Eliot Higgins
@eliothiggins.bsky.social
Founder and creative director of Bellingcat and director of Bellingcat Productions BV. Author of We Are Bellingcat.
Pinned
🧵 @jburnmurdoch.ft.com is spot on about the conditions in his FT piece. Liberal democracy held it together thanks to growth, good demographics, and the promise of a better future. Those days are gone, and that’s the "why" behind the erosion. However...
Democratic politicians have, though, pursued growth in GDP at the expense of other values. One response to @jburnmurdoch.ft.com pessimistic scenario is refocus on those values, combined with egalitarianism, sufficiency and quality of life. Not "it's the economy, stupid" but "it's the the society"
The events of the last 24 hours show why it's important to build functional verification structures in public and counterpublic spaces to resist the authoritarian erosion of our democratic systems, as described in this thread.
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
Please note that she's READING this. She PREPARED this as a rebuttal for questions about Epstein. She planned this, had someone write it down, and read it.
Bondi crashes out over Epstein: "The Dow is over 50,000 dollars! I don't know why you're laughing. You're a great stock trader as I hear, Raskin. The Dow is over 50,000 right now. The S&P at almost 7,000, and the Nasdaq smashing records. That's what we should be talking about."
February 11, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Please note that she's READING this. She PREPARED this as a rebuttal for questions about Epstein. She planned this, had someone write it down, and read it.
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
In Jan OpenAI fired VP of public policy (safety) for discrimination against a male colleague. There are no details about the alleged complaint but she had raised concerns about the ChatGPT’s proposed adult mode and was vocal that co wasn’t doing enough to stop CSAM. She also led mentorship for women
Exclusive | OpenAI Executive Who Opposed ‘Adult Mode’ Fired for Sexual Discrimination
Ryan Beiermeister, who served as the vice president leading OpenAI’s product policy team, had raised concerns about the upcoming launch of erotic content.
www.wsj.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:57 PM
In Jan OpenAI fired VP of public policy (safety) for discrimination against a male colleague. There are no details about the alleged complaint but she had raised concerns about the ChatGPT’s proposed adult mode and was vocal that co wasn’t doing enough to stop CSAM. She also led mentorship for women
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
Pam Bondi is asked whether it's true that 1000 people were tasked at the Justice Department with scrubbing Trump's name from the Epstein files.
She says Trump's name has appeared "countless times" in the Epstein files.
She thinks this is a win.
She says Trump's name has appeared "countless times" in the Epstein files.
She thinks this is a win.
February 11, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Pam Bondi is asked whether it's true that 1000 people were tasked at the Justice Department with scrubbing Trump's name from the Epstein files.
She says Trump's name has appeared "countless times" in the Epstein files.
She thinks this is a win.
She says Trump's name has appeared "countless times" in the Epstein files.
She thinks this is a win.
I've seen beached whales less out of their depth.
Pam Bondi starts ranting about the DOW and S&P in the middle of questions about the Epstein files.
February 11, 2026 at 4:40 PM
I've seen beached whales less out of their depth.
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
Trump tried to throw Members of Congress in jail for reminding servicemembers they don't have to follow illegal orders. He is weaponizing the DOJ to silence dissent & not one Republican has stepped up to stop him. Thankfully, a grand jury rejected it. We will not be intimidated.
Trump administration fails to indict Democrats involved in 'illegal orders' video
President Donald Trump had accused six Democratic lawmakers of "seditious behavior" after they urged members of the military and intelligence communities to refuse unlawful orders.
www.nbcnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Trump tried to throw Members of Congress in jail for reminding servicemembers they don't have to follow illegal orders. He is weaponizing the DOJ to silence dissent & not one Republican has stepped up to stop him. Thankfully, a grand jury rejected it. We will not be intimidated.
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
Pam Bondi starts ranting about the DOW and S&P in the middle of questions about the Epstein files.
February 11, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Pam Bondi starts ranting about the DOW and S&P in the middle of questions about the Epstein files.
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
No grand jurors found the Trump DOJ met low probable cause threshold in failed indictment of Democratic lawmakers
www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
No grand jurors found the Trump DOJ met low probable cause threshold in failed indictment of Democratic lawmakers
None of the D.C. grand jurors who heard the Trump administration’s pitch on why they should indict Democratic lawmakers over a video urging members of the
www.nbcnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:46 PM
No grand jurors found the Trump DOJ met low probable cause threshold in failed indictment of Democratic lawmakers
www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
wow -- Bondi throws a fit in response to Nadler's question about how many of Epstein's co-conspirators, if any, she's investigating, aggressively pointing at him and yelling. The hearing then devolves into chaos and Raskin and Bondi start yelling at each other.
