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Lens

@discerningtrouble.bsky.social
174 followers 76 following 139 posts

Peering through the glass, glimpsing what I can, while I can.

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Reposted by Lens
Jacob Rubashkin @rubashkin.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
A pop-up Super PAC is spending six figures on mailers backing a socialist running as an independent in the Ohio Senate race against Husted and Brown. We won’t know the donors for a while but there are signs it’s a GOP-backed effort.
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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 23h
Uh oh, did someone’s website and personal account experience a big drop in activity after Ukraine hit a Russian data center?
Elon Musk: “Zelensky has gone too far”

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2109033017184338141
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Alan Elrod @aselrod.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
All of the more than 100 million Americans who live in states without the death penalty, either by abolition or executive moratorium, *have Democrats to thank* for this fact.
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Vituperative Erb @vituperativeerb.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
A person you view as an incredibly milquetoast centrist is probably drastically more sincere and dedicated to the public good than you are
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Lens @discerningtrouble.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Which is exactly why he bought twitter in the first place. The far-right saw how useful it was for sharing info and organizing among the Dem coalitions and they wanted to destroy it. So they did, and made it their own communication platform, which has sadly been very effective.
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Henry @henrythedog.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Republicans: "we're running on a platform of grinding all those T-slurs into dog meat!" Democrat: "I've voted in favor of every pro-trans bill and against every anti-trans bill ever, I have a pride flag outside my office" Queer think pieces: "these are the same thing"
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tmbhmltn.bsky.social @tmbhmltn.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I posted a little while back that no one ever talks about this but I really wonder if people just didn’t see this or store it in their memory
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Tammy Duckworth @duckworth.senate.gov · 10/10/2026
Putin told Iran the locations of our warships. Today, Trump rewarded him by lifting sanctions and allowing American dollars to fuel Russia’s war machine. Our troops are in harm’s way, and the President cut a deal with the adversary putting a target on their backs.
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ArgellaStone @argellastone.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Every time a journalist says something incredibly obviously wrong and gets pushback from the proles, there's always the same exact snobbish circling the wagons from their colleagues because a journalist must never, ever, ever be called out for being comically misinformed.
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James Bennett @ubernostrum.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Yup. Elected Democrats, especially leaders, have been well to the left of not just the country as a whole but even to the left of their own voters for basically my entire life, and I’m tired of people who lie to my face about this.
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Lauren Underwood @laurenunderwood.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
After more than 200 years, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is coming home! I am proud to have worked with Chairman Rupnick to secure $1M to build a Tribal Government headquarters here, on Illinois soil. Honored to have played a small role in this long-overdue homecoming.
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Fascism Heckler @fascismheckler.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
I really think a lot of journalists hate Democrats because Republicans have become racist dumbasses that are easy to ignore while Democrats can point out when they're wrong
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Scott Colom @scolom.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Cindy Hyde-Smith is bought and paid for by an AI and data center Super PAC... ....and she also sits on the Senate Committee that has primary jurisdiction over AI policy and development. The corruption is clear as day. It's time to go in a new direction, y’all.
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Aaron C. Davis @byaaroncdavis.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
NEW: A private equity executive took a top Pentagon job last year. Then a consulting firm he’d kept ties to starting winning major defense contracts - including a no-bid, quarter-billion dollar deal to advise his office.
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Team Talarico @teamtalaricohq.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
BREAKING: Willie Nelson endorses James Talarico: “I've gotten to know James Talarico. He's a good man, who will be a good senator for the state of Texas. Please vote and vote for James Talarico.“
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Ken Martin @kenmartin.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Don’t believe a poll that has Democrats ahead any more than you believe a poll that has us behind. 26 days until Election Day. Run through the tape.
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Seth Masket @smotus.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Not that it matters, but LA and San Diego are geographically two of the most distant US cities from Iran, just behind Honolulu.
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@GottaLaff @gottalaff.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Trump is boasting about wishing Putin a happy birthday in a special call.
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Lens @discerningtrouble.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
I'd love to see tn do better, but I make my donations outside tn. The evangelical church governs tn, and the repubs govern the evangelical church.
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Dana Houle @danahoule.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
This is true. But there’s a “but.” 2016 Russia ran a wildly successful operation to boost Trump (& has likely exerted leverage over him ever since). Then the Comey letters came out. Were there tabulation shenanigans? No. But in some ways the election was, in fact, sabotaged.
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Roger Parloff @rparloff.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
