Alexander Howard
@digiphile.bsky.social
Dad, writer, cyclist, citizen, cereal dilettante. Advocate for freedom of information, open governance, & democracy. Lover of the Oxford Comma, hater of hubris. Recovering journalist. Trying to move carefully, & fix things. https://civic-texts.ghost.io
Pinned
Alexander Howard
@digiphile.bsky.social
· Jun 23
Good morning from DC 🥵
If we need to connect:
🤳 Signal: digiphile.97
💡📲 civic-texts.ghost.io
📧 [email protected]
🐦 X.com/digiphile
🧵 threads.net/@digiphile
🐘 mastodon.social/@digiphile
📇 linkedin.com/in/alexanderbhoward
👍 facebook.com/alexhoward
📸 instagr.am/digiphile
🖥️ youtube.com/digiphile
If we need to connect:
🤳 Signal: digiphile.97
💡📲 civic-texts.ghost.io
📧 [email protected]
🐦 X.com/digiphile
🧵 threads.net/@digiphile
🐘 mastodon.social/@digiphile
📇 linkedin.com/in/alexanderbhoward
👍 facebook.com/alexhoward
📸 instagr.am/digiphile
🖥️ youtube.com/digiphile
No legislative text.
No timeline for congressional action.
No new ideas to expand health coverage.
No ways to simplify the system.
No replacement for the ACA.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump’s “plan” is built on Potemkin promises, again.
It’s a travesty that headlines don’t reflect it.
No timeline for congressional action.
No new ideas to expand health coverage.
No ways to simplify the system.
No replacement for the ACA.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump’s “plan” is built on Potemkin promises, again.
It’s a travesty that headlines don’t reflect it.
January 16, 2026 at 9:40 PM
No legislative text.
No timeline for congressional action.
No new ideas to expand health coverage.
No ways to simplify the system.
No replacement for the ACA.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump’s “plan” is built on Potemkin promises, again.
It’s a travesty that headlines don’t reflect it.
No timeline for congressional action.
No new ideas to expand health coverage.
No ways to simplify the system.
No replacement for the ACA.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump’s “plan” is built on Potemkin promises, again.
It’s a travesty that headlines don’t reflect it.
This interview with the 8th Comptroller General is worth your time.
There’s also platform news in this post: GAO confirmed to me that they’ve officially joined @bsky.app & are in the process of verifying this @usgao.bsky.social account as gao.gov. They say they’ll be posting here like they do on X.
There’s also platform news in this post: GAO confirmed to me that they’ve officially joined @bsky.app & are in the process of verifying this @usgao.bsky.social account as gao.gov. They say they’ll be posting here like they do on X.
Gene Dodaro just retired as Comptroller General after 52 years of public service, including 17 leading @usgao.bsky.social. In his final interview in that role, he joined @nehls.bsky.social and me to talk about GAO’s role as Congress’s watchdog, how Congress has changed, and the future of oversight.
Interview: Comptroller General Gene Dodaro
We talked with the outgoing head of the Government Accountability Office after his 17 years leading the agency and 52 years of legislative branch service.
firstbranchforecast.substack.com
January 16, 2026 at 5:51 PM
This interview with the 8th Comptroller General is worth your time.
There’s also platform news in this post: GAO confirmed to me that they’ve officially joined @bsky.app & are in the process of verifying this @usgao.bsky.social account as gao.gov. They say they’ll be posting here like they do on X.
There’s also platform news in this post: GAO confirmed to me that they’ve officially joined @bsky.app & are in the process of verifying this @usgao.bsky.social account as gao.gov. They say they’ll be posting here like they do on X.
New beta feature from @bsky.app:
“Show when you're live.”
“Set your live status on Bluesky to add a badge to your avatar. Tapping it takes people straight to your stream.”
I like the dialog that informs a creator upon log-in.
Anyone who livestreams used this yet, or plan to do so?
“Show when you're live.”
“Set your live status on Bluesky to add a badge to your avatar. Tapping it takes people straight to your stream.”
I like the dialog that informs a creator upon log-in.
Anyone who livestreams used this yet, or plan to do so?
January 16, 2026 at 5:12 PM
New beta feature from @bsky.app:
“Show when you're live.”
“Set your live status on Bluesky to add a badge to your avatar. Tapping it takes people straight to your stream.”
I like the dialog that informs a creator upon log-in.
