Tim Lesle
@telesle.bsky.social
Writer, editor, etc. Formerly at Wired, USGS, et al.
Reposted by Tim Lesle
This was murder. Pretti did not initiate the confrontation. He didn’t strike them. He didn’t brandish his gun. They tackled him, beat him, disarmed him, and shot him.
Holy crap.
This is the most damning video yet.
It shows Border Patrol agents clearly taking Alex's firearm, running it away, and THEN executed him in cold blood by emptying a clip into his face.
Murder.
This is the most damning video yet.
It shows Border Patrol agents clearly taking Alex's firearm, running it away, and THEN executed him in cold blood by emptying a clip into his face.
Murder.
January 24, 2026 at 9:46 PM
This was murder. Pretti did not initiate the confrontation. He didn’t strike them. He didn’t brandish his gun. They tackled him, beat him, disarmed him, and shot him.
Reposted by Tim Lesle
And he didn’t. He tried to help a woman who’d just been assaulted. There was nothing rash, stupid, or radical about what he did. He showed kindness. And they killed him for it.
January 24, 2026 at 10:36 PM
And he didn’t. He tried to help a woman who’d just been assaulted. There was nothing rash, stupid, or radical about what he did. He showed kindness. And they killed him for it.
Reposted by Tim Lesle
This should be the baseline energy expected from every elected Democrat in the country going forward.
January 24, 2026 at 8:46 PM
This should be the baseline energy expected from every elected Democrat in the country going forward.
Reposted by Tim Lesle
Alex Pretti was a colleague at the VA. We hired him to recruit for our trial. He became an ICU nurse- I lover working with him. He was a good kind person who lived to help and these fuckers executed him.
White. Hot. Rage.
White. Hot. Rage.
January 24, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Alex Pretti was a colleague at the VA. We hired him to recruit for our trial. He became an ICU nurse- I lover working with him. He was a good kind person who lived to help and these fuckers executed him.
White. Hot. Rage.
White. Hot. Rage.
Reposted by Tim Lesle
The federal government is executing American citizens in the middle of the street for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of speech.
This is tyranny. No free people can accept this kind of government. We need to bring an end to the Trump regime.
This is tyranny. No free people can accept this kind of government. We need to bring an end to the Trump regime.
January 24, 2026 at 5:47 PM
The federal government is executing American citizens in the middle of the street for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of speech.
This is tyranny. No free people can accept this kind of government. We need to bring an end to the Trump regime.
This is tyranny. No free people can accept this kind of government. We need to bring an end to the Trump regime.
Reposted by Tim Lesle
Bellingcat is gold standard. Read entire thread
"A video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man BEFORE THE FIRST shot was fired."
"At least 10 shots being heard in total. Most of them are fired after a brief delay, when the man is already lying motionless on the ground."
"A video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man BEFORE THE FIRST shot was fired."
"At least 10 shots being heard in total. Most of them are fired after a brief delay, when the man is already lying motionless on the ground."
Federal law enforcement agents shot and killed a man in Minneapolis on Jan. 24 according to local police officials. DHS told Fox News that the man was “armed with a gun”. A video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man before the first shot was fired. x.com/BillMelugin_...
January 24, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Bellingcat is gold standard. Read entire thread
"A video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man BEFORE THE FIRST shot was fired."
"At least 10 shots being heard in total. Most of them are fired after a brief delay, when the man is already lying motionless on the ground."
"A video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man BEFORE THE FIRST shot was fired."
"At least 10 shots being heard in total. Most of them are fired after a brief delay, when the man is already lying motionless on the ground."
Reposted by Tim Lesle
This random online comment from 2018 remains one of the last half-century's most important works of political commentary. crookedtimber.org/2018/03/21/l...
January 24, 2026 at 5:42 PM
This random online comment from 2018 remains one of the last half-century's most important works of political commentary. crookedtimber.org/2018/03/21/l...
Reposted by Tim Lesle
“Everyone should be allowed to carry a gun for their safety but the government can murder you in the street if you have a gun” is an incredible endpoint for the conservative moment
January 24, 2026 at 5:48 PM
“Everyone should be allowed to carry a gun for their safety but the government can murder you in the street if you have a gun” is an incredible endpoint for the conservative moment
Reposted by Tim Lesle
We have been told for nearly 30 years that America needed to tolerate mass shootings because the broad availability of guns would help us defend ourselves from an overreaching federal government. That day has come. The people who said this are supporting the federal agents. Many have joined them.
