Dave Weigel
@daveweigel.bsky.social
National politics reporter at semafor.com. Alum: WashPost, Bloomberg, Slate, Reason. Author of “The Show That Never Ends.”
Reposted by Dave Weigel
This such a great piece. It tells you so much about how much the information environment we live in is the result of a conscious political project, not just something that technology — much less public sentiment — made happen.
New: how right-wing influencers are trying to change and set the narrative in Minneapolis, and data that shows how effective (or not) they are: www.vox.com/politics/475...
How right-wing influencers are bending reality in Minneapolis
The MAGA media system is going into overdrive.
www.vox.com
January 15, 2026 at 9:43 PM
This such a great piece. It tells you so much about how much the information environment we live in is the result of a conscious political project, not just something that technology — much less public sentiment — made happen.
Reposted by Dave Weigel
Every time you tweet in anger about some centrist memo "warning" Dems not to talk about "Abolish ICE," you're just persuading reporters that the memo is newsworthy and getting the memo's authors the media attention they originally set out to get, thus rewarding them for baiting you.
January 15, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Every time you tweet in anger about some centrist memo "warning" Dems not to talk about "Abolish ICE," you're just persuading reporters that the memo is newsworthy and getting the memo's authors the media attention they originally set out to get, thus rewarding them for baiting you.
This is where I'm at. It's mostly frustrating that so many people don't want/know how to verify what they read. I am always seeing non-MSM media, first-person accounts etc, that contain real info.
My big beef is with "NEWS: Video has RESURFACED" content that doesn't say where, when, who, etc.
My big beef is with "NEWS: Video has RESURFACED" content that doesn't say where, when, who, etc.
The era of the neutral press was pretty short-lived -- we're in something closer to the era of William Randolph Hearst, but both the ultra rich and those with social media followings can shape the news environment.
January 15, 2026 at 6:57 PM
This is where I'm at. It's mostly frustrating that so many people don't want/know how to verify what they read. I am always seeing non-MSM media, first-person accounts etc, that contain real info.
My big beef is with "NEWS: Video has RESURFACED" content that doesn't say where, when, who, etc.
My big beef is with "NEWS: Video has RESURFACED" content that doesn't say where, when, who, etc.
Reposted by Dave Weigel
At lunch yesterday, student at the picnic table next to mine were working on a problem set. They had ChatGPT opened and were copying answers from it. It made me think about how I need to change the way I teach because I’m not convinced this is the way to learn anything.
January 15, 2026 at 6:33 PM
At lunch yesterday, student at the picnic table next to mine were working on a problem set. They had ChatGPT opened and were copying answers from it. It made me think about how I need to change the way I teach because I’m not convinced this is the way to learn anything.
Reposted by Dave Weigel
cynicism is basically orthogonal to accurate knowledge, in part because it's such a tempting shortcut around actually learning anything
meta-discursive comment: the incentives of social media where making an incorrect naive prediction is seen as much more embarrassing than making an incorrect cynical one are very bad.
January 15, 2026 at 6:26 PM
cynicism is basically orthogonal to accurate knowledge, in part because it's such a tempting shortcut around actually learning anything
My position, not preference: The "the press" matters less every day. People are scrolling news on X, TikTok, etc, and seeing influencers who package the news (or fake stuff) with their slants. The WH boosts what it wants; there is a cash reward (creator payouts) for X influencers who get boosted.
The press is so useless JFC
Yeah, I think a lot about the choice the Trump admin has made to send film crews after everybody to show they're Doing Something.
Biden's DOJ (and Ellison's AG office) were rolling up fraudsters with convictions. But they didn't send influencers to advertise it. Cut to Rs saying Trump finally ACTED
Biden's DOJ (and Ellison's AG office) were rolling up fraudsters with convictions. But they didn't send influencers to advertise it. Cut to Rs saying Trump finally ACTED
January 15, 2026 at 6:15 PM
My position, not preference: The "the press" matters less every day. People are scrolling news on X, TikTok, etc, and seeing influencers who package the news (or fake stuff) with their slants. The WH boosts what it wants; there is a cash reward (creator payouts) for X influencers who get boosted.
Reposted by Dave Weigel
Of note: The judge in this case, Carl J. Nichols, was appointed to the federal bench by Donald Trump in 2019.
