iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Kyle Paoletta: “While less heralded than the rise of democratic socialism in New York City … the ability of like-minded candidates to compete in the heartland by focusing on elite corruption and economic insecurity suggested what a truly national political realignment might entail.”

harpers.org

Barn Burners, by Kyle Paoletta

Can the Democrats harness the new prairie populism?

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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 01/10/2026

The second Trump administration has tested legal aid groups more than ever before. Here's how they're surviving.

motherjones.com

First Trump came for immigrants. Then he came for their lawyers.

How legal aid groups survived the administration’s attacks—barely.

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Ian Gordon @idgordon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Despite the sabotage, legal aid groups are holding the line—on limited funds—to ensure migrants aren't forced into court alone. As one attorney put it, helping a client access due process and get a fair shot "alone is worth celebrating." Read the full story by @kpaoletta.bsky.social:

motherjones.com

First Trump came for immigrants. Then he came for their lawyers.

How legal aid groups survived the administration's attacks—barely.

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Ian Gordon @idgordon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The human stakes became clear over Labor Day weekend, writes @kpaoletta.bsky.social, when attorneys rushed to detention shelters to stop federal contractors from putting 600 unaccompanied children—including a 3-year-old—on secret deportation flights before a court order halted the planes.

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Today in @motherjones.com, my year-long investigation into how the Trump administration pulled over $200 million from the non-profits that provide legal aid to migrants. The ensuing scramble sent several organizations reeling, while others remained steadfast: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

motherjones.com

First Trump came for immigrants. Then he came for their lawyers.

How legal aid groups survived the administration's attacks—barely.

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Ian Gordon @idgordon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

With tens of millions of dollars in funding withheld, the bottom quickly fell out of a number of organizations. Lawyers cut clients adrift. “They were like, ‘No new clients’—and not only no new clients, but ‘No consultations, no pro se workshops, and withdraw from every single pro bono client.’”

motherjones.com

First Trump came for immigrants. Then he came for their lawyers.

How legal aid groups survived the administration's attacks—barely.

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Ian Gordon @idgordon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Immigration law is infamous for its impossible hours and laughable salaries, but since early 2025 lawyers have been tested by the federal government’s efforts to target them—and their budgets. The ensuing chaos nearly broke them. Don't miss the latest from @kpaoletta.bsky.social:

motherjones.com

First Trump came for immigrants. Then he came for their lawyers.

How legal aid groups survived the administration's attacks—barely.

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Jfrisco @jfrisco.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

This is worth a hopeful read!

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jon christian @jonchristian.net · 24/09/2026

the thing about that mask bar story is that it's extremely hard to describe to a person unfamiliar with massachusetts' game how perfectly it encapsulates a certain genre of person that you actually meet there

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Harper’s Magazine @harpers.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

“The ability of like-minded candidates to compete in the heartland by focusing on elite corruption and economic insecurity suggested what a truly national political realignment might entail.” — @kpaoletta.bsky.social buff.ly/5wwHfUT

buff.ly

Barn Burners, by Kyle Paoletta

Can the Democrats harness the new prairie populism?

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Harper’s Magazine @harpers.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

In our October issue: Kyle Paoletta on prairie populism, Hari Kunzru on art and censorship after 9/11, Belén Fernández on rise and fall of immigration boomtowns, J. B. MacKinnon on poultry and paranoia in Canada, a new story by Tom Drury, and more. harpers.org/archive/2026...

Cover: Members of the Crawford County Democrats participate in a Fourth of July parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, in Pittsburg, Kansas © Victor J. Blue

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

In my cover story for @harpers.bsky.social, I crisscrossed the Great Plains to see how Dems and Independents are reviving the progressive populism that once defined the region. Believe it or not, but the Blue Wave looks poised to crash over Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa harpers.org/archive/2026...

harpers.org

Barn Burners, by Kyle Paoletta

Can the Democrats harness the new prairie populism?

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

It's time to write a new Colorado River Compact. That process will be brutalizing, but as the new Bureau of Reclamation guidelines for managing the river after 2026 make clear, there's really no other choice: kylepaoletta.substack.com/p/river-guide

kylepaoletta.substack.com

River Guide

It’s time to rewrite the Colorado River Compact

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Columbia Journalism Review @columjournreview.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Kathleen Kingsbury of the New York Times on Nicholas Kristof and Gaza, her big bet on video, and what makes an opinion piece, with @kpaoletta.bsky.social. www.cjr.org/feature/almo...

cjr.org

Almost persuaded.

