Aaron Besecker
@aaronbesecker.bsky.social
Reporter, The Buffalo News - public safety and breaking news.
• abesecker[at]buffnews[dot]com
• Signal: @AaronBesecker.01
https://buffalonews.com/users/profile/aaron%20besecker/
• abesecker[at]buffnews[dot]com
• Signal: @AaronBesecker.01
https://buffalonews.com/users/profile/aaron%20besecker/
Pinned
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
Yesterday:
Deputy AG Todd Blanche denies that Trump played any role in the FBI's seizure of Georgia voting records or had been briefed on the case.
Today:
The NY Times reports that Trump talked by phone to the FBI agents who conducted the raid, asking them questions and getting answers. (Gift link)
Deputy AG Todd Blanche denies that Trump played any role in the FBI's seizure of Georgia voting records or had been briefed on the case.
Today:
The NY Times reports that Trump talked by phone to the FBI agents who conducted the raid, asking them questions and getting answers. (Gift link)
Trump Had Unusual Call With F.B.I. Agents After Election Center Search
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Yesterday:
Deputy AG Todd Blanche denies that Trump played any role in the FBI's seizure of Georgia voting records or had been briefed on the case.
Today:
The NY Times reports that Trump talked by phone to the FBI agents who conducted the raid, asking them questions and getting answers. (Gift link)
Deputy AG Todd Blanche denies that Trump played any role in the FBI's seizure of Georgia voting records or had been briefed on the case.
Today:
The NY Times reports that Trump talked by phone to the FBI agents who conducted the raid, asking them questions and getting answers. (Gift link)
One bullet was fired at a group of young people who were running away. It killed 13-year-old Miracle Hunt. buffalonews.com/news/local/c...
Man, 23, sentenced to 25 to life for fatal shooting of 13-year-old girl
Avante Ayala, convicted of the 2023 killing of Miracle Hunt, 13, was sentenced Monday to 25 years to life in prison.
buffalonews.com
February 2, 2026 at 6:19 PM
One bullet was fired at a group of young people who were running away. It killed 13-year-old Miracle Hunt. buffalonews.com/news/local/c...
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
University of Illinois college republicans advocate for executing protesters as “traitors” with art that takes a disturbing killing and makes it even more extreme.
dailyillini.com/news-stories...
dailyillini.com/news-stories...
‘Fell the enemies:’ Illini Republicans support ICE amid killings - The Daily Illini
In a post that included a graphic of a presumed officer holding a gun to someone's head, Illini Republicans stated that they “stand with ICE."
dailyillini.com
February 2, 2026 at 4:40 AM
University of Illinois college republicans advocate for executing protesters as “traitors” with art that takes a disturbing killing and makes it even more extreme.
dailyillini.com/news-stories...
dailyillini.com/news-stories...
Classified Whistleblower Complaint About Tulsi Gabbard Stalls Within Her Agency www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Exclusive | Classified Whistleblower Complaint About Tulsi Gabbard Stalls Within Her Agency
Congress hasn’t seen the complaint, which was filed eight months ago with the U.S. intelligence community watchdog’s office.
www.wsj.com
February 2, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Classified Whistleblower Complaint About Tulsi Gabbard Stalls Within Her Agency www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Charles L. Jones stabbed his mother to death 6½ years ago as "revenge" for years of severe abuse, according to court documents filed in his appeal, a case that is scheduled to be argued before an appellate panel later this month. buffalonews.com/news/local/c...
Mom's killing was 'revenge' for double-murderer son, who says abuse began at age 4
Charles L. Jones, who twice admitted killing his mother and his ex-girlfriend in 2019, has accused his mother of abuse as he asks a state appellate court to review his case.
buffalonews.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:29 PM
Charles L. Jones stabbed his mother to death 6½ years ago as "revenge" for years of severe abuse, according to court documents filed in his appeal, a case that is scheduled to be argued before an appellate panel later this month. buffalonews.com/news/local/c...
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
Billie Eilish used her acceptance speech to say: “No one is illegal on stolen land.” And CBS censored her when she said “Fuck ICE.”
February 2, 2026 at 3:13 AM
Billie Eilish used her acceptance speech to say: “No one is illegal on stolen land.” And CBS censored her when she said “Fuck ICE.”
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
NEW: The Justice Department published dozens of unredacted images of nude women (and possibly teens) as part of its Epstein release.
The faces of those people were also left unredacted.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/u...
The faces of those people were also left unredacted.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/u...
The Government Published Dozens of Nude Photos in the Epstein Files
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:33 AM
NEW: The Justice Department published dozens of unredacted images of nude women (and possibly teens) as part of its Epstein release.