February 11, 2026 at 4:01 PM
wow -- Bondi throws a fit in response to Nadler's question about how many of Epstein's co-conspirators, if any, she's investigating, aggressively pointing at him and yelling. The hearing then devolves into chaos and Raskin and Bondi start yelling at each other.
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
ICYMI - We released another edition of our "Who the Hell?" biographical series on Steven Crowder. It chronicles his start in acting and stand-up comedy, explores his pivot into politics, and traces how his rise into conservative podcasting stardom (and the poor decisions now catching up to him)
Who the Hell is Steven Crowder? The latest installment in our longform biography series features Byron from @thancrowder.bsky.social to explore how a Canadian kid with Hollywood dreams wound up becoming one of the biggest right-wing podcasters to ever do it
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
078: Who the Hell is Steven Crowder? feat. Byron McKoy
Podcast Episode · Posting Through It · 02/09/2026 · 2h 28m
podcasts.apple.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:45 PM
ICYMI - We released another edition of our "Who the Hell?" biographical series on Steven Crowder. It chronicles his start in acting and stand-up comedy, explores his pivot into politics, and traces how his rise into conservative podcasting stardom (and the poor decisions now catching up to him)
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
Jayapal: To the survivors in the room, if you are willing, please stand. And if you are willing, please raise your hands. If you have still not been able to meet with this DOJ. Please note for the record that every single survivor has raised their hand.
February 11, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Jayapal: To the survivors in the room, if you are willing, please stand. And if you are willing, please raise your hands. If you have still not been able to meet with this DOJ. Please note for the record that every single survivor has raised their hand.
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
Raskin to Bondi: "You're not showing a lot interest in the victims. Whether it's Epstein's human trafficking ring or the homicidal government violence against citizens in Minneapolis, as AG you're siding with the perpetrators and ignoring the victims."
February 11, 2026 at 3:22 PM
Raskin to Bondi: "You're not showing a lot interest in the victims. Whether it's Epstein's human trafficking ring or the homicidal government violence against citizens in Minneapolis, as AG you're siding with the perpetrators and ignoring the victims."
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
Pramila Jayapal starts with the cover-up of Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem's name in the email that
February 11, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Pramila Jayapal starts with the cover-up of Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem's name in the email that
Prosecutors ‘in close contact’ with police investigating Andrew and Mandelson links to Epstein
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Prosecutors ‘in close contact’ with police investigating Andrew and Mandelson links to Epstein
Head of Crown Prosecution Service for England and Wales says he is working with Thames Valley and Met forces
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Prosecutors ‘in close contact’ with police investigating Andrew and Mandelson links to Epstein
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
REMINDER: Atty. Gen. Bondi is testifying today, Feb. 11, in an oversight hearing by the House Judiciary Committee at 10 AM. You can watch it either on c-span or YouTube.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-a2...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-a2...
Oversight of the U.S Department of Justice
Learn more at http://republicans-judiciary.house.gov
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www.youtube.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:01 PM
REMINDER: Atty. Gen. Bondi is testifying today, Feb. 11, in an oversight hearing by the House Judiciary Committee at 10 AM. You can watch it either on c-span or YouTube.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-a2...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-a2...
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
in fact you do not have to show your ID when you board a train in the united states, you only need to show your ticket (which can be purchased without an ID)
Markwayne Mullin defends "show me your papers": "If you're here legally, there's nothing to hide. Most people already are walking around with a government-issued ID, meaning your Real ID or your driver's license. If you go board a train here, you gotta show your ID."
February 11, 2026 at 1:59 PM
in fact you do not have to show your ID when you board a train in the united states, you only need to show your ticket (which can be purchased without an ID)
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
MS NOW: "A congressional official with knowledge of the matter is telling MS NOW the cause of the shutdown of El Paso airspace is a lack of communication between the Pentagon and FAA. The official told us the FAA and DOD are 'not in clear communications with each other.'"
February 11, 2026 at 2:22 PM
MS NOW: "A congressional official with knowledge of the matter is telling MS NOW the cause of the shutdown of El Paso airspace is a lack of communication between the Pentagon and FAA. The official told us the FAA and DOD are 'not in clear communications with each other.'"
Looking forward to seeing how they power a huge factory complex with space catapult without building a vast number of batteries or using nuclear power, and that's just one of dozens of issues.
Elon Musk told employees at xAI, his artificial intelligence company, on Tuesday that the company needed a factory on the moon to build A.I. satellites and a massive catapult to launch them into space.
