Mark Armstrong
@markarms.bsky.social
Producer, writer, singer.
Editor, @niemanstoryboard.org
Podcasts @ursastory.bsky.social
Music: https://www.instagram.com/markarmsmusic
Founder (emeritus) of Longreads
markarms.com
Editor, @niemanstoryboard.org
Podcasts @ursastory.bsky.social
Music: https://www.instagram.com/markarmsmusic
Founder (emeritus) of Longreads
markarms.com
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
I feel like I am going a little bit crazy listening to Democratic lawmakers "demand" that ICE get judicial warrants before it arrests people in their homes, given that the Fourth Amendment has imposed this requirement on law enforcement officers for, oh, roughly 250 years now
Mike Johnson Is Very Annoyed By the Fourth Amendment’s Existence
For a constitutional lawyer, the House Speaker sounds alarmingly unfamiliar with how the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement works.
ballsandstrikes.org
February 10, 2026 at 5:04 PM
I feel like I am going a little bit crazy listening to Democratic lawmakers "demand" that ICE get judicial warrants before it arrests people in their homes, given that the Fourth Amendment has imposed this requirement on law enforcement officers for, oh, roughly 250 years now
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
i think this more than anything is what miller wants. vast detention camps with all of the suffering and death that means.
ICE has now spent over half a BILLION dollars just on purchasing warehouses around the country to convert into detention camps.
If these mega-camps are utilized to the full capacity ICE intends, they'll be the largest prisons in the country, with little real oversight. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
If these mega-camps are utilized to the full capacity ICE intends, they'll be the largest prisons in the country, with little real oversight. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
ICE to begin detaining immigrants inside Social Circle warehouse in April
Homeland Security plans to build warehouse detention facilities in other cities being met with opposition.
www.ajc.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:56 AM
i think this more than anything is what miller wants. vast detention camps with all of the suffering and death that means.
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
NEW: ICE has a plan to lease offices across the US as part of a secret, months-long expansion campaign.
Today, @wired.com is publishing dozens of those locations. Many are near schools, medical offices, and places of worship.
Vital work from @leahfeiger.bsky.social that I'm proud to publish.
Today, @wired.com is publishing dozens of those locations. Many are near schools, medical offices, and places of worship.
Vital work from @leahfeiger.bsky.social that I'm proud to publish.
ICE Is Expanding Across the US at Breakneck Speed. Here’s Where It’s Going Next
ICE plans to lease offices throughout the US as part of a secret, months-long expansion campaign. WIRED is publishing dozens of these locations.
www.wired.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:13 PM
NEW: ICE has a plan to lease offices across the US as part of a secret, months-long expansion campaign.
Today, @wired.com is publishing dozens of those locations. Many are near schools, medical offices, and places of worship.
Vital work from @leahfeiger.bsky.social that I'm proud to publish.
Today, @wired.com is publishing dozens of those locations. Many are near schools, medical offices, and places of worship.
Vital work from @leahfeiger.bsky.social that I'm proud to publish.
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
"A modern-day concentration camp ... People have been killed by the staff here." Irish citizen Seamus Culleton has been in ICE detention since September, despite having a valid work permit and his own business in the US.
February 10, 2026 at 10:09 AM
"A modern-day concentration camp ... People have been killed by the staff here." Irish citizen Seamus Culleton has been in ICE detention since September, despite having a valid work permit and his own business in the US.
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
President Mandela said, "there can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."
“I Have Been Here Too Long”: Read Letters from the Children Detained at ICE’s Dilley Facility
Hundreds of children are currently being held with their parents at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas. In letters and drawings, eight kids convey the pain of feeling trapped with no end...
www.propublica.org
February 9, 2026 at 11:36 PM
President Mandela said, "there can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
My colleague got into Trump's sprawling family detention camp, which is full of toddlers, kids, & teens.
- Kids have cut themselves or talked about suicide
-There's worms & mold in food
-300 kids have been held for 30+ days, far longer court settlement allows
www.propublica.org/article/life...
- Kids have cut themselves or talked about suicide
-There's worms & mold in food
-300 kids have been held for 30+ days, far longer court settlement allows
www.propublica.org/article/life...
February 9, 2026 at 3:35 PM
My colleague got into Trump's sprawling family detention camp, which is full of toddlers, kids, & teens.
- Kids have cut themselves or talked about suicide
-There's worms & mold in food
-300 kids have been held for 30+ days, far longer court settlement allows
www.propublica.org/article/life...
- Kids have cut themselves or talked about suicide
-There's worms & mold in food
-300 kids have been held for 30+ days, far longer court settlement allows
www.propublica.org/article/life...
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
There are multiple arenas for fighting these: corporate, political, municipal, etc. It’s worth reminding politicians of what happened to other concentration camps after the moment passed—will they want to have blessed this for their district when the trials begin?
The proposed centers are so large that some could house as many as 8,000 detainees at once, according to a DHS spreadsheet of more than 20 potential locations that was verified by NBC News. The largest federal prison in the U.S., for example, has roughly 4,000 inmates.