The faces of those people were also left unredacted.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/u...
The faces of those people were also left unredacted.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/u...
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.
Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting
The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...
www.propublica.org
February 1, 2026 at 9:10 PM
BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
1) A Friday afternoon fire tore through a Southtowns dairy farm, destroying the barn structure and milking equipment within and leaving most of the herd dead or severely injured. It's too much for the Perrin family to recover from.
buffalonews.com/news/local/a...
#wny #buffalo #buffalony
buffalonews.com/news/local/a...
#wny #buffalo #buffalony
'Devastating' barn fire is likely end of South Wales organic dairy farm
The Perrin family of South Wales is unlikely to rebuild following a "devastating" fire that destroyed its milking barn and equipment and left more than half its dairy cows dead.
buffalonews.com
February 1, 2026 at 3:38 PM
1) A Friday afternoon fire tore through a Southtowns dairy farm, destroying the barn structure and milking equipment within and leaving most of the herd dead or severely injured. It's too much for the Perrin family to recover from.
buffalonews.com/news/local/a...
#wny #buffalo #buffalony
buffalonews.com/news/local/a...
#wny #buffalo #buffalony
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
The co-author of "How Democracies Die" says the guys who own the media platforms — Musk, Zuckerberg, Ellison, Bezos, Cook — led the way. "Their capitulation empowered the Trump administration to do much more than it might have otherwise, to reach further and eventually overreach.” Via @status.news
January 31, 2026 at 5:39 PM
The co-author of "How Democracies Die" says the guys who own the media platforms — Musk, Zuckerberg, Ellison, Bezos, Cook — led the way. "Their capitulation empowered the Trump administration to do much more than it might have otherwise, to reach further and eventually overreach.” Via @status.news
Wrong turns onto Peace Bridge ramp have two state lawmakers demanding changes buffalonews.com/news/local/a...
Wrong turns onto Peace Bridge ramp have two state lawmakers demanding changes
Two state lawmakers are calling for the Peace Bridge authority and the state Department of Transportation to fix design flaws at the entrance to the Peace Bridge that have reportedly resulted in as ma...
buffalonews.com
January 31, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Wrong turns onto Peace Bridge ramp have two state lawmakers demanding changes buffalonews.com/news/local/a...
'We are ... taking back our power': First day of testimony from church abuse survivors is raw, emotional, graphic buffalonews.com/news/local/a...
'We are ... taking back our power': First day of testimony from church abuse survivors is raw, emotional, graphic
Twenty people who survived sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in the Buffalo Diocese testified in federal court on Tuesday.
buffalonews.com
January 31, 2026 at 5:09 PM
'We are ... taking back our power': First day of testimony from church abuse survivors is raw, emotional, graphic buffalonews.com/news/local/a...
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
law enforcement driven by the algorithm, with an eye only toward what is good #content ... we might call it slop enforcement
The Justice Department’s prosecution of the reporters Don Lemon and Georgia Fort is “best understood not as law enforcement but as propaganda,” Quinta Jurecic argues: theatln.tc/fcStyVnv
January 31, 2026 at 4:18 PM
law enforcement driven by the algorithm, with an eye only toward what is good #content ... we might call it slop enforcement
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
The most dangerous attack on press freedom of the modern era has almost completely fallen off the homepages of our major news organizations. And what little coverage there is barely mentions the First Amendment. This is very wrong.
NEW from me: Journalists must forcefully decry the arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort: presswatchers.org/2026/01/jour...
Journalists must forcefully decry the arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort | Press Watch
Press freedom is at stake, and new organizations need to say so
presswatchers.org
January 31, 2026 at 2:08 PM
The most dangerous attack on press freedom of the modern era has almost completely fallen off the homepages of our major news organizations. And what little coverage there is barely mentions the First Amendment. This is very wrong.
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
The Buffalo Bills have agreed to terms with Jim Leonhard as their defensive coordinator, per source. @RapSheet first to report.
The former Bills safety joins Joe Brady's staff
The former Bills safety joins Joe Brady's staff
January 31, 2026 at 3:37 PM
The Buffalo Bills have agreed to terms with Jim Leonhard as their defensive coordinator, per source. @RapSheet first to report.
The former Bills safety joins Joe Brady's staff
The former Bills safety joins Joe Brady's staff
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
ATTN: Today's arrests of Georgia Fort and Don Lemon are an escalation by this administration to criminalize press freedom under the guise of law enforcement.
The First Amendment is not optional, and journalism is NOT a crime. We demand their immediate release!
newsguild.org/journalist-o...