Kathleen Kingsbury of the New York Times on Nicholas Kristof and Gaza, her big bet on video, and what makes an opinion piece.

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

My latest for @columjournreview.bsky.social: a deep dive into the NYT Opinion section, featuring an extensive interview with editor Katie Kingsbury about the brouhaha over Kristof, going all in on video, and what happens to Interesting Times now that Douthat is gone: www.cjr.org/feature/almo...

cjr.org

Almost persuaded.

Kathleen Kingsbury of the New York Times on Nicholas Kristof and Gaza, her big bet on video, and what makes an opinion piece.

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Reposted by Kyle Paoletta

Joel Pinckney @jpinckney.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Another note this morning from the SABF team—"Recently, the Mayor doubled down on cutting all funding to the San Antonio Book Festival by sending out this letter to the business community." The letter basically asks for philanthropic support so the city is not on the books for funding the festival.

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The Nation Magazine @thenation.com · 28/07/2026

Can a fifth-generation logger unseat Susan Collins? @kpaoletta.bsky.social reports from the Maine Democratic Party special state convention, where Troy Jackson introduced himself as a populist ally to the labor movement. bit.ly/4fuNggs

bit.ly

The Logger Who Could Unseat Susan Collins

How Troy Jackson rose from wildcat striker to Democratic Senate nominee.

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Today @thenation.com, here's my look at how Troy Jackson's deep ties to organized labor powered his ascent to Democratic senate nominee, from his first wildcat strike as a logger in 1998 to helping nurses organize Maine's largest hospital in 2021: www.thenation.com/article/poli...

thenation.com

The Logger Who Could Unseat Susan Collins

How Troy Jackson rose from wildcat striker to Democratic Senate nominee.

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The Nation Magazine @thenation.com · 21/07/2026

This weekend, Democrats in Maine overwhelmingly showed that they believe that Troy Jackson can dethrone GOP Senator Susan Collins. @kpaoletta.bsky.social reports from Maine's Hancock County and explains how Troy Jackson took over Graham Platner's movement energy. bit.ly/4yx8eE7

bit.ly

How Troy Jackson Became the Heir to Graham Platner's Movement

This weekend, Democrats in Maine overwhelmingly showed that they believe the former logger and longtime state senator can dethrone GOP Senator Susan Collins.

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

For @thenation.com, here's my postcard from Hancock County, ME — the improbable center of the political universe — about how Troy Jackson outmaneuvered his opponents and emerged as the only Democrat with a chance to continue what Graham Platner started: www.thenation.com/article/poli...

thenation.com

How Troy Jackson Became the Heir to Graham Platner’s Movement

This weekend, Democrats in Maine overwhelmingly showed that they believe the former logger and longtime state senator can dethrone GOP Senator Susan Collins.

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

I dropped in on Graham Platner’s primary watch party last night to take in the media circus that has formed around his candidacy and reflect on how a dude from Downeast Maine became the main character of the 2026 midterms. kylepaoletta.substack.com/p/every-elec...

kylepaoletta.substack.com

Every Election Needs a Maine Character

A dispatch from the Graham Platner media circus

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

My latest for @columjournreview.bsky.social 's Access issue: I surveyed local news and found politicians reluctant to work with journalists all over the map, with some particularly alarming examples in the Kansas legislature, the mayor of Chicago, and Texas Hill Country: www.cjr.org/feature/go-p...

cjr.org

Go Pound Sand! Local journalists feel the doors closing to public officials who “are taking their cues from President Trump.”

Local journalists feel the doors closing to public officials who “are taking their cue from President Trump.”

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Reposted by Kyle Paoletta

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

NEWS --> The Democratic National Committee just posted the long-suppressed autopsy into the 2024 loss: democrats.org/wp-content/u...

democrats.org

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Victor LaValle @victorlavalle.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Some writers are great at being public figures but others write, a solitary profession, exactly because we aren’t good at that. Even a fantastic sum of money might not be enough to make you change your basic nature. What to do? If you’re Helen DeWitt you write something funny & honest.

