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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 13h

ALSO NOTABLE: After Howard Lutnick recently said in the NY Post that Jeffrey Epstein was “the greatest blackmailer ever," Bondi now says that no one at FBI or DOJ has interviewed Lutnick about that—but "absolutely" would, if Kash Patel wants it. So, what's the holdup? www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/u...

3 Key Takeaways From the Bondi Hearing

www.nytimes.com

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 13h

"Grassley and other lawmakers have hedged when asked if they plan to call Smith as a witness to discuss his investigation, saying they plan to let the F.B.I. director, Kash Patel, conduct his own inquiry."

What's the hesitation? They don't want Jack Smith to testify? www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/u...

Republican Senators Denounce Jack Smith Over Jan. 6 Scrutiny of Phone Records

www.nytimes.com

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 18h

"Never before have we issued a joint public warning like this. But the profound, immediate and unprecedented threat Kennedy’s policies and positions pose to the nation’s health cannot be ignored."

"He has rejected science, misled the public and compromised the health of Americans." wapo.st/3VTALll

Opinion | Six surgeons general: It’s our duty to warn the nation about RFK Jr.

We took an oath to declare dangers when we found them. We’re doing that again today.

wapo.st

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Reposted by Mark Follman

David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 20h

It was taxpayers’ money. Did Homan give it back? If he kept it, did he declare it on his taxes?

Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 20h

Tom Homan, head of ICE, accepted $50k from undercover FBI agents last year, reportedly a bribe in a sting operation. All cash, in a paper bag. Pam Bondi, reading from a script, insists Homan did nothing wrong—yet she refuses to answer any questions about what happened to that cash? Really?

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 22h

WATCH — @whitehouse.senate.gov : “What became of the $50,000 in cash in that Cava bag? Did the FBI get it back from Homan?”

AG PAM BONDI: *LASHES OUT aggressively, avoids answering entirely* 🤷🏼‍♀️

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 20h

If Tom Homan did nothing wrong, as Bondi claims, then why not release the FBI recording so the public can see so? What is Bondi covering up?

“Homan was caught on a recording accepting a $50,000 bribe in a bag from the restaurant chain Cava, the sources said.” www.reuters.com/world/us/tru... 2/x

Trump aide Homan accepted $50,000 in bribery sting operation, sources say

In the alleged scheme, Homan promised immigration-related government contracts when he joined the Trump administration in exchange for the money.

www.reuters.com

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 20h

Tom Homan, head of ICE, accepted $50k from undercover FBI agents last year, reportedly a bribe in a sting operation. All cash, in a paper bag. Pam Bondi, reading from a script, insists Homan did nothing wrong—yet she refuses to answer any questions about what happened to that cash? Really?

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 22h

WATCH — @whitehouse.senate.gov : “What became of the $50,000 in cash in that Cava bag? Did the FBI get it back from Homan?”

AG PAM BONDI: *LASHES OUT aggressively, avoids answering entirely* 🤷🏼‍♀️

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 23h

Great story. If you unplug enough to miss the news of your own Nobel Prize, you’re doing something very right www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/h...

His Off-the-Grid Vacation Was Interrupted by Winning a Nobel Prize

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Mark Follman

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 1d

“.. On closer inspection, however, it turned out that the image was not a photograph of a real event in Portland, but instead a fabrication created by combining two photographs of scenes that unfolded in South America nearly a decade apart ..”

@theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 1d

“they’re very, very worried” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/m...

‘Bow to the Emperor’: We Asked 50 Legal Experts About the Trump Presidency

www.nytimes.com

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 1d

2/ "Child-exploitation cases are among those affected. Several current and former agents said investigations that require subpoenas, warrants or grand-jury testimony have been postponed or canceled outright"

"Informant networks are also fraying"

"The reassignments are driving senior officials out"

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 1d

Wall Street Journal reports that Trump is making America great for... mobsters, human traffickers and pedophiles?

