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Ben

@chaosarchive79.bsky.social
250 followers 85 following 3 posts

Trying to keep a contemporaneous record of the most egregious, ridiculous, and downright dangerous happenings of the time.

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Reposted by Ben
Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
BREAKING: ICE over the past year investigated hundreds of nonprofits across the U.S. that help people register to vote. The internal documents, obtained by the Democracy Forward, showed that ICE's investigative arm also contemplated sending undercover agents to investigate the organizations.
democracydocket.com
ICE  probed hundreds of voter registration groups across the U.S.
The agency also contemplated deploying undercover agents to "initiate prosecutions" against the groups and "dismantle" them.
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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
As Trump crisscrossed the country last week trying to help his party avoid a blowout in the midterms, two of his top political advisers — James Blair and Chris LaCivita — were in the Balkans helping a pro-Russian government looking to tighten its grip on power.
nytimes.com
Amid Midterm Crunch, Trump Advisers Took Time to Help Russia-Aligned Government
James Blair and Chris LaCivita, who are leading the president’s congressional campaign operation, traveled to Republika Srpska to provide election advice.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 06/10/2026
New in PN: “Project Meridian” is the stuff of satire "Leading this project of ruthless mapping will be 'three of our nation’s best minds:' Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich. In other words — at the risk of being unkind — a weirdo, a beardo, and a fatty."
publicnotice.co
“Project Meridian” is the stuff of satire
Elon Musk, Newt Gingrich, and Palmer Luckey walk into a bar ... and are given the keys to the DoD.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 06/10/2026
The government *still* isn’t tracking how often immigration agents detain U.S. citizens. We are. 500+ Americans have been handcuffed, held at gunpoint or held against their will in Trump’s second term. Our tally is almost certainly an undercount. THREAD (content warning: violence) ⬇️
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Seth Cotlar @sethcotlar.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
It’s interesting how the standard bearer for the party whose message used to be “Democrats suck because they just buy votes by giving people free stuff” has decided the closing message for the midterms will just be “how many more checks do we have to send you in order to earn your vote?”
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Endless corruption.
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Eric Lipton NYT @ericlipton.nytimes.com · 03/10/2026
JUST POSTED: Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have pushed a multibillion oil deal with Russia as part of peace talks that will bring profits to their family business partners. A new front for Trump-era conflicts of interest. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/03/u...
nytimes.com
U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Now Involve an Oil Deal Tied to Trump Allies (Gift Article)
President Vladimir V. Putin brought up a sale of Russian energy assets with President Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, pushing a deal that raises new questions about conflicts of inter...
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 02/10/2026
NEW: We’re reporters, not teachers. We have no business running a private school. But to show you just how easy it is to start one, we decided to test the process ourselves.
propublica.org
Almost Anyone Can Start a Private School. We Put This to the Test.
Our reporting has shown how easily people — some with questionable backgrounds — have founded their own private schools in barns, strip malls and other places. That led us to an experiment: If the hur...
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Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It's inconceivable to me how someone who lost in a free & fair election can incite an angry mob to attack his own government, (the very definition of treason) & be allowed to run for any office ever again.
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Colin Woodard @colinwoodard.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Reality is going to put @theonion.com out of business.
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Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Rare opportunity to invest in no future.
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WIRED @wired.com · 29/09/2026
Anthropic’s newly unveiled IPO prospectus warns that its technology poses an “existential risk to humanity,” after a summer of hacking incidents where rogue agents broke containment and hacked business and government systems.
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 28/09/2026
NEW: In a win for voters, a federal judge ruled FEMA cannot withhold grants aimed at preventing terrorist attacks from states refusing to adopt Trump's anti-voting measures. States would have previously been forced to run their full voter records through a DHS immigration database to receive funds.
democracydocket.com
Judge strikes down Trump’s bid to cut states’ anti-terror funds unless they impose new voting restrictions
The judge ruled that FEMA had no “authority to extract unfunded reforms from states in exchange for grants.”
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Scott MacFarlane @macfarlanenews.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
NEW: Watchdog group Democracy Forward files federal civil lawsuit against Defense Dept seeking records about Jennifer Hegseth's use of DOD staff, attendance at agency meetings, appearance on official calendars
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 26/09/2026
Trump cancels nearly $1bn in funding approved by Congress
theguardian.com
Trump cancels nearly $1bn in funding approved by Congress
President using rare power to revoke expenditure with bipartisan approval to aid immigrant services
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 28/09/2026
Jensen Huang: "We all need to hope it's an engineering problem. If it's not an engineering problem, it's not solvable."
