Sign in

Samuel Oakford (WaPo)

@samueloakford.bsky.social
19K followers 928 following 192 posts

@washingtonpost visual forensics | samuel.oakford@washpost.com | signal: 771-200-7508

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Doug MacMillan @douglasmac.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Camp East Montana was supposed to be the Trump administration's model for a new breed of large-scale, makeshift immigrant detention centers. Eight tumultuous months, 60 violations and three deaths later, ICE is preparing to close it. New from me: t.co/jOIIRAMJCo
washingtonpost.com
ICE taking steps to close detention center at Fort Bliss, document shows
Preparations to shutter Camp East Montana in El Paso come less than eight months after facility’s opening, according to an internal ICE document.
31868346
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Last week, @washingtonpost.com analyzed hours of Don Lemon's Jan. 18 livestream that featured the protest at Cities Church in St. Paul. w/ @osviz-jarrett.bsky.social. Here's the story, with a gift link: wapo.st/4t7c5VJ
wapo.st
What video shows about Don Lemon’s activities at the church protest
Video shows the journalist’s activities during a protest at Minnesota’s Cities Church that has become a flash point in the debate over an ICE crackdown.
177
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
The@washingtonpost.com continues to investigate the killing of Alex Pretti. The Post previously determined that the gun Pretti carried was taken off him by agents before they opened fire. Prior to that it is not visible in available footage, and Pretti is never seen holding it. wapo.st/4qMOisT
wapo.st
Federal agent secured gun from Minn. man before fatal shooting, videos show
A Washington Post analysis of videos sheds light on the encounter that left 37-year-old Alex Pretti dead.
25810
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Jonathan Baran @jonathanbaran.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Videos show an agent tugging on a weapon in Pretti’s waistband, removing it and ducking from the tussle as another agent draws and fires on the unarmed man. Latest from @samueloakford.bsky.social @osviz-jarrett.bsky.social @evanhill.bsky.social & Sarah Blaskey www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
washingtonpost.com
Federal agent secured gun from Minn. man before fatal shooting, videos show
A Washington Post analysis of videos sheds light on the encounter that left 37-year-old Alex Pretti dead.
01610
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 17/12/2025
Exclusive: A patchwork of social interactions and a trail of online posts provide a view into Tyler Robinson’s life and his beliefs, a Post examination found. The Post also reached Robinson, jailed in Utah County, through video calls.
wapo.st
‘You see this news?’: What Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer told friends after the attack
A patchwork of social interactions and a trail of online posts provide a view into the life and beliefs of Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s killing.
5227
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Matthew Hay Brown @matthewhaybrown.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
A fine example of a story that would require the Pentagon’s approval under the new media policy that The Post and others refused to sign Strong work from @alexhorton.bsky.social and @samueloakford.bsky.social
210746
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 22/09/2025
Border czar Tom Homan was caught on tape accepting a bag filled with $50,000 in cash from an undercover FBI agent in September 2024. Trump officials have shut down the bribery investigation.
washingtonpost.com
Trump officials shut down bribery probe of border czar Tom Homan
Tom Homan was caught on tape accepting a bag filled with $50,000 in cash from an undercover FBI agent in Texas in September 2024, according to people familiar with the matter and a government document...
46393202
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 05/05/2025
the coverage was led by our climate team's @bradydennis.bsky.social, brianna sacks and @byscottdance.com on the ground in NC, w/ assists from @samueloakford.bsky.social in visual forensics and my tech colleagues @gerritd.bsky.social & @jeremybmerrill.com et al www.washingtonpost.com/weather/inte...
washingtonpost.com
In North Carolina, there was before Helene. This is the after.
“A hundred years from now, they will be talking about this flood,” said one resident in Western North Carolina, where the extent of the disaster is only beginning to emerge.
1274
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 05/05/2025
not a big Prize Guy but proud to have played a role on the @washingtonpost.com team that was named a Pulitzer finalist in National Reporting today for our coverage of Hurricane Helene, including the social media-fueled storm of lies that followed in its wake www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024...
washingtonpost.com
How a conspiracy-fueled group got a foothold in this hurricane-battered town
Over the course of 11 days, a supermarket parking lot became a snapshot of the chaos that can unfold in some corners of post-disaster America.
1131055
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
The @washingtonpost.com won the Pulitzer Prize in breaking news on Monday for its coverage of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. It’s the paper at its finest, and I’m so proud that our Visual Forensics work featured in the winning package. www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/...
washingtonpost.com
The Post wins Pulitzers for Trump rally shooting stories, editorial cartoons
The Washington Post was recognized with two Pulitzer Prizes for coverage of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and political cartoons by Ann Telnaes.
082
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
BREAKING NEWS - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol REMOVED from office by the court's unanimous decision www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
