Kevin Collier
@kevincollier.bsky.social
I cover digital threats for NBC News. Tip me! @kevincollier.01 on signal, [email protected]. NYC, from West Virginia.
Reposted by Kevin Collier
Sarah Beckstrom's ex-boyfriend told NBC News she dreamed of becoming an FBI special agent.
She didn't want to deploy to D.C.
"She hated it. She cried about it."
But she started visiting monuments and museums and started enjoying it.
May she rest in peace.
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
She didn't want to deploy to D.C.
"She hated it. She cried about it."
But she started visiting monuments and museums and started enjoying it.
May she rest in peace.
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
National Guard member killed in D.C. shooting remembered for 'heart of gold'
The slain soldier’s former boyfriend recalled her empathy and generosity. “She doesn’t even have to know you and she’ll do anything for you,” he said.
www.nbcnews.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Sarah Beckstrom's ex-boyfriend told NBC News she dreamed of becoming an FBI special agent.
She didn't want to deploy to D.C.
"She hated it. She cried about it."
But she started visiting monuments and museums and started enjoying it.
May she rest in peace.
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
She didn't want to deploy to D.C.
"She hated it. She cried about it."
But she started visiting monuments and museums and started enjoying it.
May she rest in peace.
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
Reposted by Kevin Collier
you know, what if they aren't actually a commentary on journalism or the state of media. what if these people are just extremely weird
November 26, 2025 at 11:59 PM
you know, what if they aren't actually a commentary on journalism or the state of media. what if these people are just extremely weird
I’m surprised how upset I am about the two WV guardsmen. It’s a job you take to serve your neighbors and country while living a normal life, far more likely to do disaster relief work (WV has plenty) than see combat. WV's gov, Patrick Morrisey, was the first to volunteer to send them to patrol DC.
November 27, 2025 at 3:00 AM
I’m surprised how upset I am about the two WV guardsmen. It’s a job you take to serve your neighbors and country while living a normal life, far more likely to do disaster relief work (WV has plenty) than see combat. WV's gov, Patrick Morrisey, was the first to volunteer to send them to patrol DC.
This is fantastically done, laying it out like this.
Trump’s campaign of retribution: At least 470 targets and counting
A Reuters investigation documents at least 470 acts of retribution under Trump’s leadership.
www.reuters.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:50 AM
This is fantastically done, laying it out like this.
West Virginia governor Patrick Morrissey, who was eager to deploy state guardsmen to DC, says the two who were shot were from the WV guard. First he said one died, now potentially walking that back.
Now this update:: We are now receiving conflicting reports about the condition of our two Guard members and will provide additional updates once we receive more complete information.
November 26, 2025 at 9:15 PM
West Virginia governor Patrick Morrissey, who was eager to deploy state guardsmen to DC, says the two who were shot were from the WV guard. First he said one died, now potentially walking that back.
OpenAI is arguing in court that it wasn't responsible for ChatGPT repeatedly encouraging a teen to die by suicide because he was violating our TOS. I'm not a legal expert but am very curious who courts will think is responsible for an AI's actions.
OpenAI denies allegations that ChatGPT is to blame for a teenager's suicide
Adam Raine's family sued the AI company in August. On Tuesday, OpenAI said in a new court filing that it isn't responsible for the teen's death.
www.nbcnews.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:43 AM
OpenAI is arguing in court that it wasn't responsible for ChatGPT repeatedly encouraging a teen to die by suicide because he was violating our TOS. I'm not a legal expert but am very curious who courts will think is responsible for an AI's actions.
Reposted by Kevin Collier
📢 Announcing hacklore.org 📢
It’s time to retire outdated cyber advice! More than 80 cybersecurity veterans have signed an open letter urging a shift from folklore to guidance that actually helps people avoid the most common attacks. 🔐
Blog: medium.com/@boblord/let...
Site: www.hacklore.org
It’s time to retire outdated cyber advice! More than 80 cybersecurity veterans have signed an open letter urging a shift from folklore to guidance that actually helps people avoid the most common attacks. 🔐
Blog: medium.com/@boblord/let...
Site: www.hacklore.org
Stop Hacklore!
hacklore.org
November 24, 2025 at 3:05 PM
📢 Announcing hacklore.org 📢
It’s time to retire outdated cyber advice! More than 80 cybersecurity veterans have signed an open letter urging a shift from folklore to guidance that actually helps people avoid the most common attacks. 🔐
Blog: medium.com/@boblord/let...