NEW: A federal judge has lifted Trump’s stop-work order for New York’s Empire Wind project, allowing construction to continue and dealing yet another legal blow to the president’s war on offshore wind
@jael.bsky.social reports:
heatmap.news/sparks/new-y...
@jael.bsky.social reports:
heatmap.news/sparks/new-y...
New York’s Empire Wind Project May Resume Construction, Judge Says
The decision marks the Trump administration’s second offshore wind defeat this week.
heatmap.news
January 15, 2026 at 5:43 PM
Of note: The judge in this case, Carl J. Nichols, was appointed to the federal bench by Donald Trump in 2019.
Reposted by Dave Weigel
Maybe the best thing on the internet still? Certainly the most essential counter we have to our current shitstream of social media-driven misinformation.
Wikipedia is 25 today.
January 15, 2026 at 5:34 PM
Maybe the best thing on the internet still? Certainly the most essential counter we have to our current shitstream of social media-driven misinformation.
Reposted by Dave Weigel
For better or worse, public law schools have to account for state politics when making decisions about who to hire as their next dean.
But hiring someone and *then* rescinding the offer is something else altogether, and ought to be a huge black eye for the University of Arkansas.
But hiring someone and *then* rescinding the offer is something else altogether, and ought to be a huge black eye for the University of Arkansas.
The University of Arkansas's law school just withdrew the appointment of its new dean six days after hiring her because conservative politicians complained that she filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of transgender students
Culture warriors cancel new U of A law dean before she started - Arkansas Times
Culture warriors claim the scalp of Emily Suski, the would-be law school dean whose legal opinion on transgender athletes seems to have offended Arkansas officials.
arktimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 5:07 PM
For better or worse, public law schools have to account for state politics when making decisions about who to hire as their next dean.
But hiring someone and *then* rescinding the offer is something else altogether, and ought to be a huge black eye for the University of Arkansas.
But hiring someone and *then* rescinding the offer is something else altogether, and ought to be a huge black eye for the University of Arkansas.
Reposted by Dave Weigel
Kevin is right -- holy hell! -- but among many other things, this obit demonstrates the possible price of resistance.
Holy hell, what an obituary
Renfrew Christie Dies at 76; Sabotaged Racist Regime’s Nuclear Program
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Kevin is right -- holy hell! -- but among many other things, this obit demonstrates the possible price of resistance.
Jamelle has the patience of a saint. I almost miss the "if Trump wins, then the progressive revolution is inevitable" posters of 2016. More fun than the doomers
set aside whether it is legal or not. what do you think an executive order is, and what do you think the relationship of the president is to a governor or state secretary of state is? do you think the president is their boss?
I think my question is, if he issues an executive order cancelling the election, even if it isn't legal, if a bucketful of states comply on some level, what impact would that have on the overall election. Can it theoretically just be sandbagged by a handful of intransigent states?
January 15, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Jamelle has the patience of a saint. I almost miss the "if Trump wins, then the progressive revolution is inevitable" posters of 2016. More fun than the doomers
Reposted by Dave Weigel
the question to ask about this is, okay, he wants to cancel the midterms. how does he get the VA state board of elections to cancel the midterms? how does he get the georgia board of elections to do it? how does he convince republican house members to quit their jobs and give up their paychecks?
Trump says a lot of deranged shit, but, per this Reuters article — and the threats of invoking the Insurrection Act in Minnesota this morning — he is very clearly exploring how to cancel the midterms.
www.reuters.com/world/us/fiv...
www.reuters.com/world/us/fiv...
January 15, 2026 at 4:29 PM
the question to ask about this is, okay, he wants to cancel the midterms. how does he get the VA state board of elections to cancel the midterms? how does he get the georgia board of elections to do it? how does he convince republican house members to quit their jobs and give up their paychecks?
Reposted by Dave Weigel
I can't move past the fact that the murder of Ms. Good happened almost completely because the doofus got caught up trying to shoot TikTok content.
Yeah, I think a lot about the choice the Trump admin has made to send film crews after everybody to show they're Doing Something.
