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Benjamin Kail

@benkail.bsky.social
560 followers 400 following 58 posts

Senior Political Reporter, Bangor Daily News | www.benjaminkail.com

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Reposted by Benjamin Kail
Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 14/09/2026
Your regular reminder: If the Russians stop fighting, the war ends. If the Ukrainians stop fighting, their land will be occupied, their leaders will be killed, their history and language will be erased, their children will be kidnapped to serve Russia.
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Jim MacMillan (he/him) @jimmacmillan.com · 03/09/2026
Mindful that I would soon find the 25th anniversary bearing down on me, I thought maybe writing this could make it easier for young journalists and others to talk more with their friends and colleagues, with the people they love, or maybe even with a therapist about their experiences and responses.
inquirer.com
I spent the night at Ground Zero on 9/11. I’ve lived the trauma ever since.
Therapy and professional accomplishments can help us to go on, but there is no unseeing what we have seen.
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette @post-gazette.com · 05/09/2026
Pa. election results, Shapiro’s speeches, and state laws are all prediction market bets. Could this lead to corruption?
post-gazette.com
Pa. election results, Shapiro’s speeches, and state laws are all prediction market bets. Could this lead to corruption?
Federal officials argue states can’t regulate prediction markets. 44 state attorneys general, including Pa.’s, argue otherwise.
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Kevin Morris @kevintmorris.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Rest in peace to the inimitable Wendell Berry
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Charlotte Clymer @charlotteclymer.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Y'all... the Band of the Coldstream Guards performed "9 to 5" in front of Buckingham Palace in honor of Dolly Parton.
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The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 22/08/2026
The upstart golf league is playing what could be its final tournament ever as executives scramble to find new investors. on.wsj.com/4cWJyMa
on.wsj.com
The Final Days of LIV Golf: Unpaid Bills and a Scramble for Cash
The upstart golf league is playing what could be its final tournament ever as executives scramble to find new investors.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 29/07/2026
Breaking News: Glen Hansard, the Irish musician who won an Oscar for the song “Falling Slowly” from the movie “Once,” has died at 56 in a motorcycle crash.
nyti.ms
Glen Hansard, Frontman of Irish Band the Frames, Dies at 56
The Irish singer-songwriter, who won an Oscar for the song “Falling Slowly” from the movie “Once,” died in a motorcycle crash.
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Mr Kindness @itsallgood303.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
I would go to Christmas Vicar St. gig every year. This performance stood out to me more than any other. youtu.be/MXdGRjn1oWo
youtu.be
Glen Hansard & Friends : The Auld Triangle (HD) Live Royal Albert Hall 2014 #shaymcn
YouTube video by SHAYMCN
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Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Very important piece by Cerin Lindgrensavage and @davidasuper.bsky.social. This behavior by the administration is not only illegal, it is anti-constitutional. thehill.com/opinion/cong...
thehill.com
Congress rejected some of Trump’s proposed budget cuts. OMB is making them anyway.
President Trump and the Office of Management and Budget are accused of violating the separation of powers by attempting to unilaterally withhold funds that Congress specifically appropriated.
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Anna Merlan @annamerlan.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
If you haven’t read this in full it’s a gutwrenching account of both the sickening serial rape allegations against them and how many friends they have in the Trump administration: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
newyorker.com
Andrew Tate’s Empire of Abuse
How the defining figure of the manosphere built a fortune—and became a political force—by systematically exploiting women.
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Benjamin Kail @benkail.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
www.bangordailynews.com/2026/07/15/p...
bangordailynews.com
Homeland Security chief and Donald Trump appear at odds over ICE traffic stop pause
Mullin did not explain the discrepancy between his comments to U.S. Rep Chellie Pingree of Maine's 1st District and President Donald Trump's stance.
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Benjamin Kail @benkail.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
The Democrats fighting to replace Graham Platner and face Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in November will take the stage next week in a debate hosted by CNN and the Bangor Daily News. The debate is set for 8 p.m. on July 23. www.bangordailynews.com/2026/07/16/p...
bangordailynews.com
BDN and CNN will host Democratic US Senate debate next week
Democratic candidates will debate next week on CNN and Bangor Daily News ahead of a massive July convention to select a replacement for Graham Platner.
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Benjamin Kail @benkail.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
New: Victim of today’s ICE-involved shooting in Biddeford was not target of warrant, per Sen. Angus King’s office www.bangordailynews.com/2026/07/13/p...
bangordailynews.com
Victim of Biddeford shooting was not target of ICE warrant, Angus King’s office says
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin previously told the senator that the victim was the target of an order to leave the country.
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Benjamin Kail @benkail.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
www.bangordailynews.com/2026/07/07/p...
bangordailynews.com
Maine Democrats accuse Graham Platner of trying to put thumb on scale of replacing him on ballot
Frustration has intensified among Democratic leaders and multiple contenders concerned that Platner is pressing for an aligned candidate as a condition of dropping out.
