On Dec. 15, the White House announced an executive order designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. The order claims that fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic and warns about its potential use by adversaries in a terror attack. Read the order, from @pwbeck.bsky.social.

"It seemed much closer to the alt-right site 4chan than a children’s game. The edgy and what’s real become blurred."

Tremendous reporting by @courtwatch.bsky.social's @pwbeck.bsky.social on new counterterrorism front lines and the validity of violent threats. @seamushughes.bsky.social

a big runoff last night, in New Orleans:

Calvin Duncan was exonerated after spending *28 years* in prison; he tried to get his own case records from the New Orleans city clerk—but the office dragged its feet.

So Duncan ran to become city clerk himself, and yesterday ousted the incumbent.

For our second issue of ‘The Rabbit Hole’ where we dive deep into in one court docket, @pwbeck.bsky.social enters the Roblox world of edgy gamers to understand if a Texas arrest is terrorism or terminally online.

Or perhaps both.

www.courtwatch.news/p/the-rabbit...

This morning, we’re happy to launch a new regular Sunday morning feature we’re affectionately calling ‘The Rabbit Hole.’ This weekly series, led by our reporting fellow, Peter Beck, picks a single federal court docket from the week and dives deep into the details

www.courtwatch.news/p/the-rabbit...

After the officers forced open her door, 92-year-old Johnston fired a single shot that hit no one. The officers responded with a swarm of 39 bullets screaming through Johnston’s living room.

setting *everything* else aside, "Vermin were not a problem prior to March 17, 2025" was a very funny line to read in a court doc

h/t to @courtwatch.bsky.social for digging up this gem in this week's newsletter (and go subscribe!)

Anyway, @pwbeck.bsky.social either has an absolute banger coming out later today or something that has been well covered before. Who knows.

www.courtwatch.news/p/lawsuits-r...

Court records lay out a relatively fast investigation by the FBI once alerted to Alexander White's alleged support for ISIS. The three-and-a-half-month investigation began after White had posted ISIS content online

A exclusive by Peter Beck & me

www.courtwatch.news/p/north-caro...

Today, we make the case why you should support Court Watch.

Here’s our deeply transparent look at what it takes to make news

www.courtwatch.news/p/help-us-tu...

I remember, as an arrogant young writer, being offended the first time something I’d written was properly fact checked. Now I wish a could get a fact checker for everything I write, and I feel like I’m flying without a net when I don’t have one.

I have a long investigative piece at the New Republic this morning on medical examiners, George Floyd, and our broken system of investigating suspicious deaths

newrepublic.com/article/1769...