Biden's DOJ (and Ellison's AG office) were rolling up fraudsters with convictions. But they didn't send influencers to advertise it. Cut to Rs saying Trump finally ACTED
Biden's DOJ (and Ellison's AG office) were rolling up fraudsters with convictions. But they didn't send influencers to advertise it. Cut to Rs saying Trump finally ACTED
The funny thing is they were. The 60 Minutes piece last fall with Homan ended with them on raids with ICE doing exactly what they are doing now but targeted. Biden just kept it quiet.
January 15, 2026 at 4:32 PM
I can't move past the fact that the murder of Ms. Good happened almost completely because the doofus got caught up trying to shoot TikTok content.
Yeah, I think a lot about the choice the Trump admin has made to send film crews after everybody to show they're Doing Something.
Biden's DOJ (and Ellison's AG office) were rolling up fraudsters with convictions. But they didn't send influencers to advertise it. Cut to Rs saying Trump finally ACTED
Biden's DOJ (and Ellison's AG office) were rolling up fraudsters with convictions. But they didn't send influencers to advertise it. Cut to Rs saying Trump finally ACTED
The funny thing is they were. The 60 Minutes piece last fall with Homan ended with them on raids with ICE doing exactly what they are doing now but targeted. Biden just kept it quiet.
January 15, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Yeah, I think a lot about the choice the Trump admin has made to send film crews after everybody to show they're Doing Something.
Biden's DOJ (and Ellison's AG office) were rolling up fraudsters with convictions. But they didn't send influencers to advertise it. Cut to Rs saying Trump finally ACTED
Biden's DOJ (and Ellison's AG office) were rolling up fraudsters with convictions. But they didn't send influencers to advertise it. Cut to Rs saying Trump finally ACTED
Every version of comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship included tons of border security.
At this point, if Dems could pass their 2013 bill, they'd think they died and went to heaven.
At this point, if Dems could pass their 2013 bill, they'd think they died and went to heaven.
The inevitable "out hawk Republicans" pivot on this will be Dems doubling-down on militarizing the border instead of occupying cities
I started some shit about this topic last week, but I truly think "abolish ICE" was not a Dem problem the way "defund the police" was. Their problem is post-Biden, they don't have immigration credibility, so they need to convince people they won't just refuse to enforce immigration laws. (1/2)
January 15, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Every version of comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship included tons of border security.
At this point, if Dems could pass their 2013 bill, they'd think they died and went to heaven.
At this point, if Dems could pass their 2013 bill, they'd think they died and went to heaven.
I started some shit about this topic last week, but I truly think "abolish ICE" was not a Dem problem the way "defund the police" was. Their problem is post-Biden, they don't have immigration credibility, so they need to convince people they won't just refuse to enforce immigration laws. (1/2)
Democrats won the White House and Senate that year and “abolish ICE” is literally polling ten points higher than it already
Because “Defund the Police” was such a smashing success.
January 15, 2026 at 4:07 PM
I started some shit about this topic last week, but I truly think "abolish ICE" was not a Dem problem the way "defund the police" was. Their problem is post-Biden, they don't have immigration credibility, so they need to convince people they won't just refuse to enforce immigration laws. (1/2)
Reposted by Dave Weigel
I was fed up with Krysten Sinema's Senate career by the end but her pivot to taking ibogaine and breaking up marriages has me thinking more highly of her www.law360.com/articles/243...
Sinema Sued Under Rare Law By Her Former Guard's Ex-Wife - Law360
Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, now a Hogan Lovells attorney in Washington, D.C., destroyed a 14-year marriage by sustaining an affair with a former member of her security detail and U.S. Senate staf...
www.law360.com
January 15, 2026 at 1:59 PM
I was fed up with Krysten Sinema's Senate career by the end but her pivot to taking ibogaine and breaking up marriages has me thinking more highly of her www.law360.com/articles/243...
Reposted by Dave Weigel
This would fix me
January 15, 2026 at 3:19 PM
This would fix me
Reposted by Dave Weigel
🔥 From @statuscoupnews.bsky.social : “This is nuts. What the fuck is going on? I’ve never protested in my life… they tell you it’s immigrants — it’s fucking anybody. They’re just trying to scare people. I’m not paid to be here. I have to work in the morning. This is wrong.”
