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Ken Bazinet

@kenbazinet.bsky.social
39K followers 40K following 5.9K posts

Longtime DC scribe, covering three presidencies (DC is fine, but I prefer the United States). Reflections on democracy, First Amendment, Boston sports, and jam bands. Simple approach: trusted source intel + research & data + analysis = smart solutions.

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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 2h
"Big Tech companies better hope their grand visions for artificial intelligence play out as planned," writes Brian Sozzi. "Or else bondholders could be left holding the bag right along with stockholders." #AI #RisingDebt #ZeroProfit
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TechCrunch @techcrunch.com · 10h
The Pentagon taps Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to help decide what the military should do next
techcrunch.com
The Pentagon taps Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to help decide what the military should do next
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just launched a 120-day study on the future of warfare, led by Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich, and while it makes sense given their ties to the administration, critics could point out that Musk's and Luckey's companies already sell the kinds of technology the study is likely to recommend.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 3h
"It's concerning to see that the Trump administration, with the support of the state of Utah, is pushing this forward on significant acreage of public lands," Neal Clark, wildlands director at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, a nonprofit that seeks to protect public land, told NPR. #AI #Nukes
npr.org
A startup wants to build a massive nuclear-powered data center on public land in Utah
Valar Atomics wants to place over 450 reactors on more than 9,500 acres in Utah to power a huge data center project.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 3h
Iranian officials did not say what the response contained and whether it was a rejection, AP reported. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the U.S. response to President Masoud Pezeshkian at a Cabinet meeting, Iran's spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani told state-run IRNA news agency. #IranWar
apnews.com
Iran indicates it received a US response on its war-ending proposal, with details still unclear
Concerns about a possible airplane hijacking briefly gripped Israel on Wednesday. A FlyDubai plane traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Israel made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 4h
Arellano: ‘Hilton debated like someone already preparing to launch a podcast or beg for his old Fox News job back after he gets walloped.’ Chabria: ‘Please, for the love of God, Hilton, button that shirt. This is not a casino.’ #BecerraRout
latimes.com
'Blowout': Here's who won the Hilton-Becerra debate for California governor
Three Times columnists weigh in on the only scheduled face-to-face debate in the race for California governor.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 17h
The lipstick Trump tried to put on a pig got smudged.
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Sukie 💙🇺🇸🇺🇦🌊 @froggybottompond.bsky.social · 20h
''I'd like to go ahead and solve it. The Atlanta Hawks.''
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 17h
Abu Mojtaba al-Yasiri, commander in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, called it an "historic victory for the Iraqi Islamic resistance groups and honorable Iraqis, and a crushing defeat for the American project," Reuters reported. #EndlessWars
reuters.com
Iran says it receives US response to latest proposal as Washington pulls out of Iraq
Iran said it had received a US response to its latest proposal to resurrect the ​collapsed ceasefire in the Gulf, days after President Donald Trump said he had rejected it.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 18h
Ken Paxton, one of the Republican party’s top Senate candidates and a Trump loyalist, was recorded privately telling donors that President Trump’s midterm convention had hurt his Texas Senate campaign.
nyti.ms
Ken Paxton, G.O.P. Nominee in Texas, Privately Said Trump’s Convention Hurt Him
Ken Paxton, one of the party’s top Senate candidates and a Trump loyalist, said that “everybody’s numbers dropped” after the event, according to audio obtained by The Times.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 17h
When Meta files its taxes, it tells the IRS its AI data centers are a giant experiment that could fail, according to four people with knowledge of the company’s operations, The Times reported. META does this to tap into a tax credit intended for research and experimentation. #DataCenters #Greed
nytimes.com
How Meta Uses A.I. Data Centers to Avoid Billions in Federal Taxes
Meta is exploiting a lucrative tax break intended to support research and experimentation. Its own accountants say the gambit is risky.
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Mara Dolan @maradolan.bsky.social · 22h
Question 3 is designed to make it easier for candidates who don’t want to do the really hard work of our democracy. It’s to make it easier to buy elections. Vote NO on Question 3 and watch this for more. #mapoli youtu.be/BqN6Myk0GPM?...
youtu.be
Massachusetts ballot Question 3 would eliminate political party primaries in state elections
YouTube video by CBS Boston
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Deb Kozikowski @demdivacooks.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Nobody needs this.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 22h
A first in the four-year history of asking the survey question, more respondents said personal finances were bad as opposed to good, CNBC reported. “Consumer appraisals of current business conditions became negative for the first time since September 2024,” said TCB's chief economist Dana Peterson.
cnbc.com
Consumer optimism slides to lowest since 2014 as fears escalate over rising prices and jobs
The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index tumbled to 81.9, a decline of 6.7 points and a reading well below the forecast for 89.
