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capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
Alexander Cohen
@capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
730 followers 2.4K following 310 posts
Investigative data journalist. Native Washingtonian, garage rock ❤️. Past work: Bloomberg, CNN, Center for Public Integrity, Reuters. Aspiring Butlerian Jihadist. Teach me. Mostly doesn’t follow soapboxers, meanies. He/him. Signal: capitolmuckrakr.01
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Reposted by Alexander Cohen
robertscotthorton.bsky.social
"The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both"
November 29, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
davelevinthal.com
UPDATE: The makers of the Relaxium sleep supplement have scrubbed their website, socials and 1-800 customer service line of Amb. Mike Huckabee's likeness and voice following this @notus.com article. www.notus.org/money/mike-h...
Mike Huckabee Is Peddling Sleep Supplements While Serving as Ambassador to Israel
“Ambassadors need to sleep, too,” the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem said in a statement.
www.notus.org
November 29, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
rgoodlaw.bsky.social
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
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
nycsouthpaw.bsky.social
This is murder. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken directive, according to two people with direct knowledge of the operation. "The order was to kill everybody," one of them said. A missile screamed off the Trinidad coast, striking the vessel and igniting a blaze from bow to stern. For minutes, commanders watched the boat burning on a live drone feed. As the smoke cleared, they got a jolt: Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack - the opening salvo in the Trump administration's war on suspected drug traffickers in the Western Hemisphere — ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth's instructions, two people familiar with the matter said. The two men were blown apart in the water.
November 28, 2025 at 6:16 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
The environment?
The first amendment/civil liberties?
Architecture/Interior Decorating?!

Feels like Gallup missed a few here.

I’d be curious to know the methodology for choosing issues (I’ll look it up eventually). Is there a limit for how many you want to include because of decision fatigue?
A bar chart titled "President Trump's Job Approval Ratings on Issues" from a Gallup poll conducted November 3-25, 2025. The chart displays the percentage of approval for how Donald Trump is handling various issues. The issues and their corresponding approval percentages are: * Overall job: 36% * Crime: 43% * Foreign affairs: 41% * Foreign trade: 39% * Immigration: 37% * The economy: 36% * The situation in the Middle East between the Israelis and Palestinians: 33% * The federal budget: 31% * The situation in Ukraine: 31% * Healthcare policy: 30% The highest approval rating is for Crime (43%) and the lowest is for Healthcare policy (30%).
November 28, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
mrspowersdayjob.bsky.social
Sometimes I think it’s going to be the librarians who will save us all.
A large (maybe 3 feet wide by 5 feet tall) sign on the end of a row of bookshelves that tells the “address” of books that have sensitive content.
November 25, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
alttag.bsky.social
A much better summary of the stay: news.wttw.com/2025/11/19/a...
Appeals Court Halts Sweeping Order that Restricts Immigration Agents’ Use of Force Around Chicago
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to stay an order issued by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis that sought to rein in agents’ use of tear gas, pepper balls and other crowd control measures ...
news.wttw.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
ethanelkind.bsky.social
A new investigation reveals $28B in dirty money laundered through crypto exchanges, while the US weakens oversight.

We'll discuss today on Your Call w/ @spencerwoodman.bsky.social & Sam Ellefson @icij.org.

Tune in @kalwradio.bsky.social 10am PT or stream live!

www.kalw.org/show/your-ca...
ICIJ investigation exposes crypto industry’s $28b in dirty money
As the crypto industry has become less regulated, billions in funds from scammers, money launderers, and other criminal groups have flowed onto major crypto exchanges.
www.kalw.org
November 25, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
mguariglia.bsky.social
Gosh, one quick search will show a dozen of these cases.
Former Florida police officer accused of using federal databases to prowl for women
The FBI is investigating a former Florida police officer accused of using federal databases to pursue women romantically. Officials say 36-year-old Leonel Marines tracked down hundreds of women with d...
www.ktvq.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:31 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
“Overall, after reviewing all the evidence, the Court finds that Defendants’ widespread misrepresentations call into question everything that Defendants say they are doing.”
blockclubchi.bsky.social Block Club Chicago @blockclubchi.bsky.social · 3d
The feds repeatedly lied and misled the public during Chicago's immigration crackdown, a federal judge ruled in a scathing opinion. blockclubchi.co/3JVoFWJ
November 26, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
adamsteinbaugh.bsky.social
Eleventh Circuit affirms $1 million sanctions award against Trump attorneys, led by Alina Habba, for frivolous "racketeering" lawsuit against Hillary Clinton (among many others): storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
The district court decided that the amended complaint advanced legal theories foreclosed by precedent “that the most basic legal research would have revealed.” It listed several examples, including Trump’s statutory and equitable tolling theories. Trump and Habba argue that “the case law is unsettled or there was a reasonable request for an extension of the law,” at least for the tolling argument. Many of Trump’s and Habba’s legal arguments were indeed frivolous. Even setting aside the tolling arguments, the district court ruled that Trump brought several frivolous claims, including a “malicious prosecution claim without a prosecution,” and a “trade secret claim without a trade secret.” Trump also appended seven counts to his indictment which did not allege any cause of action and which the district court found were “the high-water mark of shotgun pleading.” Trump leaves all these frivolous claims behind, making a total of 11 of his 16 claims he does not appeal. Trump and Habba give us no reason to reverse the district court’s ruling that these claims were frivolous
November 26, 2025 at 2:19 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
“If she [Leavitt] were to help in any way, if she were willing to do anything to help us, she would have reached out by now. She has my phone number. We’ve been family for the last 13 years.”
ndhapple.bsky.social Nolan Hicks @ndhapple.bsky.social · 3d
“After Ferreira was detained, Dos Santos Rodrigues said Michael Leavitt Sr. and his father, Bob Leavitt, reached out to her.”