Anyone who livestreams used this yet, or plan to do so?
“Show when you're live.”
“Set your live status on Bluesky to add a badge to your avatar. Tapping it takes people straight to your stream.”
I like the dialog that informs a creator upon log-in.
Anyone who livestreams used this yet, or plan to do so?
Reposted by Alexander Howard
Just hours after Renee Good was shot, one member of Customs and Border Patrol’s elite tactical team on an adjacent street fired a less-lethal weapon five times in less than five minutes, with four shots aimed at the faces of protestors. www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...
Analysing One Federal Agent’s Use of Less-Lethal Launcher in Minneapolis
After the fatal shooting of Renee Good, Border Patrol agent "EZ-17" was filmed shooting less-lethal munitions at protesters five times in five minutes.
www.bellingcat.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:52 PM
Just hours after Renee Good was shot, one member of Customs and Border Patrol’s elite tactical team on an adjacent street fired a less-lethal weapon five times in less than five minutes, with four shots aimed at the faces of protestors. www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...
Reposted by Alexander Howard
The federal government loses hundreds of billions of dollars to fraud every year—wasting taxpayer dollars and eroding trust in government.
Today’s WatchBlog post looks at ways federal agencies can better combat fraud: https://ow.ly/khET50XWGXN
Today’s WatchBlog post looks at ways federal agencies can better combat fraud: https://ow.ly/khET50XWGXN
January 15, 2026 at 2:02 PM
The federal government loses hundreds of billions of dollars to fraud every year—wasting taxpayer dollars and eroding trust in government.
Today’s WatchBlog post looks at ways federal agencies can better combat fraud: https://ow.ly/khET50XWGXN
Today’s WatchBlog post looks at ways federal agencies can better combat fraud: https://ow.ly/khET50XWGXN
Reposted by Alexander Howard
Gene Dodaro just retired as Comptroller General after 52 years of public service, including 17 leading @usgao.bsky.social. In his final interview in that role, he joined @nehls.bsky.social and me to talk about GAO’s role as Congress’s watchdog, how Congress has changed, and the future of oversight.
Interview: Comptroller General Gene Dodaro
We talked with the outgoing head of the Government Accountability Office after his 17 years leading the agency and 52 years of legislative branch service.
firstbranchforecast.substack.com
January 16, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Gene Dodaro just retired as Comptroller General after 52 years of public service, including 17 leading @usgao.bsky.social. In his final interview in that role, he joined @nehls.bsky.social and me to talk about GAO’s role as Congress’s watchdog, how Congress has changed, and the future of oversight.
Reposted by Alexander Howard
Happy 25th birthday to @wikipedia.org, the global encyclopedia built on free speech.
Wikipedia’s 25th birthday proves the power of free speech
If the global encyclopedia is going to thrive for the next 25 years, we must maintain and expand First Amendment protections
freedom.press
January 15, 2026 at 2:40 PM
Happy 25th birthday to @wikipedia.org, the global encyclopedia built on free speech.
Reposted by Alexander Howard
"The [Iranian] authorities deployed military-grade electronic weaponry designed to disrupt the GPS signals that Starlink equipment needs to function, a step that activists and civil society groups said was rarely taken outside battlefields like those in Ukraine."
Inside the Fight to Keep Iran Online
www.nytimes.com
January 16, 2026 at 1:15 AM
"The [Iranian] authorities deployed military-grade electronic weaponry designed to disrupt the GPS signals that Starlink equipment needs to function, a step that activists and civil society groups said was rarely taken outside battlefields like those in Ukraine."
Reposted by Alexander Howard
People really reacting to this without all the details. I am sure there are good and legitimate reasons why President Trump is taking the oil revenue ransom he extorted from Venezuela and is putting into a Middle Eastern bank account that Congress cannot control.
The main bank account holding revenue from the Venezuelan oil sales is located in Qatar.
“There is no basis in law for a president to set up an offshore account that he controls so that he can sell assets seized by the American military,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
www.semafor.com/article/01/1...
“There is no basis in law for a president to set up an offshore account that he controls so that he can sell assets seized by the American military,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
www.semafor.com/article/01/1...