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The Baffler @thebaffler.com · 20/03/2026

The Great Salt Lake is now about half as large as it once was. The Aral Sea has almost disappeared entirely. Saving them may be straightforward—but many obstacles stand in the way. @kpaoletta.bsky.social considers the politics of restoration.

thebaffler.com

Troubled Salt Waters | Kyle Paoletta

Caroline Tracey’s “Salt Lakes” is less the jeremiad of an outraged conservationist than a tender bildungsroman.

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Columbia Journalism Review @columjournreview.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

As the nation's biggest broadcaster, Nexstar is uniquely positioned to profit from deregulation. The FCC has just signed off on its unprecedented acquisition of Tegna. Read our analysis previewing that decision: www.cjr.org/analysis/bre...

cjr.org

The FCC's deregulation blitz is a disaster.

The FCC chairman is clearing the way for Trump and corporate broadcasters to control the airwaves.

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Reposted by Kyle Paoletta

The Baffler @thebaffler.com · 19/03/2026

In her new book, Caroline Tracey layers queer theory, histories of settler colonialism, and personal anecdote over an imperiled landscape. @kpaoletta.bsky.social reviews “Salt Lakes.”

thebaffler.com

Troubled Salt Waters | Kyle Paoletta

Caroline Tracey’s “Salt Lakes” is less the jeremiad of an outraged conservationist than a tender bildungsroman.

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Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 19/03/2026

Under Paramount's ownership, CNN could try to appease Trump with “a lot of both-sidesism, false equivalencies, and a lot of boring and uninteresting newscasts where opinions of differing validity are given equal weight,” FPF's Seth Stern told @kpaoletta.bsky.social in @columjournreview.bsky.social.

cjr.org

CNN's missed opportunity.

A promising digital transition is underway. But a Paramount buyout will likely doom the progress being made.

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Reviewed @cetracey.bsky.social's debut SALT WATERS for @thebaffler.com. It's a fascinating book, one that pushes us to consider what a land ethic oriented around restoration — rather than conservation — might look like: thebaffler.com/latest/troub...

thebaffler.com

Troubled Salt Waters | Kyle Paoletta

Caroline Tracey’s “Salt Lakes” is less the jeremiad of an outraged conservationist than a tender bildungsroman.

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Book #2 is on the way! Thanks to @jonahstraus.bsky.social, David Treuer, and @pantheonbooks.bsky.social for helping me keep a good thing going 🌳🐑🍃

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Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 17/03/2026

cjr.org

CNN's missed opportunity.

A promising digital transition is underway. But a Paramount buyout will likely doom the progress being made.

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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 21/01/2026

Tuesday's Most Read # 3 - At Any Cost: New York is the one American city that only gets more expensive. In culture of predictability, why the demand for a place so unpredictable? link.theoverheadwire.com/734yx Components @kpaoletta.bsky.social

link.theoverheadwire.com

At any cost

New York is the one American city that only gets more expensive. In culture of predictability, why the demand for a place so unpredictable?

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nervous demon purveyor 🔥 ndpdesign 🦄 Unwritten Earths Symposium @ndpdesign.com · 26/12/2025

Only 9 sales to go to hit that 500 goal! This includes sales through all direct outlets: my website www.ndpdesign.com/store/p/worl... itch ndpdesign.itch.io/the-world-wi... drivethru www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/3... payhip payhip.com/b/2PFSa Thanks!

ndpdesign.com

World Wide Wrestling: Second Edition (Digital) — ndpdesign

Welcome to the award-winning pro wrestling RPG of narrative action! World Wide Wrestling enables you to create your own professional wrestling franchise through play, showcasing satisfying and sur...

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

For @columjournreview.bsky.social's "Journalism 2050" issue, I took a look at how the pivot of so many politicians to social media and other direct-to-consumer platforms is forcing reporters out of their comfort zone, and what we can do to adapt to this new reality www.cjr.org/feature/the-...

cjr.org

What happens when politicians can skip the press and talk directly to the public?

What happens when politicians can get their message out without the press.

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

In my latest for @columjournreview.bsky.social, I dug into Brendan Carr's efforts to deregulate the local television business. If he gets his way, one company called Nexstar — of Jimmy Kimmel boycott fame — will be able to reach over 80% of American households: www.cjr.org/analysis/bre...

cjr.org

The FCC's deregulation blitz is a disaster.

The FCC chairman is clearing the way for Trump and corporate broadcasters to control the airwaves.

