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Ken Vogel

@kenvogel.bsky.social
12K followers 322 following 860 posts

kenneth.vogel@nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/by/kenneth-p-vogel

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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Who qualifies as a nepo-baby these days? With rising frustrations over the wealth gap, our collective obsession with unearthing privilege has expanded the meaning of the term to include emerging stars with any kind of advantage or connection to wealth.
wsj.com
We’ve Reached Peak Nepo Baby. Every New Artist Is Hit With the Label These Days.
The term once referred to children of A-listers following their parents footsteps. It now includes artists with any kind of leg up.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Not everyone in the Trump administration is shutting out Politico, CNN & MS NOW. Reporters from those outlets were welcomed at a State Department UNGA kickoff reception at a midtown hotel last night where Marco Rubio delivered off-the-cuff remarks & mingled, per @playbookdc.bsky.social
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
A custom “White House Rolex” — available only to bona fide (& rich) MAGA insiders & featuring the gold seal of the president on the dial, a star at the 45- & 47-second markers & an engraving of the WH on the back — is one of many markers of status in Trump’s DC clocked by @aidanmcl.bsky.social.
vanityfair.com
Mansions, Jets, and the Secret White House Watch: The New Status Symbols of Trump's Washington
In a capital flush with cash, there are new emblems of power: certain watches, certain private clubs, even landing your private jet at a certain airport.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
While Sen. Katie Britt was publicly defending Trump's tariffs, she was privately seeking exemptions for 4 companies operating in Alabama that could be hurt by tariffs, according to emails between her staff & Trump's US Trade Representative, obtained via FOIA by @wsj.com. www.wsj.com/opinion/kati...
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The TSA is considering allowing PreCheck passengers to bring full water bottles through security at select airports.
nytimes.com
T.S.A. May Ease Liquid Rules for Passengers With PreCheck (Gift Article)
Bottles of water could soon be allowed through security checkpoints at some airports, relaxing a strict policy in place for more than 20 years.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
NEW @POLITICO.com POLL: 63% of Americans believe AI could destroy humanity one day. Nearly half favor pausing development of more advanced AI models — 48% — compared with 31% who favor continued development. www.politico.com/news/2026/09...
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Despite Democratic claims to the contrary, “this is not a MAGA court,” said Donald B. Verrilli Jr., who served as solicitor general under Obama. Justices have rejected Trump initiatives on tariffs, citizenship, the National Guard & now the coming election.
nytimes.com
Supreme Court Stands Up to Trump on Mail Voting and a Few Key Issues (Gift Article)
The justices take their time and pick their spots, but they have rejected presidential initiatives on tariffs, citizenship, the National Guard — and now the coming election.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Brett Tolman has ties in Trump’s orbit. He was overheard by @cbsnews.com telling a pardon seeker that he (Tolman) expects to work on "40 or 50" clemency cases in Trump's 2nd term & expects to be successful in more than 2/3 of them.
cbsnews.com
Pardon brokers offer to "put pressure on the president," at sky-high costs
Hidden cameras captured lobbyists as they tried to woo a potential client interested in obtaining a pardon from President Trump.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
It’s hard to imagine any other beat in any other US city being covered as obsessively as the Philly sports media covers the Eagles. But is that coverage actually good? And is it good for Philly & its residents? Tom McGrath takes a smart look at those questions at @phillymag.com & isn’t so sure.
phillymag.com
The Biggest Game in Town: Inside the Eagles Media-Industrial Complex
30 news outlets. 250 stories (and TikToks and podcasts and posts and prognostications) a day, 24/7. Three hundred and sixty-five days a year. How much Eagles news can — or should — one city consume?
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The Putin-allied oligarch who helped pay for Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding is heavily involved in a group that is under Ukrainian sanctions for its alleged role in a program that abducts Ukrainian children from occupied territories.
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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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
NEW: The Alexander bros, who were convicted in March of running a decades-long sex-trafficking scheme, have paid at least $250k to Alan Dershowitz at least partly to pursue “executive clemency & judicial reversal,” according to records obtained by the @nytimes.com.
nytimes.com
Brothers Seeking Pardons for Sex Trafficking Hire a Former Trump Lawyer (Gift Article)
Documents appear to show payments were made to the lawyer Alan M. Dershowitz to pursue “executive clemency and judicial reversal” for Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Straight into my veins
youtu.be
Go Deep: The DeSean Jackson Story - Official Trailer | Prime Video
YouTube video by Prime Video
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Sen. Roger Marshall, who was an OBGYN before entering Congress, has highlighted his care of low-income patients. But Marshall filed lawsuits against 700+ patients with outstanding bills, resulting in paychecks & bank account garnishments. Some collections continued during his time in Congress.
