James Fallows
@jfallows.bsky.social
Reporter and writer: https://fallows.substack.com/ and https://www.ourtownsfoundation.org/ One-time speechwriter, long-time pilot, longer-time husband of linguist/writer Deborah Fallows. Note same wristwatch in the two photos, more than 50 years apart.
From ever-brilliant @rubenbolling.bsky.social another great cartoon. See original here bsky.app/profile/rube...
And reminder that a certain SCOTUS member will be immortalized for something other than "I like beer!"
We should use his name in every account of these skin-color-based roundups.
And reminder that a certain SCOTUS member will be immortalized for something other than "I like beer!"
We should use his name in every account of these skin-color-based roundups.
January 15, 2026 at 4:43 PM
From ever-brilliant @rubenbolling.bsky.social another great cartoon. See original here bsky.app/profile/rube...
And reminder that a certain SCOTUS member will be immortalized for something other than "I like beer!"
We should use his name in every account of these skin-color-based roundups.
And reminder that a certain SCOTUS member will be immortalized for something other than "I like beer!"
We should use his name in every account of these skin-color-based roundups.
How can TurboTax be such a monopoly, and yet such a huge dysfunctional PITA?
Hmmmm, I guess that's not really a paradox, is it.
Hmmmm, I guess that's not really a paradox, is it.
January 14, 2026 at 8:02 PM
How can TurboTax be such a monopoly, and yet such a huge dysfunctional PITA?
Hmmmm, I guess that's not really a paradox, is it.
Hmmmm, I guess that's not really a paradox, is it.
When we were in China between betw 2006 and 2011, like most Western reporters I thought the worst thing outsiders had to fear was being kicked out of the country. They weren't detaining many (white) foreigners/reporters then.
Now this, from a US regime, in the nation's capital.
Now this, from a US regime, in the nation's capital.
January 14, 2026 at 2:32 PM
When we were in China between betw 2006 and 2011, like most Western reporters I thought the worst thing outsiders had to fear was being kicked out of the country. They weren't detaining many (white) foreigners/reporters then.
Now this, from a US regime, in the nation's capital.
Now this, from a US regime, in the nation's capital.
2/2
First image: Alabama State Troopers, Selma, 1965.
Second: Fed agents, LA, 2025. (LA times photo.)
First image: Alabama State Troopers, Selma, 1965.
Second: Fed agents, LA, 2025. (LA times photo.)
January 13, 2026 at 3:32 PM
2/2
First image: Alabama State Troopers, Selma, 1965.
Second: Fed agents, LA, 2025. (LA times photo.)
First image: Alabama State Troopers, Selma, 1965.
Second: Fed agents, LA, 2025. (LA times photo.)
The online hed/dek combo (below) is much better.
But, yeah, "racy" in print paper doesn't do the job.
How about, to fit same space:
Grok Creates
Porn Images,
Fuels Outcry
Or if that's too "judgmental,"
Grok Creates
Lewd Images,
Fuels Outcry
"Lewd" a little stronger than "racy."
But, yeah, "racy" in print paper doesn't do the job.
How about, to fit same space:
Grok Creates
Porn Images,
Fuels Outcry
Or if that's too "judgmental,"
Grok Creates
Lewd Images,
Fuels Outcry
"Lewd" a little stronger than "racy."
January 10, 2026 at 4:12 PM
The online hed/dek combo (below) is much better.
But, yeah, "racy" in print paper doesn't do the job.
How about, to fit same space:
Grok Creates
Porn Images,
Fuels Outcry
Or if that's too "judgmental,"
Grok Creates
Lewd Images,
Fuels Outcry
"Lewd" a little stronger than "racy."
But, yeah, "racy" in print paper doesn't do the job.
How about, to fit same space:
Grok Creates
Porn Images,
Fuels Outcry
Or if that's too "judgmental,"
Grok Creates
Lewd Images,
Fuels Outcry
"Lewd" a little stronger than "racy."
In case you haven't seen it, print front page of this morning's NYT.
January 9, 2026 at 7:19 PM
In case you haven't seen it, print front page of this morning's NYT.
Until various other chores kept me from doing so, was planning to do a Mercator-based substack post yesterday. Planned opening image is below.
We were in Greenland for a week last year. This is the flat-out stupidest thing Trump has yet proposed. Not most evil, but stupidest.
We were in Greenland for a week last year. This is the flat-out stupidest thing Trump has yet proposed. Not most evil, but stupidest.