ICE plans to build mega warehouses for immigration detention spark growing concern
Sources at two government contractors told NBC News they were worried that new warehouses — and the large numbers of immigrants who would be housed in them — would present safety problems.
www.nbcnews.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:33 AM
There are multiple arenas for fighting these: corporate, political, municipal, etc. It’s worth reminding politicians of what happened to other concentration camps after the moment passed—will they want to have blessed this for their district when the trials begin?
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
Concentration camps:
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick."
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick."
Exclusive: Detention Center Captives Are Throwing Lotion Bottles Wrapped With Notes to Organizers Outside Otay Mesa Facility ~ L.A. TACO
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh," an Otay Mesa captive communicated through handwritten note. "We are all in one big room with no doors...
lataco.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:24 AM
Concentration camps:
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick."
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick."
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
Hey guess what? @ryanjhaas.bsky.social and I are creating our own news outlet to cover the PNW, launching soon.
Please consider subscribing.
Please consider subscribing.
Are you tired of journalism by parachuting east coasters?
Sick of stories with clickbait headlines that lack context and reporting to explain what's really happening?
Want stories that illuminate the Northwest without bombarding you constantly for your attention?
Welcome to the Western Edge.
Sick of stories with clickbait headlines that lack context and reporting to explain what's really happening?
Want stories that illuminate the Northwest without bombarding you constantly for your attention?
Welcome to the Western Edge.
February 7, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Hey guess what? @ryanjhaas.bsky.social and I are creating our own news outlet to cover the PNW, launching soon.
Please consider subscribing.
Please consider subscribing.
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
"The news throughout the early weeks of 2026 reminded us that the concept of “both sides” in journalism is a deeply flawed, and even dangerous, way to think about reporting a story — especially when one side is actively trafficking in disinformation."
niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/06/i...
niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/06/i...
‘If you have three quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks’ - Nieman Storyboard
Soledad O’Brien on documentary storytelling. Plus: The Power of Narrative conference and the principles of plotting
niemanstoryboard.org
February 7, 2026 at 8:25 PM
"The news throughout the early weeks of 2026 reminded us that the concept of “both sides” in journalism is a deeply flawed, and even dangerous, way to think about reporting a story — especially when one side is actively trafficking in disinformation."
niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/06/i...
niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/06/i...
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
NYT confirming MS NOW reporting:
Prosecutors began investigating Renee Good's killing, then Washington told them to stop.
Federal prosecutors had a warrant to collect evidence from Good's vehicle, but Trump leaders said to drop it. About a dozen prosecutors have since departed.
Prosecutors began investigating Renee Good's killing, then Washington told them to stop.
Federal prosecutors had a warrant to collect evidence from Good's vehicle, but Trump leaders said to drop it. About a dozen prosecutors have since departed.
Prosecutors Began Investigating Renee Good’s Killing. Washington Told Them to Stop.
www.nytimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 8:10 PM
NYT confirming MS NOW reporting:
Prosecutors began investigating Renee Good's killing, then Washington told them to stop.
Federal prosecutors had a warrant to collect evidence from Good's vehicle, but Trump leaders said to drop it. About a dozen prosecutors have since departed.
Prosecutors began investigating Renee Good's killing, then Washington told them to stop.
Federal prosecutors had a warrant to collect evidence from Good's vehicle, but Trump leaders said to drop it. About a dozen prosecutors have since departed.
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
Concentration camps: stories of as many as 50 people to a cell — men and women in some cases — with no windows and limited airflow, a single camera-monitored toilet, aluminum blankets, no showers and poor quality food.
ICE detainees from Maine being held under ‘inhumane’ conditions in Mass. facility, attorneys say
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson said the allegations of overcrowding and lack of access to lawyers are false.
www.pressherald.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Concentration camps: stories of as many as 50 people to a cell — men and women in some cases — with no windows and limited airflow, a single camera-monitored toilet, aluminum blankets, no showers and poor quality food.
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
When the U.S. Supreme Court said that you could detain people based on their race, their accent, or the language they spoke… there is nothing to preclude ICE from doing that while you’re standing in line getting ready to cast a ballot.
Stacey Abrams
Voting-rights expert
Stacey Abrams
Voting-rights expert
February 7, 2026 at 4:29 PM
When the U.S. Supreme Court said that you could detain people based on their race, their accent, or the language they spoke… there is nothing to preclude ICE from doing that while you’re standing in line getting ready to cast a ballot.
Stacey Abrams
Voting-rights expert
Stacey Abrams
Voting-rights expert
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
A Mexican immigrant whose skull was broken during his arrest by immigration officers last month in Minnesota says the beating was unprovoked. A judge ruled his arrest was unlawful.
Immigrant whose skull was broken in eight places during ICE arrest says beating was unprovoked
A Mexican immigrant whose skull was broken during his arrest by immigration officers last month in Minnesota says the beating was unprovoked.
bit.ly
February 7, 2026 at 3:57 PM
A Mexican immigrant whose skull was broken during his arrest by immigration officers last month in Minnesota says the beating was unprovoked. A judge ruled his arrest was unlawful.
