Philip Bump
@pbump.com
MSNOW contributor
Former Washington Post columnist
Book: "The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America"
Newsletter: https://howtoreadthisch.art
Email: [email protected]
Signal: pbump.11
Former Washington Post columnist
Book: "The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America"
Newsletter: https://howtoreadthisch.art
Email: [email protected]
Signal: pbump.11
Pinned
Philip Bump
@pbump.com
· 1d
Unlocking the mundane mysteries of the world
Congratulations; Hell Week is over. In preparation for Hell Week Redux, whenever it may arrive (next week), this week's newsletter flips data visualization on its head, focusing on a fascinating proje...
www.howtoreadthisch.art
How Bellingcat is training people to take a critical eye to photos and videos, finding information buried beneath the surface.
This week's newsletter:
www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
This week's newsletter:
www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
On about one out of every five days Trump has been president (in both terms), he likely played a round of golf.
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
January 11, 2026 at 7:24 PM
On about one out of every five days Trump has been president (in both terms), he likely played a round of golf.
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
In the newsletter this week: how to level up your skills in finding the information buried in publicly available data — like eyewitness videos and photos.
www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
Unlocking the mundane mysteries of the world
Congratulations; Hell Week is over. In preparation for Hell Week Redux, whenever it may arrive (next week), this week's newsletter flips data visualization on its head, focusing on a fascinating proje...
www.howtoreadthisch.art
January 11, 2026 at 4:52 PM
In the newsletter this week: how to level up your skills in finding the information buried in publicly available data — like eyewitness videos and photos.
www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
Someone ask me if anyone ever gave me 50 grand in a take-out bag.
WELKER: Where is that $50,000? Did you keep it?
HOMAN: I didn't take $50k from anybody & that's a question for the FBI. Bottom line I did nothing illegal.
WELKER: But was there $50k in the bag?
HOMAN: I'm not addressing it
WELKER: But did you keep the money?
HOMAN: $50k is ridiculous
HOMAN: I didn't take $50k from anybody & that's a question for the FBI. Bottom line I did nothing illegal.
WELKER: But was there $50k in the bag?
HOMAN: I'm not addressing it
WELKER: But did you keep the money?
HOMAN: $50k is ridiculous
January 11, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Someone ask me if anyone ever gave me 50 grand in a take-out bag.
Reposted by Philip Bump
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery removed wall text that referred to Trump’s two impeachments — language that had upset the White House — when the museum recently replaced a portrait of him in its “America’s Presidents” exhibition. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/a...
Smithsonian Removes Label Noting Trump Impeachments
www.nytimes.com
January 11, 2026 at 1:54 PM
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery removed wall text that referred to Trump’s two impeachments — language that had upset the White House — when the museum recently replaced a portrait of him in its “America’s Presidents” exhibition. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/a...
Noem is a liar and her agency is filled with liars. Receipts:
www.ms.now/opinion/kris...
www.ms.now/opinion/kris...
TAPPER: You called Renee Good a "domestic terrorist." Why did you not wait for an investigation?
NOEM: Everything I've said has been proven to be factual and the truth. This administration wants to operate in transparency.
T: What you said is not what happened
N: It absolutely is what happened
NOEM: Everything I've said has been proven to be factual and the truth. This administration wants to operate in transparency.
T: What you said is not what happened
N: It absolutely is what happened
January 11, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Noem is a liar and her agency is filled with liars. Receipts:
www.ms.now/opinion/kris...
www.ms.now/opinion/kris...
Sometimes my dog looks like the Montauk Monster.
January 11, 2026 at 12:56 AM
Sometimes my dog looks like the Montauk Monster.
In the newsletter, I wrote about polling on military interventions. www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
January 10, 2026 at 6:27 PM
In the newsletter, I wrote about polling on military interventions. www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
And it has become a meme video.
So ICE and the White House have been scrambling to pump out meme videos of clashes with protesters and "epic takedowns" and then an ICE agent recording video with his phone shoots a woman dead www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
We read thousands of internal ICE chats. They show how officials make raids go viral
Thousands of internal ICE messages show how its public affairs team has coordinated with the White House to satisfy Trump administration demands for viral arrest videos
www.washingtonpost.com
January 10, 2026 at 4:30 PM
And it has become a meme video.
Reposted by Philip Bump
The newsletter this week looks at how often police cited vehicles as threats in firearm deaths of citizens: 444 times from 2015 to 2024. www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
January 10, 2026 at 4:09 PM
The newsletter this week looks at how often police cited vehicles as threats in firearm deaths of citizens: 444 times from 2015 to 2024. www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
Yesterday I documented how DHS lies all the time and suggested you not trust their claims, in case you did.