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Roger Parloff @rparloff.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
When Trump launched “the largest deportation operation in the history of our country” without ICE facilities to accommodate it, inhumane overcrowding was inevitable. Judge Kaplan’s 9/24 ruling shows the results. Diagrams simulating a NYC holding cell in Aug 2025 look like slave ships. 1/5
Hold Room 1(820.78 sq. ft.)
With 87 people
(out of 193 people total)
Lying Down/Sitting
Diagram showing the largest tenth-floor hold room containing eighty-seven detainees in which each rectangle represents one lying-down detainee with the average height and shoulder width of an adult man and each circle represents one sitting-down detainee with the average shoulder width of an adult man. PX303, Ex. 1.
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Dom Ervolina @dominicervolina.com · 25/09/2026
Holy forking shirt balls
Since I was not present, I was a convenient target to be scapegoated and publicly vilified. You
recklessly agreed in court that I had committed misconduct without even asking for my account,
fully reviewing the record or briefing the law. That evening, you sent an office-wide email laying
responsibility at my feet for a felony prosecution that you personally directed over my objection
that the case was better suited to misdemeanor charges. You then publicly announced an
investigation of my conduct spanning twenty years. These inexplicable actions severely damaged
a reputation I worked hard to build over decades and have damaged my prospects for future
employment and income.
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Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Wild stuff. Sheri Mecklenberg, career prosecutor accused of misconduct in Broadview 6 case, resigns from DOJ. The NYT obtained her scathing resignation letter, in which she says the U.S. attorney directed her to bring felony charges over her objection. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Read the document (Gift Article)
Sheri H. Mecklenburg resignation letter
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Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 24/09/2026
HAHAHA wouldn't it be hilarious if Judge Cannon's illegal ruling in the documents case was the thing that stopped the trump deep state grand conspiracy probe?
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Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 24/09/2026
Haha. This guy actually ran for governor of California. He's an Oath Keeper and the kind of guy that creeps around goth clubs inviting people to his key parties. It's like if Meatloaf and Greg Bovino had a baby.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Effective 2025 federal tax rates paid by these corporations: Alphabet: 8.01% AT&T: 4.6% Meta: 3.57% General Motors: 3.09% Amazon: 1.37% Exxon Mobil: 1.31% Disney: -1.57% CVS Health: -3.88% Income tax rate paid by the typical American: 14.5% This is what a rigged system looks like.
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Le Monde in English @english.lemonde.fr · 25/09/2026
Amnesty International calls for ICE to be abolished
lemonde.fr
Amnesty International calls for ICE to be abolished
In a report titled 'We Had Whistles, They Had Guns,' the NGO documents widespread human rights violations committed by ICE in the United States.
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Katie Phang @katiephang.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
UPDATE: Blanche was forced to file his Answer yesterday, which he did. We’re awaiting confirmation that Blanche delivered to Court the unredacted handwritten FBI notes, along with other materials he was ordered to give. Will know shortly. I’ll break it all down on my YouTube channel later today!
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
they really think we are all idiots
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Roger Parloff @rparloff.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Judge Kelly is "skeptical" that "safeguarding national security is the actual motivation for, or even advanced by, the revocation of [@cnn.com's, @msnownews.bsky.social's, & @politico.com's] hard passes."
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Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I was told by a guy on Truth Social who wears orange makeup that leaking to the press was treason and people should be prosecuted for it.
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 24/09/2026
Breaking news: A federal judge has ordered that access to the White House be temporarily restored for reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico after they were banned by President Trump, but this morning some journalists from the outlets were denied entry.
washingtonpost.com
Some journalists still barred from White House after judge blocks Trump’s ban
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to temporarily restore the journalists' credentials and said the ban was likely unconstitutional.
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Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
JUST IN: U.S. District Judge April Perry will hear arguments Oct. 1 on whether to appoint an independent special counsel in the "Broadview Six" case.
09/23/2026	259 	MINUTE entry before the Honorable April M. Perry: Oral argument on the pending motions 226 227 210 206 201 will be held 10/1/2026 at 1:00 p.m. in Courtroom 1725. Mailed notice. (jcc,) (Entered: 09/23/2026)
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 23/09/2026
Breaking news: The ICE officer who shot a Venezuelan man in Austin is a recruit who was issued a body camera but was not using it during the incident, according to two former DHS officials briefed on the matter.
washingtonpost.com
ICE officer in Texas shooting was recruit not using a body camera
The officer joined ICE last year during the agency’s hiring spree. DHS is facing mounting scrutiny over how the new recruits were vetted and trained.
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Brandy Zadrozny @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Bonus for whoever wrote this chyron
Trump speaking at UN — MS NOW chyron reads: Trump touts being a peacemaker while asking if he should annihilate Iran
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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
ProPublica: In 2024, the FBI sought to launch a sweeping pay-to-play investigation examining interactions between Sen. Susan Collins and a top donor, records and emails show. After Trump returned to office, the investigation died.
propublica.org
The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way
After the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...
