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Reposted by Peter Sagal

Admiral James Stavridis, USN, Ret. @admiralstav.bsky.social · 16h

A powerful personal testament from Tom Bowman of NPR about the Pentagon attempt to exert complete control over all information. Protecting classified is of course fine. But when neither Fox News nor NY Times sign up to your policy, you should ask yourself if you are getting something very wrong.

Opinion: Why I'm handing in my Pentagon press pass

Tom Bowman has held his Pentagon press pass for 28 years. He says the Pentagon's new media policy makes it impossible to be a journalist, which means finding out what's really going on behind the scen...

www.npr.org

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Reposted by Peter Sagal

NPR @npr.org · 21h

Videos taken by eye witnesses of federal agent encounters with immigrants in Chicago and elsewhere have shown increasingly tense incidents. Immigrant advocates and observers say they're indicative of a larger trend of aggression among federal immigration officers.

Tackles, projectiles and gunfire: Many fear ICE tactics are growing more violent

Videos taken by eye witnesses of federal agent encounters with immigrants in Chicago and elsewhere have shown increasingly tense incidents. Immigrant advocates and observers say they're indicative of a larger trend of aggression among federal immigration officers.

n.pr

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

Ah! Thank you!

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

Happy to take credit for @petebuttigieg.bsky.social’s deserved fame but in fact I learned about him from Frank Bruni, who profiled him in the NYT with the headline “America’s First Gay President?” We then met online via an argument about pork tenderloins.

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

Possibly! But was her moment propelled by videos specifically? She got a lot of good coverage in all media

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

(My supposition is based on personal experience — I first came across him in YouTube videos of his work in the TXLeg — and a clip of Joe Rogan saying the same thing to him… “I saw some of your videos…”)

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

There are a number of GOP candidates, elected and not, who became famous b/c of viral videos: eg, Ben Carson (who confronted Obama at a prayer breakfast), Lauren Boebert, etc.

Is Talerico the first Dem to follow this path?

Team Talarico @teamtalaricohq.bsky.social · 1d

Huge crowd for James Talarico in deep red San Angelo, TX!

This county hasn’t voted for a Democrat since LBJ, but they showed up for Talarico.

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Reposted by Peter Sagal

Lynn Becker @cmgiulini.bsky.social · 3d

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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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

Another asymmetry (spelled right this time): no cabinet secretaries prior to Trump’s saw PR as the central part of their job.

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

Jeff! The first thing you say to me in decades is a defense of Christopher Columbus? ;)

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

Sure, here are a few:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

List of NPR personnel - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

One exception (there may have been more, I’m not an obsessive watcher) was @chrislhayes.bsky.social, who often in ‘24 included a segment on Biden’s policy and economic successes. But of course that never penetrated the RW bubble where lots of people live.

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

Which I understand and even admire — comforting the afflicted, afflicting the comfortable, etc.

In retrospect, though, the US electorate would have benefitted from more coverage of the Biden Admins genuine successes.

Even MSNBC tended to focus far more on Trumpian threats than Biden wins.

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

This is true, and…

It also reflects the assymetry in media. RW media trumpet every GOP/Trump achievement as a glorious success, because that is their job.

Actual journalists see puffing up those in power as the opposite of their job.

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 1d

The hostage release is a reminder of how bad the Dems are at politics. Not only did Biden refuse to force this deal on Netanyahu & thereby help Harris win, but most people aren’t even aware that Biden got way more Israeli hostages (over 100) released with his 2023 ceasefire than Trump did with his.

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

And even though he was lucky, and stumbled on an entire continent no one knew about, he still persisted in his idiotic delusion he had made it to India… which was still 9000 miles away.

Worst. Navigator. Ever.

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

My semi-regular Columbus Day message:

Columbus wasn’t called crazy because he thought the world was round. That had been known for 1000 years.

He was called crazy because he thought it was so small he could reach India by going west. And they were right! He was a delusional fool!

But lucky.

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 2d

Also: if you read this, and you are unhappy that the Times didn’t clearly call someone a monster or evil or etc, then you need to read it again.

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Reposted by Peter Sagal

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 2d

Videos from Chicago over the past month captured protests, raids, arrests on city streets and residents’ confrontational responses to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The New York Times reviewed more than 100 videos. Together, they show how the crackdown has escalated week by week.

How Trump’s Chicago Immigration Crackdown Escalated, in 10 Videos

Week by week, the federal campaign to ramp up immigration enforcement in the Chicago area has created fear and inflamed tensions.

nyti.ms

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 2d

You do this not so much for them — though it is good in and of itself to reward someone’s trust — but so the next person you call for the next story will read it, see that this reporter can be trusted, and return the call.

Kudos to Eli Saslow, photog Desiree Rios, and their editors.

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 2d

And then the hardest part: you have to reward that trust you earned. You have to tell their story in a way that is true and valuable to the readers and also so that the subjects will feel is sympathetic to them, and accurately depicts their point of view.

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 2d

You have to sort through what they tell you: what’s true, what’s not… quite. What they truly believe and what they say to protect themselves. And of all that, you have to know what are the key things to understand and share, so that readers, with just a few 1000 words, can see and understand them.

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 2d

Then, after doing scrupulous research, you have to contact the people involved and earn their trust, even they may be highly disinclined to trust you and your employer. Once you convince them to talk to you, which may take a long time, you have to ask questions, and listen, and ask more.

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 2d

This is such suberb journalism, and it is so hard to do right.

First, you have to find out about the incident, and have the instinct and experience to know it will make a story worthy of putting in the paper. Something that reflects and represents larger issues.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/12/u...

She Despised Charlie Kirk. He Resolved to Make People Like Her Pay.

www.nytimes.com

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 3d

Truly chilling story by @jessbravin.bsky.social. As close to “the cruelty is the point” being literally true as we’ve come so far. (Gift link)

www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...

Biden Spared 37 Killers From Execution. Trump Ordered Up a Lifetime of Torment.

Even America’s harshest federal prison, where inmates spend 23 hours a day in solitary confinement, was too good, one official said. “I’ve got no problem with gruel.”

www.wsj.com

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 3d

Does this mean I’m an ally?

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