In her last hours as DHS Secy, Noem's agency bought 5 planes from a donor at markups. In all, DHS gave $900M in contracts to that donor’s companies during her term. One plane had electronic bidets, 2 bedrooms, bar, wine chiller, a manta-ray skin table. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/04/u...
nytimes.com
Kristi Noem’s Agency Gave Her Donor a Lucrative Contract Just Before She Left (Gift Article)
The Homeland Security Department signed a multi-million dollar agreement to buy five aircraft from a company owned by a political contributor of the secretary on her last day, documents show.
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Democrats @democrats.org · 05/10/2026
If you live in the following states, TODAY is the last day to register to vote before the midterm elections: Arizona Arkansas Florida Georgia Indiana Kentucky Mississippi Ohio Tennessee Texas Go to IWillVote.com for more info.
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Jerri Green @jerrigreen4tn.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
TODAY, October 5th, is the LAST day to register to vote for the November 3 election. Register to vote at govotetn.gov. If you turn 18 on or before Election Day, you are eligible to register and vote in this election. Your vote is your voice. Early voting: October 14-29. Election Day: November 3.
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Jerri Green @jerrigreen4tn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Just one more month until Election Day on November 3. One more month to do everything each of us can to take back Tennessee for working families. Register to vote or check your registration by THIS Tuesday, October 5, at govotetn.gov. Volunteer at mobilize.us/jerrigreenforgovernor.
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Ben Wikler @benwikler.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Tom Tiffany tried to overturn the 2020 election and throw out your votes. Now, MAGA billionaires are spending millions to make him the governor ahead of the 2028 election. Tiffany tried to throw out your votes once. We can’t give him another chance.
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Team Talarico @teamtalaricohq.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
NEW AD: Are you a data center company looking to take over rural Texas? Are you a crime-loving millionaire looking to throw the FBI off your scent? Are you a child predator looking to get out of jail after just 1 day? Call 844-WHOS-KEN to hear what Ken Paxton can do for you!
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Congressional Equality Caucus @equality.house.gov · 02/10/2026
There has never been a world without LGBTQI+ people—and there never will be.
A world without lesbians; gays; bisexuals; trans people; queer people; intersex people has never existed and never will.
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Oriana González @oriana.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
SCOOP: White House officials, led by Susie Wiles, have told DOJ to delay any abortion-related action until after the midterms Wiles suggested to Todd Blanche that an aggressive approach on abortion would be negative for the GOP in November @washingtonsun.com www.washingtonsun.com/campaigns/ab...
washingtonsun.com
White House Officials Told the DOJ to Delay Action on Abortion Ahead of the Midterms
Attorney General Todd Blanche has moved slowly in abortion pill litigation and department officials have told advocates to wait until after the election.
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Congressional Equality Caucus @equality.house.gov · 01/10/2026
🎉GREAT NEWS🎉 988 has resumed specialized services for LGBTQI+ youth in crisis after Congress forced the Trump Admin to restore these lifesaving services. Trump cruelly cut these services—but CEC founder @baldwin.senate.gov and our members fought back, and got them restored!
Equality Caucus celebrates return of 988's specialized services for LGBTQI+ youth in crisis. Read more at the link in our bio.“For years, young LGBTQI+ people in crisis could turn to the 988 hotline for help from someone specially trained to meet their unique needs, but the Trump Administration made a cruel, conscious choice to cut those services last year. Now, thanks to the work of Congressional Equality Caucus Founder Senator Tammy Baldwin and our members, 988’s specialized services for LGBTQI+ youth in crisis have finally resumed. The bill mandating the restoration of these services became law in February—it should never have taken this long for the Administration to restore these lifesaving services. They dragged their feet however they could, even though they knew young LGBTQI+ people out there were in crisis. As we celebrate the restoration of these services, we will continue fighting to pass bipartisan legislation—led by CEC Vice Chair Krishnamoorthi, Co-Chair Davids, and Rep. Moulton in the House—to ensure this lifeline never goes dark again.” Rep. Mark Takano, hair of the Congressional Equality Caucus
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House Agriculture Committee Democrats @houseagdems.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
BREAKING: 25% OF AMERICANS HAVE SKIPPED MEALS OR REDUCED PORTION SIZES BECAUSE OF TRUMP'S INFLATION
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Daniel Gilmore @gilmored85.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Was talking about gender as performance in one of my classes yesterday and, man oh man, is it hard to find a more prominent example rn of a guy whose masculinity is built more obviously on inadequacy and insecurity than Hegseth.
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Matthew Gertz @mattgertz.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The common thread in Pete Hegseth's rant to the troops, JD Vance suggesting Talarico is a pedophile, Brendan Carr calling the Trump ads aired with tax dollars "normal force PSAs," and Eric Schmitt fabricating a Jack Smith conspiracy is the whole GOP is incentivized to be performatively evil.
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Matthew Gertz @mattgertz.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
"The entire exercise is, 'Here’s how to be a racist in a smart and polite-sounding way.'" www.unpopularfront.news/p/from-shitp...
unpopularfront.news
From Shitpost to Bullshit
The Function of Conservative Intellectuals
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 29/09/2026
Jack Smith: "Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in serious crimes against our nation ... rather than accept his defeat in the 2020 election, he engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results and prevent the lawful transfer of power"
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Ben Prunty @benprunty.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I don't love dunking on folks but it's so fucking funny to me that Trump was convicted of 34 felonies 2 years ago, faced no punishment, and went on to win the presidency a second time and journalists are still like, "hmm, I have an inkling that maybe he believes he's above the law for some reason."
Post from NYT reporter Eric Lipton 

