Frank Bajak
@fbajak.bsky.social
Journalist with tech focus. Ex-Associated Press foreign correspondent. First AP tech editor, Andes chief. frankbajak.com fbajak(at)proton(dot)me - DM for Signal#
The interagency process has atrophied under Mr. Trump, who has dramatically shrunk the size of the National Security Council during his second term, even as the portfolio of international crises has grown. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/u...
Inside the Debacle That Led to the Closure of El Paso’s Airspace
www.nytimes.com
February 15, 2026 at 3:51 AM
The interagency process has atrophied under Mr. Trump, who has dramatically shrunk the size of the National Security Council during his second term, even as the portfolio of international crises has grown. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/u...
There is a lot of fluff in the NYT these days. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/t...
Who Loves Turbulence, Airplane Food and the Middle Seat? They Do.
www.nytimes.com
February 14, 2026 at 2:30 PM
There is a lot of fluff in the NYT these days. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/t...
Death toll in U.S. military’s high-seas murder of alleged low-level cocaine traffickers begun in Sept now exceeds 131 as media attention wanes. We can’t let this be normalized.
After 35 attacks and 131 deaths, we’re normalizing the illegal boat strikes, erasing the dead as "narco-terrorists"—even while drug supplies appear unaffected. Some in the military are growing comfortable with this. But the slippery slope is clear: impunity breeds escalation, perhaps even at home.
The "boat strikes" are still happening. Five things you need to know. - WOLA
U.S. military strikes on drug smuggling boats have killed 131 people since September, yet media coverage has faded. These extrajudicial killings violate international law, fail to stop drug traffickin...
www.wola.org
February 14, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Death toll in U.S. military’s high-seas murder of alleged low-level cocaine traffickers begun in Sept now exceeds 131 as media attention wanes. We can’t let this be normalized.
More idiotic Trumpian policy: The U.S. is urging allies to align behind “trusted” technologies and coordinated responses even as it steps away from many of the institutions designed to organize that very cooperation.
therecord.media/usa-cyber-ac...
therecord.media/usa-cyber-ac...
US needs to impose ‘real costs’ on bad actors, State Department cyber official says
At the Munich Cyber Security Conference, senior U.S. officials signaled that a defensive cyber crouch is giving way to something closer to Cold War–style deterrence — an effort to convince adversaries...
therecord.media
February 13, 2026 at 2:51 PM
More idiotic Trumpian policy: The U.S. is urging allies to align behind “trusted” technologies and coordinated responses even as it steps away from many of the institutions designed to organize that very cooperation.
therecord.media/usa-cyber-ac...
therecord.media/usa-cyber-ac...
I genuinely cannot believe the degree to which we are pissing away this generational breakthrough, even given the fuckmuppets who are involved www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
FDA declines to review Moderna's mRNA flu shot
Under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Food and Drug Administration has taken an aggressive stance against mRNA technology.
www.nbcnews.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:23 PM
Reposted by Frank Bajak
SCOOP: An FBI counterterrorism agent spent weeks pursuing a nonviolent climate activist, and showed up at his door. The visit suggests a possible probe into the climate group as the Trump admin increases surveillance of activists, calls them domestic "terrorists."
theintercept.com/2026/02/12/f...
theintercept.com/2026/02/12/f...
FBI Counterterrorism Agents Spent Weeks Seeking a Climate Activist — Then Showed Up at His Door
The visit suggests a possible FBI probe into Extinction Rebellion NYC as the Trump administration increases surveillance of activist groups.
theintercept.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:47 PM
SCOOP: An FBI counterterrorism agent spent weeks pursuing a nonviolent climate activist, and showed up at his door. The visit suggests a possible probe into the climate group as the Trump admin increases surveillance of activists, calls them domestic "terrorists."
theintercept.com/2026/02/12/f...
theintercept.com/2026/02/12/f...
Reposted by Frank Bajak
NEW: CBP signs a new deal with Clearview AI to access its scraped image database for "tactical targeting," including efforts to “disrupt, degrade, and dismantle” networks of people labeled security threats.
CBP Signs Clearview AI Deal to Use Face Recognition for ‘Tactical Targeting’
US Border Patrol intelligence units will gain access to a face recognition tool built on billions of images scraped from the internet.
www.wired.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:37 PM
NEW: CBP signs a new deal with Clearview AI to access its scraped image database for "tactical targeting," including efforts to “disrupt, degrade, and dismantle” networks of people labeled security threats.
