Stephanie Mencimer
@smencimer.bsky.social
Senior reporter Mother Jones. Utah native. Send me tips at [email protected] or securely on Signal at smencimer.48 or [email protected]
Reposted by Stephanie Mencimer
"ha ha bitches, I got a new scooter" is a Top 20 line of the 21st century
I love him. “The first time I caught up to [ICE], I could tell that they already knew who I was. They had seen me before, so they thought they were just going to speed away. I was like, ‘Ha ha, bitches, I got a new scooter!’”
Meet the veteran who chases ICE on a scooter
Clifford “Buzz” Grambo patrols the streets of Baltimore to keep his neighbors safe—and make federal agents uncomfortable.
www.motherjones.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:27 PM
"ha ha bitches, I got a new scooter" is a Top 20 line of the 21st century
Reposted by Stephanie Mencimer
The administration is detaining international students with valid visas at airports, seizing their devices, interrogating them for hours, then holding some incommunicado for days or weeks, allegedly because of paperwork irregularities, traffic tickets, or old misdemeanors.
Police state stuff.
Police state stuff.
The High Cost of Targeting International Students in Texas - The American Prospect
The Trump administration’s bans and airport detentions stop international students, and their hefty tuitions, in universities.
prospect.org
November 20, 2025 at 5:37 PM
The administration is detaining international students with valid visas at airports, seizing their devices, interrogating them for hours, then holding some incommunicado for days or weeks, allegedly because of paperwork irregularities, traffic tickets, or old misdemeanors.
Police state stuff.
Police state stuff.
What Trump's Medicaid cuts mean for two podcasters with Down syndrome www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
What Trump's Medicaid cuts mean for two podcasters with Down syndrome
Medicaid-funded services are their lifeline—and make their work possible.
www.motherjones.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:06 PM
What Trump's Medicaid cuts mean for two podcasters with Down syndrome www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
An incident in a locker room has always been key to Riley Gaines’ anti-trans fame.
But @msjpauly.bsky.social spoke to swimmers who were present at the same 2022 meet. They shared a very different narrative. ow.ly/o3wq50XuCzp
But @msjpauly.bsky.social spoke to swimmers who were present at the same 2022 meet. They shared a very different narrative. ow.ly/o3wq50XuCzp
How right-wing superstar Riley Gaines built an anti-trans empire
The swimmer tied a trans woman for fifth. The MAGA industrial complex took care of the rest.
ow.ly
November 20, 2025 at 1:59 PM
An incident in a locker room has always been key to Riley Gaines’ anti-trans fame.
But @msjpauly.bsky.social spoke to swimmers who were present at the same 2022 meet. They shared a very different narrative. ow.ly/o3wq50XuCzp
But @msjpauly.bsky.social spoke to swimmers who were present at the same 2022 meet. They shared a very different narrative. ow.ly/o3wq50XuCzp
How John Roberts made Donald Trump’s imperial presidency: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
This is all John Roberts’ fault
Trump owes his corrupt and abusive reign to one man.
www.motherjones.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:52 PM
How John Roberts made Donald Trump’s imperial presidency: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Stephanie Mencimer
An ICE employee was among 16 men arrested after trying to solicit a minor for sex in Bloomington, Minnesota, police say
"When he was arrested, he said, 'I'm ICE, boys,'" Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said during a press conference. "Well, unfortunately for him, we locked him up."
"When he was arrested, he said, 'I'm ICE, boys,'" Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said during a press conference. "Well, unfortunately for him, we locked him up."
November 19, 2025 at 2:34 AM
An ICE employee was among 16 men arrested after trying to solicit a minor for sex in Bloomington, Minnesota, police say
"When he was arrested, he said, 'I'm ICE, boys,'" Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said during a press conference. "Well, unfortunately for him, we locked him up."
"When he was arrested, he said, 'I'm ICE, boys,'" Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said during a press conference. "Well, unfortunately for him, we locked him up."
Reposted by Stephanie Mencimer
I'd really want to know about the guardrails being implemented here, given our recent results in @nature.com showing that people are likely to ask LLMs to help them cheat with taxes, and that LLMs are likely to accept
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
TurboTax is about to be integrated into ChatGPT, where customers will be guided through tasks tied to their tax filings or financial profile by the AI chatbot.
TurboTax owner Intuit is also paying OpenAI more than $100 million a year to power AI agents.
TurboTax owner Intuit is also paying OpenAI more than $100 million a year to power AI agents.