January 9, 2026 at 1:02 AM
Until various other chores kept me from doing so, was planning to do a Mercator-based substack post yesterday. Planned opening image is below.
We were in Greenland for a week last year. This is the flat-out stupidest thing Trump has yet proposed. Not most evil, but stupidest.
We were in Greenland for a week last year. This is the flat-out stupidest thing Trump has yet proposed. Not most evil, but stupidest.
For "worst Floridian on the national scene," it's been a contest. Ron DeSantis? Matt Gaetz? Pam Bondi? Eileen Cannon? Jeb "Recount" Bush? Etc
*Best* Floridian has been locked up. It's former Gov and Senator, the phenomenal Bob Graham.
But now Marco Rubio making daring bid for 'worst' crown.
*Best* Floridian has been locked up. It's former Gov and Senator, the phenomenal Bob Graham.
But now Marco Rubio making daring bid for 'worst' crown.
January 4, 2026 at 7:55 PM
For "worst Floridian on the national scene," it's been a contest. Ron DeSantis? Matt Gaetz? Pam Bondi? Eileen Cannon? Jeb "Recount" Bush? Etc
*Best* Floridian has been locked up. It's former Gov and Senator, the phenomenal Bob Graham.
But now Marco Rubio making daring bid for 'worst' crown.
*Best* Floridian has been locked up. It's former Gov and Senator, the phenomenal Bob Graham.
But now Marco Rubio making daring bid for 'worst' crown.
2/2
To be 100% clear, Baghdad ref is of disastrous consequences of **not** thinking, "What comes next."
Did many articles (*before* the invasion) and a whole book on disaster of going "Blind Into Baghdad."
Eg: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/47835/...
To be 100% clear, Baghdad ref is of disastrous consequences of **not** thinking, "What comes next."
Did many articles (*before* the invasion) and a whole book on disaster of going "Blind Into Baghdad."
Eg: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/47835/...
January 3, 2026 at 4:38 PM
2/2
To be 100% clear, Baghdad ref is of disastrous consequences of **not** thinking, "What comes next."
Did many articles (*before* the invasion) and a whole book on disaster of going "Blind Into Baghdad."
Eg: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/47835/...
To be 100% clear, Baghdad ref is of disastrous consequences of **not** thinking, "What comes next."
Did many articles (*before* the invasion) and a whole book on disaster of going "Blind Into Baghdad."
Eg: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/47835/...
You have in mind things like this, I imagine ....
January 2, 2026 at 5:27 PM
You have in mind things like this, I imagine ....
Photo from Jan 2017.
Obama has always claimed to be, and is, 6'1" (I have met him, was eye-to-eye.)
Trump's courtier-physicians reported him that day as 6'3". (Have never met him, but...) Maybe they're now his economic-stats advisors.
Tonnage: By eyeball, Trump > two Obamas combined.
Obama has always claimed to be, and is, 6'1" (I have met him, was eye-to-eye.)
Trump's courtier-physicians reported him that day as 6'3". (Have never met him, but...) Maybe they're now his economic-stats advisors.
Tonnage: By eyeball, Trump > two Obamas combined.
January 1, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Photo from Jan 2017.
Obama has always claimed to be, and is, 6'1" (I have met him, was eye-to-eye.)
Trump's courtier-physicians reported him that day as 6'3". (Have never met him, but...) Maybe they're now his economic-stats advisors.
Tonnage: By eyeball, Trump > two Obamas combined.
Obama has always claimed to be, and is, 6'1" (I have met him, was eye-to-eye.)
Trump's courtier-physicians reported him that day as 6'3". (Have never met him, but...) Maybe they're now his economic-stats advisors.
Tonnage: By eyeball, Trump > two Obamas combined.
1) Worthwhile details in WSJ story on Trump's obviously declining health
www.wsj.com/us-news/as-s...
2) Imagine being a reporter and writing sentence below. (W/o prominent "sarcasm" marker)
Pro tip: Strike "sometimes." Instead try "nearly always" "chronically" "ceaselessly" "unblinkingly" etc
www.wsj.com/us-news/as-s...
2) Imagine being a reporter and writing sentence below. (W/o prominent "sarcasm" marker)
Pro tip: Strike "sometimes." Instead try "nearly always" "chronically" "ceaselessly" "unblinkingly" etc
January 1, 2026 at 4:42 PM
1) Worthwhile details in WSJ story on Trump's obviously declining health
www.wsj.com/us-news/as-s...