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Rural Freedom Network @ruralfreedomnet.bsky.social · 23h
AI is making The TRUMP CRIME FAMILY very rich — that’s why there will be NO REGULATION.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 22h
“I’m very pro-Jackson,” said Tara Wheeler, a 44-year-old Portland Democrat, who had been barely leaning toward Troy Jackson until the money for favors deal erupted. “I just didn’t expect that from Susan Collins. … That pushed me over the edge like immediately,” she told the Portland Press Herald.
pressherald.com
Some Maine swing voters rethink support for Susan Collins after pay-to-play allegations
Swing voters were key to Collins winning a 5th term in 2020.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 23h
"The risk is ramping up pretty fast," said Geoffrey Irving, co-founder ​and chief scientist at AI nonprofit Resolution, who has worked for both OpenAI and DeepMind and participated in the project. "It's on me and the rest of the field ​to be direct," he said in an interview with Reuters. #RogueAI
reuters.com
EXCLUSIVE: AI researchers warn companies rushing self-improving systems despite safety risks
Current and former OpenAI and Google DeepMind researchers warn companies are doing too little to protect the ​world against the potentially disastrous fallout of building self-improving AI systems tha...
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 23h
Revenue at Anthropic surged 12-fold in 2025 ⁠to nearly $4.6 billion, while operating losses more than doubled to top $8 billion, Reuters reported exclusively on Monday. The US accounted for nearly two-thirds of total sales. #AI #Google #Amazon
reuters.com
EXCLUSIVE: Anthropic IPO prospectus lays bare deep dependence on Big Tech partners
The IPO prospectus shows how much Anthropic depends on a small group of customers.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 29/09/2026
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com “America’s A.I. boom, and the industry’s voracious appetite for electricity, makes the grid a highly attractive target for China and other hostile states seeking to weaken this country,” write Harry Krejsa and Phoebe Benich.
nyti.ms
Opinion | Our Power Grid Is Vulnerable. This Is How to Protect It.
The Trump administration should build a stronger alliance with clean energy companies in spite of its culture war with them.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
As November's midterm elections approach and Trump's economic approval ratings remain under strain, Trump and GOP candidates in some of the tightest election races are looking for ways to bring down diesel prices without disrupting fuel supplies or creating additional costs, Reuters noted. #Panic
reuters.com
US states take steps to curb diesel and gasoline prices
US states are taking a range of steps to curb diesel and gasoline prices that have soared in recent months due to ​supply disruptions stemming from the US war on Iran, Ukrainian strikes on Russia's re...
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
"I just don't think it's right to be using taxpayer money in that way, particularly if it's tied to political campaigns," said GOP Sen. Mike Rounds. "I think they need to rethink that strategy." "We all know you're not supposed to use taxpayer money for that purpose," said GOP Sen. John Cornyn.
thehill.com
Thune: Ads promoting Trump political message ‘shouldn’t be paid for by taxpayer dollars’
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters Monday that while he likes President Trump’s new ads pledging to “cast out the communists, Marxists and fascists,” they “shouldn’t be paid …
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Trump's announcement was "deeply unimpressive" and would allow the tech firms to "define what counts as safety" without stating consequences for breaches, noted University of Sydney law professor Kimberlee Weatherall. "The accord should be ignored, for the distraction it is," she told the BBC. #AI
bbc.com
Three takeaways from Trump's 'Super Intelligence' summit
The meeting at the White House came as some tech bosses and experts have called for tighter rules around AI.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
"Trump’s blasé attitude mirrors the approach he took to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in his first term, when he seemed to believe that wishing the threat away would expunge it," writes Stephen Collinson, mocked how he said if the US "stopped testing for the virus, it would have no more cases."
cnn.com
Analysis: Trump’s blasé attitude toward AI risks backfiring politically | CNN Politics
President Donald Trump held court on the White House drive Tuesday, surrounded by the tech moguls who, in their own estimation, hold the planet’s fate in their hands.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
In emails, the employees said they worried that OpenAI’s newest artificial intelligence models were not being appropriately monitored during testing to gauge the technology’s sophistication and to secure the models, according to messages viewed by The New York Times. #RogueAI
nytimes.com
OpenAI Ignored Employees’ Warnings About Safely Testing A.I. Models
Employees and security researchers said they had cautioned the company on safely testing its A.I. models and strengthening its corporate infrastructure, but OpenAI did not listen.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Iowa is landlocked with no raw materials to manufacture steel. A plant must ship whatever it needs or makes by rail; trucks can't handle the load, and the Mississippi River won't save money. A plant and transit network do not exist in Iowa right now. All of it exists in Pennsylvania. #TrumpStunt
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"A clearer picture is emerging of higher oil export volumes leaving ​the Gulf, but much of that increase still relies on workarounds such ⁠as ship-to-ship transfers," said KCM Trade chief analyst Tim Waterer, Reuters reported. Shipping oil is "less efficient and more costly than normal," he added.
reuters.com
Oil falls as investors focus on Middle East supply
Oil prices declined on Tuesday as investors focused on signs ​of recovering crude exports from the Middle East and lingering concerns over potential supply disruptions in ‌the region stemming from the...