Exclusive: US gets first $500 million Venezuelan oil deal, holding some proceeds in Qatar
The details shared with Semafor mark an initial milestone in the administration’s plan following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro.
www.semafor.com
January 15, 2026 at 2:13 PM
People really reacting to this without all the details. I am sure there are good and legitimate reasons why President Trump is taking the oil revenue ransom he extorted from Venezuela and is putting into a Middle Eastern bank account that Congress cannot control.
Reposted by Alexander Howard
Today, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of @wikipedia.org, which for a quarter of a century has been collaboratively built by unpaid strangers on the internet.
Wikipedia’s 25th birthday proves the power of free speech
If the global encyclopedia is going to thrive for the next 25 years, we must maintain and expand First Amendment protections
freedom.press
January 15, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Today, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of @wikipedia.org, which for a quarter of a century has been collaboratively built by unpaid strangers on the internet.
Reposted by Alexander Howard
"The raid of Hannah Natanson is a shocking escalation, not a rupture. The United States has been backsliding to this point – at both the federal and local levels – for quite some time," write FPF's Seth Stern and @chipgibbons.bsky.social of @rightsdissent.bsky.social in The Guardian.
The FBI’s raid of journalist’s home was the product of decades of backsliding | Seth Stern and Chip Gibbons
The trend of invading newsrooms, in violation of federal law, has now spread to the highest levels of the federal government
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:18 PM
"The raid of Hannah Natanson is a shocking escalation, not a rupture. The United States has been backsliding to this point – at both the federal and local levels – for quite some time," write FPF's Seth Stern and @chipgibbons.bsky.social of @rightsdissent.bsky.social in The Guardian.
Reposted by Alexander Howard
The FBI's raid on a WaPo reporter’s home was based on a lie.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s decision to rescind rules protecting journalists are being used as a cudgel to attack the First Amendment.
Read more from FPF's @laurenleharper.bsky.social in @theintercept.com:
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s decision to rescind rules protecting journalists are being used as a cudgel to attack the First Amendment.
Read more from FPF's @laurenleharper.bsky.social in @theintercept.com:
FBI Raid on WaPo Reporter’s Home Was Based on Sham Pretext
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s decision to rescind rules protecting journalists are being used as a cudgel to attack the First Amendment.
theintercept.com
January 15, 2026 at 6:19 PM
The FBI's raid on a WaPo reporter’s home was based on a lie.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s decision to rescind rules protecting journalists are being used as a cudgel to attack the First Amendment.
Read more from FPF's @laurenleharper.bsky.social in @theintercept.com:
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s decision to rescind rules protecting journalists are being used as a cudgel to attack the First Amendment.
Read more from FPF's @laurenleharper.bsky.social in @theintercept.com:
It’s gotten very late.
Our leaders & institutions failed to warn & protect us.
But there has never been a nation as sprawling, pluralistic, & dynamic as the USA.
Fascists abroad woke a sleeping giant last century.
Americans are finally waking up to the reality of far-right authoritarianism at home.
Our leaders & institutions failed to warn & protect us.
But there has never been a nation as sprawling, pluralistic, & dynamic as the USA.
Fascists abroad woke a sleeping giant last century.
Americans are finally waking up to the reality of far-right authoritarianism at home.
The one thing authoritarian leaders usually have going for them is the general apathy of the majority when they make a move solely against a marginal group in society.
But when they occupy an entire city with clumsy, brutal force, that just forces everyone out of that apathy.
But when they occupy an entire city with clumsy, brutal force, that just forces everyone out of that apathy.
This dude is intense and correct
January 15, 2026 at 7:30 PM
It’s gotten very late.
Our leaders & institutions failed to warn & protect us.
But there has never been a nation as sprawling, pluralistic, & dynamic as the USA.
Fascists abroad woke a sleeping giant last century.
Americans are finally waking up to the reality of far-right authoritarianism at home.
Our leaders & institutions failed to warn & protect us.
But there has never been a nation as sprawling, pluralistic, & dynamic as the USA.
Fascists abroad woke a sleeping giant last century.
Americans are finally waking up to the reality of far-right authoritarianism at home.
