Betsy Amster
@betsyamster.bsky.social
Literary agent. Proud Angeleno. Hopeful against the odds.
Reposted by Betsy Amster
far too many media orgs have been slow to learn that in the age of social media the headline IS the story
"Never spread the lie in the headline" should be a hard rule of 21st century journalism.
Research shows that repeating lies helps to spread them, and people read headlines more than they read stories.
Research shows that repeating lies helps to spread them, and people read headlines more than they read stories.
News media has to do better with headlines that present false and unverified public health claims.
November 30, 2025 at 2:21 AM
far too many media orgs have been slow to learn that in the age of social media the headline IS the story
👇
Much like 2024, Democrats seem to think there’s a binary choice in the 2026 election between voting for Republicans (evil) and voting for Democrats (feckless).
They rarely acknowledge the third option which inevitably harms them the most: staying home.
They rarely acknowledge the third option which inevitably harms them the most: staying home.
November 10, 2025 at 5:13 AM
👇
Horrifying.
Appreciate this coverage but it is hard to explain to people not in the Chicago area that THESE ARE NOT PROTESTS.
This is people coming out of their homes, doing anything in their power to try to stop their neighbors from being kidnapped.
It is coming for your city next, please be prepared.
This is people coming out of their homes, doing anything in their power to try to stop their neighbors from being kidnapped.
It is coming for your city next, please be prepared.
New from Bellingcat: “‘Pattern of Extreme Brutality’ — Tear gas, pepper balls among weapons used by federal agents at Illinois immigration protests.”
Read the full investigation:
www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/10...
Read the full investigation:
www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/10...
November 1, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Horrifying.
❤️😭❤️
It’s hard to convey just how much Chicagoans are mobilizing against ICE. Don’t want to downplay the harm, or make it seem like a fair fight. But in neighborhoods across this city, ICE is getting chased by people blowing whistles and shouting. People are running TOWARD ICE to protect their neighbors.
October 22, 2025 at 1:01 PM
❤️😭❤️
Reposted by Betsy Amster
We told you they were going to do project 2025 and it’s 2025 and they’re doing project 2025
July 31, 2025 at 12:16 PM
We told you they were going to do project 2025 and it’s 2025 and they’re doing project 2025
Reposted by Betsy Amster
That's insane. I mean everyone knows that's insane – right?
With this budget, ICE alone would have nearly as large a detention operation as all 50 states' prison systems combined. Bigger budget than the Marine Corps. Police-state levels of spending
If the GOP reconciliation bill passes, ICE gets through FY2029:
- $45 billion for detention, on top of the current annual budget of $3.4 billion
- $14.4 billion for transportation and removal, on top of the current annual budget of $750 million
- $8 billion for hiring/retention
- Billions more.
- $45 billion for detention, on top of the current annual budget of $3.4 billion
- $14.4 billion for transportation and removal, on top of the current annual budget of $750 million
- $8 billion for hiring/retention
- Billions more.
June 29, 2025 at 5:11 PM
That's insane. I mean everyone knows that's insane – right?
Reposted by Betsy Amster
We are witnessing an epidemic of the abuse of the power of the federal government, including the criminal system, to target and intimidate Democrats and their supporters. Trump will escalate this until people stand up to him.
It is time we all have the courage to peacefully stand up and say enough!
It is time we all have the courage to peacefully stand up and say enough!
June 18, 2025 at 1:01 AM
We are witnessing an epidemic of the abuse of the power of the federal government, including the criminal system, to target and intimidate Democrats and their supporters. Trump will escalate this until people stand up to him.
It is time we all have the courage to peacefully stand up and say enough!
It is time we all have the courage to peacefully stand up and say enough!
Reposted by Betsy Amster
I’m watching the Panama v Guadeloupe Gold Cup game on TV as we speak. It is being played in Los Angeles. And the stadium is almost completely empty.
A sport that in the U.S. is highly dependent on Latino audiences is no longer viable. The World Cup cannot come here.
A sport that in the U.S. is highly dependent on Latino audiences is no longer viable. The World Cup cannot come here.
FIFA Club World Cup ticket sales tank dramatically after the Dept. of Homeland Security bragged that agents would be “suited and booted" at the stadium in a now-deleted social media post
FIFA Club World Cup Ticket Sales TANK After DHS Says Agents Will Be At Stadium
Tickets to the opening match that were once $349 (and up) could be had for just $4.
www.huffpost.com
June 16, 2025 at 11:26 PM
I’m watching the Panama v Guadeloupe Gold Cup game on TV as we speak. It is being played in Los Angeles. And the stadium is almost completely empty.
A sport that in the U.S. is highly dependent on Latino audiences is no longer viable. The World Cup cannot come here.
A sport that in the U.S. is highly dependent on Latino audiences is no longer viable. The World Cup cannot come here.