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Iowa, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio and Texas executed a combined $188 billion in commerce with Canada — more than a quarter of the $674 billion in annual trade between the two countries the past year, according to a conservative group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence. #Tariffs
nypost.com
Exclusive | New map shows how key midterm states hit by US-Canada trade war
The raging trade war between the US and Canada is hitting home in states hosting some of the 2026 cycle’s most competitive Senate contests, according to an analysis obtained by The Post.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 29/09/2026
NEW: A new White House rule would prohibit anyone from using federal grant money for voter registration drives, including ones that help disabled Americans vote. It’s part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to restrict voting access.
propublica.org
This White House Plan Threatens Funding That Helps Disabled Americans Vote
A new rule from the Office of Management and Budget would prohibit anyone from using federal grant money for voter registration drives. It’s part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to restr...
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 29/09/2026
Rep. Mike Collins, the Trump-endorsed GOP candidate for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat, said he was “fine” with the idea of federal troops at voting sites. In reality, deploying armed federal agents to polling places isn’t “fine” — it’s illegal: demdock.com/4ykNqzg
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NBC News @nbcnews.com · 29/09/2026
Over the last decade, President Trump remade Iowa’s political map into a Republican bastion. But those gains are now being severely tested as the president’s approval ratings have fallen to 44% in one poll and 41% in another, writes NBC News’ Steve Kornacki.
nbcnews.to
The Data Dive: Steve Kornacki on whether Democrats can loosen Trump’s hold on Iowa
A competitive Senate race pits Republican Ashley Hinson against Democrat Josh Turek in a state President Trump won by double digits in 2024.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
In video testimonials collected by AI safety ‌nonprofit Palisade Research and shared exclusively with Reuters, employees said their concerns about existential risk were sincere, not marketing. They also said AI labs celebrated employees building new models more than those who urge caution. #RogueAI
reuters.com
EXCLUSIVE: AI researchers warn companies rushing self-improving systems despite safety risks
Current and former OpenAI and Google DeepMind researchers warn companies are doing too little to protect the ​world against the potentially disastrous fallout of building self-improving AI systems tha...
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Reason Magazine @reason.com · 29/09/2026
"We don't know which agency paid to produce and place these ads, But it's difficult to see what legitimate government purpose is served by spending taxpayer dollars on ads whose only apparent purpose is to promote the president and reinforce his political message weeks before an election."
reason.com
Trump's new ads look like campaign spots. Taxpayers are paying for them.
With midterm voting underway, the distinction between public service announcements and campaign ads blurs.
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FactPost @factpostnews.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The FDA has announced a nationwide recall of raw milk cheese due to contamination with E. coli.
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USA TODAY @usatoday.com · 29/09/2026
Blood pressure medication recalled nationwide. See affected drug
bit.ly
Blood pressure medication recalled nationwide. See affected drug
More than 25,000 bottles of this blood pressure medication has been recalled. Here's the affected drug and reasoning behind the recall.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"However, on Monday, the head of counter-terrorism policing in the UK announced all five men had been released on bail. Sources said their release suggested detectives believed it unlikely they had been on the brink of a mass casualty attack by exploding a bomb close to the base," the BBC reported.
theguardian.com
Rubio says foreign actor was ‘clearly’ behind suspected RAF Fairford plot
US secretary of state, who offered no evidence for claims, also says many people ‘disturbed’ that five suspects released on bail
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
“AI startups are burning through investor cash and handing it straight to Nvidia to buy chips, even though the startups themselves aren’t making a profit,” said Robin Wigglesworth, a Financial Times reporter and author, CNET reported. #AI #BurnRate
cnet.com
Nvidia’s $150 Billion Buyback: A Lifeline for AI Hype, Not Everyday Investors - CNET
Nvidia is the one AI company with real profits. Its buyback shows who benefits first.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"There's not a lot of folks that are as completely dependent on the nation's foreign policy as farmers are," Chris Yackee, Fulton County, Ohio farmer, told NPR. #IranWar #Diesel #LocalEconomy
wvxu.org
Ohio farmers feel the squeeze of diesel, fertilizer prices. Will that affect how they vote?
As mid-term elections approach, will fallout from the Trump administration’s war in Iran sway the vote of farmers in Ohio counties that reliably vote Republican?