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Louisa Loveluck @leloveluck.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Barred from deporting asylum seekers back to places they face jail or death, Trump struck 35 secret deals to send people to places which will deport them there instead. - 25,000 people deported - $410 million spent. - UN aid used to sweeten the deals. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
theguardian.com
Banished to alien lands: Trump’s secret deportation deals
After a plane journey in shackles, an Iranian woman found herself in the middle of Africa in a country she did not know existed. She is one of thousands deported from the US on the back of shadowy dea...
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 21/09/2026
Breaking news: CNN, MS NOW and Politico say they are suing the government after President Trump banned the news organizations from the White House in recent days.
washingtonpost.com
CNN, MS NOW, Politico to sue over White House bans
President Donald Trump banned the news organizations from the White House in recent days, calling them “fake news.”
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Philip Bump @pbump.com · 21/09/2026
ICE shot a DoorDash delivery guy.
statesman.com
Attorney: Austin man shot by ICE agent was making DoorDash delivery
A Venezuelan man shot by an ICE agent in Austin was making a DoorDash delivery, his attorney said. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, was later released from the hospital into ICE custody.
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Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Scammers gonna scam. Trump understands that courts give him huge leeway if he hand-waves “national security,” eg his ballroom, and so now he’s trying to pretend there’s a security imperative for his arch.
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Spencer Ackerman @attackerman.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
It’s not “third-country deportation,” it’s an extraordinary rendition, complete with torture and enforced silence by the “host” country’s thugs. And it’s a direct consequence of never imposing punishment on the CIA for doing this during the War on Terror.
nytimes.com
A Central African Hotel Has Become a Nightmare Prison for U.S. Deportees
Witnesses say men were hooded and beaten in Equatorial Guinea. The autocratic government there is a partner in President Trump’s deportation program.
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Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 18/09/2026
The DOJ official who made the threat is the same guy who was instrumental in brining criminal charges against Abrego Garcia - charges that a judge threw out for vindictive and selective prosecution.
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Zach Everson @zacheverson.com · 18/09/2026
"Several Trump Org executives who had previously traveled to the island to explore real estate deals and who even registered the Trump trademark there in 2008 have in recent months returned to Cuba under the aegis of Dominari Holdings for meetings" Lee Schlenker, Ed Augustin for @theguardian.com
theguardian.com
Trump and Rubio allies are vying for control of Cuba’s assets if regime falls
Washington and Florida insiders are exploring lucrative deals for a post-communist Cuba crushed by ever-increasing US sanctions
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17/09/2026
Trump looks at a placard that reads "Kennedy Center DEMOLITION" as he lands at Joint Base Andrews tonight (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty)
pic of Trump through the plane window looking at a placardzoom in on placard where text is visible
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17/09/2026
New in PN: Retire in peace "McConnell would never be allowed to drive a car, babysit young children, or file his own taxes. Why, then, should a cognitively incapacitated 82-year-old retain one of the most important positions of power within the national government?"
publicnotice.co
Retire in peace
McConnell is the latest example of an incapacitated politician refusing to let go.
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Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
NEW OVERNIGHT: Members of the "Broadview 6" say "significant failings by Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros warrant the appointment of a special prosecutor. From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/0...
chicago.suntimes.com
'Broadview 6' say Boutros' 'significant failings' warrant special counsel probe of 'poisoned' case
A new court filing likely brings to an end the monthslong back-and-forth between defense attorneys and prosecutors over what should be done about the case. Now, all eyes turn to U.S. District Judge Ap...
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Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory self-regulated.
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Bob Cesca @bobcesca.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
This is astonishing. Needs to be a day one investigation next year.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 14/09/2026
NEW: Donald Trump Jr.’s Bahamas Wedding Was Secretly Bankrolled by Russian Oligarch Close to Putin Umar Kremlev footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses at Donald Trump Jr.’s lavish wedding, including renting out a private island and paying for the fireworks show.
propublica.org
Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large...
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Zach Everson @zacheverson.com · 13/09/2026
Tell me Aaron's reporting is resonating without telling me Aaron's reporting is resonating—
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Reminder: Mitch McConnell hasn’t been seen in 3 months.
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
🤷🏼
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Khashoggi's Ghost @urocklive1.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
"If you would just give the burglars half your stuff they promise not to come back and steal the rest."
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
To every reporter who stands there as Trump shouts down one of your (almost always female) colleagues with insults and bullying behavior without standing up for them -- you know the rest of us can see and hear you, right?
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