nytimes.com
Roger Marshall Sued 700 Patients for Debts; 81 Were Arrested. Now He’s a Senator. (Gift Article)
Patients sued by Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas were routinely charged 18 percent interest, The Times found. Some had bank accounts garnished.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Hunter Biden is launching a meme coin called $LAPTOP.
wsj.com
Exclusive | Hunter Biden (and His Laptop) Enter the Cryptosphere With New Meme Coin
The personal computer that launched a thousand memes will debut this week as a digital token.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
You’ve heard of the revolving door between government & lobbying. How about no door? A senior staffer for Senator Mike Rounds is registered to lobby the South Dakota Legislature on behalf of more than a dozen clients, including Meta, the tobacco giant Altria & Big Ag interests. @politico.com:
politico.com
Senate aide’s lobbying side gig raises ethics questions
Robert Skjonsberg is a senior adviser for Sen. Mike Rounds. He’s also a registered lobbyist in South Dakota.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
NEW: Trump pardoned longtime Jay-Z associate Emory "Vegas" Jones, who had served years for selling crack. It was among several clemency grants for drug offenders. He also commuted the bribery sentence of Philly union boss John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty.
nytimes.com
Trump’s Latest Clemency Grants Benefit Drug Offenders, Union Boss (Gift Article)
The president issued pardons or commutations to 30 people on Thursday, continuing his unorthodox and unpredictable use of clemency power.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Ball busting among male friends — what anthropologists call “jocular abuse” — is as old as time. It can be about bonding or establishing a pecking order. But insult humor can also be breathtakingly personal & hurtful. When does it go too far?
wsj.com
Can’t You Take a Joke? When Trash Talk Crosses the Line
Insult humor among male friends can be about bonding or establishing a pecking order. But how do you know when it goes too far?
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Oracle, which could face heightened scrutiny from a Dem-controlled Congress, hosted Sen. Susan Collins at a fundraiser in Washington for a dark money group called Stronger America that has spent $11m+ on ads benefiting her campaign, @shanegoldmacher.bsky.social & @teddyschleifer.bsky.social report.
nytimes.com
‘The Least Transparent Midterm’: How Dark Money Is Washing Over the 2026 Election (Gift Article)
At least $1 billion from anonymous donors is flowing into the midterm elections. Dark money is not new, but it now permeates nearly every major contest.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Dem operative’s advice for companies worried their donations to Trump projects will make them Dem subpoena targets: “You’re going to be totally f—ed next year or you’re going to figure it out this year & you’re going to make amends—& amends are going to be much more costly than they were previously”
wsj.com
Exclusive | Corporate America Cut Big Checks to Trump. Now CEOs Fear Subpoenas Are Coming.
Tech firms are courting Democrats and hiring advisers to prepare for potential investigations if Republicans lose control of the House.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
RFK Jr. walked out of a presser after he was asked about his ties to the maker of a popular kratom drink that this year donated $1m to MAHA PAC & secured a major policy win from HHS & the WH despite serious health risks. @nytimes.com revealed RFK’s kratom ties here: www.nytimes.com/2026/06/15/u...
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Joe Lonsdale, the billionaire co-founder of Palantir, once expressed regret that people hesitated to call the homeless “bums.” He is among the most influential shapers of Trump's homelessness policy.
nytimes.com
How a Billionaire Shaped Trump’s Homelessness Policy (Gift Article)
As Republicans have embraced tough measures to clear the streets, no group has led the way more than the Cicero Institute, founded by the venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Wing Bowl was like Mardi Gras meets WrestleMania meets Nathan’s hot dog contest. Except at 6am. It could only happen in Philadelphia — & it did for 26 years. “No One Died: The Wing Bowl Story” captures the event (& the Philly sports ethos) in all its drunken, aggressive, debauched & earnest glory.
youtu.be
No One Died: The Wing Bowl Story
YouTube video by NO ONE DIED: THE WING BOWL STORY
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Hmmm….
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
When he finally got Trump on his radio show last week, @michaelcohen212.bsky.social tried (& mostly failed) to get the president to reminisce over the old days, @shawnmccreesh.bsky.social writes. It called to mind Tony Soprano's rebuke of Paulie: “Remember when is the lowest form of conversation.”
nytimes.com
Why Can’t We Be Friends? Trump Has a Reunion (of Sorts) With Michael Cohen. (Gift Article)
President Trump’s former personal lawyer tried to revisit the past in a radio interview. But this was not exactly a stroll down memory lane.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Wild @sfchronicle.com story about an (unsuccessful) effort to deploy Trumpian scorched earth tactics to defuse a scandal in California win country.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
“We have to create a major scandal & burn down the entire town to save your ass,” the Trump-allied FARA lobbyist Robert Stryk messaged Dominic Foppoli, a Calif. wine country mayor facing sexual assault allegations. "If you waiver (sic) we will lose, which is what I told my Dictators."