January 15, 2026 at 1:59 PM
🔥 From @statuscoupnews.bsky.social : “This is nuts. What the fuck is going on? I’ve never protested in my life… they tell you it’s immigrants — it’s fucking anybody. They’re just trying to scare people. I’m not paid to be here. I have to work in the morning. This is wrong.”
Reposted by Dave Weigel
Fuck off with your posturing doomerism. Go live in the woods if you don’t think anything matters.
January 15, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Fuck off with your posturing doomerism. Go live in the woods if you don’t think anything matters.
Reposted by Dave Weigel
i think i’m fully in on “the white house is run by thirtysomething chuds who think grand strategy games are real life”
January 14, 2026 at 11:33 PM
i think i’m fully in on “the white house is run by thirtysomething chuds who think grand strategy games are real life”
A much-discussed topic on here is how many pundits only assign agency to Democrats. (Not Ned, other people.)
Clear R role in MN cop-tracking/mocking. Seems very clear to me that the mass pardon of J6ers made it hard for Rs to credibly finger-wag about Disrespecting Law Enforcement.
Clear R role in MN cop-tracking/mocking. Seems very clear to me that the mass pardon of J6ers made it hard for Rs to credibly finger-wag about Disrespecting Law Enforcement.
Folks, Trump has brought the full force of ICE to bear on a mid-sized city and he can't even stop the demonstrations there. He's not going to be able to cancel the midterm elections by fiat or station his goons outside more than a handful of polling places.
January 15, 2026 at 1:48 AM
A much-discussed topic on here is how many pundits only assign agency to Democrats. (Not Ned, other people.)
Clear R role in MN cop-tracking/mocking. Seems very clear to me that the mass pardon of J6ers made it hard for Rs to credibly finger-wag about Disrespecting Law Enforcement.
Clear R role in MN cop-tracking/mocking. Seems very clear to me that the mass pardon of J6ers made it hard for Rs to credibly finger-wag about Disrespecting Law Enforcement.
Rs just re-gerrymandered Davis's seat to make it harder for him to hold, but I'm also very cynical; Rs will say any Dem who voted against OBAA (that's all of them) Voted Against Securing the Border (b-roll of guys climbing border fence), Noem impeachment or no.
In this case the Dems quoted are quite clear they just don't really see what ICE is doing as that much of an issue. Their concern isn't an impeachment attempt backfiring politically, they oppose it on the merits because they like what's currently happening.
January 15, 2026 at 1:46 AM
Rs just re-gerrymandered Davis's seat to make it harder for him to hold, but I'm also very cynical; Rs will say any Dem who voted against OBAA (that's all of them) Voted Against Securing the Border (b-roll of guys climbing border fence), Noem impeachment or no.
Centrists love to worry, but no evidence that the exact same kind of campaign - an impeachment of Biden's DHS secretary that died in the Senate - hurt House Rs at all.
NEW: Kristi Noem is facing by far the most credible impeachment effort of Trump's 2nd term. Some House Dems are fuming.
"Noem is just soup du jour," one told @axios.com. "It's all performative bullsh*t."
Centrists say they want to focus on affordability. www.axios.com/2026/01/14/k...
"Noem is just soup du jour," one told @axios.com. "It's all performative bullsh*t."
Centrists say they want to focus on affordability. www.axios.com/2026/01/14/k...
"Performative bullsh*t": Some Democrats fume as Kristi Noem impeachment gains steam
"There's a frustration with all these impeachments," said one House Democrat. "Noem is just soup du jour."
www.axios.com
January 15, 2026 at 1:23 AM
Centrists love to worry, but no evidence that the exact same kind of campaign - an impeachment of Biden's DHS secretary that died in the Senate - hurt House Rs at all.
Reposted by Dave Weigel
My latest newsletter: a tribute to Bob Weir, the guitarist who helped the Grateful Dead shift with the times, the thread that ties together Neal Cassady and John Mayer.
Bob Weir (1947-2026): Playing in the Band
A tribute to Bob Weir, the guitarist who helped the Grateful Dead shift with the times, the thread that ties together Neal Cassady and John Mayer.
sterlewine.substack.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:56 PM
My latest newsletter: a tribute to Bob Weir, the guitarist who helped the Grateful Dead shift with the times, the thread that ties together Neal Cassady and John Mayer.