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Ben King

@brknyc.bsky.social
340 followers 117 following 27 posts

Art director, MS NOW. Previously: BuzzFeed News, etc

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 14/09/2026
From a GOP redistricting Hail Mary to a Texas-sized question mark, these races will determine what the final two years of Trump’s presidency will look like. Read more from Hunter Woodall:
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The 50 races defining the 2026 midterms
Partisan power plays and bitter divides over the nation’s future are animating the drive to decide what the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency will be like.
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Reposted by Ben King
Semafor @semafor.com · 02/09/2026
🟡 NEW: Paid actors, AI writing: How a new kind of video business cashed in on America’s divided politics www.semafor.com/article/09/0...
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 10/08/2026
Among democratic socialists, Donald Trump is often seen as a symptom of a dire political system, a liar and a failure of a president. But the DSA's blame game doesn't always point at Republicans. Read more from Hunter Woodall:
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Democratic socialists revile Trump. But they blame Democrats for his return.
A handful of candidates from the movement are already on a glide path to Congress after primary wins.
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Reposted by Ben King
Brandy Zadrozny @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Candace Owens built an elaborate conspiracy theory about who killed Charlie Kirk. Her crackerjack sources? A kombucha brewer, a far-right lawyer, and a Kremlin-loving model — all cashing in. I spent way too much time tracking them all in a new series for MS NOW. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnNw...
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Who Killed Charlie Kirk? How conspiracy theories sparked a MAGA civil war
YouTube video by MS NOW
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Reposted by Ben King
Zeeshan Aleem @zeeshanaleem.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
I wrote about how Trump achieved the opposite of sportswashing with his hosting of the World Cup. He somehow managed to portray the U.S. in an exceptionally *negative* light through his actions, as a reflexively corrupt, cruel leader who cannot conceptualize organic joy. www.ms.now/opinion/trum...
ms.now
Opinion | Trump made the World Cup another stage for his cruelty and corruption
Instead of allowing visitors to focus on the best of America, he showed them the worst of himself.
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Reposted by Ben King
Zeeshan Aleem @zeeshanaleem.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
My column on how Platner represented the perils of ends-justify-the-means thinking and desperation to secure the next great populist hope: www.ms.now/opinion/grah...
ms.now
Opinion | The foreseeability of Graham Platner’s downfall
Some on the left blinded themselves with ends-justify-the-means thinking. That backfired.
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Reposted by Ben King
Hayes Brown @hayesbrown.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
new from me: the White House doesn’t want real history in the National Museum of American History. instead, engaging in toxic fandom, shaming the Smithsonian for not stanning its favs hard enough
ms.now
Opinion | The White House doesn’t want history at the Smithsonian. It wants fandom.
A report attacking the National Museum of American History would prefer Americans feel a shallow patriotic crush than truly love this country.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 23/06/2026
Two wealthy Democrats have put more than $35 million of their own money fighting each other for a House seat in western Maryland — a sum that would rank among the most ever poured into a primary for the chamber, in a race that will do nothing to decide control of Congress.
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‘What a frickin’ waste’: Inside the plutocrat feud for a Maryland congressional seat
The state’s sixth congressional district has quickly become an expensive primary with muted widespread meaning.
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Reposted by Ben King
Brandy Zadrozny @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
News: The Onion is launching the new Infowars July 2. After years of legal wrangling and months of maneuvering by Alex Jones's lawyers to block its takeover, the Sandy Hook families are finally getting their first check... from The Onion. www.ms.now/news/onion-s...
ms.now
The Onion says it will sidestep courts to launch Infowars and pay Sandy Hook families
The Onion’s staff is tired of waiting for the courts to settle its pending takeover of Alex Jones’ brand, so the new Infowars will launch next month.
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Reposted by Ben King
Miriam Elder @miriamelder.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Every line of this Heidi Blake story is totally horrifying in new and unimaginable ways 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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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 16/06/2026
“If you went to a laboratory and tried to create the worst general election candidate for this state and environment possible, you couldn’t do better than Mike Collins,” a prominent Georgia Republican strategist, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told MS NOW.
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The Trump candidate who could cost Republicans Georgia
Rep. Mike Collins has the president’s support. Winning in November is another question.
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Ben King @brknyc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
www.ms.now/opinion/spac...
ms.now
Opinion | Musk's SpaceX IPO is where greed meets hate
The space company’s IPO cannot be separated from the repugnant record of its CEO, who will likely become the world’s first trillionaire.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 12/06/2026
Ben Bergquam, a host on Real America’s Voice News, frequently embeds with ICE agents and celebrates on camera as they remove people from their homes. Read more from Christopher Mathias:
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ICE brings this far-right streamer on immigration raids as he pumps out MAGA propaganda
Ben Bergquam, a host on Real America’s Voice News, frequently embeds with ICE agents and celebrates on camera as they remove people from their homes.