January 24, 2026 at 6:02 PM
We have been told for nearly 30 years that America needed to tolerate mass shootings because the broad availability of guns would help us defend ourselves from an overreaching federal government. That day has come. The people who said this are supporting the federal agents. Many have joined them.
Reposted by Tim Lesle
From this moment forward (and before, but clearly now):
-If you work for ICE.
-If you vote for money for ICE.
You are complicit. This is the gestapo. You're on the wrong side. You can't pretend not to know.
-If you work for ICE.
-If you vote for money for ICE.
You are complicit. This is the gestapo. You're on the wrong side. You can't pretend not to know.
January 24, 2026 at 5:07 PM
From this moment forward (and before, but clearly now):
-If you work for ICE.
-If you vote for money for ICE.
You are complicit. This is the gestapo. You're on the wrong side. You can't pretend not to know.
-If you work for ICE.
-If you vote for money for ICE.
You are complicit. This is the gestapo. You're on the wrong side. You can't pretend not to know.
Reposted by Tim Lesle
I am trying not to post on these events in this state of mind but: I hope people understand what the observers are doing is brave and dangerous.
January 24, 2026 at 4:51 PM
I am trying not to post on these events in this state of mind but: I hope people understand what the observers are doing is brave and dangerous.
Reposted by Tim Lesle
Imagine if the sports section of this paper ran headlines like “Team Wins”
January 24, 2026 at 5:26 AM
Imagine if the sports section of this paper ran headlines like “Team Wins”
Reposted by Tim Lesle
You read things like this and you can only hope that when the time comes, if it comes, when it is your community's turn to be tested, that you acquit yourselves half as well.
If the admin's strategic goal was to break public resistance to immigration enforcement activities, it was a tactical mistake to go to the Twin Cities.
January 23, 2026 at 7:04 PM
You read things like this and you can only hope that when the time comes, if it comes, when it is your community's turn to be tested, that you acquit yourselves half as well.
Ted DeCorso (letter #3) was my conductor at the Fairbanks Youth Symphony. Really great guy!
This has been the Fairbanks News-Miner's editorial page on most days this month.
Fairbanksans are pissed. We don't take kindly to fascists.
Fairbanksans are pissed. We don't take kindly to fascists.
January 22, 2026 at 7:22 AM
Ted DeCorso (letter #3) was my conductor at the Fairbanks Youth Symphony. Really great guy!
Reposted by Tim Lesle
This studio awards-season email is really matching the current mood in a way I’m not sure they intended.
December 19, 2025 at 11:36 PM
This studio awards-season email is really matching the current mood in a way I’m not sure they intended.
Reposted by Tim Lesle
Posts from Minneapolis residents read like they'll be read in voiceover in a Ken Burns-like doc one day
January 15, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Posts from Minneapolis residents read like they'll be read in voiceover in a Ken Burns-like doc one day
Reposted by Tim Lesle
the people of MN have been murdered, brutalized and kidnapped for weeks now and have remained *amazingly* peaceful in the face of it. lecturing citizens to not “take the bait” etc is pretty disrespectful after a point and avoids the real question: how long are they supposed to take this, undefended?
State investigators have been on the scene in North Minneapolis.
I know you’re angry. I’m angry. What Donald Trump wants is violence in the streets.
But Minnesota will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, and of peace.
Don’t give him what he wants.
I know you’re angry. I’m angry. What Donald Trump wants is violence in the streets.
But Minnesota will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, and of peace.
Don’t give him what he wants.
January 15, 2026 at 5:39 AM
the people of MN have been murdered, brutalized and kidnapped for weeks now and have remained *amazingly* peaceful in the face of it. lecturing citizens to not “take the bait” etc is pretty disrespectful after a point and avoids the real question: how long are they supposed to take this, undefended?