sfchronicle.com
‘Roll the bus over this bitch’: How a Trump-world lobbyist tried to save a Bay Area mayor’s career
Facing sexual assault allegations, ex-Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli unleashed a smear campaign to save his career on the advice of a friend from the shadowy world of foreign lobbying.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
NEW: Days after announcing it had received ICE contracts that could pay it $165m/year to detain immigrants, the private prison company the GEO Group donated $1.4m to the Trump-backed MAGA Inc. super PAC.
nytimes.com
Prison Firm Donated to Trump’s PAC After ICE Gave It $165 Million a Year in Contracts (Gift Article)
The GEO Group has profited from the administration’s mass deportation campaign. A subsidiary donated more than $1.4 million to the president’s super PAC last month.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
“The more positive a (Reddit) conversation starts, the more negative it will become — because if the thread starts really positive, the positive comments are all taken at the beginning and you have to go negative.”
news.harvard.edu
Does vitriol make you feel special? — Harvard Gazette
Beyond the algorithm, online negativity takes on a life of its own. Here’s why.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The Dicks in Cherry Hill, NJ, has (or had?) LeBron jerseys in stock, but they were kept behind the counter because of "trouble with people stealing them," per @crossingbroad.bsky.social. www.crossingbroad.com/news/sixers/...
crossingbroad.com
LeBron Jerseys are So Popular that They're Being Stolen From the Cherry Hill Dick's
News broke on Monday that LeBron jerseys were now available in stores around Philly, so I went to the Cherry Hill Dick's to check it out.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
There are only 187,000 Holocaust survivors left worldwide. Rizy Horowitz’s Brooklyn-based Nachas Health & Family Network cares for about 280 of them, including a woman who as a child had a gun placed to her forehead by a Nazi. “I will be there as long as they need me,” Horowitz said.
nytimes.com
She Cares for Holocaust Survivors. Her Job Will Soon End. (Gift Article)
Since the ’90s, Rizy Horowitz has put on events and served food to survivors in Brooklyn. With fewer than 300 of them left at her nonprofit, she’s thinking about her next chapter.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Susie Wiles' son-in-law Bret Worley stands to benefit from a White House-backed pause on an intoxicating hemp ban, notes GOP Rep. Andy Harris: “A senior WH person’s relative makes millions of dollars from selling this product, including products that end up in children’s hands."
denvergazette.com
Colorado man at center of push to delay federal hemp ban
A Colorado man whose companies agreed to pay $125,000 to resolve consumer protection investigations is at the forefront of efforts to delay a federal ban on hemp and associates contended in litigation...
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
When you fly your drone over a wildfire, you might capture spectacular video footage, but you might also prevent firefighters from extinguishing the blaze. It’s a growing problem that is putting lives & property at even greater risk.
nytimes.com
A Growing Problem in Fighting Wildfires: Drones (Gift Article)
Aircraft violating restrictions have disrupted firefighting efforts in Spokane County, Wash., this week, officials said.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
“Men are so stupid,” @chuckschumer.com told Annie Karni after she informed him of her pending divorce. “Just so stupid.” How over-sharing — with the likes of Schumer, Steve Bannon, Lauren Boebert, Anna Paulina Luna & Nancy Mace — helped Annie process the end of her marriage.
vogue.com
Why Couldn’t I Stop Telling People About My Divorce?
Divorce may be almost as common as childhood, and marks another massive change. But it’s less clear what you’re supposed to say about it.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
NEW: Trump is pushing to delay a ban on intoxicating hemp products that experts warn can be dangerous. Among the beneficiaries is Susie Wiles' son-in-law. Bret Worley, who married Caroline Wiles in June, runs a company that sells intoxicating hemp gummies & vapes with names like “Trainwreck.”
nytimes.com
Trump Seeks a Boost for Hemp That Would Benefit a Top Aide’s Family (Gift Article)
At the White House’s request, senators tucked a change sought by the hemp industry into a crucial spending bill. It would benefit the son-in-law of Susie Wiles, the president’s chief of staff.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
What the …
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Trump’s nonstop fundraising for his political groups & pet projects is one of the defining themes of his 2nd term. Yet Meredith O’Rourke, the woman behind his fundraising operation, has maintained a low profile. Her role is elucidated here by the @wsj.com
wsj.com
Exclusive | ‘The Boss Wants This Money’: Inside Trump’s Unprecedented Fundraising Operation
Meredith O’Rourke, nicknamed ‘princess of darkness,’ carries out the president’s desire to wring hundreds of millions from companies for his projects.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Top U.S. oil & gas executives have sold nearly $400 million worth of stock in their own companies since the Iran war triggered a supply crunch that sent energy prices -- & the share prices of their companies' stocks -- soaring.