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
“$10,000 doesn’t match how much it’s going to tank my property value,” a retired teacher told the WSJ, citing the years of impending noise pollution. Opposition groups say two new anti-data center advocacy groups were created per day in the past three months, Gizmodo reported. #DataCenters #AI
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Among examples, in Indiana, big firms like Microsoft can buy data center equipment without paying the state’s 7% sales tax, Ars Technica noted Without the exemption (it can last for 50 years), up to $900 million could have been added to the tax base, Indy Mirror estimated. #DataCenters #AI #RipOff
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Qatari mediators in New York, where he remained after the United Nations General Assembly, and reportedly said he expects Trump's reply by today. "Whenever the Qataris have a response, they know how to get it to us," said Araghchi, CNBC reported.
cnbc.com
U.S., Iran hold separate mediator talks as Mideast oil exports hit war-time high
Iranian and U.S. officials reportedly met separately with mediators Monday to push for a ceasefire, as Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded to war-time high.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
For all the times Brandon McNulty set a punishing tempo or sacrificed to lead Tadej Pogačar up a climb, the road gave back to an earner. For the next year, an American who rides for Team UAE, the Los Angeles Dodgers of cycling, wears the Rainbow Jersey. Jacob Whitehead of The Athletic tells it well.
nytimes.com
‘I guess miracles happen’: How Brandon McNulty became the United States’ first world champion in 33 years
The U.S. team were not expected to be major players in Montreal on Sunday – they ended up shaping the race and winning the rainbow jersey
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Crawford Kilian @crof.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
What gets me about Mamdani is that he does things that are brilliantly good politics but were literally unthinkable until he did them:
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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
‘After the incident with Usman, Robb told Muse to stop giving his address. To test the bot, he asked a few friends to see if Muse would still share it. “And it literally gave my address out to five people,” he said.’ 😱 www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Meta’s AI agent Muse gives out user’s home address without permission, sending buyer to his house
The new AI agent, Muse, was released last week and has been downloaded by 3 million users
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Politico @politico.com · 29/09/2026
Taxpayer-funded ads are the latest Trump headache for beleaguered GOP senators
dlvr.it
Taxpayer-funded ads are the latest Trump headache for beleaguered GOP senators
Voters “don’t want to be worried about how their taxpayer dollars are being spent,” Utah Sen. John Curtis said.
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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Big conferences going on right now about whether this qualifies for the Lamest October Surprise Ever award or if Sept 28 is just too early.
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Abdul El-Sayed @abdulelsayed.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
When I say we desperately need a Democratic doctor in the US Senate I mean it.
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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Oh, those radical left-wing communist Texas and Oklahoma cattlemen are again complaining about ICE and saying its Gestapo tactics targeting legal, documented cowboys and farmhands are making beef much, much more expensive. www.expressnews.com/business/art...
expressnews.com
Livestock producers warn of ‘chilling effect’ of ICE crackdown on industry
ICE raids are causing workforce disruptions and millions of dollars in lost revenue that will head to higher beef prices, the Texas Cattle Feeders Association and other organizations say.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Right after Trump announced the secret plan, U.S. Alpine Ski Team considers moving national championships to Mount Trump in Iowa and the Super-G will now be called Super-T. Also, Trump ordered U.S. Geological Survey and Army Corps of Engineers to move the Rockies from Colorado to Iowa.
foxnews.com
Largest-ever US steel plant is coming to a key red state as Trump unveils $15B investment
Trump announces Mesabi Metallics' $15 billion Iowa steel plant, but the massive facility won't produce its first steel until 2030 at the earliest.
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Rex Huppke @rexhuppke.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This is so weird. I was JUST at the grocery store this morning and I thought, "You know what would fix these prices? A new steel mill in Iowa that might be running by 2030." Our prayers are answered! www.wsj.com/politics/tru...
wsj.com
Exclusive | Trump to Unveil Planned $15 Billion Iowa Steel Project
The announcement comes as the president is looking for wins ahead of a tough midterm election for Republicans.
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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I've reported first-hand on steel mills in Korea, China, Japan, Illinois, and Mississippi. This is 100% not going to happen. Disagree? Bet me. (Though I'm against online betting. It's just not going to happen.)
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Police in Britain did not confirm Trump’s suggestion that authorities in both countries had the suspects “under view,” The Times reported. Earlier, Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged people not to speculate, saying “the investigation remains ongoing,” and let the police “establish the full facts.”
nytimes.com
Release of Suspects in U.K. Prompts New Questions Over Possible Terror Plot at RAF Fairford Base
The British counterterrorism police said the five British nationals arrested near R.A.F. Fairford on Sunday were being released on bail but remained under investigation.
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