👀 “The affordances of AI systems have the effect of eroding expertise, short-circuiting decision-making, & isolating people from each other. These systems are anathema to the kind of evolution, transparency, cooperation, & accountability that give vital institutions their purpose & sustainability.“
How AI Destroys Institutions
Civic institutions—the rule of law, universities, and a free press—are the backbone of democratic life. They are the mechanisms through which complex societies
papers.ssrn.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:53 PM
👀 “The affordances of AI systems have the effect of eroding expertise, short-circuiting decision-making, & isolating people from each other. These systems are anathema to the kind of evolution, transparency, cooperation, & accountability that give vital institutions their purpose & sustainability.“
It is disappointing but unsurprising the @washingtonpost.com editorial board left out key context: President Biden & Congress failed to pass a federal shield law that would have prevented the abuse of power the FBI just engaged in by raiding the home of one of its journalists & seizing her devices.
Opinion | The Post and the First Amendment
An FBI raid won’t stop reporters from continuing their important work.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 15, 2026 at 2:56 PM
It is disappointing but unsurprising the @washingtonpost.com editorial board left out key context: President Biden & Congress failed to pass a federal shield law that would have prevented the abuse of power the FBI just engaged in by raiding the home of one of its journalists & seizing her devices.
The Justice Department and federal FOIA ombudsman (OGIS at NARA) cohosted a virtual public meeting of the Chief FOIA Officers (CFO) Council in December 2025:
www.justice.gov/oip/blog/vir...
Video of the presentations & questions, including from yours truly, is here:
www.youtube.com/live/VyzQWo6...
www.justice.gov/oip/blog/vir...
Video of the presentations & questions, including from yours truly, is here:
www.youtube.com/live/VyzQWo6...
January 14, 2026 at 3:22 PM
The Justice Department and federal FOIA ombudsman (OGIS at NARA) cohosted a virtual public meeting of the Chief FOIA Officers (CFO) Council in December 2025:
www.justice.gov/oip/blog/vir...
Video of the presentations & questions, including from yours truly, is here:
www.youtube.com/live/VyzQWo6...
www.justice.gov/oip/blog/vir...
Video of the presentations & questions, including from yours truly, is here:
www.youtube.com/live/VyzQWo6...
Press freedom should not be political, but it is when a president directs hatred to journalists & sues them.
Access to information should not be political, but it is when governments censor.
Equal justice under the law should not be political, but it is wherever unconstitutional policing endures.
Access to information should not be political, but it is when governments censor.
Equal justice under the law should not be political, but it is wherever unconstitutional policing endures.
January 14, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Press freedom should not be political, but it is when a president directs hatred to journalists & sues them.
Access to information should not be political, but it is when governments censor.
Equal justice under the law should not be political, but it is wherever unconstitutional policing endures.
Access to information should not be political, but it is when governments censor.
Equal justice under the law should not be political, but it is wherever unconstitutional policing endures.
In 2017, Republicans complained this was partisan: sunlightfoundation.com/tracking-tru...
It’s quaint now.
Accurately describing a party sliding into far-right authoritarianism — fascism — felt partisan to partisans, but it’s what honest, genuinely nonpartisan good government advocates did. And do.
It’s quaint now.
Accurately describing a party sliding into far-right authoritarianism — fascism — felt partisan to partisans, but it’s what honest, genuinely nonpartisan good government advocates did. And do.
January 14, 2026 at 3:16 PM
In 2017, Republicans complained this was partisan: sunlightfoundation.com/tracking-tru...
It’s quaint now.
Accurately describing a party sliding into far-right authoritarianism — fascism — felt partisan to partisans, but it’s what honest, genuinely nonpartisan good government advocates did. And do.
It’s quaint now.
Accurately describing a party sliding into far-right authoritarianism — fascism — felt partisan to partisans, but it’s what honest, genuinely nonpartisan good government advocates did. And do.
After Washingtonians voted to adopt ranked choice voting, the DC Board of Elections is rolling it out for this year’s primaries and general election.
Learn more & fill out sample ballot on BOE’s
interactive website: dcboe.org/rcv
Learn more & fill out sample ballot on BOE’s
interactive website: dcboe.org/rcv
January 14, 2026 at 3:14 PM
After Washingtonians voted to adopt ranked choice voting, the DC Board of Elections is rolling it out for this year’s primaries and general election.
Learn more & fill out sample ballot on BOE’s
interactive website: dcboe.org/rcv
Learn more & fill out sample ballot on BOE’s
interactive website: dcboe.org/rcv
The Brechner Freedom of Information Project announced the 2026 class of the National FOIA Hall of Fame for “outstanding contributions to advancing freedom of information” in the U.S. government. The new inductees will be honored at #SunshineFest in DC during @sunshineweek.bsky.social in March.