November 19, 2025 at 11:41 AM
I'd really want to know about the guardrails being implemented here, given our recent results in @nature.com showing that people are likely to ask LLMs to help them cheat with taxes, and that LLMs are likely to accept
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
How a mercenary became a Minneapolis mall cop www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
How a mercenary became a Minneapolis mall cop
After the George Floyd protests, a former military contractor named Nathan Seabrook brought the war home.
www.motherjones.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:22 PM
How a mercenary became a Minneapolis mall cop www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Veterans who have fought in foreign wars are coming home to work as private security personnel. What happens when they bring war tactics to guard the local mall? www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
How a mercenary became a Minneapolis mall cop
After the George Floyd protests, a former military contractor named Nathan Seabrook brought the war home.
www.motherjones.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Veterans who have fought in foreign wars are coming home to work as private security personnel. What happens when they bring war tactics to guard the local mall? www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Stephanie Mencimer
Michael Bell, sentenced to death for murder, spent time at a Florida reform school so violent that the state later apologized for the abuse and paid millions to the victims.
Bell is among at least 34 boys from Dozier who ended up on Florida’s death row:
Bell is among at least 34 boys from Dozier who ended up on Florida’s death row:
Dozens of Teens From Abusive Florida School Ended Up on Death Row
At least 34 boys from the Dozier School were later sentenced to death. Did abuse make them more violent?
www.themarshallproject.org
November 14, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Michael Bell, sentenced to death for murder, spent time at a Florida reform school so violent that the state later apologized for the abuse and paid millions to the victims.
Bell is among at least 34 boys from Dozier who ended up on Florida’s death row:
Bell is among at least 34 boys from Dozier who ended up on Florida’s death row:
Tell that to my back.
JD Vance calls ibuprofen "useless medication" and implies it's not "necessary, safe and effective."
November 13, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Tell that to my back.
Reposted by Stephanie Mencimer
"Mientras Trump defiende a los trabajadores extranjeros en TV, su empresa busca cifra récord para 2025"
me, para Forbes
me, para Forbes
Mientras Trump defiende a los trabajadores extranjeros en TV, su empresa busca cifra récord para 2025
Cuando el presidente Trump defendió el martes en Fox News la necesidad de trabajadores extranjeros, se hizo eco de las prácticas de su propia empresa: este año contrató 184 trabajadores para Mar-a-Lag...
forbes.com.mx
November 13, 2025 at 3:43 PM
"Mientras Trump defiende a los trabajadores extranjeros en TV, su empresa busca cifra récord para 2025"
me, para Forbes
me, para Forbes
They came to the United States as kids. Now, Trump is targeting them for deportation. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Then they came for the Dreamers
Immigrants brought here as children were told they wouldn’t be deported. Now, they’re being targeted anyway.
www.motherjones.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:43 PM
They came to the United States as kids. Now, Trump is targeting them for deportation. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump’s vendetta against EVs is driving up costs for every vehicle owners www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump’s vendetta against EVs is driving up costs for every vehicle owner
The problem isn't government regulations—it's instability.
www.motherjones.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Trump’s vendetta against EVs is driving up costs for every vehicle owners www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Stephanie Mencimer
Republican mad libs: Kid Rock had Donald Trump appoint Mike Johnson’s landlord to the board of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
www.nashvillescene.com/news/pithint...
www.nashvillescene.com/news/pithint...
Is Kid Rock the Most Powerful Person in Tennessee?
Lee Beaman sat down with the Nashville Business Journal to discuss how he got a recent TVA board nomination, and it turns out it wasn’t his tenant Mike Johnson who secured the gig for him. It was Kid ...
www.nashvillescene.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Republican mad libs: Kid Rock had Donald Trump appoint Mike Johnson’s landlord to the board of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
www.nashvillescene.com/news/pithint...
www.nashvillescene.com/news/pithint...
I wrote this last year. I guess I wasn't reaching. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Enjoy your air travel this Thanksgiving. Next year will likely be much, much worse.
Under the next Trump administration, airlines will once again be free to abuse you.
www.motherjones.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:59 PM
I wrote this last year. I guess I wasn't reaching. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Stephanie Mencimer
Note: By my count, this brings number of clergy who claim to have been and/or have been *filmed* being hit with projectiles shot by ICE/DHS or Illinois state police to *7.*
My latest report:
Baptist Pastor Shot in Leg by Officer During All Saints’ Day March Outside ICE Facility
publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/baptist-pa...
Baptist Pastor Shot in Leg by Officer During All Saints’ Day March Outside ICE Facility
publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/baptist-pa...
