St. John Barned-Smith
@stjbs.bsky.social
Reporting for the SF Chronicle. RPCV: Paraguay. Call me ‘Sinjin.'
Signal: stjbs.82
Signal: stjbs.82
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
Posting stupid memes after being accused of murder is the response of a sneering, spoiled punk who has been caught doing wrong and is now daring the local fuzz to take him in and risk the anger of his rich dad—a role fulfilled by Donald Trump, in this case.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Pete Hegseth Needs to Go—Now
A man with such contempt for the military should not run the Pentagon.
www.theatlantic.com
December 2, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Posting stupid memes after being accused of murder is the response of a sneering, spoiled punk who has been caught doing wrong and is now daring the local fuzz to take him in and risk the anger of his rich dad—a role fulfilled by Donald Trump, in this case.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
this is going to be a fucking shitshow, lmao
Costco sues the Trump administration, seeking a refund of tariffs
The wholesaler is the latest company to file a lawsuit against a federal agency over the president's signature economic policy.
www.nbcnews.com
December 1, 2025 at 11:22 PM
this is going to be a fucking shitshow, lmao
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
Kelly: He runs around on stage talking about lethality and the warrior ethos.. That’s not the message that should be coming from the Secretary of Defense… He runs around on a stage like he’s a 12 year old playing army. It’s embarrassing.
December 1, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Kelly: He runs around on stage talking about lethality and the warrior ethos.. That’s not the message that should be coming from the Secretary of Defense… He runs around on a stage like he’s a 12 year old playing army. It’s embarrassing.
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
Q: You said that second strike was in accordance with the law of armed conflict, but the Navy's own manual says that firing on survivors from a wrecked vessel is an example of a war crime
LEAVITT: I would reiterate that the strike was conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict
LEAVITT: I would reiterate that the strike was conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict
December 1, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Q: You said that second strike was in accordance with the law of armed conflict, but the Navy's own manual says that firing on survivors from a wrecked vessel is an example of a war crime
LEAVITT: I would reiterate that the strike was conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict
LEAVITT: I would reiterate that the strike was conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
RIP writer James Baldwin, died this day 1987.
"I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain".
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
"I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain".
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
December 1, 2025 at 1:09 PM
RIP writer James Baldwin, died this day 1987.
"I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain".
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
"I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain".
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
People on board the boat were said to have survived an initial strike and were killed in a follow-up attack. Officials said the boat appeared to have turned back toward shore. Three sources, including Sen. Rand Paul said the boat was attacked by one or more drones.
theintercept.com/2025/09/10/u...
theintercept.com/2025/09/10/u...
September 11, 2025 at 9:29 PM
People on board the boat were said to have survived an initial strike and were killed in a follow-up attack. Officials said the boat appeared to have turned back toward shore. Three sources, including Sen. Rand Paul said the boat was attacked by one or more drones.
theintercept.com/2025/09/10/u...
theintercept.com/2025/09/10/u...
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
Lol, Zillow tried to rate the climate risks facing individual properties. The real estate industry *hated* it, precisely because it worked -- it made selling risky properties more difficult. So they rebelled & Zillow caved.
Don't look up!
Don't look up!
Zillow Removes Climate Risk Scores From Home Listings
www.nytimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Lol, Zillow tried to rate the climate risks facing individual properties. The real estate industry *hated* it, precisely because it worked -- it made selling risky properties more difficult. So they rebelled & Zillow caved.
Don't look up!
Don't look up!
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
He cherishes country music everybody.
November 30, 2025 at 10:57 PM
He cherishes country music everybody.
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
the administration is being cute about it now, but a funny thing about the Hegseth double tap reporting is that he made a lengthy huffy comment after the story published. He had a chance to deny it, and say (or lie even) I never said this. This isn’t a trick question, he coulda done that. He didn’t!
December 1, 2025 at 3:47 AM
the administration is being cute about it now, but a funny thing about the Hegseth double tap reporting is that he made a lengthy huffy comment after the story published. He had a chance to deny it, and say (or lie even) I never said this. This isn’t a trick question, he coulda done that. He didn’t!
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
If the Venezuelan sailors were enemy combatants, then the 2nd strike is a war crime.
If the Venezuelan sailors weren’t enemy combatants, then both strikes are criminal murder.
It’s that simple.
If the Venezuelan sailors weren’t enemy combatants, then both strikes are criminal murder.
It’s that simple.
November 30, 2025 at 8:42 PM
If the Venezuelan sailors were enemy combatants, then the 2nd strike is a war crime.
If the Venezuelan sailors weren’t enemy combatants, then both strikes are criminal murder.
It’s that simple.
If the Venezuelan sailors weren’t enemy combatants, then both strikes are criminal murder.
It’s that simple.
Trump frees fraudster days into prison sentence www.nytimes.com/2025/11/29/u...
Trump Frees Fraudster Just Days Into Seven-Year Prison Sentence
www.nytimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Trump frees fraudster days into prison sentence www.nytimes.com/2025/11/29/u...
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
Imagine if they just subsidized newspapers and magazines the way they’re subsidizing this slop
"All of this falls apart if humans don't adopt the tech. This is why you've seen Meta cram its lame chatbots into WhatsApp and Instagram. This is why Notepad and Paint now have useless Copilot buttons on Windows. This is why Google Gemini wants to "help you" read and reply to your emails."
Analysis: OpenAI is a loss-making machine, how can it survive?