Opinion | Kristi Noem and DHS do not deserve the benefit of the doubt
Philip Bump: The Department of Homeland Security and its leader have an honesty problem — and the numbers prove it.
www.ms.now
January 10, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Yesterday I documented how DHS lies all the time and suggested you not trust their claims, in case you did.
Reposted by Philip Bump
WSJ investigation: In the past 6 months ICE agents have fired at vehicles 13 times, leading to:
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
Videos Show How ICE Vehicle Stops Can Escalate to Shootings
A WSJ visual investigation found that the Minneapolis ICE killing is one of 13 incidents where federal immigration agents have used deadly force against civilians in vehicles since July.
www.wsj.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:44 PM
WSJ investigation: In the past 6 months ICE agents have fired at vehicles 13 times, leading to:
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
Reposted by Philip Bump
A woman recording an ICE agent tells him "Shame on you."
The agent responds, "Have you all not learned from the past couple of days?"
"Learned what?" she asks
Then he knocks her phone out of her hand
The agent responds, "Have you all not learned from the past couple of days?"
"Learned what?" she asks
Then he knocks her phone out of her hand
January 10, 2026 at 2:52 PM
A woman recording an ICE agent tells him "Shame on you."
The agent responds, "Have you all not learned from the past couple of days?"
"Learned what?" she asks
Then he knocks her phone out of her hand
The agent responds, "Have you all not learned from the past couple of days?"
"Learned what?" she asks
Then he knocks her phone out of her hand
How Bellingcat is training people to take a critical eye to photos and videos, finding information buried beneath the surface.
This week's newsletter:
www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
This week's newsletter:
www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
Unlocking the mundane mysteries of the world
Congratulations; Hell Week is over. In preparation for Hell Week Redux, whenever it may arrive (next week), this week's newsletter flips data visualization on its head, focusing on a fascinating proje...
www.howtoreadthisch.art
January 10, 2026 at 3:10 PM
How Bellingcat is training people to take a critical eye to photos and videos, finding information buried beneath the surface.
This week's newsletter:
www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
This week's newsletter:
www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
I sincerely don’t even understand how this is supposed to work. There just … won’t be an economy? We just all get infinite money? Or is AI going to cover the mortgage?
Elon Musk (net worth $600 billion+) says people shouldn't worry about saving for retirement because, in 20 years, everyone will have everything they want thanks to AI.
Elon Musk says saving for retirement will be 'irrelevant' in abundant future
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described a future where technology creates an abundance of resources so "anyone can have whatever stuff they want."
www.businessinsider.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:02 PM
I sincerely don’t even understand how this is supposed to work. There just … won’t be an economy? We just all get infinite money? Or is AI going to cover the mortgage?
Reposted by Philip Bump
“We’ll Have Our Home” again is a song that’s extremely popular with white nationalists. It’s all over Telegram. I think the first time I heard it was from a video of a secretive group called the Mannerbünd.
January 10, 2026 at 5:52 AM
“We’ll Have Our Home” again is a song that’s extremely popular with white nationalists. It’s all over Telegram. I think the first time I heard it was from a video of a secretive group called the Mannerbünd.
My weekly newsletter comes out in 12 hours. This week's topics include:
- THE SUN
- SNEAK PEEKS
- WEAPONS
- WARS
and, as always, 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓐𝓽𝓽𝓪𝓬𝓴.
Sign up to get it! It's free!
www.howtoreadthisch.art
- THE SUN
- SNEAK PEEKS
- WEAPONS
- WARS
and, as always, 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓐𝓽𝓽𝓪𝓬𝓴.
Sign up to get it! It's free!
www.howtoreadthisch.art
How To Read This Chart
37% data. 42% visualizations. 210% jokes.
www.howtoreadthisch.art
January 10, 2026 at 3:04 AM
My weekly newsletter comes out in 12 hours. This week's topics include:
- THE SUN
- SNEAK PEEKS
- WEAPONS
- WARS
and, as always, 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓐𝓽𝓽𝓪𝓬𝓴.
Sign up to get it! It's free!
www.howtoreadthisch.art
- THE SUN
- SNEAK PEEKS
- WEAPONS
- WARS
and, as always, 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓐𝓽𝓽𝓪𝓬𝓴.
Sign up to get it! It's free!
www.howtoreadthisch.art
The videos that Trump and the right are sharing (the new one, the one from down the block) don’t clearly show what the initial videos did: that the shooter was at the front corner of the vehicle and could get out of the way.
