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Michael Derby

@michaelsderby.bsky.social
12K followers 1K following 9.8K posts

Fed and economy reporter with @reuters.com, ex-WSJ. Still making music by my lonesome, guitar holdout. Signal: michaelsderby.50

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Reposted by Michael Derby
Claire Willett @clairewillett.bsky.social · 5h
imagine telling the pope “you’re not even an AI influencer” like that’s a sick burn
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 42m
Guardian: “Thomas said Strada’s response suggested he had ‘no regard for the experience of the individual being executed other than that they end up dead.’”
theguardian.com
Outgoing prison chief in Christa Pike case oversaw five ‘botched’ executions, lawyers say
Frank Strada will leave role next month after uproar over execution attempt, which sent Pike to hospital in critical condition
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 2h
The GOP has put $2 million to this campaign, and the billionaires have put $23 million in. Their contribution is 92% of the money Tiffany raised.
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Reposted by Michael Derby
jon christian @jonchristian.net · 2h
NEW: After we investigated a company that buys struggling news sites and turns them into AI-powered content mills that churn out garbage using fake journalists and subject matter experts, Google has officially cracked down on the scheme: futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com
Google Updates Guidelines to Punish Sites That Use Fake Bylines and AI-Generated Headshots
Google has updated its guidelines to forbid the use of fake bylines, AI-generated headshots, and other acts of "deception."
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 3h
WSJ on China’s demands for extensive rest periods for its aged leader during Xi visit with Trump.
apple.news
Unusual Rest Breaks for Xi Jinping Sucked Hours Out of Summit With Trump — The Wall Street Journal
Beijing pared back the schedule and insisted on private downtime for China’s 73-year-old leader
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 3h
Notably that cash goes out just before the election.
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Cullen Hendrix @cullenhendrix.bsky.social · 4h
School music programs are getting absolutely bodied by tariffs, per @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/b...
The effective tariff rate on instruments in June was about 13 percent, said Cullen Hendrix, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. That was down from a peak of nearly 24 percent last September but more than twice as high as before Mr. Trump’s second term.
Band and orchestral instruments have been hit the hardest, he said. In the second quarter of this year, imports of instruments were down nearly 20 percent from the same period in 2024. Imports of orchestral string instruments, including violins, violas and cellos, dropped 50 percent. Brass instruments fell 43 percent.

“It’s hitting the horns, it’s hitting the strings, it’s hitting the percussion,” Mr. Hendrix said. “All of those things combined are kind of sapping the available pool of tools that we can provide these children to begin their journey.”
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Reposted by Michael Derby
David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 12h
I don’t think everyone realizes how bad things are for US science: For the fiscal year that just ended, the Trump regime withheld $1.4 billion from the National Science Foundation’s research budget, which is about 1/5 of its primary research budget.
nytimes.com
National Science Foundation Diverted $1.4 Billion in Science Funds Mandated by Congress (Gift Article)
The move, affecting about one-fifth of the National Science Foundation’s primary research budget, is the latest sign of how the White House is asserting more control over grants.
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 4h
Trump Ukraine war negotiations “have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar oil deal that would benefit Middle Eastern business executives with ties to the two main U.S. negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.” Via NYT
nytimes.com
U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Now Involve an Oil Deal Tied to Trump Allies
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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Reposted by Michael Derby
Chase Mitchell @chasemit.bsky.social · 22h
Like displaying heads on pikes
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Molly White @molly.wiki · 18h
As the Trump administration boosts prediction markets and clears the way for them to operate without pesky oversight, Donald Trump Jr. is leading a $1 billion funding round into Polymarket through his 1789 Capital VC firm.
Trump family business interests
As the Trump administration boosts prediction markets and clears the way for them to operate without pesky oversight, Donald Trump Jr. is leading a $1 billion funding round into Polymarket through his 1789 Capital VC firm.20 A previous 1789 Capital investment into Polymarket saw Trump Jr. named to the firm’s advisory board in August 2025; he simultaneously serves as a strategic adviser to Polymarket’s largest competitor, Kalshi.

