Kyle Swenson
@kyletalking.bsky.social
Washington Post reporter covering inequality. Author of "Good Kids,
Bad City." Expert on NBA hot takes
Bad City." Expert on NBA hot takes
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
For a year, I've been hanging at comedy nights, shadowing a standup. Why? Because they're a former conservative reporter who came out as trans at 49, and now are using the most vulnerable public art form to work out the most personal of all life changes www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
Five jokes with a former conservative journalist, now a trans comedian
Jamie Mack came out as transgender at 49, after years of struggling with their identity. Could comedy help them work through their new life?
www.washingtonpost.com
December 14, 2025 at 1:32 AM
For a year, I've been hanging at comedy nights, shadowing a standup. Why? Because they're a former conservative reporter who came out as trans at 49, and now are using the most vulnerable public art form to work out the most personal of all life changes www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
For a year, I've been hanging at comedy nights, shadowing a standup. Why? Because they're a former conservative reporter who came out as trans at 49, and now are using the most vulnerable public art form to work out the most personal of all life changes www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
Five jokes with a former conservative journalist, now a trans comedian
Jamie Mack came out as transgender at 49, after years of struggling with their identity. Could comedy help them work through their new life?
www.washingtonpost.com
December 14, 2025 at 1:32 AM
For a year, I've been hanging at comedy nights, shadowing a standup. Why? Because they're a former conservative reporter who came out as trans at 49, and now are using the most vulnerable public art form to work out the most personal of all life changes www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
Jamie Mack had been an investigative reporter at the Washington Times, frequently appearing on Fox News.
In 2020, they came out as transgender. Stand-up comedy has since become a way for them to work through a new life by mining the old for material.
In 2020, they came out as transgender. Stand-up comedy has since become a way for them to work through a new life by mining the old for material.
Five jokes with a former conservative journalist, now a trans comedian
Jamie Mack came out as transgender at 49, after years of struggling with their identity. Could comedy help them work through their new life?
www.washingtonpost.com
December 13, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Jamie Mack had been an investigative reporter at the Washington Times, frequently appearing on Fox News.
In 2020, they came out as transgender. Stand-up comedy has since become a way for them to work through a new life by mining the old for material.
In 2020, they came out as transgender. Stand-up comedy has since become a way for them to work through a new life by mining the old for material.
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
EXCLUSIVE:
Mom of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew rejects White House narrative of her ICE arrest
www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
Mom of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew rejects White House narrative of her ICE arrest
www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
Mom of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew rejects White House narrative of her ICE arrest
In an interview, Bruna Ferreira, who chose the White House press secretary as her son’s godmother, contested the portrayal of her as a criminal, absentee mom.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:02 PM
EXCLUSIVE:
Mom of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew rejects White House narrative of her ICE arrest
www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
Mom of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew rejects White House narrative of her ICE arrest
www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
Absolutely buzzing over this new video of a rarely seen giant squid
December 7, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Absolutely buzzing over this new video of a rarely seen giant squid
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
Sure, vomiting is allowed (but discouraged), according to the rules of this ultramarathon. Each participant must run to nine Taco Bells scattered across Virginia and D.C. At each location, they must purchase and eat an item off the menu. Drinks don’t count.
At this ultramarathon, runners tackle 32 miles and eat at nine Taco Bells
Puking is discouraged, but allowed. Pepto-Bismol is not.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 1, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Sure, vomiting is allowed (but discouraged), according to the rules of this ultramarathon. Each participant must run to nine Taco Bells scattered across Virginia and D.C. At each location, they must purchase and eat an item off the menu. Drinks don’t count.
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
When DHS dared to call its anti-immigrant racial profiling weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” I knew I was going to have to write about it.
Tonight, at Law Dork, here it is: www.lawdork.com/p/gregory-bo...
Tonight, at Law Dork, here it is: www.lawdork.com/p/gregory-bo...
November 17, 2025 at 12:41 AM
When DHS dared to call its anti-immigrant racial profiling weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” I knew I was going to have to write about it.
Tonight, at Law Dork, here it is: www.lawdork.com/p/gregory-bo...
Tonight, at Law Dork, here it is: www.lawdork.com/p/gregory-bo...
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
BREAKING: (Gift) New Epstein emails reveal that Epstein claimed he had kompromat on President Trump. www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
New Epstein emails claim Trump ‘spent hours’ with victim
Democrats on the House Oversight say the emails provide evidence of a cover-up by the White House
www.miamiherald.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:27 PM
BREAKING: (Gift) New Epstein emails reveal that Epstein claimed he had kompromat on President Trump. www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
Twenty years after her assault, a victim’s fear resurfaced when her attacker was arrested for a 1999 cold-case murder.
Police say DNA links him to the rape and killing of another woman — who lived just blocks from the 2004 attack.
Police say DNA links him to the rape and killing of another woman — who lived just blocks from the 2004 attack.