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Aftermath @aftermath.site · 15/06/2026
1666: Amsterdam, made by a team including 'over a dozen talented and experienced artists', used AI images all through its reveal: aftermath.site/1666-amsterdam...
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Cheshire Cat ᓚᘏᗢ, @autismsupsoc.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Sound on for this one.
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Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Ah yes. The fact that there’s not a shred of evidence just shows how “diabolical” the conspirators are.
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The New Yorker @newyorker.com · 07/04/2026
@ronanfarrow.bsky.social and Andrew Marantz asked Sam Altman whether running an A.I. company was a job that came with “an elevated requirement of integrity.” This was supposed to be an easy question.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 16/03/2026
The “Sinners” cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw has made Oscar history as the first woman, and first woman of color, to win best cinematography. “I really want all the women in the room to stand up,” she said in her acceptance speech. nyti.ms/4s6532K
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Jimmy Cloutier @jrcloutier.com · 14/02/2026
In his last piece for the @post-gazette.com, @benkail.bsky.social covers Pennsylvania’s role in the battle over voting reforms and the Trump administration’s efforts to “nationalize” elections ahead of the midterms. www.post-gazette.com/news/politic...
post-gazette.com
Pennsylvania on front lines of election power battle ahead of midterms
When he was mayor of Hazelton a few years before heading to Capitol Hill, former Rep. Lou Barletta left an international conference of mayors in Barcelona...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Shapiro, Garrity divided over spending in spotlight amid renewed Pa. budget battle www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... by @benkail.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Shapiro, Garrity divided over spending in spotlight amid renewed Pa. budget battle
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed $53 billion spending plan for 2026-27 shows that neither he nor Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity is shying away...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Jason Richey, Allegheny County GOP chair, running for lieutenant governor www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... by @benkail.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Jason Richey, Allegheny County GOP chair, running for lieutenant governor
Jason Richey, a Pittsburgh-native attorney who ran for governor in 2022 and has chaired the Allegheny County GOP for about a year, is running for lieutenant...
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Chris Potter @cpotterpgh.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
It always amuses me how boilerplate Trump's endorsements are, as witness his backing last night of gubernatorial candidates Stacy Garrity of PA and Tom Tiffany of WI. Some biographical details and phrasing change, but oddly much of the idiosyncratic capitalization remains the same.
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Benjamin Kail @benkail.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Jason Richey, a Pittsburgh attorney who ran for governor in 2022 & has chaired the Allegheny County GOP for about a year, is running for Lt. governor. Stacy Garrity, the Republican state treasurer running to oust Gov. Josh Shapiro, will endorse Richey today. www.post-gazette.com/news/politic...
post-gazette.com
Jason Richey, Allegheny County GOP chair, running for lieutenant governor
Jason Richey, a Pittsburgh-native attorney who ran for governor in 2022 and has chaired the Allegheny County GOP for about a year, is running for lieutenant...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
“Had I been a double agent for Israel?” Gov. Shapiro found Harris team’s focus on Israel during 2024 vetting ‘offensive’ www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... by @benkail.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Gov. Shapiro found Harris team’s focus on Israel during 2024 vetting ‘offensive’
Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign team asked Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro whether he ever served as an Israeli agent as part of a running...
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Benjamin Kail @benkail.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Instead of a link to the announcement of our paper's demise, here's a feature I wrote in 2024 ... about my old man's favorite roller coaster, the century-old Thunderbolt, at Kennywood Park. Like my 12 years in the news business, it's still a hell of a ride. www.linkedin.com/posts/benjam...
linkedin.com
‘That extra whip’: Kennywood’s Thunderbolt roller coaster celebrates a century of thrills | Benjamin Kail
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is shutting down after May 3. In between calls for unrelated stories, I thought I'd say thank you to our readers and subscribers. Thank you to my insightful sources and t...
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anna @fritesflagey.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Lest we forget what the great Megan Harris is up to: pittsburgh.citycast.fm
pittsburgh.citycast.fm
City Cast Pittsburgh
The City Cast Pittsburgh daily podcast and the Hey Pittsburgh daily newsletter are made by Pittsburghers for Pittsburghers.
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 25/12/2025
“.. What happened to Rob and Michele is an obscenity, an abyss in lived reality. .. I have to be allowed to imagine .. that one day, I’ll be at a dinner or a party and find myself seated next to Rob .. and feel lucky all over again to have him as a friend.” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/o...