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Reposted by Ben King
Christopher Mathias @letsgomathias.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
New for @ms.now: Ben Bergquam is Proud Boys associate who calls anti-ICE protesters “cockroaches." ICE keeps letting him film raids for his anti-immigrant propaganda Altho he depicts immigrants as criminals, nearly everyone in his orbit has criminal histories themselves www.ms.now/news/ice-mag...
ms.now
ICE brings this far-right streamer on immigration raids as he pumps out MAGA propaganda
Ben Bergquam, a host on Real America’s Voice News, frequently embeds with ICE agents and celebrates on camera as they remove people from their homes.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 11/06/2026
Trump has used the clemency power like no president in history, freeing fraudsters, drug traffickers and corrupt politicians. But his pardon of over 1,000 Jan. 6 defendants stands apart. MS NOW is spotlighting the clemency granted to Jan. 6 defendants as part of a new series, “Justice Interrupted.”
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‘Incredibly dangerous’: Capitol officer badly beaten by Jan. 6 rioters says Trump pardons absolved them
The latest in MS NOW’s “Justice Interrupted” series examines the pardons of Jan. 6 defendants, including some of the 170 who were convicted of beating police officers.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 09/06/2026
At least 500 babies and toddlers have been detained by ICE in Trump's second term, according to new analysis by MS NOW and @themarshallproject.org.
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ICE has detained over 500 babies and toddlers under Trump
On an average day, ICE has 25 children aged 3 or younger in custody, according to joint research by MS NOW and The Marshall Project.
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Reposted by Ben King
Zeeshan Aleem @zeeshanaleem.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
My thoughts on Hunter Biden becoming a populist Internet Guy www.ms.now/opinion/hunt...
ms.now
Opinion | Hunter Biden is becoming a populist Internet Guy. I have many questions.
The former president’s son is in his posting era. Does he know what he’s doing?
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 09/06/2026
For four election cycles, Jared Golden won a congressional district that, on paper, should’ve landed with Republicans. Now he’s leaving, and the question that could help determine control of the House is whether any Democrat can do what he did.
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The House seat Democrats are terrified of losing
With Jared Golden gone, Republicans smell an opening in a rural Maine district that could help tip House control. Democrats are still figuring out who can hold it.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 08/06/2026
New York is overflowing with good vibes over the Knicks’ historic run to the NBA Finals. It doesn’t need Trump crashing the party tonight. Read more from Anthony Fisher:
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Opinion | Just let Knicks’ fans have this moment, Trump. Stay away.
Anthony L. Fisher: New York is overflowing with good vibes over the Knicks’ historic run to the NBA Finals. It doesn’t need Trump crashing the party.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 02/06/2026
The two men competing to be Iowa’s Democratic Senate nominee agree on at least one thing: Their party needs a rebrand. Read more from Alex Tabet and Emily Gold:
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Iowa Democrats attempt to shed national party baggage
Front-runner Josh Turek stresses the need to redefine what it means to be a Democrat, while underdog Zach Wahls says the party’s brand is “toxic.”
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 02/06/2026
OPINION by MS NOW writer Hayes Brown: "GOP voters shifting away from Trump is bad enough for Republicans hoping to win in November. But the collapse of the coalition that sent Trump to office makes things all the worse." READ MORE: www.ms.now/opinion/trum...
ms.now
Opinion | Why Trump's cratering poll numbers are so remarkable
His approval rating is lower than it has been since immediately after leaving office — but you need to look beneath the hood for the real story.
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Reposted by Ben King
Zeeshan Aleem @zeeshanaleem.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Project 2025 promised a right-wing revolution in American government. Democrats’ Project 2029 promises to ... take on the “annoyance economy” and cut down on surprise fees and impossible cancellations. From me: www.ms.now/opinion/proj...
ms.now
Opinion | Project 2029 sure doesn’t look like an answer to Project 2025
A Democratic group is displaying a puzzling lack of ambition for the party’s policy vision.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 26/05/2026
OPINION by MS NOW newsletter editor Ryan Teague Beckwith: "The sheer number of Republicans who believe things that aren’t true distorts the political landscape." READ MORE: www.ms.now/opinion/repu...
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Republican voters believe things that aren’t true. That’s a problem for the GOP.
The party can’t make good arguments or put forward solutions unless it’s grounded in reality.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 26/05/2026
Trump’s 11th-hour backing of Ken Paxton over four-term incumbent John Cornyn was a sharp signal to Senate Republicans: Lukewarm loyalty is no loyalty at all.