Don't call it a bubble! Loss-making monster OpenAI is on the hook for $1.4 trillion (with a T) in compute commitments. How can this go on?
www.windowscentral.com
November 30, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Imagine if they just subsidized newspapers and magazines the way they’re subsidizing this slop
Mass shooting at children’s birthday party in Stockton leaves 4 dead, 10 injured
www.sfchronicle.com/crime/articl...
www.sfchronicle.com/crime/articl...
Mass shooting at children’s birthday party leaves 4 dead, 10 injured
Law enforcement responded to a shooting in Stockton Saturday evening that sent several victims to area hospitals.
www.sfchronicle.com
November 30, 2025 at 6:06 AM
Mass shooting at children’s birthday party in Stockton leaves 4 dead, 10 injured
www.sfchronicle.com/crime/articl...
www.sfchronicle.com/crime/articl...
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
"Never spread the lie in the headline" should be a hard rule of 21st century journalism.
Research shows that repeating lies helps to spread them, and people read headlines more than they read stories.
Research shows that repeating lies helps to spread them, and people read headlines more than they read stories.
News media has to do better with headlines that present false and unverified public health claims.
November 30, 2025 at 1:10 AM
"Never spread the lie in the headline" should be a hard rule of 21st century journalism.
Research shows that repeating lies helps to spread them, and people read headlines more than they read stories.
Research shows that repeating lies helps to spread them, and people read headlines more than they read stories.
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
The White House web site now includes a "media bias" tracker with a leaderboard and an offender hall of shame. www.whitehouse.gov/mediabias/
November 29, 2025 at 2:59 AM
The White House web site now includes a "media bias" tracker with a leaderboard and an offender hall of shame. www.whitehouse.gov/mediabias/
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
This is, obviously, some deeply disturbing shit.
The White House web site now includes a "media bias" tracker with a leaderboard and an offender hall of shame. www.whitehouse.gov/mediabias/
November 30, 2025 at 12:27 AM
This is, obviously, some deeply disturbing shit.
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
A Backlash Is Brewing Against Companies Helping ICE
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
A Backlash Is Brewing Against Companies Helping ICE
Activists are targeting the reputations of Home Depot, AT&T, and other businesses.
open.substack.com
November 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
A Backlash Is Brewing Against Companies Helping ICE
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
They are blowing up boats for drug trafficking.
Then he is pardoning a drug trafficker.
Illogical.
Then he is pardoning a drug trafficker.
Illogical.
November 29, 2025 at 7:30 AM
They are blowing up boats for drug trafficking.
Then he is pardoning a drug trafficker.
Illogical.
Then he is pardoning a drug trafficker.
Illogical.
“This action would be nothing short of catastrophic and would destroy the credibility of the U.S. in the international community,” a high-ranking DEA said, adding the move imperiled the reputation of the United States and its international investigations into drug trafficking.
Juan Orlando Hernández was accused of receiving millions in bribes and conspiring with cocaine traffickers to import drugs into the United States. He was convicted in Manhattan in 2024 and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
Trump Announces Pardon for Honduran Ex-President Convicted in Drug Case
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:30 PM
“This action would be nothing short of catastrophic and would destroy the credibility of the U.S. in the international community,” a high-ranking DEA said, adding the move imperiled the reputation of the United States and its international investigations into drug trafficking.
Juan Orlando Hernández was accused of receiving millions in bribes and conspiring with cocaine traffickers to import drugs into the United States. He was convicted in Manhattan in 2024 and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
Trump Announces Pardon for Honduran Ex-President Convicted in Drug Case
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Juan Orlando Hernández was accused of receiving millions in bribes and conspiring with cocaine traffickers to import drugs into the United States. He was convicted in Manhattan in 2024 and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
In case you’re wondering why Pete Hegseth is freaking out about a congressional video reminding the military not to participate in illegal orders:
To put a finer point on this whole thing: "Two people with direct knowledge of the operation" — presumably uniformed military leaders — are accusing the U.S. Secretary of Defense of personally ordering specific war crimes. That's a historic accusation.
Textbook war crime/extrajudicial killing
"Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions."
Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social
"Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions."
Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social
November 29, 2025 at 12:14 AM
In case you’re wondering why Pete Hegseth is freaking out about a congressional video reminding the military not to participate in illegal orders:
This is a wild thing to say
Nehls to Kash Patel: "I would say if Charlie Kirk lived in Biblical times, he'd have been the 13th disciple."
November 29, 2025 at 6:37 PM
This is a wild thing to say
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
NEW: The New York Times got a State Dept. cable telling diplomats to destroy visas that had been approved and printed to give to Afghans. And diplomats are told to do scheduled interviews but not grant visas. US shuts all legal entry routes for Afghans. Our story: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/u...
Trump Pauses All Asylum Applications and Halts Visas for Afghans
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:02 AM
NEW: The New York Times got a State Dept. cable telling diplomats to destroy visas that had been approved and printed to give to Afghans. And diplomats are told to do scheduled interviews but not grant visas. US shuts all legal entry routes for Afghans. Our story: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/u...
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
New Yorkers BLOCK ICE from leaving their parking garage ahead of a flopped mass raid attempt on Canal Street
November 29, 2025 at 4:39 PM
New Yorkers BLOCK ICE from leaving their parking garage ahead of a flopped mass raid attempt on Canal Street
Reposted by St. John Barned-Smith
The purpose of a system of is what it does.
OpenAI's Sora Is Letting Teens Generate Videos of School Shootings
OpenAI's Sora 2 easily allows teenagers to generate videos of school shootings and other harmful content, despite repeated claims of safety.
futurism.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:28 PM
The purpose of a system of is what it does.