Trump’s Immigration Push Diverts U.S. Agents From Drug, Money and Sex-Crime Cases www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Trump’s Immigration Push Diverts U.S. Agents From Drug, Money and Sex-Crime Cases

Federal investigators are resigning, and morale is low, as they juggle complex cases and detain migrants.

www.wsj.com

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Reposted by Mark Follman

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 2d

The brave men and women who serve in our national guards must not be used as political props. This is a moment where every American must speak up and help stop this madness.

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 1d

“California, and the country, cannot await the outcome of the midterms to repel Trump’s siege on democracy. More drastic action is required,” writes @clarajeffery.bsky.social

Powerful states can do a lot... California has the 4th largest economy in the world www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

It’s time for soft secession

How blue states can use their economic clout to stand up to Trump’s agenda—starting with California.

www.motherjones.com

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 2d

A Republican state lawmaker in Alaska succeeded in censoring a news article that provided factual context about Charlie Kirk www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/u...

Journalists at 3 Newspapers Quit Over Edits to a Charlie Kirk Story

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Mark Follman

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 3d

“There’s a baby!”

Guns drawn. Windows smashed. With a 1 month old in the car. (They did this as he was coming home from an immigration court appointment— which is illegal in Colorado: coloradosun.com/2025/10/01/i...)

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 4d

2/ "Watson said she saw agents dragging residents, including kids, out of the building without any clothes on and into U-Haul vans. Kids were separated from their mothers, she said.

“'It was heartbreaking to watch... seeing kids coming out buck naked and taken from their mothers, it was horrible.'"

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 4d

"Armed federal agents in military fatigues busted down doors overnight, pulling men, women and children from their apartments, some of them naked, residents and witnesses said... and US citizens were among those detained for hours." chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

Massive immigration raid on Chicago apartment building leaves residents reeling: 'I feel defeated'

The Department of Homeland Security said federal agents with Border Patrol, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested 37 people in the raid.

chicago.suntimes.com

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Reposted by Mark Follman

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 6d

MADELEINE DEAN: The president is unhinged. He's unwell

JOHNSON: A lot of folks on your side are too

D: Oh my god, please. That performance in front of the generals?

J: I didn't see it

D: It's so dangerous! Our allies are looking elsewhere. Our enemies are laughing. You have a POTUS who's unwell.

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Reposted by Mark Follman

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 6d

File this under “essential function.” 🤡

#Shutdown
abcnews.go.com/Politics/liv...

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 6d

"The main immediate use of Sora so far appears to be to allow people to generate brainrot of major beloved copyrighted characters, to say nothing of the millions of articles, blogs, books, images, videos, photos, and pieces of art that OpenAI has scraped..." www.404media.co/openais-sora...

OpenAI’s Sora 2 Copyright Infringement Machine Features Nazi SpongeBobs and Criminal Pikachus

The main use of Sora appears to generate brainrot of major beloved copyrighted characters, to say nothing of the millions of articles, images, and videos OpenAI has scraped.

www.404media.co

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Reposted by Mark Follman

Abby Vesoulis @abbyvesoulis.bsky.social · 7d

What happens when a miscarriage is treated like a crime?
That’s not a hypothetical anymore. It’s happening in the U.S. right now. 🧵 www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

When miscarriages become crimes

412 women faced criminal charges for pregnancy outcomes. This is what fetal personhood looks like.

www.motherjones.com

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 6d

I'll also add: I try as much as ever to resist alarmism on here, given the overripe state (biz model) of social media. That said, I have started to hear recently from key sources in violence prevention about how emerging AI capabilities are starting to intersect with threat cases and plots... 😬😨😱

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 6d

AI with no meaningful rules or regulation is an approaching disaster. This should be crystal clear by now. Kudos to @drewharwell.com for the continued reporting on this front.

Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 6d

I spent some time with OpenAI's new AI video app Sora. Not just slop but ragebait, fake crimes and women splattered with white goo. The implications of all of this are horrifying.

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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 7d

Appropriately withering on the deeply embarrasing Hegseth pageant www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Opinion | Trump and Hegseth’s backward-facing message to the generals

A preoccupation with “woke” culture and “enemies” won’t prepare the military for the high-tech demands of 21st-century war.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Mark Follman

Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 7d

What I would give for a completely honest, anonymous assessment of this appalling and ludicrous spectacle from the commanders in the room.

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