Exactly how much Trump cares about Ukraine.
February 11, 2026 at 8:22 PM
Exactly how much Trump cares about Ukraine.
Harsh enough penalties have yet to be defined for the environmental crimes Trump and his gang are committing.
We don't know what's happening, but there's no good news here. As long as we keep burning fossil fuels, the world will continue to become more dangerous and chaotic.
Scientists thought they understood global warming. Then the past three years happened.
The fastest warming period since 1880 occurred in the past 30 years, according to a Washington Post analysis of NASA data.
wapo.st
February 11, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Harsh enough penalties have yet to be defined for the environmental crimes Trump and his gang are committing.
Reposted by Frank Bajak
I genuinely cannot believe the degree to which we are pissing away this generational breakthrough, even given the fuckmuppets who are involved www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
FDA declines to review Moderna's mRNA flu shot
Under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Food and Drug Administration has taken an aggressive stance against mRNA technology.
www.nbcnews.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:32 PM
I genuinely cannot believe the degree to which we are pissing away this generational breakthrough, even given the fuckmuppets who are involved www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Reposted by Frank Bajak
NEW: Trump DOJ tries, fails to secure indictment over Democratic lawmakers' social media video on unlawful orders. www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
Trump administration fails to secure indictment in connection with Democrats involved in 'illegal orders' video
President Donald Trump had accused six Democratic lawmakers of "seditious behavior" after they urged members of the military and intelligence communities to refuse unlawful orders.
www.nbcnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:13 AM
NEW: Trump DOJ tries, fails to secure indictment over Democratic lawmakers' social media video on unlawful orders. www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
Reposted by Frank Bajak
US Olympic Curling Team member speaks out against ICE:
"I'm proud to represent Team USA. But we'd be remiss if we didn't mention what's going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it's been. What's happening is wrong. There's no shades of gray."
"I'm proud to represent Team USA. But we'd be remiss if we didn't mention what's going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it's been. What's happening is wrong. There's no shades of gray."
February 10, 2026 at 8:58 PM
US Olympic Curling Team member speaks out against ICE:
"I'm proud to represent Team USA. But we'd be remiss if we didn't mention what's going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it's been. What's happening is wrong. There's no shades of gray."
"I'm proud to represent Team USA. But we'd be remiss if we didn't mention what's going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it's been. What's happening is wrong. There's no shades of gray."
Reposted by Frank Bajak
NEW: An immigration court has terminated removal proceedings against Tufts doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, finding that DHS did not meet its burden of establishing that she was removable, her lawyers tell the Second Circuit. live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io/app/uploads/...
February 9, 2026 at 11:38 PM
NEW: An immigration court has terminated removal proceedings against Tufts doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, finding that DHS did not meet its burden of establishing that she was removable, her lawyers tell the Second Circuit. live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io/app/uploads/...
I understand Bad Bunny won the Super Bowl. Chévere!
February 9, 2026 at 11:47 AM
I understand Bad Bunny won the Super Bowl. Chévere!
Reposted by Frank Bajak
Solid blow-by-blow recap of Bad Bunny's halftime show. Including some English translation and explanations of cultural references.
Bad Bunny made it clear at the Super Bowl that his global popularity translates seamlessly to the biggest U.S. stage, AP's Maria Sherman writes in her review of the halftime show.
#APPhotos by Matt Slocum and Charlie Riedel
bit.ly/4tqcdjg
#APPhotos by Matt Slocum and Charlie Riedel
bit.ly/4tqcdjg
February 9, 2026 at 3:05 AM
Solid blow-by-blow recap of Bad Bunny's halftime show. Including some English translation and explanations of cultural references.
Russia and Belarus are banned from these Winter Olympics because of Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Which makes Russia a natural suspect.
www.bbc.com/sport/articl...
www.bbc.com/sport/articl...
February 8, 2026 at 1:59 AM
Russia and Belarus are banned from these Winter Olympics because of Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Which makes Russia a natural suspect.
www.bbc.com/sport/articl...
www.bbc.com/sport/articl...