Elon Musk Wants to Build an A.I. Satellite Factory on the Moon
In a meeting with employees at his company xAI, Mr. Musk revealed a vision for a facility that includes a giant catapult to launch his satellites into space.
nyti.ms
February 11, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Looking forward to seeing how they power a huge factory complex with space catapult without building a vast number of batteries or using nuclear power, and that's just one of dozens of issues.
This is like a paedophile saying at least the puppies were real.
Lyons says ICE agents actually "took care" of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos when they detained him, before shipping him off to a horrific Texas ICE facility.
He says ICE officers "comforted him" as they chased his dad, put him in their car to play "his favorite music, then took him to McDonalds."
He says ICE officers "comforted him" as they chased his dad, put him in their car to play "his favorite music, then took him to McDonalds."
February 11, 2026 at 12:57 PM
This is like a paedophile saying at least the puppies were real.
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
Investigative collective @aeowinpact.bsky.social investigates networks recruiting African fighters for the Russian war in Ukraine. It publishes a list of recruits and those who have died at the front, to enable families who have not heard from their loved ones to take action.
@bellingcat.com
@bellingcat.com
The Business of Despair
Singular Stories Their names are Serge, Nabil, Samuel, and Eric, and they come from different countries on the African continent. What they have in common is they fight as foreign soldiers in the R…
alleyesonwagner.org
February 11, 2026 at 10:26 AM
Investigative collective @aeowinpact.bsky.social investigates networks recruiting African fighters for the Russian war in Ukraine. It publishes a list of recruits and those who have died at the front, to enable families who have not heard from their loved ones to take action.
@bellingcat.com
@bellingcat.com
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
If there was ever going to be any proof that WikiLeaks is essentially dead, it's the Epstein files. Integrating this sort of data and making it searchable is right up the organization's old alley.
The good news is that @ddosecrets.org and @dropsitenews.com joined forces with Jmail to do just that.
The good news is that @ddosecrets.org and @dropsitenews.com joined forces with Jmail to do just that.
February 11, 2026 at 7:56 AM
If there was ever going to be any proof that WikiLeaks is essentially dead, it's the Epstein files. Integrating this sort of data and making it searchable is right up the organization's old alley.
The good news is that @ddosecrets.org and @dropsitenews.com joined forces with Jmail to do just that.
The good news is that @ddosecrets.org and @dropsitenews.com joined forces with Jmail to do just that.
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
Watters: I was walking in my street, a car drives by and I give him a wave. He rolls down the window and says, “F U fascist.” He doesn’t know I’m a fascist!
Jessica: Yes, he does. You’re on TV.
Jessica: Yes, he does. You’re on TV.
February 10, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Watters: I was walking in my street, a car drives by and I give him a wave. He rolls down the window and says, “F U fascist.” He doesn’t know I’m a fascist!
Jessica: Yes, he does. You’re on TV.
Jessica: Yes, he does. You’re on TV.
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
INBOX: first reported by @reuters.com, the White House on Tuesday deleted a social media post from Vice President JD Vance's account that commemorated massacres of Armenians as a "genocide," saying the message, which contradicts the stance of U.S.-allied Turkey, was posted in error.
US Vice President Vance's office deletes post referring to 'Armenian genocide'
The White House on Tuesday deleted a social media post from Vice President JD Vance's account that commemorated massacres of Armenians as a "genocide," saying the message, which contradicts the stance...
www.reuters.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:55 PM
INBOX: first reported by @reuters.com, the White House on Tuesday deleted a social media post from Vice President JD Vance's account that commemorated massacres of Armenians as a "genocide," saying the message, which contradicts the stance of U.S.-allied Turkey, was posted in error.
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
a society losing the plot in real time
February 10, 2026 at 9:11 PM
a society losing the plot in real time
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
" ... These are all crimes that Donald Trump has pardoned."
February 10, 2026 at 10:24 PM
" ... These are all crimes that Donald Trump has pardoned."
Reposted by Eliot Higgins
Since we reached out to X about Grok attempting to unredact photos of Epstein victims upon X users’ requests, we’ve noticed Grok now refusing to unredact new requests. Bellingcat researcher @koltai.bsky.social reports: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/02...
Epstein Files: X Users Are Asking Grok to 'Unblur' Photos of Children - bellingcat
Bellingcat reviewed dozens of requests for Grok to generate the faces of children and women that had been redacted from the latest documents.
www.bellingcat.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:02 PM
Since we reached out to X about Grok attempting to unredact photos of Epstein victims upon X users’ requests, we’ve noticed Grok now refusing to unredact new requests. Bellingcat researcher @koltai.bsky.social reports: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/02...