January 9, 2026 at 10:26 PM
The videos that Trump and the right are sharing (the new one, the one from down the block) don’t clearly show what the initial videos did: that the shooter was at the front corner of the vehicle and could get out of the way.
Seen some people suggesting the new shooting video is AI because you can see a dinosaur in the background at one point. But, uh, there’s just a dinosaur on a car on that street. Here’s Google Street View.
maps.app.goo.gl/fmgYaLWrwxx3...
maps.app.goo.gl/fmgYaLWrwxx3...
January 9, 2026 at 9:27 PM
Seen some people suggesting the new shooting video is AI because you can see a dinosaur in the background at one point. But, uh, there’s just a dinosaur on a car on that street. Here’s Google Street View.
maps.app.goo.gl/fmgYaLWrwxx3...
maps.app.goo.gl/fmgYaLWrwxx3...
Reposted by Philip Bump
Fox News claims to be airing the "entire video" -- but they're cutting off before the officer says, "fucking bitch."
January 9, 2026 at 9:17 PM
Fox News claims to be airing the "entire video" -- but they're cutting off before the officer says, "fucking bitch."
Congrats to Peter Doocy, licking the same boot in the same way two days running.
www.pbump.net/o/using-the-...
www.pbump.net/o/using-the-...
January 9, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Congrats to Peter Doocy, licking the same boot in the same way two days running.
www.pbump.net/o/using-the-...
www.pbump.net/o/using-the-...
And the second question is much, much more important for laypeople. It’s a systemic question rather than an incident-specific one.
The problem is, there are two key questions here:
1. Was the use of force legally justified?
2. Was Ms. Good a "domestic terrorist" who tried to run him down, as the VP and the entire Trump admin is claiming?
The answer to 1 isn't entirely clear. The answer to 2 is pretty decisively no.
1. Was the use of force legally justified?
2. Was Ms. Good a "domestic terrorist" who tried to run him down, as the VP and the entire Trump admin is claiming?
The answer to 1 isn't entirely clear. The answer to 2 is pretty decisively no.
Sohrab Ahmari thinks that the officer was in danger and had a right to kill Renee Good.
He’s as bad as any MAGA.
He’s as bad as any MAGA.
January 9, 2026 at 8:37 PM
And the second question is much, much more important for laypeople. It’s a systemic question rather than an incident-specific one.
Reposted by Philip Bump
Had some quick thoughts about the extent to which the administration seems to be using "going on the internet" as a synonym for "engaging in an anti-government movement." www.pbump.net/o/using-the-...
Using the internet is not a RICO predicate
Vice President Vance joined the daily White House press briefing on Thursday in order to talk about a new Justice Department position focused on fraud. But the details of that announcement (think Rona...
www.pbump.net
January 9, 2026 at 6:39 PM
Had some quick thoughts about the extent to which the administration seems to be using "going on the internet" as a synonym for "engaging in an anti-government movement." www.pbump.net/o/using-the-...
Reposted by Philip Bump
Via WCCO reporter Esme Murphy on X:
"Unprecedented - @ag.state.mn.us
& Hennepin Co Attorney announce separate investigation into Renee Good’s killing after Feds kick Mn out of their investigation"
x.com/esmemurphy/s...
"Unprecedented - @ag.state.mn.us
& Hennepin Co Attorney announce separate investigation into Renee Good’s killing after Feds kick Mn out of their investigation"
x.com/esmemurphy/s...
January 9, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Via WCCO reporter Esme Murphy on X:
"Unprecedented - @ag.state.mn.us
& Hennepin Co Attorney announce separate investigation into Renee Good’s killing after Feds kick Mn out of their investigation"
x.com/esmemurphy/s...
"Unprecedented - @ag.state.mn.us
& Hennepin Co Attorney announce separate investigation into Renee Good’s killing after Feds kick Mn out of their investigation"
x.com/esmemurphy/s...
Reposted by Philip Bump
The Department of Homeland Security and the officials who lead it cannot be trusted to provide good-faith, accurate information about what they are doing and any claims they make should be considered in that context. www.ms.now/opinion/kris...
Opinion | Kristi Noem and DHS do not deserve the benefit of the doubt
Philip Bump: The Department of Homeland Security and its leader have an honesty problem — and the numbers prove it.
www.ms.now
January 9, 2026 at 4:16 PM
The Department of Homeland Security and the officials who lead it cannot be trusted to provide good-faith, accurate information about what they are doing and any claims they make should be considered in that context. www.ms.now/opinion/kris...
What the fuck are we actually doing here?
January 9, 2026 at 7:05 PM
What the fuck are we actually doing here?