Site: www.hacklore.org
It’s time to retire outdated cyber advice! More than 80 cybersecurity veterans have signed an open letter urging a shift from folklore to guidance that actually helps people avoid the most common attacks. 🔐
Blog: medium.com/@boblord/let...
Site: www.hacklore.org
Not to do the easy dunk on the NYT and Friedman, but this is truly one of the least clickable teasers I have ever read.
November 22, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Not to do the easy dunk on the NYT and Friedman, but this is truly one of the least clickable teasers I have ever read.
Reposted by Kevin Collier
Important story: The very wealthiest people in America are playing an ever more important role in financing America’s elections — and potentially determining their outcome.
We spent a year investigating billionaires for @washingtonpost.com.
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
November 21, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Important story: The very wealthiest people in America are playing an ever more important role in financing America’s elections — and potentially determining their outcome.
Reposted by Kevin Collier
Hand-counting ballots is time-consuming, expensive, and error prone. But some Republicans are going for it anyway: www.nbcnews.com/politics/ele...
Texas Republicans in some counties are pushing to count ballots by hand in next year's primary
Critics warn the move, which requires more time, money and staffers, could lead to confusion, errors and delayed results in key contests in Texas in March.
www.nbcnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Hand-counting ballots is time-consuming, expensive, and error prone. But some Republicans are going for it anyway: www.nbcnews.com/politics/ele...
Reposted by Kevin Collier
NEW: For months, my colleagues and I dug into YouTube's conservative airwaves and found a flourishing network of host-read ads on right-leaning podcasts. This phenomenon has enriched hosts, YouTube, and businesses that use ideology to sell. bloom.bg/3Kaio9w
November 20, 2025 at 3:23 PM
NEW: For months, my colleagues and I dug into YouTube's conservative airwaves and found a flourishing network of host-read ads on right-leaning podcasts. This phenomenon has enriched hosts, YouTube, and businesses that use ideology to sell. bloom.bg/3Kaio9w
For a handful of reasons it can be really hard to report well on advancing domestic US government surveillance. This by @byrontau.bsky.social is so well done.
Border Patrol is monitoring US drivers and detaining those with 'suspicious' travel patterns
The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious.
apnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:54 PM
For a handful of reasons it can be really hard to report well on advancing domestic US government surveillance. This by @byrontau.bsky.social is so well done.
Reposted by Kevin Collier
Here's the law, if anyone wants to read it. It's pretty short, and provides a list of what has to be released and when (heads up that agencies routinely blow past statutory deadlines), lists exceptions (e.g., no publishing of CSAM) and requires reporting to Congress. www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
November 20, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Here's the law, if anyone wants to read it. It's pretty short, and provides a list of what has to be released and when (heads up that agencies routinely blow past statutory deadlines), lists exceptions (e.g., no publishing of CSAM) and requires reporting to Congress. www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
Reposted by Kevin Collier
I grow frustrated with local news-- by focusing so much on stories of violence, they inadvertently promote the idea that the world is more violent than it is (leading voters to candidates who promise security at all costs).
But holding up a mic to a cow is incredible
www.10tv.com/article/news...
But holding up a mic to a cow is incredible
www.10tv.com/article/news...
November 19, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I grow frustrated with local news-- by focusing so much on stories of violence, they inadvertently promote the idea that the world is more violent than it is (leading voters to candidates who promise security at all costs).
But holding up a mic to a cow is incredible
www.10tv.com/article/news...
But holding up a mic to a cow is incredible
www.10tv.com/article/news...
The FBI just put out an alert about a wanted guy named Ryan Wedding but it reads like they're announcing that our mutual bud Ry is getting hitched.
November 19, 2025 at 6:27 PM
The FBI just put out an alert about a wanted guy named Ryan Wedding but it reads like they're announcing that our mutual bud Ry is getting hitched.
I am in perpetual awe of scope of crappy tech startups and the numerous boutique PR spam outlets that promote them. I block them daily. And still I get emails with subjects more cursed than I could imagine, i.e
November 19, 2025 at 6:02 PM
I am in perpetual awe of scope of crappy tech startups and the numerous boutique PR spam outlets that promote them. I block them daily. And still I get emails with subjects more cursed than I could imagine, i.e
Reposted by Kevin Collier
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
November 18, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
I'm sure the IRS will be super forgiving if you file your tax return with a bunch of lies on it because the LLM hallucinated you having a ton of writeoffs and dependents and are actually owed a $3 million refund.