"What an odd moment in United States history.

A U.S. president is running an overtly political campaign advertisement, right before midterm elections, paid for by the U.S. government.

Trump appears to believe he is immune from any kind of legal limit."
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I Don't Want to Wear Pants @xehtfodrol.northsky.social · 27/09/2026
Nothing is more inherently untrustworthy than every time people talk about regulations, we immediately go to the people who have a financial stake in what's about to be regulated and ask them how they want it to work.
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Daily Trix @dailytrix.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The thing you've got to understand about Bernie is, he's a fucking terrible judge of character.
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Lens @discerningtrouble.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
They sincerely believe it's ok to make deals with the devil "for Jesus"
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Scott Lemieux @lemieuxlgm.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The related trademarks of "the party left me" hacks are 1)dealing entirely in random and often apocryphal personal anecdotes and 2)discussing entirely imaginary versions of both parties axios.com/2026/06/03/r...
axios.com
Republican support for marriage equality, LGBTQ+ rights sinks: poll
Just some four years ago, more than half of Republicans backed same-sex marriage.
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Committee on Education & Workforce Democrats @democrats-edworkforce.house.gov · 27/09/2026
OpenAI's technology reportedly tried to hack the Education Department's website to access Civil Rights Office data. Musk's DOGE also tried to access students' data. Private data must stay private. These matters require real oversight and accountability.
nytimes.com
OpenAI’s A.I. Went Rogue and Meddled With U.S. Government Websites (Gift Article)
The company did not learn until recently that its technology had meddled with websites for the Education and Commerce Departments and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 26/09/2026
Meta's platforms have repeatedly been caught running ads for deepfake "nudify" apps that let you virtually undress real people without their consent, but they won't run an a trailer for an upcoming documentary that reflects poorly on Elon Musk. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/dig...
hollywoodreporter.com
The Major Social Media Platforms Are All Rejecting Paid Ads for Alex Gibney’s ‘Musk’ (Exclusive)
YouTube, TikTok and Meta have all turned down the trailer for the Oct. 9 doc, citing “political” content. X won't even take Bleecker Street's calls. The distributor is appealing.
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elias isquith @eliasisquith.blog · 25/09/2026
there are tons of downstream positive effects of just having more D sens if you support lib policy. the bigger the majority the less likely key committees come down to 1-vote margins - again, more room for "mavericks" to vote no w/out stopping anything - which means more lib final policy
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 25/09/2026
Two months after the CEO of defense contractor Navatek used a shell company to send $150,000 to the Susan Collins super PAC, the senator committed to getting Navatek $32 million in naval contracts, according to company emails.
propublica.org
The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way
After the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...
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🌬Breeze @cool-summer-breeze.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is the Stolen Neighbors Quilt. Each of the 11,000 squares represents a person taken by ICE in Minnesota.
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Senator Patty Murray @murray.senate.gov · 23/09/2026
ICE agents used excessive force to detain Luis Ochoa, an American citizen and teenager, on his way to enlist in the Marines. When his mom spoke out, they DEPORTED her. We cannot get numb to these sick fear tactics. Use your voice & your vote to force a CHANGE!
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Dana Houle @danahoule.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
My reaction to this was “huh, doesn’t sound like Duckworth.” So I watched it. She’s talking about tariffs & funding USAID & farm bankruptcies & it’s obvious that the “save face” bit was acknowledging these things will change only if Trump agrees & you get him to do that by letting him think he won/1
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Angry @angrystaffer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is an absolute disaster from a national security perspective. Obviously, a lot on F-35s is classified, but a weapons-bay door and a canopy with radar-absorbing material are some of the most sensitive. Hard to describe how bad this is.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Everything the pro-Trump billionaire Ellison family will now own: Paramount+ CBS CNN Showtime HBO Warner Bros TNT TBS MTV DC Studios Nickelodeon Comedy Central And more... With this comes the power to decide which stories get told, but more importantly, which stories DON'T get told. Shameful.
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Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
"Pick someone young or we'll let the fascists keep winning"
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