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

Big news: Components relaunched last week with a barn burner on the economics of Substack. Turns out it isn't a winner-take-all platform (The Free Press be damned), but rather a place where 71% of the revenue comes from publications with fewer than 100k subs components.news/the-desire-d...

components.news

The Desire Distribution

Substack’s revenue curve, the end of the winner-take-all media markets, and the cleansing power of money.

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Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 25/09/2025

Journalist Mario Guevara faces deportation for "doing his job, reporting the news" at a "No Kings" protest, @seth-stern.bsky.social said on @meidastouch.com. "He might not be as famous as Jimmy Kimmel ... but he is just as worthy a cause for people to get behind."

youtu.be

Trump FCC SMACKED with COMPLAINT after PLAN FAILS

YouTube video by Legal AF

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Adam Rose @adamrose.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

This. This! This! This! It's even worse when people buy into the "left vs. right" spectrum. As if people can be measured entirely on a one-dimensional plane. You, the person reading this right now, are not one-dimensional. Stop perpetuating the garbage that politics is left-right.

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Lauren Harper @laurenleharper.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

The Energy Department wants to close as many FOIA requests as it can. It is about to publish a notice in the federal register for all FOIA requests to HQ that predate FY 2025. If you don't respond to StillInterestedFOIA@hq.doe.gov in 30 days, your request is closed. I just FOIA'd DOE about this.

public-inspection.federalregister.gov

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Wrote about the late Richard Parker's book on El Paso, THE CROSSING, for @thenation.com. Though his take on the Southwest's history is rosier than mine, count me as a believer in his argument that the region is absolutely central to the American experience: www.thenation.com/article/cult...

thenation.com

The Story of America Can Be Found on the Banks of the Rio Grande

Richard Parker’s love letter to El Paso, The Crossing, argues that the Texas city can illustrate the best and the worst of the nation’s history.

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

In this month's K Paoletter, I wrote about the EPA deciding carbon emissions aren't pollution, California gutting CEQA in the name of climate progress, and why there suddenly seems to be so much bipartisan agreement that environmental regulations are bad, actually. open.substack.com/pub/kylepaol...

open.substack.com

Streamlining

Whose environment is it, anyway?

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Adam Rose @adamrose.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Three generations of my family worked for CBS. Bending the knee to Donald Trump is unacceptable to me. Good analysis by @kpaoletta.bsky.social on potential shareholder lawsuit by @freedom.press against Paramount. I shared a little perspective as a former employee and shareholder, myself:

Adam Rose, a former CBS employee and a stockholder in the company (which also employed his father, the longtime Southern California radio host Hilly Rose), said that the settlement has done irreparable harm to the company. “One of the few things that really commands a true national audience is a 60 Minutes interview with a presidential candidate,” he told me. “Moving forward, do you think that this settlement will encourage the presidential candidates to actually come on? Will they trust that CBS isn’t going to capitulate to their political rival?”

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Lisa Fung @lisafung.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

'At perhaps the most trying time for press freedom in American history, it has become clear that corporate ownership is a serious liability—and journalistic independence will require vigilant defense, sometimes through esoteric tactics.' Via @kpaoletta.bsky.social www.cjr.org/feature-2/pa...

cjr.org

The Fight for Free Speech Goes Corporate

As Paramount prepares for a merger, the Freedom of the Press Foundation stands to challenge the company for capitulating to Trump. Will it work?

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Columbia Journalism Review @columjournreview.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Trump has approved Paramount’s merger with Skydance, raising concerns over a handshake deal for Paramount’s $16m settlement. It’s a sign that media is compromised by corporate ownership, writes @KPaoletta.bsky.social. www.cjr.org/feature-2/pa...

cjr.org

The Fight for Free Speech Goes Corporate

As Paramount prepares for a merger, the Freedom of the Press Foundation stands to challenge the company for capitulating to Trump. Will it work?

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Kyle Paoletta @kpaoletta.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

With the Paramount/Skydance merger a go, the clock is now ticking on @freedom.press' threat to sue Paramount over its $16 million settlement with Trump. For @columjournreview.bsky.social, I took a look at the legal landscape and the state of the media biz that got us here www.cjr.org/feature-2/pa...

cjr.org

The Fight for Free Speech Goes Corporate

As Paramount prepares for a merger, the Freedom of the Press Foundation stands to challenge the company for capitulating to Trump. Will it work?

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