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A Texas-sized warning to the GOP: Don’t mess with Trump
In backing Ken Paxton over four-term incumbent John Cornyn, the president is putting every Senate Republican on notice.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 22/05/2026
Spencer Pratt says he's "not a political person." So why is MAGA — and Trump himself — rallying behind his run for LA mayor? Read more from Julianne McShane:
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Spencer Pratt is looking at the MAGA in the mirror
He’s a reality TV star running for mayor of Los Angeles with a fan base in the millions and a populist message — but don’t ask him about Donald Trump.
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Reposted by Ben King
Zeeshan Aleem @zeeshanaleem.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Trump’s slush fund functions as a funding mechanism for a paramilitary www.ms.now/opinion/how-...
ms.now
Opinion | How Trump is angling to give cash to a MAGA paramilitary
Trump's new slush fund functions as a way to encourage insurrectionists to break the law on his behalf.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 19/05/2026
Thomas Massie hasn’t actually run away from Trump. In many ways, he is doing something more damaging. Read more from Matt Fuller:
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The parable and paradox of Thomas Massie
The Kentucky lawmaker says he represents 40% of the GOP. And he warns that Republicans may be about to make a big mistake.
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Ben King @brknyc.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Finally got to do some art for the mighty @letsgomathias.bsky.social!
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Reposted by Ben King
Christopher Mathias @letsgomathias.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
New: A racist streamer shot a black man. His fans rewarded him with cash. My look for @MS.Now at how Pump.Fun, a memecoin site with livestreaming, and GiveSendGo could enable Chud The Builder — who films himself calling black people slurs — to receive nearly $175,000 www.ms.now/news/chud-th...
ms.now
A racist streamer shot a Black man in Tennessee. Viewers paid him handsomely.
“Chud the Builder” broadcast his bigoted stunts on Pump.Fun, a crypto-based streaming platform that allows viewers to invest in creators as they watch.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 15/05/2026
OPINION by MS NOW opinion editor James Downie: "Perhaps Trump’s fortunes will suddenly turn. But I wouldn’t bet on it." READ MORE: www.ms.now/opinion/trum...
ms.now
Opinion | Trump’s polls just passed a historic low
The president is now more unpopular than Joe Biden ever was
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Ben King @brknyc.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
"Our old singer is a sex criminal"
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 04/05/2026
OPINION by MS NOW political analyst Matthew Bartlett: "Even Trump is reportedly asking friends and advisers about who would be better – Vance or Rubio. That question alone is a telling admission about the president’s thoughts about his own vice president." READ MORE: www.ms.now/opinion/jd-v...
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Opinion | The GOP whispers about JD Vance are getting louder
Expect the jockeying for the 2028 Republican nomination to continue – but only behind the scenes.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 29/04/2026
The Justice Department is investigating Allen’s possible ties to broad leftist networks. Nearly a thousand social media posts shared with MS NOW paint a more nuanced and isolating picture. Read more from @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social
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Before he allegedly tried to kill Trump, Cole Allen aired frustration with nonviolent protest
The Justice Department is investigating Allen’s possible ties to broad leftist networks. His social media posts paint a more nuanced and isolating picture.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 21/04/2026
The most fundamental hurdle to the DHS plan to hold tens of thousands of immigration detainees in structures built as would-be retail distribution centers isn’t political. It’s the plumbing. Read more from Paul Murphy:
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Plans to warehouse ICE detainees don’t address the plumbing problem
An MS NOW review finds a lack of DHS planning for drinking water and wastewater that could scuttle the next phase of mass deportation.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 15/04/2026
OPINION by "The Weeknight" co-host Michael Steele: On one side is a president who treats faith like a loyalty test. On the other is the spiritual leader of a two thousand year old moral tradition." READ MORE: www.ms.now/opinion/trum...
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Opinion | The president’s feud with Pope Leo exposes Trump’s ignorance of faith
Trump’s public feud with Pope Leo XIV shows how the president treats religion as a prop, something to pull out when it serves his personal or political interests.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 09/04/2026
Trump’s threats to end “civilization” in Iran prompted a move from Pope Leo XIV that Vatican historians call “extremely rare.”
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‘The nuclear button for the Vatican’: Pope Leo steps into the political fray
This week, Trump’s threats to end “civilization” in Iran prompted a move Vatican historians call extraordinarily rare.
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MS NOW @ms.now · 09/04/2026
Iraq War veteran Sascha Riley has a fantastical and unverifiable story of abuse at the hands of Epstein and Trump. Online conspiracists desperate for a smoking gun on Trump have wrested control of his story — and the fallout is affecting everyone involved. More from @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social:
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The conspiratorial left needed proof Trump is a monster. They settled on Sascha Riley.