Reposted by Frank Bajak
The Guardian has a rough outline of what the Tulsi whistleblower complaint is about: NSA found someone close to Trump in contact with foreign intelligence, and rather than doing something about that, Tulsi brought the report to Susie Wiles.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
NSA detected phone call between foreign intelligence and a person close to Trump
Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 6:05 PM
The Guardian has a rough outline of what the Tulsi whistleblower complaint is about: NSA found someone close to Trump in contact with foreign intelligence, and rather than doing something about that, Tulsi brought the report to Susie Wiles.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
You represent an entire country, Mr Ambassador, not a fragile-egoed monarch. Please remind me what qualifies you to be our envoy to such a valued ally.
A snapshot of US diplomacy in the Trump era: how @USAmbPoland (aka @TomRoseIndy) wins friends and influences people
February 6, 2026 at 4:10 AM
You represent an entire country, Mr Ambassador, not a fragile-egoed monarch. Please remind me what qualifies you to be our envoy to such a valued ally.
Reposted by Frank Bajak
Trump wants to take over voting in at least 15 places
FBI raid in Fulton County GA now fueling MAGA calls for election takeover there
That would allow them to purge voters, cut polling places, limit early voting & challenge election results. Very scary for 2026
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
FBI raid in Fulton County GA now fueling MAGA calls for election takeover there
That would allow them to purge voters, cut polling places, limit early voting & challenge election results. Very scary for 2026
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump’s FBI raid could lead to a takeover of elections in Georgia’s largest county
Trump wants control "over the voting in at least 15 places.” He could start in Fulton County, Georgia.
www.motherjones.com
February 5, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Trump wants to take over voting in at least 15 places
FBI raid in Fulton County GA now fueling MAGA calls for election takeover there
That would allow them to purge voters, cut polling places, limit early voting & challenge election results. Very scary for 2026
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
FBI raid in Fulton County GA now fueling MAGA calls for election takeover there
That would allow them to purge voters, cut polling places, limit early voting & challenge election results. Very scary for 2026
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
No chest-pounding anymore for a Bitcoin U.S. reserve fund?
February 5, 2026 at 10:49 PM
No chest-pounding anymore for a Bitcoin U.S. reserve fund?
Reposted by Frank Bajak
NEW: Records also show DHS rushed Mobile Fortify out after abandoning its own facial-recognition oversight rules. Central privacy review was sidelined under orders from a Project 2025–linked former Heritage Foundation lawyer now serving as DHS chief privacy officer.
www.wired.com/story/cbp-ic...
www.wired.com/story/cbp-ic...
February 5, 2026 at 8:32 PM
NEW: Records also show DHS rushed Mobile Fortify out after abandoning its own facial-recognition oversight rules. Central privacy review was sidelined under orders from a Project 2025–linked former Heritage Foundation lawyer now serving as DHS chief privacy officer.
www.wired.com/story/cbp-ic...
www.wired.com/story/cbp-ic...
Reposted by Frank Bajak
In a statement, CIA calls @wyden.senate.gov's letter referring to deep concerns he has about unspecified CIA activities a "badge of honor."
February 5, 2026 at 8:24 PM
In a statement, CIA calls @wyden.senate.gov's letter referring to deep concerns he has about unspecified CIA activities a "badge of honor."
Reposted by Frank Bajak
Wyden has been on the Senate intel committee for many years. The letter signifies that he's been briefed on a major CIA covert action -- as is legally required -- and the briefing was alarming. He wouldn't do this unless he believed a great deal is at stake.
www.forever-wars.com/ron-wyden-on...
www.forever-wars.com/ron-wyden-on...
Ron Wyden Only Talks Like This When The Spies Do Something *Real* Bad
No, I don't know what they did. But I have a lot of experience with the senator
www.forever-wars.com
February 5, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Wyden has been on the Senate intel committee for many years. The letter signifies that he's been briefed on a major CIA covert action -- as is legally required -- and the briefing was alarming. He wouldn't do this unless he believed a great deal is at stake.
www.forever-wars.com/ron-wyden-on...
www.forever-wars.com/ron-wyden-on...
Reposted by Frank Bajak
It sucks that everything that used to be good is circling the drain, but at least Dave makes even the shitty news entertaining.
February 4, 2026 at 10:51 PM
It sucks that everything that used to be good is circling the drain, but at least Dave makes even the shitty news entertaining.