Screenshot of a May 26, 2026 Truth Social post by Donald Trump: "It is critically important that the CFTC’s exclusive authority over Prediction Markets is maintained, and that they will thrive. Under my leadership, we are setting “rules of the road” that are the Gold Standard for the States. We cannot have SCUM like Chris Christie, Letitia James, Tim Walz, and JB Pritzker setting the rules! Other Countries are after this new form of Financial Market, and we want to remain at the top. Likewise, and even more importantly, where we are currently the Crypto (Bitcoin, etc.) Capital of the World, other Countries are trying diligently to replace us in that capacity, but we won’t let that happen. It is a major Industry, and we must protect it. Mike Selig, CFTC Chairman, and respected by all, is doing a great job. Thank you Mike! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

Caption: In May, President Trump posted that "it is critically important" that prediction markets "thrive". His son, Donald Trump Jr., is heavily invested in the sector. (via Truth Social)In July, the New York Times reported that 1789 Capital had achieved whopping 200% returns by “cashing in on the policies of the current administration openly and without apology.”21

Many of the companies that 1789 has invested in have large government contracts while others, like Polymarket, have benefited directly from new Trump policies or rollbacks of existing laws. The firm bought shares in some of the most coveted private companies before many went public, including SpaceX, Anduril, Cerebras and Reflection AI, often by leveraging their political and business connections to secure a stake or to help boost the companies’ sales.
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Dhruv Mehrotra @dmehro.bsky.social · 22h
NEW: DHS agents tracked people observing ICE arrests, photographed them, ran their plates, pulled personal information, and added them to a Palantir database, according to newly unsealed court filings. w/ @regret.bsky.social
wired.com
ICE Has Been Dumping Protester Photos Into a Palantir Database
DHS agents not only tracked and intimidated people observing ICE activity in Maine, but stored information about them in a Palantir-built database, newly unsealed court filings say.
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Oriana González @oriana.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
SCOOP: White House officials, led by Susie Wiles, have told DOJ to delay any abortion-related action until after the midterms Wiles suggested to Todd Blanche that an aggressive approach on abortion would be negative for the GOP in November @washingtonsun.com www.washingtonsun.com/campaigns/ab...
washingtonsun.com
White House Officials Told the DOJ to Delay Action on Abortion Ahead of the Midterms
Attorney General Todd Blanche has moved slowly in abortion pill litigation and department officials have told advocates to wait until after the election.
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 20h
WashPost: Taxpayer funded Trump political ads seen by many as illegal draw on government cash that was in part devoted to "memorials for officers killed in the line of duty."
washingtonpost.com
Campaign-style Trump ads use money meant for border security, memorials
The White House Office of Management and Budget added $20 million to the pot for commemorative events a day before DHS awarded an advertising contract of the same amount.
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Matt Peterson @mattpeterson.bsky.social · 22h
The DOJ says it is not reopening the Powell investigation. The White House is not calling for Michael Barr to be fired over the SVB allegations. However, as of Thursday the White House told me that *is still considering* firing Lisa Cook. www.cnbc.com/2026/10/02/d...
cnbc.com
DOJ says it will not reopen criminal probe into former Fed Chair Powell
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Economist analysis of more than 3,000 US counties finds that in reliably GOP counties, annual deaths now exceed births by 0.4 per 1k residents, while in reliably Democratic counties, births exceed deaths by 2.8 per 1k. Population growth in the GOP counties is largely driven by internal migration.
economist.com
In MAGA-land people are dying faster than they are being born
Our analysis suggests Trump country is only growing because of migration
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 22h
Bloomberg is reporting that the Trump administration is done with its legal attacks on Fed's Powell, who is still at the central bank as a governor. Does this clear the way for Powell to finally retire, thus opening a gov slot for Trump to fill?
bloomberg.com
DOJ Not Reopening Criminal Probe Into Fed’s Powell, Blanche Says
The US Justice Department isn’t reopening a criminal investigation into former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for cost overruns related to the central bank’s building renovation project.
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 22h
I'm telling you folks, if Trump actually did something like this, you'd be living in a pretty miserable world, maybe even for the rest of your days.
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Brandy Zadrozny @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Scoop: Podcaster Benny Johnson is being sued for defamation over his ICE ride-along videos calling protesters "terrorists." www.ms.now/news/benny-j...
ms.now
MAGA podcaster Benny Johnson sued for defamation over ICE ride-along videos calling protesters ‘terrorists’
Johnson accompanied top DHS officials last year to an ICE protest, where he pointed out “left-wing terrorists” for his millions of followers across social media.
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I'm always curious about how they staff the jobs that do the actual killing at these executions.
nytimes.com
Christa Pike Is in Critical Condition as Tennessee Pauses Executions
Gov. Bill Lee ordered a review of the state’s lethal injection process after the botched attempt to execute the lone woman on Tennessee’s death row.
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I'm not sure who saw this coming, but so far nearly all the jobs created during the second Trump administration have gone to women.
Line chart titled "So far during Trump's second term, just 8% of all job growth has gone to men" showing change in employment by gender since January 2025. Total nonfarm employment grew by 776,000 jobs through September 2026, with women gaining 711,000 positions (92% of growth) while men added only 65,000 jobs (8% of growth). Women's employment gains accelerated sharply through 2026, reaching 711,000 by September, while men's employment growth remained flat with brief periods of decline, including a drop of 96,000 jobs in February 2026.