She survived a stabbing. Now her attacker is accused in a deadly cold case.
A D.C. man recently arrested in a 1999 cold-case homicide carried out a similar unprovoked attack in 2004, but a timely intervention saved the victim.
wapo.st
November 12, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Twenty years after her assault, a victim’s fear resurfaced when her attacker was arrested for a 1999 cold-case murder.
Police say DNA links him to the rape and killing of another woman — who lived just blocks from the 2004 attack.
Police say DNA links him to the rape and killing of another woman — who lived just blocks from the 2004 attack.
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
BACKBEATS is out today!
Come see me & @andreapitzer.bsky.social at Kramers in DC tonight at 7: kramers.com/events/36367...
DM me a receipt if you’d like a signed book plate in the mail.
And read an excerpt in @rollingstone.com: www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Come see me & @andreapitzer.bsky.social at Kramers in DC tonight at 7: kramers.com/events/36367...
DM me a receipt if you’d like a signed book plate in the mail.
And read an excerpt in @rollingstone.com: www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
![PRAISE FOR
BACKBEATS
"[Exhibits] passion and deep knowledge... The only moments I put this book down were to pause and listen to the perfect examples that Lingan, a drummer himself, cites as crucial.... Here we see and hear the music of our lives."
-BILL JANOVITZ, author of Leon Russell: The Master of Space
and Time's Journey Through Rock & Roll History
"A thrilling ride... In exquisite detail and deft prose, John Lingan relates the creative insights and technical mastery of fifteen of rock's most influential groove merchants-many still unsung. In doing so, he reclaims the rock narrative from all those frontmen and guitarists, showing how the wizards at the back of the stage were moving the music all along."
-IAN S. PORT, author of The Birth of Loud: Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll
"An intelligent, heartfelt, and long-overdue tribute to the unsung heroes of modern music. Because, let's face it—if it ain't got that swing, it don't mean a thing."
-BRAD TOLINSKI, coauthor of Play It Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar
"Backbeats glows with enthusiasm and delivers an insightful glimpse into the sultans of swing who create fire by rubbing two sticks together."
—BOB SPITZ, author of The Beatles:
The Biography and Led Zeppelin: The Biography
"Sitting ten feet from stardom, drummers have had a central but slightly removed view of rock 'n' roll. A drummer himself, John Lingan captures that unique perspective.... Backbeats delivers to the reader something fresh and different. It's a hit."
-PRESTON LAUTERBACH, author of The Chitlin' Circuit and the Road to Rock](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/bafkreifwmo4y4cy7rnpvycg35dhm654zd4bze7fuuul2ndyrt2zmpqzurm@jpeg)
November 11, 2025 at 1:56 PM
BACKBEATS is out today!
Come see me & @andreapitzer.bsky.social at Kramers in DC tonight at 7: kramers.com/events/36367...
DM me a receipt if you’d like a signed book plate in the mail.
And read an excerpt in @rollingstone.com: www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Come see me & @andreapitzer.bsky.social at Kramers in DC tonight at 7: kramers.com/events/36367...
DM me a receipt if you’d like a signed book plate in the mail.
And read an excerpt in @rollingstone.com: www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
Breaking news: Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former three-term congresswoman and CIA agent will become Virginia’s first female governor, the AP projects. https://wapo.st/3LqdiWU
November 5, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Breaking news: Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former three-term congresswoman and CIA agent will become Virginia’s first female governor, the AP projects. https://wapo.st/3LqdiWU
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
BREAKING: After ICE refuses to allow detained migrants to receive the Eucharist, Pope Leo calls on Trump and Vance to respect migrants‘ dignity and religious liberty.
“They must allow ministers to assist with their needs. They've been separated from their families and no one knows what happens.”
“They must allow ministers to assist with their needs. They've been separated from their families and no one knows what happens.”
November 4, 2025 at 8:14 PM
BREAKING: After ICE refuses to allow detained migrants to receive the Eucharist, Pope Leo calls on Trump and Vance to respect migrants‘ dignity and religious liberty.
“They must allow ministers to assist with their needs. They've been separated from their families and no one knows what happens.”
“They must allow ministers to assist with their needs. They've been separated from their families and no one knows what happens.”
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
Breaking news: Former vice president Dick Cheney, who became chief architect of a post-9/11 war on terrorism that involved bypassing restrictions against torture and domestic espionage, died Monday night.
He was 84.
He was 84.
Dick Cheney, powerful vice president during war on terrorism, dies at 84
After the Sept. 11 attacks, perceiving an elemental threat to American society, Mr. Cheney used his role as Bush’s chief strategist to approve the use of torture and steer U.S. occupations of Afghanis...
www.washingtonpost.com
November 4, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Breaking news: Former vice president Dick Cheney, who became chief architect of a post-9/11 war on terrorism that involved bypassing restrictions against torture and domestic espionage, died Monday night.