An Iraq War veteran “unlocked” new memories of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and the right-wing elite. A network of conspiracists took control of his fantastical story.
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Paul Byrne @theplanetaryguy.com · 03/04/2026
This image of home just came down from the Artemis II crew. Taken after their translunar injection burn, there are aurorae at top right and lower left, and zodiacal light at lower right. Credit: NASA/Reid Wiseman
That's home. That's us.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 31/03/2026
In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with MS NOW, Nancy Pelosi offers advice for the next generation of female presidential candidates and shares an update on her relationship with Joe Biden. Read more from @alivitali.bsky.social:
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Nancy Pelosi’s prediction for female candidates
In a wide-ranging interview with MS NOW, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi talked about the 2024 election, female candidates for president and her relationship with former President Joe Biden.
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Ellie Hall @ellievhall.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
One of the last expenses BuzzFeed News approved was this photo shoot with @katmabu.bsky.social for my profile of her. It was my last piece published there after 10 years and I remain very proud of it. www.buzzfeednews.com/article/elli...
buzzfeednews.com
Meet Kat Abu, The TikToker Mocking Fox News “Just For Funsies”
The 24-year-old senior video producer watches “conservatives for work but makes fun of them for pleasure.”
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 12/03/2026
OPINION by retired Army colonel, Jeff McCausland "War is serious. And the president and his officials need to treat it as such." READ MORE: www.ms.now/opinion/pete...
ms.now
Opinion | The Iran war is serious. The way Pete Hegseth talks about it is not.
Jeff McCausland: The Iran war is not entertainment
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David Mack @davidmackau.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
It’s March 11. Time for my annual reshare of the biggest thing I’ve ever worked on.
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Tom Hanks, The NBA, And COVID’s Day Of Reckoning In The US: An Oral History
More than 60 people — from Anthony Fauci to Chet Hanks — told us what it was like in the Oval Office, in the Utah Jazz locker room, and backstage on Broadway on March 11, 2020, the day COVID swallowed...
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 10/03/2026
OPINION by MS NOW writer @hayesbrown.bsky.social "While any drop off is encouraging, the danger in this moment is that the 'softer touch' Trump said his administration needed will be mistaken as a reversion to the norm." READ MORE: www.ms.now/opinion/step...
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Opinion | Stephen Miller is down but not out
A recent shift in tactics from ICE in the aftermath of Minnesota can’t be seen as Trump's overall deportation goals changing.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 08/03/2026
Kristi Noem was everything a Cabinet member is not supposed to be www.ms.now/opinion/kris...
ms.now
Kristi Noem was everything a Cabinet member is not supposed to be
The heads of government agencies are supposed to be quietly competent. She was neither.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 06/03/2026
OPINION by MS NOW writer @hayesbrown.bsky.social: "Noem had an extremely reduced concept of her role heading the Department of Homeland Security. She failed to live up even to that." READ MORE: www.ms.now/opinion/kris...
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Opinion | How Kristi Noem got herself fired
Hayes Brown: Noem had an extremely reduced concept of her role heading the Department of Homeland Security. She failed to live up even to that.
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Ben King @brknyc.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
May this picture of Sal Fasano be a blessing upon your timeline
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Reposted by Ben King
Sara Yasin @sarayasin.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
I've launched a publication with @palfest.bsky.social called "The Key." I am so excited to share this first issue with you: www.thekeymagazine.com
thekeymagazine.com
Home | The Key
The Key is a new online magazine brought to you by the Palestine Festival of Literature.
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 03/03/2026
Follow MS NOW's LIVE COVERAGE of today's primary elections as the 2026 midterms kick off in three states. www.ms.now/liveblog/202...
ms.now
Texas and North Carolina vote in key Senate, House elections: Live updates
Today's primaries showcase battles over two Senate seats that could turn the chamber blue, a scandal involving an alleged affair and a Republican redistricting map that could shrink the Democratic Hou...
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Reposted by Ben King
MS NOW @ms.now · 26/02/2026
NEWS ANALYSIS: Candace Owens spun conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s death. Now she’s targeting his widow. www.ms.now/news/bride-o...
ms.now
Candace Owens spun conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk's death. Now she’s targeting his widow.
The podcaster aired “Bride of Charlie” on YouTube and billed it as an investigation into Erika Kirk — but there is no evidence to support her fevered, fact-free claims.
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MS NOW @ms.now · 26/02/2026
NEW: Trump moves to rewrite election rules unilaterally www.ms.now/news/trump-m...
ms.now
Trump moves to rewrite election rules unilaterally
The president has directed his White House counsel to explore a voter ID executive order, even as his own lawyers warn it would likely be stricken down — the latest test of his executive authority ove...
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