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Mike Madowitz @mikemadowitz.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Spoiler: Real wages are falling for another month (before I even see September CPI I can tell you this)
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
September jobs up a modest and below expected 29K coupled with rise in unemployment rate to 4.2% is making this week's move by Fed officials to pump the brakes on on the rate hike expectations look pretty good.
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
An actual post by an American government official in the year 2026.
boardwalk t-shirt philosophy
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Elizabeth N. Saunders @profsaunders.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Withdraw from Iraq yesterday, send 10,000 troops and another carrier to fight Iran today. www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
wsj.com
U.S. Sending Third Aircraft Carrier, Up to 10,000 More Troops, to Middle East
The deployments come as President Trump weighs resuming bombing Iran after the midterms.
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Separation of church and state update
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Ryan Teague Beckwith @ryanbeckwith.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
One of my rules of thumb is that when a president says they just didn’t do a good job of getting the word out, it’s mostly over
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Lauren Harper @laurenleharper.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Cop is subject of community complaints (including for punching a driver in the face during a traffic stop). Local newsroom files a public records request about him. Eugene, Ore says sure thing, that’ll cost $2.5 million and take at least 44,000 hours to complete. My latest for @theintercept.com:
theintercept.com
Oregon Police Are Charging a Local News Outlet $2.5M for Records About One Cop
Eugene-based Double Sided Media requested police officer Justin Peckels’s records. The city slapped the publication with an exorbitant fee.
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Fed officials wash away market bets on October rate increase
reuters.com
Fed officials wash away market bets on October rate increase
Two of the Federal Reserve’s top policymakers this week drove financial market participants to price out expectations of an interest rate increase at the central bank's late October policy ​meeting as...
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Trump may be about to dip even deeper into the dwindling stock of munitions.
washingtonpost.com
Pentagon prepares for potential surge of naval forces in Middle East
The U.S. military may soon have three aircraft carriers in the region as the Trump administration figures out its next steps in the months-long war with Iran.
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Reuters @reuters.com · 02/10/2026
Fed's Logan calls for '50 bps or more' in rate hikes reut.rs/4z1flnK
reut.rs
Fed's Logan calls for '50 bps or more' in rate hikes
The US central bank will need to raise short-term borrowing costs by at least another half of a percentage point to turn monetary policy "modestly restrictive" and get inflation back on track to ​the Federal Reserve's 2% goal, Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan said on Thursday.
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Just bought tix for Sugar in a couple of weeks, never would have thought I'd get to see them live.
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Reuters @reuters.com · 01/10/2026
Fed's Kashkari expects more rate hikes, unsure on need to act this month reut.rs/3U0UBhe
reut.rs
Fed's Kashkari expects more rate hikes, unsure on need to act this month
Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said on Thursday that he expects additional rate increases will ​be needed to restrain the economy going into 2027, though he is unsure about whether the next move should happen later ‌this month.
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
America today is a country where regulators won't allow private companies to air interviews of the opposition on TV, but declare that taxpayer funded propaganda is fine.
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Minneapolis Fed leader Kashkari expects more Fed rate hikes, but is "open minded" if it needs to happen at the October FOMC meeting, via a Reuters interview.
reuters.com
Fed's Kashkari expects more rate hikes, unsure on need to act this month
Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said on Thursday that he expects additional rate increases will ​be needed to restrain the economy going into 2027, though he is unsure about whethe...
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Trump timing more war until after the election?
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Patricia Zengerle @reuterszengerle.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This point
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Charlie Warzel @cwarzel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
For a long time I've wanted a sense of how trump has or hasn't interacted with chatbots (we know he posts a lot of slop sure). And this TIME anecdote about Grok arguably leading Trump into war is just extremely bracing
Since returning to office, Trump has marveled at AI’s capabilities. He is increasingly in thrall to the tech executives courting him. In December 2025, Elon Musk returned to the Oval Office for a clandestine meeting. Trump spent hours asking Grok, Musk’s AI chatbot, questions about his presidency and legacy, according to an official present. At the time, Trump was ordering missile strikes against Venezuelan boats he alleged were smuggling drugs into the U.S. He asked Grok how Venezuelans would react if the U.S. captured Maduro. According to the official present, the chatbot responded that Maduro was a repressive and deeply unpopular dictator and that many Venezuelans would likely celebrate his downfall. After Trump ordered the mission to seize Maduro, the following month, celebrations broke out in the streets. Trump, according to officials, came away thinking Grok was ingenious.
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Ok now I'm interested: "if Nixon’s last days in office were documented by Andy Kaufman."
this should be fun
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Interesting 👇
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Trump takes tourism
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Lis Power @lispower.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Fox News is honing in on the enemy ... and it's ... Ms. Rachel?
Graphic showing "Ms. Rachel's controversial stances" 