Baptist Pastor Shot in Leg by Officer During All Saints’ Day March Outside ICE Facility
As Baptist pastor Michael Woolf marched on All Saints’ Day in an anti-ICE protest in the Chicago area, he suddenly felt a sting in his leg as a pepper ball round struck him.
publicwitness.wordandway.org
November 4, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Note: By my count, this brings number of clergy who claim to have been and/or have been *filmed* being hit with projectiles shot by ICE/DHS or Illinois state police to *7.*
If the Trump administration wants more babies, it shouldn’t let poor families go hungry www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
If the Trump administration wants more babies, it shouldn’t let poor families go hungry
Denying food and health benefits to single moms doesn't exactly scream: "pro-natalism."
www.motherjones.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:02 PM
If the Trump administration wants more babies, it shouldn’t let poor families go hungry www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
On tariffs, the Supreme Court must choose between the president and their plutocratic patrons www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
On tariffs, the Supreme Court must choose between the president and their plutocratic patrons
This case is all about power and loyalty.
www.motherjones.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:01 PM
On tariffs, the Supreme Court must choose between the president and their plutocratic patrons www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Stephanie Mencimer
Data from ICE shows that none of its agents have ever been killed by an immigrant in the agency’s more than two-decade history.
How dangerous is it really to work for ICE?
According to ICE’s own data, none of its officers have been killed by an immigrant in the agency’s history.
www.motherjones.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Data from ICE shows that none of its agents have ever been killed by an immigrant in the agency’s more than two-decade history.
Reposted by Stephanie Mencimer
With no word leaking out on a deal, it kinda feels like negotiators are putting off studying for the big test and are going to *cram* in the last minute for the big test.
Trump’s Colorado River deadline is almost here. Is Utah ready for cuts?
Because of drought, mandatory water cuts are nothing new in Utah. But the potential of large-scale reductions across the Colorado River Basin would present a steep challenge.
buff.ly
November 3, 2025 at 7:29 PM
With no word leaking out on a deal, it kinda feels like negotiators are putting off studying for the big test and are going to *cram* in the last minute for the big test.
Reposted by Stephanie Mencimer
ICYMI, the Utah State Engineer is warning people of a possible worst-case scenario if negotiations over the Colorado River fall apart. It includes curtailments (including to a not-so-insignificant part of the Wasatch Front’s drinking water supply): www.fox13now.com/news/colorad... #utpol #Utah
October 31, 2025 at 4:06 PM
ICYMI, the Utah State Engineer is warning people of a possible worst-case scenario if negotiations over the Colorado River fall apart. It includes curtailments (including to a not-so-insignificant part of the Wasatch Front’s drinking water supply): www.fox13now.com/news/colorad... #utpol #Utah
This is so utterly depressing.
EXCLUSIVE: After Trump took over the Kennedy Center in Feb, he vowed to make it "hot" again. So, how's it doing? @jeremybmerrill.com and I used data from the center's ticketing website to find out. Ticket sales are lowest they've been since the pandemic.
www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...
www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...
Kennedy Center ticket sales have plummeted since Trump takeover
Nearly nine months into Trump’s oversight, sales for the three largest performance venues are the worst they’ve been since the pandemic, according to a Washington Post analysis.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:07 PM
This is so utterly depressing.
Sean Duffy once danced naked on MTV's "Real World." Now he's using official government resources to make religious videos and promote Christianity through the Transportation Department. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Sean Duffy’s holy war at the Transportation Department
“Could we bring Jesus up from the basement?”
www.motherjones.com
October 31, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Sean Duffy once danced naked on MTV's "Real World." Now he's using official government resources to make religious videos and promote Christianity through the Transportation Department. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Stephanie Mencimer
NEW: I spoke with the inestimable Terry Gross (!) on @nprfreshair.bsky.social about my year-long investigation of Russ Vought, the "shadow president" of Trump's second presidency.
Listen here: www.npr.org/2025/10/30/n...
Listen here: www.npr.org/2025/10/30/n...
Who's the man behind President Trump's dismantling of the federal government?
In a New Yorker article co-published with ProPublica, reporter Andy Kroll describes Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, as a "shadow president" with oversized influence.
www.npr.org
October 31, 2025 at 2:30 PM
NEW: I spoke with the inestimable Terry Gross (!) on @nprfreshair.bsky.social about my year-long investigation of Russ Vought, the "shadow president" of Trump's second presidency.
Listen here: www.npr.org/2025/10/30/n...
Listen here: www.npr.org/2025/10/30/n...