2) Imagine being a reporter and writing sentence below. (W/o prominent "sarcasm" marker)
Pro tip: Strike "sometimes." Instead try "nearly always" "chronically" "ceaselessly" "unblinkingly" etc
www.wsj.com/us-news/as-s...
2) Imagine being a reporter and writing sentence below. (W/o prominent "sarcasm" marker)
Pro tip: Strike "sometimes." Instead try "nearly always" "chronically" "ceaselessly" "unblinkingly" etc
3/
And here is illustration number three million of why the GOP refused to allow Jack Smith's deposition to be carried live, on TV.
And here is illustration number three million of why the GOP refused to allow Jack Smith's deposition to be carried live, on TV.
December 31, 2025 at 11:22 PM
3/
And here is illustration number three million of why the GOP refused to allow Jack Smith's deposition to be carried live, on TV.
And here is illustration number three million of why the GOP refused to allow Jack Smith's deposition to be carried live, on TV.
On Jack Smith deposition, now released:
100% obvious why GOP refused to allow this as open testimony, aired live. It's damning.
Testimony from John Dean or Alex ("wiretaps") Butterfield in Watergate days would have 1/10th the impact if just in print.
What Smith says is far more incriminating.
100% obvious why GOP refused to allow this as open testimony, aired live. It's damning.
Testimony from John Dean or Alex ("wiretaps") Butterfield in Watergate days would have 1/10th the impact if just in print.
What Smith says is far more incriminating.
December 31, 2025 at 10:46 PM
On Jack Smith deposition, now released:
100% obvious why GOP refused to allow this as open testimony, aired live. It's damning.
Testimony from John Dean or Alex ("wiretaps") Butterfield in Watergate days would have 1/10th the impact if just in print.
What Smith says is far more incriminating.
100% obvious why GOP refused to allow this as open testimony, aired live. It's damning.
Testimony from John Dean or Alex ("wiretaps") Butterfield in Watergate days would have 1/10th the impact if just in print.
What Smith says is far more incriminating.
Yin and yang of consumer-level AI, Dec 31 2025:
—Get very sophisticated explanation of aviation-tech detail I thought I understood, but didn't
—Ask for filmmaker ID for tech video I'm watching. Confident-sounding (and completely hallucinated) response below
But points for use of "actually."
—Get very sophisticated explanation of aviation-tech detail I thought I understood, but didn't
—Ask for filmmaker ID for tech video I'm watching. Confident-sounding (and completely hallucinated) response below
But points for use of "actually."
December 31, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Yin and yang of consumer-level AI, Dec 31 2025:
—Get very sophisticated explanation of aviation-tech detail I thought I understood, but didn't
—Ask for filmmaker ID for tech video I'm watching. Confident-sounding (and completely hallucinated) response below
But points for use of "actually."
—Get very sophisticated explanation of aviation-tech detail I thought I understood, but didn't
—Ask for filmmaker ID for tech video I'm watching. Confident-sounding (and completely hallucinated) response below
But points for use of "actually."
Gross, but: As a benchmark, I'm three years younger than this guy. Here is my right hand at this moment, after 4+ hours of nonstop typing and then a while at the piano.
No one will call this a beauty shot. But something is happening with the other guy.
No one will call this a beauty shot. But something is happening with the other guy.
December 29, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Gross, but: As a benchmark, I'm three years younger than this guy. Here is my right hand at this moment, after 4+ hours of nonstop typing and then a while at the piano.
No one will call this a beauty shot. But something is happening with the other guy.
No one will call this a beauty shot. But something is happening with the other guy.
1/2
-More-interesting-than-usual story on Trump's extortion demands on Harvard. (Remember when this was all about the MAGA/Fuentes team's heartfelt concern about antisemitism?)
-Headline badly mismatches contents of the story. As the reporting makes clear, the "escalation" is all on MAGA side.
-More-interesting-than-usual story on Trump's extortion demands on Harvard. (Remember when this was all about the MAGA/Fuentes team's heartfelt concern about antisemitism?)
-Headline badly mismatches contents of the story. As the reporting makes clear, the "escalation" is all on MAGA side.
December 26, 2025 at 6:05 PM
1/2
-More-interesting-than-usual story on Trump's extortion demands on Harvard. (Remember when this was all about the MAGA/Fuentes team's heartfelt concern about antisemitism?)