which includes supporting Dem candidates, supporting Palestine, opposing ICE, and stating no one needs a billion dollars.
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
My special skill remains misspelling words so badly spellcheck can't even offer good alternatives.
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Yonette Joseph @sugarcane99.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Public anger comes for John Roberts The chief justice’s summer retreat in Maine used to be one of boating, potluck dinners, touch football and easy friendships. Locals called him “John.” Now a swirl of anger has been rising at him, transforming his getaways. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/u...
nytimes.com
John Roberts Retreated to His Island. Supreme Court Critics Found Him. (Gift Article)
After decades of potlucks and paddle-boarding on Maine’s midcoast, rising anger and protests have left the Supreme Court’s chief justice more isolated than ever.
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Defensive Trump: "You haven't asked me one fucking positive question…All of this. What about this? What about that? What about that? What about this? All negative." Via Rolling Stone
apple.news
Trump Explodes on Reporter: 'You Haven't Asked Me One F--king Positive Question' — Rolling Stone
The president’s interview with Time didn’t go so well
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Reposted by Michael Derby
Zach Everson @zacheverson.com · 01/10/2026
"Financial regulator investigates Adam Kinzinger over Kalshi trading The CFTC is targeting trades the former House Republican made related to his Biden-era pardon." Aiden Reiter for @politico.com
politico.com
Financial regulator investigates Adam Kinzinger over Kalshi trading
The CFTC is targeting trades the former House Republican made related to his Biden-era pardon.
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Claudia Sahm @claudia-sahm.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Growth in FRED users well above 20% *per year* for 30 years. That's impressive!
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
(Reuters) - US President Donald Trump said he regretted nominating three Supreme Court justices Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, .. according to a Time Magazine interview. ".. What can I do? .. I gave them the position of a lifetime, and they vote against me often."
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Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
America, 2026: "The failed execution is the second in Tennessee this year, after prison officials in May aborted attempts to execute a man convicted of murders after failing to find a suitable vein for his lethal injection."
reuters.com
Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike survives execution attempt
Christa Pike, convicted of murdering a schoolmate three decades ago, survived Tennessee's effort to execute her by means of lethal ​injection late on Wednesday, prison officials said, foiling the stat...
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Reposted by Michael Derby
James Hell Brooks @kleinman.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
If we're going to have a death penalty it should be firing squad. 5 bullets to the head do quick work. There's no kind, compassionate way to kill someone. Let people see what it is that they support.
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