nytimes.com
Fossil Fuel Executives Cash In (Gift Article)
Insiders at leading oil and gas companies have made millions from stocks since the Iran war began.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Omar Navarro, who pleaded guilty to embezzling $250k from his congressional campaign, says he was told he could get a Trump pardon if he paid $2m-$3m to a law firm. He won't say who told him this, because the person "is pretty powerful in the government … so I’m very scared to even say anything.”
nypost.com
How Trump’s presidential pardons became booming business for law firms: ‘You have to pay $2 million, $3 million’
Pardon-seekers are paying lobbyists millions for “executive relief” under President Trump, but critics warn most are being scammed, and even $600,000 couldn’t get rapper Boosie Ba…
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Donald Trump Jr had never managed a venture fund before 1789 Capital. It has bought shares in coveted private companies before many went public, including SpaceX & Anduril, often by leveraging connections to secure a stake or to help boost the sales. 1789's main fund has generated returns of ~200%
nytimes.com
Donald Trump Jr.’s Investment Firm Posts Staggering Returns of 200% (Gift Article)
The fledgling firm, run by the president’s oldest son and his partner Omeed Malik, has made investments in A.I. and defense technology that have tripled in value in just months.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
SCOOP: After pardoning hundreds of allies over the course of his 1st 18 months back in the White House, Trump this month quietly rejected clemency applications from nearly 6,000 people who mostly lacked connections & had been waiting in a queue at the Justice Department.
nytimes.com
Trump Rejected Nearly 6,000 Clemency Applications Amid Hope of Pardon Wave (Gift Article)
Expectations were raised for a raft of pardons in connection with the country’s 250th birthday but the president granted fewer than 20 on July 3.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Mavis Staples is 87 years old.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
18 AIPAC-endorsed lawmakers voted to end U.S. aid to Israel. Now AIPAC has removed the option to donate through its online bundling portal to those lawmakers, @jewishinsider.com reports.
jewishinsider.com
AIPAC ends fundraising for endorsees who voted to cut off Israel aid
The pro-Israel advocacy group now allows its supporters to donate to 178 Republicans and 72 Democrats running for Congress
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
After Michael Castillero was convicted of a $386m fraud, Trump's SDNY U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton praised the verdict. But in seeking a pardon, Castillero's lawyer cast him as a "true MAGA" Trump backer targeted by "the Biden lawfare machine." It hasn't worked.
nytimes.com
He Pursued a Pardon in Trump’s Justice System. It Added to His Problems. (Gift Article)
Michael Castillero was convicted of defrauding investors in a $386 million scheme. Then he started courting MAGA influencers.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Most 2nd term presidents stop fundraising for their own groups, & pivot instead to helping their party & its candidates. Not so much for Trump. He has raised $782m since the 2024 election for groups controlled by him & his allies, according a @wsj.com analysis.
wsj.com
The Mystery Money Powering Trump’s Second Term
The president and his allies have built a network of groups financed by wealthy donors and businesses that is advancing his priorities with little public disclosure.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
👋🐶
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
UPDATE: @blumenthal.senate.gov & @gallego.senate.gov have requested a DOJ Inspector General inquiry into the killing of the investigation of Trump's commutation given Todd Blanche's "refusal to answer questions on the matter, & the great importance of the fair & impartial administration of justice."
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
NEW: Todd Blanche declined to discuss the killing of an investigation into Trump's clemency grant to David Gentile, suggesting a @nytimes.com report on it was the result of leaks & contained “falsehoods.” But he did not identify inaccuracies, & DOJ has not challenged the report.
nytimes.com
Senator Presses for Scrutiny of Blanche’s Role in Spiking Clemency Inquiry
During his confirmation hearing, the acting attorney general refused to discuss the termination of an investigation into a commutation issued by President Trump.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
NEW: Sports betting companies DraftKings, FanDuel, bet365 & Fanatics dropped $29m into a super PAC called Win for America in the 2nd quarter, bringing the total raised to $70m this year.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Mike D’s sons worried their father’s comfortable lifestyle would yield a “luxury rap vibe,” with lyrics about being “an older white rapper talking about drinking wine.” Instead, he delivered deep psychological reflections on “Thank You,” his 1st new album since the Beastie Boys.
nytimes.com
A Beastie Boy Returns to the Mic, With Some Help (Gift Article)
Thanks to an assist from his sons, Mike D is set to release “Thank You,” the first new music from a member of the pioneering rap trio in 15 years.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
In the latest example of the value of Kennedy connections in Trump’s Washington, the lobbying powerhouse Ballard Partners (run by top Trump fundraiser Brian Ballard) has hired RFK Jr.’s daughter-in-law (& ex-campaign chief) Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, who was an intelligence official in the Trump WH.
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