He was 84.
He was 84.
In 2010, Sue Marcum's life was chaos. A popular American U. prof, she was facing IRS penalties, dwindling funds thanks to a series of investments made with a lover/yoga instructor. She may then have realized it had all been a scam (1/3) www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
He taught her Spanish and yoga. It sparked a romance, then a murder.
“He preyed upon Sue Marcum’s caring nature, and he used her for his own gain,” a prosecutor said. “And when she had nothing left to give her, he killed her.”
www.washingtonpost.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:33 PM
In 2010, Sue Marcum's life was chaos. A popular American U. prof, she was facing IRS penalties, dwindling funds thanks to a series of investments made with a lover/yoga instructor. She may then have realized it had all been a scam (1/3) www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Peppa Pig has a lot to answer for by teaching toddlers that splashing in muddy puddles is the height of fun activity
October 30, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Peppa Pig has a lot to answer for by teaching toddlers that splashing in muddy puddles is the height of fun activity
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
It's grim out there this week. Treat yourself to an uplifting story about a search for 150 lost panda statues scattered across DC . . . and beyond. From me via @washingtonpost.com www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Inside one man’s mission to find D.C’s long-lost panda statues
Two decades ago, 150 panda statues were displayed around the District. The statues mostly slipped from public consciousness -- until now.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 2, 2025 at 4:30 PM
It's grim out there this week. Treat yourself to an uplifting story about a search for 150 lost panda statues scattered across DC . . . and beyond. From me via @washingtonpost.com www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
Update: Kai Trump's brand tells me her clothing line's fabrics are made in Bangladesh
September 29, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Update: Kai Trump's brand tells me her clothing line's fabrics are made in Bangladesh
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
I spent some time wandering around SF with some kids who read minds, raise millions, and subsist on Celsius nymag.com/intelligence...
The AI Kids Take San Francisco
Brilliant, workaholic teenagers are flooding the city — and reshaping our future in their image.
nymag.com
September 23, 2025 at 1:57 PM
I spent some time wandering around SF with some kids who read minds, raise millions, and subsist on Celsius nymag.com/intelligence...
If you snag a copy of today's @washingtonpost.com check out me and @marissajae.bsky.social diving into the results of Trump's push to get the homeless out of DC, on the paper's A1. Spoiler: they're still in DC and homeless.
August 31, 2025 at 11:06 PM
If you snag a copy of today's @washingtonpost.com check out me and @marissajae.bsky.social diving into the results of Trump's push to get the homeless out of DC, on the paper's A1. Spoiler: they're still in DC and homeless.
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
My close personal friend Thomas Pynchon has asked me to pass along that he’s thrilled to see his new book listed alongside mine in this fall preview.
A fall preview for readers of all kinds
This list of 62 books just scratches the surface of publishing’s biggest season, from Kamala Harris’s memoir to Patricia Lockwood’s new novel and Jill Lepore’s look at the Constitution.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 31, 2025 at 2:14 PM
My close personal friend Thomas Pynchon has asked me to pass along that he’s thrilled to see his new book listed alongside mine in this fall preview.
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
President Trump's crusade against D.C.’s homelessness fails to solve some of its deepest struggles: There are not enough services, subsidies or beds to house the thousands of adults and children in the District without permanent housing. https://wapo.st/4mP0xTF
August 30, 2025 at 1:00 PM
President Trump's crusade against D.C.’s homelessness fails to solve some of its deepest struggles: There are not enough services, subsidies or beds to house the thousands of adults and children in the District without permanent housing. https://wapo.st/4mP0xTF
‘Nowhere to go’: What happened after Trump ordered homeless encampments cleared. For @washingtonpost.com @marissajae.bsky.social and I dove into what Trump's DC enforcement push has meant for DC's most unfortunate and vulnerable living on the street www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
‘Nowhere to go’: What happened after Trump ordered homeless encampments cleared
The White House said 50 homeless encampments in D.C. have been cleared in recent weeks and more action is forthcoming.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 29, 2025 at 3:20 PM
‘Nowhere to go’: What happened after Trump ordered homeless encampments cleared. For @washingtonpost.com @marissajae.bsky.social and I dove into what Trump's DC enforcement push has meant for DC's most unfortunate and vulnerable living on the street www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
The Mayor of the United States:
August 23, 2025 at 12:20 PM
The Mayor of the United States:
Reposted by Kyle Swenson
New Washington Post-Schar School poll: Most D.C. residents strongly oppose Trump’s city police takeover, with crime concerns continue a sharp decline and statehood support reaches a record high. Story w/ @joeheim.bsky.social @emgusk.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
August 20, 2025 at 10:51 AM
New Washington Post-Schar School poll: Most D.C. residents strongly oppose Trump’s city police takeover, with crime concerns continue a sharp decline and statehood support reaches a record high. Story w/ @joeheim.bsky.social @emgusk.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...