Reposted by Tim Lesle
I feel like it's the job of the interviewer here to point out that unemployment and prices have both risen since he came back to office
January 14, 2026 at 5:14 PM
I feel like it's the job of the interviewer here to point out that unemployment and prices have both risen since he came back to office
Reposted by Tim Lesle
The letter from Bill and Hillary Clinton to James Comer explaining their refusal to testify in his Epstein investigation is really remarkable, not like any letter of this genre I've seen. It's signed by them, not a lawyer, and the arguments are not legal ones. Reprinted from their X account:
January 13, 2026 at 6:20 PM
The letter from Bill and Hillary Clinton to James Comer explaining their refusal to testify in his Epstein investigation is really remarkable, not like any letter of this genre I've seen. It's signed by them, not a lawyer, and the arguments are not legal ones. Reprinted from their X account:
Reposted by Tim Lesle
The BHP is really well-researched and thoughtful, and they made this subscriber episode free. It’s about research into how authoritarian followers and leaders think, perceive, act, react, etc.
“I know that stuff.” So did I. I’m telling you: listen to it. You’ll be glad you did, and maybe furious
“I know that stuff.” So did I. I’m telling you: listen to it. You’ll be glad you did, and maybe furious
I can be real with you, right? We're all friends here.
I'm publicly releasing this episode for two reasons.
First, because people have been requesting I release it for years now... and second, because look at the news. It's here.
I'm publicly releasing this episode for two reasons.
First, because people have been requesting I release it for years now... and second, because look at the news. It's here.
Bonus Episode: The Authoritarians | The British History Podcast
By popular request, we're releasing the full member's episode on The Authoritarians.
www.thebritishhistorypodcast.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:07 AM
The BHP is really well-researched and thoughtful, and they made this subscriber episode free. It’s about research into how authoritarian followers and leaders think, perceive, act, react, etc.
“I know that stuff.” So did I. I’m telling you: listen to it. You’ll be glad you did, and maybe furious
“I know that stuff.” So did I. I’m telling you: listen to it. You’ll be glad you did, and maybe furious
Reposted by Tim Lesle
They spent years close-reading every left-wing message from college activist groups for hints of anti-semitism and now the most heavily armed domestic agency does a new Nazi meme post every week and they’re like “Odd but not really front-page news, you know? Doesn’t look like anything to me.”
January 10, 2026 at 3:32 PM
They spent years close-reading every left-wing message from college activist groups for hints of anti-semitism and now the most heavily armed domestic agency does a new Nazi meme post every week and they’re like “Odd but not really front-page news, you know? Doesn’t look like anything to me.”
Reposted by Tim Lesle
Local assisted living facilities are taking additional security measures because the residents don’t want their care to be interrupted when ICE abducts their staff. Schools are closed for the safety of students, faculty, and staff. There is no facet of society or stage of life unaffected.
Not an exaggeration at all to say that the feeling in Minneapolis is that the entire metro area is being treated as occupied territory by federal agents. Impossible to overstate how overwhelmingly people here do not like it. This does not feel sustainable.
January 10, 2026 at 1:24 AM
Local assisted living facilities are taking additional security measures because the residents don’t want their care to be interrupted when ICE abducts their staff. Schools are closed for the safety of students, faculty, and staff. There is no facet of society or stage of life unaffected.
Reposted by Tim Lesle
Legit thought this was The Onion
Trump Gets Up, Walks Away From Meeting To Stare Out Window At Ballroom
Trump Gets Up, Walks Away From Meeting To Stare Out Window At Ballroom
Trump Gets Up, Walks Away From Meeting To Stare Out Window At Ballroom
www.huffpost.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:19 AM
Legit thought this was The Onion
Reposted by Tim Lesle
I’m not going to lie. I’ve been writing about the War on Terror in its depravity my whole adult life. And the brazen execution of Renee Nicole Good has left me in a state since the moment I watched it.
January 8, 2026 at 1:52 AM
I’m not going to lie. I’ve been writing about the War on Terror in its depravity my whole adult life. And the brazen execution of Renee Nicole Good has left me in a state since the moment I watched it.
Reposted by Tim Lesle
im sorry i know it sucks but journalists are going to have to be willing to get fired for simply describing what they see happening with their own eyes, you look like fucking morons
"Was the officer struck by the vehicle, as President Trump insists, or did the car pass by or around him?"
If we only had some trusted institution that could adjudicate between competing claims by relying on facts.
If we only had some trusted institution that could adjudicate between competing claims by relying on facts.
January 8, 2026 at 2:53 AM
im sorry i know it sucks but journalists are going to have to be willing to get fired for simply describing what they see happening with their own eyes, you look like fucking morons