The First Amendment is not optional, and journalism is NOT a crime. We demand their immediate release!
newsguild.org/journalist-o...
Journalist Orgs outraged at arrests of Don Lemon, Georgia Fort: ‘The First Amendment is not Optional.’ | The NewsGuild - TNG-CWA
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is outraged and deeply alarmed by the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort by federal agents.
newsguild.org
January 30, 2026 at 7:04 PM
ATTN: Today's arrests of Georgia Fort and Don Lemon are an escalation by this administration to criminalize press freedom under the guise of law enforcement.
The First Amendment is not optional, and journalism is NOT a crime. We demand their immediate release!
newsguild.org/journalist-o...
The First Amendment is not optional, and journalism is NOT a crime. We demand their immediate release!
newsguild.org/journalist-o...
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
Tom Morello welcomes Bruce Springsteen to the stage at the Defend Minnesota! benefit concert fundraising for the families of Alex Pretti and Renee Good at First Avenue in Minneapolis 🎸
🎥: @chrisrstrib.bsky.social
🎥: @chrisrstrib.bsky.social
January 30, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Tom Morello welcomes Bruce Springsteen to the stage at the Defend Minnesota! benefit concert fundraising for the families of Alex Pretti and Renee Good at First Avenue in Minneapolis 🎸
🎥: @chrisrstrib.bsky.social
🎥: @chrisrstrib.bsky.social
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
For months, DOJ has been sandbagging the Epstein release claiming they were redacting sensitive information and using it as an excuse to delay other document productions, but they just released the files with apparently "thousands" of instances of victim's names and identifying details unredacted.
January 30, 2026 at 9:04 PM
For months, DOJ has been sandbagging the Epstein release claiming they were redacting sensitive information and using it as an excuse to delay other document productions, but they just released the files with apparently "thousands" of instances of victim's names and identifying details unredacted.
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
Minneapolis local independent journalist Georgia Fort was also reportedly arrested by the Feds:
![Jason DeRusha
@DeRushaJ
X.com
Independent Twin Cities journalist
Georgia Fort says federal agents came to her door at 6:30am and arrested her for filming the protest at that St. Paul church. Via her Facebook:
[video]
Georgia Fort was live.
Following](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:gvda6fem6r7selm4gzjjww4a/bafkreifhkvzcdyss2f2jo5fagxa6zfsr3fywexvxfbvvj3wqymgbtmks7u@jpeg)
January 30, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Minneapolis local independent journalist Georgia Fort was also reportedly arrested by the Feds:
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
JUST IN: The former CNN anchor has said he was not demonstrating, but reporting as a journalist, during the interruption of a service inside a St. Paul church earlier this month.
Federal agents arrest Don Lemon over Minnesota church protest
The former CNN anchor has said he was not demonstrating, but reporting as a journalist, during the interruption of a service inside a St. Paul church earlier this month.
bit.ly
January 30, 2026 at 1:43 PM
JUST IN: The former CNN anchor has said he was not demonstrating, but reporting as a journalist, during the interruption of a service inside a St. Paul church earlier this month.
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
Patrick Kane has passed Mike Modano for the most NHL points by an American-born player (1,375) 🇺🇸
January 30, 2026 at 2:13 AM
Patrick Kane has passed Mike Modano for the most NHL points by an American-born player (1,375) 🇺🇸
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
In other news today: Trump sues IRS, Treasury Department for $10 billion over tax return leak - www.reuters.com/markets/us/t...
Trump sues IRS, Treasury Department for $10 billion over tax return leak
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday sued the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department for $10 billion over the disclosure of his tax returns to the media in 2019 and 2020.
www.reuters.com
January 30, 2026 at 12:43 AM
In other news today: Trump sues IRS, Treasury Department for $10 billion over tax return leak - www.reuters.com/markets/us/t...
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
Reposted by Aaron Besecker
NEW: Federal charges now filed against Rep. Ilhan Omar's assailant. FBI alleges he told an associate years ago that "Somebody should kill that bitch." storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
January 29, 2026 at 5:07 PM
NEW: Federal charges now filed against Rep. Ilhan Omar's assailant. FBI alleges he told an associate years ago that "Somebody should kill that bitch." storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Serial killer Richard Fox admits killing fourth woman buffalonews.com/news/local/c...
Serial killer Richard Fox admits killing fourth woman
Richard J. Fox II pleaded guilty in Niagara County Court to murdering Crystal Curthoys, whose remains were found hidden in a Niagara Falls home last year.
buffalonews.com
January 29, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Serial killer Richard Fox admits killing fourth woman buffalonews.com/news/local/c...