea creature behind a glass, and a woman holding her hand up towards them

19 1K 3K

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

ionomycin @ionomycin.bsky.social · Jul 2

night shift

giant mermaid in an aquarium, a woman holding a mop with a cleaning cart next to her is looking up at them

35 1.5K 4.9K

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · 1d

So the GOP was "mostly quiet" all day today during the protests, and apparently spent all that time to come up with the strategy of responding with "hell yes, we want Trump as king?" and they think that's going to resonate?

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Republicans mostly silent as millions of Americans protest Trump on No Kings day

Outside of typical remarks from Donald Trump, JD Vance and Mike Johnson and a Fox News report, party stayed mum

www.theguardian.com

23 160 890

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Christopher R. Rice - The Raven Maniac @ravensnpennies.com · 2d

Hol up - I thought Bluesky was a liberal echo chamber and had no value. Did...did they run out of people to scream at on X/Twitter?

They are doing the equivalent of going to their ex-'s house and beating on the door to be let in cause it'll be different this time. LOL. Nope. BLoockkkk

David S. Bernstein @dbernstein.bsky.social · 2d

By my count: Of the 15 Departments of the US Government, 13 launched new BlueSky accounts tonight (all but Justice and HUD), and all 13 have posted explicitly partisan political posts blaming Democrats and/or Chuck Schumer for the government shutdown.

2 10

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Popehat Or Danger of Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 1d

/13 Post-No-Kings-Protest conversations with my wife:
—How do we reconcile free will and democratic freedom with the impulse towards totalitarianism?
[Margaritas]
—-Is a slutty gnome Halloween costume inherently slut-shaming gnomes?

15 24 440

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Popehat Or Danger of Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 1d

/9 cops yelling at everyone to get back on the sidewalk. A young man helps an elderly woman with a walker back up into a space between the little girl in a princess costume and the lady in a unicorn costume.

6 24 470

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Popehat Or Danger of Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 1d

/7 the best sign. I saw so far said "you sucked in Home Alone 2"

20 76 940

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · 1d

David Sacks is currently posting AI content of Trump as a king and Dems kneeling if you were wondering where his brain is at

41 210 2K

Brett Tamahori @tamahori.bsky.social · 1d

This is something people really need to remember. There are no red or blue states, it's shades of purple and layers of gerrymandering.

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 1d

Take note of all these people turning out for protests in small towns in red states.

Remember them the next time you’re inclined to write an area off because “they voted for this.”

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 1d

Take note of all these people turning out for protests in small towns in red states.

Remember them the next time you’re inclined to write an area off because “they voted for this.”

410 3.9K 16K

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

CRobertBuchanan @crobertbuchanan.bsky.social · 2d

“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”

-Wilhoit

3 9 58

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 2d

The wildest thing about every Trump pardon and commutation?

“Mr. Santos will also no longer be required to pay more than $370,000 in court-ordered restitution to his victims…”

48 380 1K

Brett Tamahori @tamahori.bsky.social · 1d

A reminder that 'Christian' is a term that covers a large range of faiths with often mutually exclusive viewpoints.

Don't assume because somebody is very firm about being Christian that they in any way believe things you might think count as Christian.

Their god may not be the same as yours.

Right Wing Watch @rightwingwatch.bsky.social · 2d

Christian nationalist podcaster Joshua Haymes says Christians must be willing to defend the institution of slavery because the Bible makes it clear that "it is not inherently evil to own another human being." www.peoplefor.org/rightwingwat...

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 2d

heartbroken to learn the pope sympathizes with the poor. how can i continue to believe in god

The Pope tweets: "The poor are not there by chance or by blind and cruel fate. Nor, for most of them, is poverty a choice. Yet, there are those who still presume to make this claim, thus revealing their own blindness and cruelty. #DilexiTe"

Someone replies: "I was so hopeful I could be a Catholic again after the disaster that Francis was, guess we just get Francis 2.0 now and I am heartbroken. How do I stay a Catholic now...I don't want to lose faith but I am. You belong to someone else, not God."

1.8K 10K 50K

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

nyahrose3.bsky.social @nyahrose3.bsky.social · 2d

Well…Trump didn’t pardon George Santos…But…

1 1

Reposted by Brett Tamahori

Molly McKew @mollymckew.bsky.social · 2d

So, I have to say — as members of Congress go, Adam Smith is about as run of the mill as there is (used to be). He’s sensible, compromises, believes in bipartisan work, believes evidence, thoroughly studies material for his committee work.

Seeing quotes like this from him is… deeply unnerving. /1

Smith: Well, I mean, that's part of the overall disturbing pattern here, is we have seen the president seize more and more unilateral power without any checks and balances on it. And then part of the way he does that is to try to convince the people of this country that it's normal-this is what people do all the time, nothing to see here, it's not any different. And that's just a lie in many instances.
And so I think what's most interesting about it is that Karoline Leavitt thinks she can get away with that lie-just say it and have people believe it and say, it's just normal. And this is part of how we're creeping toward an authoritarian government and seeing, really, the end of our constitutional republic.

18 350 960