Intuit to pay OpenAI over $100 million a year for model access, ChatGPT integrates with TurboTax
Intuit has struck a $100 million-plus annual deal with OpenAI to bring AI into its financial products like TurboTax and QuickBooks.
www.cnbc.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:52 PM
I'm sure the IRS will be super forgiving if you file your tax return with a bunch of lies on it because the LLM hallucinated you having a ton of writeoffs and dependents and are actually owed a $3 million refund.
Reposted by Kevin Collier
As I told the Columbia Journalism Review, this swatting incident occurred just before I published an investigative report that unmasked the operators of four major neo-Nazi accounts on X. I don't think the timing was coincidental.
www.cjr.org/analysis/loc...
www.cjr.org/analysis/loc...
The dangers facing local reporters who cover extremism.
The extremism beat has gone mainstream—but in local markets, it’s still intensely personal.
www.cjr.org
November 18, 2025 at 4:19 PM
As I told the Columbia Journalism Review, this swatting incident occurred just before I published an investigative report that unmasked the operators of four major neo-Nazi accounts on X. I don't think the timing was coincidental.
www.cjr.org/analysis/loc...
www.cjr.org/analysis/loc...
Our love grew quickly, like bamboo. But distrust quickly spread underneath it, like the roots of bamboo. Looking back, I was naive. Green. The color of, you guessed it, more bamboo.
November 18, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Our love grew quickly, like bamboo. But distrust quickly spread underneath it, like the roots of bamboo. Looking back, I was naive. Green. The color of, you guessed it, more bamboo.
Reposted by Kevin Collier
Scoop: CISA plans to embark on a hiring spree and change some workforce policies in an effort to rebuild its depleted ranks ahead of a possible conflict with China, according to a memo from its acting director that I obtained.
www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/cisa-hi...
www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/cisa-hi...
CISA, eyeing China, plans hiring spree to rebuild its depleted ranks
The agency will also change some of its workforce policies to avoid driving away talented staff.
www.cybersecuritydive.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Scoop: CISA plans to embark on a hiring spree and change some workforce policies in an effort to rebuild its depleted ranks ahead of a possible conflict with China, according to a memo from its acting director that I obtained.
www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/cisa-hi...
www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/cisa-hi...
Reposted by Kevin Collier
Border Patrol can operate anywhere in the country. The 100 mile zone is where they have heightened vehicle stop authority.
I'm guess Border Patrol goons are allowed to operate in Charlotte because it's within 100 miles of the South of the Border rest stop on I-95? I can't think of any real border that's close by
November 17, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Border Patrol can operate anywhere in the country. The 100 mile zone is where they have heightened vehicle stop authority.
This is funny because if you click through, Carr's "How about no" line is on X, a QT of the official NBC News tweet of my story about former FCC commissioners calling to kill the agency's News Distortion policy. I wrote it last week and emailed Carr/the FCC for a response and never got one.
We're ruled by people with all the wit of a snotty 12-year-old: arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
“How about no”: FCC boss Brendan Carr says he won’t end news distortion probes
Carr rejects criticism from four former FCC chairs, including three Republicans.
arstechnica.com
November 17, 2025 at 5:11 PM
This is funny because if you click through, Carr's "How about no" line is on X, a QT of the official NBC News tweet of my story about former FCC commissioners calling to kill the agency's News Distortion policy. I wrote it last week and emailed Carr/the FCC for a response and never got one.
An amazing thing about this very well reported and thorough article is that it doesn't even get to the fact that the county's main cyber agency has been *gutted* as part of the DHS deportation reorg and it's still probably fair for that to be on the cutting room floor.
Homeland Security Missions Falter Amid Focus on Deportations
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:30 PM
An amazing thing about this very well reported and thorough article is that it doesn't even get to the fact that the county's main cyber agency has been *gutted* as part of the DHS deportation reorg and it's still probably fair for that to be on the cutting room floor.
It's funny how the Trump-directed IC selective "transparency" push just results in these Friday afternoon/evening news dumps that feel very futile. Amelia Earhart completionists and conspiracy theorists out there, go nuts this weekend! www.archives.gov/ameliaearhart
November 15, 2025 at 2:10 AM
It's funny how the Trump-directed IC selective "transparency" push just results in these Friday afternoon/evening news dumps that feel very futile. Amelia Earhart completionists and conspiracy theorists out there, go nuts this weekend! www.archives.gov/ameliaearhart