“‘They just kept saying, ‘Tell her to self-deport,’” she recalled. “Self-deport to where? Brazil is not her home.’” www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/26/m...
‘Brazil is not her home.’ Mother of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, brought to US as child, detained by ICE. - The Boston Globe
Bruna Ferreira, 33, was brought to the United States as a child in 1998. She is now in removal proceedings in Louisiana.
www.bostonglobe.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:18 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
An anonymous spokesperson really solidifies that ongoing presence
November 26, 2025 at 1:45 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
They’re still here? federalnewsnetwork.com/it-moderniza...
DOGE and its long-term counterpart remain, with a full slate of modernization projects underway
A DOGE spokesperson confirmed DOGE still exists as a temporary organization within the U.S. DOGE Service, and that Amy Gleason remains the acting head of USDS.
federalnewsnetwork.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
joemurph.bsky.social
Big, yearlong investigation from @NBCNews.com landed today:

"Dozens of pregnant women locked up in county jails described excruciating pain, saying their cries for help were ignored as they miscarried or gave birth into cell toilets or on filthy jail floors."

www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
'Why won't you help me?' Pregnant women and their babies are dying in jail
Dozens of pregnant women locked up in county jails described excruciating pain, saying their cries for help were ignored as they miscarried or gave birth into cell toilets or on filthy jail floors.
www.nbcnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
werd.io
Just published a deep look at where open social networks stand in 2025: Mastodon’s leadership change, Bluesky’s trajectory, AT Protocol, ActivityPub, cross-network tools, and more. For newsrooms and public service orgs, this moment really matters. werd.io/the-state-of...
The State of the Open Social Web
A comprehensive look at Mastodon, Bluesky, and the growing ecosystem of open, interoperable social networks.
werd.io
November 18, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
karenattiah.bsky.social
A reminder that seven years ago almost to the day, the CIA determined that Mohammed Bin Salman ordered the killing of @washingtonpost.com journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

I hired and worked with Jamal for a year.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/nation...
CIA concludes Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi’s assassination
Audio recordings, intercepted phone calls and other intelligence link Mohammed bin Salman to killing that Saudis say was conducted by rogue elements.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
cfarivar.bsky.social
"We found that 74% of homeowners affected by the Marshall Fire were underinsured, and 36% were so severely underinsured that their policy covered less than 75% of the rebuild cost."

theconversation.com/many-colorad...
Many Colorado homeowners are underinsured − here’s what to do before the next fire
Paying attention to the sticker price doesn’t always result in the best insurance coverage.
theconversation.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
karenattiah.bsky.social
I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.

He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
Opinion | Jamal Khashoggi: What the Arab world needs most is free expression
The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
zacheverson.com
There’s also a $150 record player that shows the unaltered presidential seal

3/
The record player
November 15, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
mickeykuhns.bsky.social
“A Native American girl was nearly deported from her own country because ICE saw brown skin and assumed ‘illegal.’ This isn’t security — it’s racial profiling and state intimidation. These are Gestapo-style tactics happening in America right now.”

azmirror.com/2025/11/12/a...
November 13, 2025 at 10:44 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
They better not even touch Rothko. wapo.st/4oDLgWx
Phillips Collection will sell O’Keeffe and other masterpieces, sparking backlash
The Phillips Collection will sell at auction artworks by Georgia O’Keeffe, Georges Seurat and Arthur Dove, drawing a debate over deaccessioning.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:21 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
According to a recent analysis by JPMorgan Fundamental Research, “AI products would have to create an additional $650 billion a year, indefinitely, to give investors a reasonable 10% annual return…This equates to every iPhone owner in the world paying an extra $35 or so a month.”
When AI Hype Meets AI Reality: A Reckoning in 6 Charts
Record capital expenditures and data-center planning are running up against the ground truths of physical infrastructure.
www.wsj.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
zacheverson.com
“Housing shortage – Jews to blame," letter sticker, German Reich, 1938

zwangsraeume.berlin/en/context
A stamped letter saying "Die Wohungsnot Schuld Der Juden"
November 14, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Reposted by Alexander Cohen
altcdc.altgov.info
🚨🚨
🧵1/6 #FedFam, reporters - urgent help needed

🚨CDC Museum (a Smithsonian affiliate) is being shuttered🚨

Staff are being “un-RIFed” just to close the museum permanently — then RIFed again in Jan

This is bureaucratic cruelty & cultural vandalism

CDC Library is a national treasure
#SaveCDCLibrary
The David J. Sencer CDC Museum: In Association with the Smithsonian
Free museum exhibiting public health topics and the history of CDC.
www.cdc.gov
November 13, 2025 at 7:09 PM