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David Lynch's Worlds @davidlynchsworlds.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
#TwinPeaks #CharlieBrown #Snoopy artwork by @schumisnoopy.bsky.social
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Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
Many reporters went to Albany, Georgia, when it became one of America's first COVID hotspots. But @propublica.org's Ginger Thompson kept returning, kept reporting. What she uncovered reveals some ugly truths about American healthcare. Read her new 5-part series, Sick in a Hospital Town:
projects.propublica.org
As Phoebe Memorial Grew, the Health of Albany, Georgia, Declined
The five-part series, “Sick in a Hospital Town,” pursues one question: Why are people in Albany so sick when its most powerful institution is a hospital?
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
I'm not sure it's in the self interest of America's tech bro billionaires to suggest that we bring back public executions to punish the most destructive people in our society.
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Benjamin Kail @benkail.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
“A democratic republic is only as good as the information the citizens have,” Lew Irwin, a political scientist at Duquesne University, told me. “We’ve immersed Americans in this new technology with all these adverse consequences, and no one has a user’s manual.” www.post-gazette.com/news/politic...
post-gazette.com
AI poised to play increased role in Pa. elections in 2026 and beyond
The five jittery clowns marched down the middle of a dark city street, flanked by passersby and the blurred glow of storefront lamps.  As their wild...
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Dave DiCello @davedicello.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
This composition had eluded me for nearly a decade, but yesterday I was finally able to capture it. A train rolled through just as the Duquesne Incline was crossing over the tracks in #Pittsburgh, creating a picture perfect winter scene. It was worth the hours and hours I've waited over the years.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 28/11/2025
this is just gutter racism
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John Sipher @johnsipher.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Territory they hold? You mean Ukraine?
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Peter Baker @peterbakernyt.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Trump and his administration have targeted at least 470 people, organizations and institutions for retribution since he took office, according to a @reuters.com tally – an average of more than one a day. www.reuters.com/investigates...
reuters.com
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.
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Sean Duffy @profduff.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
There is beauty everywhere but especially in autumn in Philadelphia! 😻
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
Shapiro says Trump administration not 'minding the shop' as DHS targets immigrant truckers www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... by @benkail.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Shapiro says Trump administration not 'minding the shop' as DHS targets immigrant truckers
The recent arrest of an alleged Uzbek terrorist who obtained a Pennsylvania commercial driver’s license this summer has stirred calls for investigations...
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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
JUST IN: A federal judge says one of the Venezuelan men — illegally deported to El Salvador in March before he was swapped back to Venezuela in a prisoner exchange — is now missing, possibly a victim of the violence he was seeking asylum from. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
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Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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Yaneer Bar-Yam @yaneerbaryam.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
Let’s not get confused about science. Many studies have looked for a link between vaccines and autism — none has found one. “We haven’t ruled it out” is a logic loop; by that logic we also haven’t ruled out peanut butter, bedtime stories, or blue socks. 1/
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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
i’m sure someone else has already put this together but fucking wild he called for members of congress to be hanged the same day the coast guard said a noose is no longer a hate symbol
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 20/11/2025
Crow: "It just tells us everything that we need to know that reminding people to obey the law, reminding people to obey the Constitution, is somehow criminal in Trumpworld and should be responded to with death threats. It's very, very telling."
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Benjamin Kail @benkail.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
The arrest of an alleged terrorist who obtained a Pennsylvania commercial driver’s license this summer has stirred calls for investigations by Republican policymakers & pushback from the Shapiro administration aimed at potential flaws in a federal database. www.post-gazette.com/news/politic...
post-gazette.com
Shapiro says Trump administration not 'minding the shop' as DHS targets immigrant truckers
The recent arrest of an alleged Uzbek terrorist who obtained a Pennsylvania commercial driver’s license this summer has stirred calls for investigations...
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Senator Ron Wyden @wyden.senate.gov · 20/11/2025
EPSTEIN BOMBSHELL: my staff is releasing a new report showing JPMorgan Chase executives – all the way to the top – enabled Epstein's sex trafficking operation. You're going to want to read this.
nytimes.com
Wyden Presses for Investigation Into JPMorgan Chase and Epstein
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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
Breaking: The House voted unanimously, 426-0, to strip a provision in the funding bill that allowed senators to sue the government for $500K if their phone data was searched without their knowledge. The provision was designed for GOP senators to sue over the Jack Smith investigation.
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Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
RFK Jr. says other nations should follow the US lead & bar thimerosal in #vaccines. The preservative safeguards multi-dose vials, a key tool for vaccination drives in many countries. Experts don't think it will happen, but worry that disinformation could take root. www.statnews.com/2025/11/19/r...
statnews.com
RFK Jr.’s warnings on thimerosal in vaccines threaten to instill doubt overseas, experts fear
Health secretary RFK Jr. wants other countries to ban the use of the preservative thimerosal in vaccines, despite research showing it is a safe ingredient.
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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
BREAKING: Prosecutors in the Comey case just told the judge that they’re under orders from the Deputy Attorney Generals’s office not to disclose whether career prosecutors wrote a memo recommending *against* indicting Comey prior to Halligan going to the grand jury.
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