Reposted by Betsy Amster
I'm trying to imagine a Democratic president saying openly and proudly that he would be sending federal agents to target the 'Republican Power Center' in Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. We would be in the midst of a civil war before he'd finished saying those words.
Trump declares war on cities
“We must expand efforts to detain & deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as LA, Chicago, & NY, where Millions of Illegal Aliens reside. These, & other Cities, are core of the Dem Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base”
“We must expand efforts to detain & deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as LA, Chicago, & NY, where Millions of Illegal Aliens reside. These, & other Cities, are core of the Dem Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base”
June 16, 2025 at 1:00 AM
I'm trying to imagine a Democratic president saying openly and proudly that he would be sending federal agents to target the 'Republican Power Center' in Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. We would be in the midst of a civil war before he'd finished saying those words.
Reposted by Betsy Amster
This is the lede. There is a woman on camera in charge of a lot of people with guns. She says they are going to liberate a domestic population center from democratically elected officials and violate too many laws to count in the process. I have zero time for anything else.
Every elected Republican should be asked if they think the president has the power to send in military in to “liberate” a state or city from its elected government.
June 12, 2025 at 8:16 PM
This is the lede. There is a woman on camera in charge of a lot of people with guns. She says they are going to liberate a domestic population center from democratically elected officials and violate too many laws to count in the process. I have zero time for anything else.
Reposted by Betsy Amster
Every major Dem politician needs to realize that, in this environment, they can schedule a "speech to the nation," like Newsom did, and get tons of media coverage.
Just do it.
Just do it.
June 11, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Every major Dem politician needs to realize that, in this environment, they can schedule a "speech to the nation," like Newsom did, and get tons of media coverage.
Just do it.
Just do it.
Reposted by Betsy Amster
This is what it looks like without a United States Congress.
June 10, 2025 at 11:27 AM
This is what it looks like without a United States Congress.
Truth.
real bummer finding out that literally everything was on the honor system this whole time
June 10, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Truth.
Reposted by Betsy Amster
Publishers Lunch. 👊
May 17, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Publishers Lunch. 👊
Reposted by Betsy Amster
Donald Trump can still become pope if Mike Pence has the courage.
May 8, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Donald Trump can still become pope if Mike Pence has the courage.
Reposted by Betsy Amster
In case you were wondering why you feel like you’ve been run over by a truck.
March 20, 2025 at 4:00 PM
In case you were wondering why you feel like you’ve been run over by a truck.
In case you were wondering why you feel like you’ve been run over by a truck.
March 20, 2025 at 4:00 PM
In case you were wondering why you feel like you’ve been run over by a truck.
This is a completely horrifying NYT story. In addition to law firms, they’re going after the entire Democratic fundraising infrastructure, including Act Blue.
part of what's happening here, i think, is that trump and his toadies do not believe that there is such a thing as legitimate opposition to him. instead, it has all but drummed up by various nefarious elites. go after the law firms, they think, and there will be no opposition.
With Orders, Investigations and Innuendo, Trump and G.O.P. Aim to Cripple the Left
The president and his allies in Congress are targeting the financial, digital and legal machinery that powers the Democratic Party and much of the progressive political world.
www.nytimes.com
March 19, 2025 at 4:30 PM
This is a completely horrifying NYT story. In addition to law firms, they’re going after the entire Democratic fundraising infrastructure, including Act Blue.
😱🤮😱
As predicted, women in New Hampshire had a hard time voting yesterday because of the new proof of citizenship law:
“It doesn’t have my married name on it,” she said. Town voting officials then sent her away a second time, to get her marriage certificate.
www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2025...
“It doesn’t have my married name on it,” she said. Town voting officials then sent her away a second time, to get her marriage certificate.
www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2025...
NH’s new ID requirements send some would-be voters home to grab passports, birth certificates
The law requires all new voters to show proof of their U.S. citizenship. For some, that meant making multiple trips to and from the polls before finally casting a ballot on Tuesday.
www.nhpr.org
March 13, 2025 at 11:20 PM
😱🤮😱
😱😱😱
RFK Jr on the measles vaccine: "There are adverse events from the vaccine. It does cause deaths every year. It causes all the illnesses that measles itself cause."
March 12, 2025 at 1:55 PM
😱😱😱
Reposted by Betsy Amster
Canada's newly revealed, super-secret fentanyl labs are the migrant caravans of drugs--they only exist when politically useful to Trump.
March 10, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Canada's newly revealed, super-secret fentanyl labs are the migrant caravans of drugs--they only exist when politically useful to Trump.
Reposted by Betsy Amster
March 1, 2025 at 12:28 PM
🎯 x 💯
Please stop mocking people for talking about elections like “oh isn’t it cute you think there’ll be another election.” You’re discouraging people from voting. Which is exactly what Trump wants you to do.
March 1, 2025 at 6:46 PM
🎯 x 💯