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
"For years, a cottage industry of political observers has contorted itself to obscure and occlude the obvious. That regardless of what others see in him, Trump’s entire political career...cannot be understood outside the context of his bitter, deep-seated racism." (gift link)
Opinion | This Is Just Who Trump Is
www.nytimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 4:49 PM
"For years, a cottage industry of political observers has contorted itself to obscure and occlude the obvious. That regardless of what others see in him, Trump’s entire political career...cannot be understood outside the context of his bitter, deep-seated racism." (gift link)
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
A man taken into custody in Rochester Thursday by federal immigration agents and now held at the Whipple Federal Building in the Twin Cities is a recent organ transplant recipient who is without his needed anti-rejection medication, state Rep. Kim Hicks tells MPR News.
Transplant recipient arrested by federal agents in Rochester needs medicine, state representative says
State Rep. Kim Hicks told MPR News she drove to the Whipple Federal Building near Ft. Snelling Thursday night to give the man his medication but authorities wouldn't take it without a doctor's note. S...
www.mprnews.org
February 6, 2026 at 6:07 PM
A man taken into custody in Rochester Thursday by federal immigration agents and now held at the Whipple Federal Building in the Twin Cities is a recent organ transplant recipient who is without his needed anti-rejection medication, state Rep. Kim Hicks tells MPR News.
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
The Washington Post just laid off its entire award-winning photo team. They were our eyes in places we'll never see. It's a horrifying loss at a time when lying governments, propaganda and AI slop are on the rise.
February 6, 2026 at 6:59 PM
The Washington Post just laid off its entire award-winning photo team. They were our eyes in places we'll never see. It's a horrifying loss at a time when lying governments, propaganda and AI slop are on the rise.
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
welp, this destroyed me first thing upon waking up
February 6, 2026 at 3:13 PM
welp, this destroyed me first thing upon waking up
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
Reposted by Mark Armstrong
My friends at Niemanreports.org asked me to write about the experience of being a journalist on the ground in Minneapolis right now. I knew I wanted to tell reporters elsewhere how even this most hopeless of times has been clarifying and, in some ways, energizing. (1) share.google/ms1wKDQZmgep...
Free Speech in Deep Freeze - Nieman Reports
On the ground in Minnesota, where journalists are working to tell the truth about government-sanctioned violence and spin
share.google
February 6, 2026 at 2:21 PM
My friends at Niemanreports.org asked me to write about the experience of being a journalist on the ground in Minneapolis right now. I knew I wanted to tell reporters elsewhere how even this most hopeless of times has been clarifying and, in some ways, energizing. (1) share.google/ms1wKDQZmgep...
My latest newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: Featuring @soledadobrien.bsky.social with @cmtapper.bsky.social on documentary storytelling and the Oscar-nominated "The Devil Is Busy," plus links from @thelincoln.bsky.social and @lizkellynelson.com
niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/06/i...
niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/06/i...
‘If you have three quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks’ - Nieman Storyboard
Soledad O’Brien on documentary storytelling. Plus: The Power of Narrative conference and the principles of plotting
niemanstoryboard.org
February 6, 2026 at 2:18 PM
My latest newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: Featuring @soledadobrien.bsky.social with @cmtapper.bsky.social on documentary storytelling and the Oscar-nominated "The Devil Is Busy," plus links from @thelincoln.bsky.social and @lizkellynelson.com
niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/06/i...
niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/06/i...
"The responses we’ve received from the public about our coverage make it clear that people want and appreciate journalists who hold power to account instead of cozying up to it." @jcollins.bsky.social @niemanreports.org
niemanreports.org/minneapolis-...
niemanreports.org/minneapolis-...
Free Speech in Deep Freeze - Nieman Reports
On the ground in Minnesota, where journalists are working to tell the truth about government-sanctioned violence and spin
niemanreports.org
February 6, 2026 at 12:37 AM
"The responses we’ve received from the public about our coverage make it clear that people want and appreciate journalists who hold power to account instead of cozying up to it." @jcollins.bsky.social @niemanreports.org
niemanreports.org/minneapolis-...
niemanreports.org/minneapolis-...
On the latest @niemanstoryboard.org podcast, Christina M. Tapper speaks to Soledad O'Brien about character-driven storytelling in documentaries, and an early lesson from her mother in bearing witness.
niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/05/s...
#journalism #podcasts #longreads
niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/05/s...
#journalism #podcasts #longreads
Soledad O’Brien on character-driven storytelling in documentaries, and the power of being a witness - Nieman Storyboard
The veteran journalist and documentarian shares how her late mother’s act of defiance is a practice we should all embody
niemanstoryboard.org
February 5, 2026 at 9:18 PM
On the latest @niemanstoryboard.org podcast, Christina M. Tapper speaks to Soledad O'Brien about character-driven storytelling in documentaries, and an early lesson from her mother in bearing witness.
niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/05/s...
#journalism #podcasts #longreads
niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/05/s...
#journalism #podcasts #longreads