Sixteen inducted into 2026 National FOIA Hall of Fame - Brechner Center for Freedom of Information
Read more
brechner.org
January 13, 2026 at 3:29 PM
The Brechner Freedom of Information Project announced the 2026 class of the National FOIA Hall of Fame for “outstanding contributions to advancing freedom of information” in the U.S. government. The new inductees will be honored at #SunshineFest in DC during @sunshineweek.bsky.social in March.
Must-read Casey Newton: No one is disputing that
1) xAI made a tool that puts women & children into their underwear — or worse — against their will
2) some of this is illegal in countries where xAI operates
3) Grok continues to generate this material on demand
www.platformer.news/grock-blocke...
1) xAI made a tool that puts women & children into their underwear — or worse — against their will
2) some of this is illegal in countries where xAI operates
3) Grok continues to generate this material on demand
www.platformer.news/grock-blocke...
Grok gets blocked
More than a week into a deepfake scandal, a handful of foreign governments have found the strength to do what Apple, Google, and the United States will not
www.platformer.news
January 13, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Must-read Casey Newton: No one is disputing that
1) xAI made a tool that puts women & children into their underwear — or worse — against their will
2) some of this is illegal in countries where xAI operates
3) Grok continues to generate this material on demand
www.platformer.news/grock-blocke...
1) xAI made a tool that puts women & children into their underwear — or worse — against their will
2) some of this is illegal in countries where xAI operates
3) Grok continues to generate this material on demand
www.platformer.news/grock-blocke...
Reposted by Alexander Howard
One basic lesson from political research is that secret police generally rely on mediocre men willing to do the dirty work of authoritarian regimes in order to advance their careers.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/how-the-fb...
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/how-the-fb...
January 11, 2026 at 3:17 PM
One basic lesson from political research is that secret police generally rely on mediocre men willing to do the dirty work of authoritarian regimes in order to advance their careers.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/how-the-fb...
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/how-the-fb...
“The culture of deference to official police narratives, & the same structures of cruelty, excess, & impunity that have been allowed to flourish in so many police departments in Black & Latino communities, is the same cultural thread that allows ICE to behave the way they do.”- @sifill.bsky.social
Whether It Is ICE or Local Police, the U.S. Has Normalised Anti-Democratic Law Enforcement Practices
The Grotesque Excesses of ICE Sit Within the Broader Context of Police Brutality
sherrilyn.substack.com
January 10, 2026 at 1:05 AM
“The culture of deference to official police narratives, & the same structures of cruelty, excess, & impunity that have been allowed to flourish in so many police departments in Black & Latino communities, is the same cultural thread that allows ICE to behave the way they do.”- @sifill.bsky.social
Reposted by Alexander Howard
NEWS: The D.C. Board of Elections has published its new website with information on ranked-choice voting and a interactive sample ballot where you get to rank five of your favorite singers. (Aretha, no contest. No Mariah on there? Sad.) Check it out here: vr.dcboe.org/253434754272...
January 9, 2026 at 7:29 PM
NEWS: The D.C. Board of Elections has published its new website with information on ranked-choice voting and a interactive sample ballot where you get to rank five of your favorite singers. (Aretha, no contest. No Mariah on there? Sad.) Check it out here: vr.dcboe.org/253434754272...
The first time in history @councilofdc.bsky.social will appoint a councilmember to serve merits a democratic, transparent process @chmnmendelson.bsky.social
www.washingtoninformer.com/dc-council-c...
Please post criteria, candidate applications, & conflicts of interest online before a public vote.
www.washingtoninformer.com/dc-council-c...
Please post criteria, candidate applications, & conflicts of interest online before a public vote.
The Collins D.C. Council Report: Vaccinations, Public Charter School Board Appointments, An At-Large Council Member Selection Process, and Business in the Soul of the City
D.C. Council discusses replacing Council member McDuffie, public charter school board appointments, and a business improvement district.
www.washingtoninformer.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:36 PM
The first time in history @councilofdc.bsky.social will appoint a councilmember to serve merits a democratic, transparent process @chmnmendelson.bsky.social
www.washingtoninformer.com/dc-council-c...
Please post criteria, candidate applications, & conflicts of interest online before a public vote.
www.washingtoninformer.com/dc-council-c...
Please post criteria, candidate applications, & conflicts of interest online before a public vote.