-Headline badly mismatches contents of the story. As the reporting makes clear, the "escalation" is all on MAGA side.
-More-interesting-than-usual story on Trump's extortion demands on Harvard. (Remember when this was all about the MAGA/Fuentes team's heartfelt concern about antisemitism?)
-Headline badly mismatches contents of the story. As the reporting makes clear, the "escalation" is all on MAGA side.
Unexpected view out the window at Dulles just now.
(This United livery is new to me. The lettering on the engine is about Sustainable Aviation Fuels — SAF.)
(This United livery is new to me. The lettering on the engine is about Sustainable Aviation Fuels — SAF.)
December 22, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Unexpected view out the window at Dulles just now.
(This United livery is new to me. The lettering on the engine is about Sustainable Aviation Fuels — SAF.)
(This United livery is new to me. The lettering on the engine is about Sustainable Aviation Fuels — SAF.)
She and my wife, Deb, once received honorary degrees together.
We had the chance to get to know her over the years. A wonderful leader and example.
We had the chance to get to know her over the years. A wonderful leader and example.
December 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
She and my wife, Deb, once received honorary degrees together.
We had the chance to get to know her over the years. A wonderful leader and example.
We had the chance to get to know her over the years. A wonderful leader and example.
2/2
For context, here is hed/dek on this story. More balanced in explaining what students did, but emphasis again on Harvard's "secrecy," not theirs.
For context, here is hed/dek on this story. More balanced in explaining what students did, but emphasis again on Harvard's "secrecy," not theirs.
December 19, 2025 at 2:26 PM
2/2
For context, here is hed/dek on this story. More balanced in explaining what students did, but emphasis again on Harvard's "secrecy," not theirs.
For context, here is hed/dek on this story. More balanced in explaining what students did, but emphasis again on Harvard's "secrecy," not theirs.
1/2 Ongoing "framing of Harvard stories" saga
Lede: News is secret investigation, about students "drawing scrutiny" to Epstein ties
Three grafs down: Actual problem is that students snuck into a class, and secretly recorded Summers's opening apology
Newsworthy "secrecy" is on student side, right?
Lede: News is secret investigation, about students "drawing scrutiny" to Epstein ties
Three grafs down: Actual problem is that students snuck into a class, and secretly recorded Summers's opening apology
Newsworthy "secrecy" is on student side, right?
December 19, 2025 at 2:23 PM
1/2 Ongoing "framing of Harvard stories" saga
Lede: News is secret investigation, about students "drawing scrutiny" to Epstein ties
Three grafs down: Actual problem is that students snuck into a class, and secretly recorded Summers's opening apology
Newsworthy "secrecy" is on student side, right?
Lede: News is secret investigation, about students "drawing scrutiny" to Epstein ties
Three grafs down: Actual problem is that students snuck into a class, and secretly recorded Summers's opening apology
Newsworthy "secrecy" is on student side, right?
Sane-washing headline in WaPo about Trump's on-screen hysteria last night. (First image.)
Accompanying WaPo story gets the idea across more clearly.
Accompanying WaPo story gets the idea across more clearly.
December 18, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Sane-washing headline in WaPo about Trump's on-screen hysteria last night. (First image.)
Accompanying WaPo story gets the idea across more clearly.
Accompanying WaPo story gets the idea across more clearly.
Enemies of the people.
Do not forget them.
(Have been in that room, sat at that table. When those around it were likes of Richard Holbrooke, Cyrus Vance, Andrew Young, Shirley Hufstedler, Joe Califano, Walter Mondale, Zbig Brez. Not ... these people.)
Do not forget them.
(Have been in that room, sat at that table. When those around it were likes of Richard Holbrooke, Cyrus Vance, Andrew Young, Shirley Hufstedler, Joe Califano, Walter Mondale, Zbig Brez. Not ... these people.)
December 16, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Enemies of the people.
Do not forget them.
(Have been in that room, sat at that table. When those around it were likes of Richard Holbrooke, Cyrus Vance, Andrew Young, Shirley Hufstedler, Joe Califano, Walter Mondale, Zbig Brez. Not ... these people.)
Do not forget them.
(Have been in that room, sat at that table. When those around it were likes of Richard Holbrooke, Cyrus Vance, Andrew Young, Shirley Hufstedler, Joe Califano, Walter Mondale, Zbig Brez. Not ... these people.)