washingtonpost.com
South Korean court removes president from office, says he violated duties
The Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his attempt to impose martial law, a decision expected to exacerbate political divisions.
24368241750
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Matthew Hay Brown @matthewhaybrown.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
As Trump upends U.S. foreign policy, getting closer to Russia, threatening NATO allies, pausing cooperation with Ukraine, Washington’s traditional partners — and best customers — are rethinking their dependence on American weapons systems www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
washingtonpost.com
Trump turbulence leads allies to rethink reliance on U.S. weapons
European capitals are reviewing vulnerabilities and want to wean themselves from dependence on American weapons, but expanding homegrown options will take time.
3026066
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Drew FitzGerald @drewfitzgerald.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Trump's Iron Dome for America plan — now renamed "Golden Dome" — is rocketing forward and Silicon Valley-linked contractors like Anduril and SpaceX could reap some of the rewards: www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
wsj.com
Military-Tech Startups Vie for Billions as Hegseth Shakes Up Pentagon Spending
Venture-backed companies see an opening to take business from traditional defense contractors.
112
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Elon Musk said DOGE made a mistake by cutting USAID’s Ebola prevention but it had been “restored.” That’s not true, current and former officials told me and @johnphudson.bsky.social. “There have been no efforts to ‘turn on’” Ebola prevention, said Nidhi Bouri, who oversaw team until January.
washingtonpost.com
Musk claims DOGE ‘restored’ Ebola prevention effort. Officials disagree.
USAID’s initiatives to fight Ebola and other diseases have been gutted, current and former agency officials said.
23074393157
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Aric Toler @aric.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
The Internet Archive has removed its archives of individual tweets from the account belonging to DOGE staffer Marko Elez. The WSJ reported yesterday that this account belonged to Ekes, and that many of these tweets were racist and led to his resignation.
451309443
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Melissa Gira Grant @melissagiragrant.com · 07/02/2025
“The Federal Communications Commission is investigating San Francisco-based KCBS for its coverage of immigration enforcement actions in San José last month, sparking concerns from press freedom advocates and drawing right-wing backlash to the radio station.”
kqed.org
FCC Investigates SF Radio Station for ICE Reporting, Sparking Press Freedom Fears | KQED
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said the agency is investigating San Francisco-based KCBS for its coverage of immigration enforcement actions in San José.
32664326
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
“The British government’s undisclosed order, issued last month, requires blanket capability to view fully encrypted material, not merely assistance in cracking a specific account, and has no known precedent in major democracies.” www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
washingtonpost.com
U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts
Secret order requires blanket access to protected cloud backups around the world, which if implemented would undermine Apple’s privacy pledge to its users.
174
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
The Trump administration’s abrupt decision to repatriate USAID’s overseas workforce has thrust the agency’s global staff into chaos and despair, as workers scramble to uproot their lives and brace for what they fear will be a shutdown of all American aid missions in 30 days.
washingtonpost.com
Recall of USAID’s global workforce causes havoc and distress
USAID employees stationed overseas are struggling to navigate the sudden upheaval, having received little clear information from the Trump administration.
0268
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Entities behind President Donald Trump’s crypto coin have accumulated close to $100 million in trading fees in less than two weeks, according to estimates from three blockchain analysis firms, a large windfall from a venture that has seen tens of thousands of small traders lose money.
reuters.com
Exclusive: Trump's meme coin made nearly $100 million in trading fees, as small traders lost money
Entities behind President Donald Trump’s crypto coin have accumulated close to $100 million in trading fees in less than two weeks, according to estimates from three blockchain analysis firms, a large windfall from a venture that has seen tens of thousands of small traders lose money.
13914
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
JM Rieger @riegerreport.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
New Washington Post reporting: Some DOGE staffers have gained access to internal systems at the Education Dept., including a financial aid dataset that contains personal information for millions of students enrolled in the federal student aid program. www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
washingtonpost.com
Trump preps order to dismantle Education Dept. as DOGE probes data
Closing the agency would require congressional approval, so the new administration hopes to diminish it in the meantime.
21420
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Michael Isikoff @misikoff.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
In fascinating interview with @spytalker.bsky.social @rondeibert.bsky.social tells how his @citizenlab.ca investigators connected the dots between high tech spyware and political repression around the globe, resulting in a spate of "Watergate-like" scandals. www.spytalk.co/p/tracking-t...
spytalk.co
Tracking the Insidious Creep of Spyware
An interview with The Citizens Lab’s Ronald Deibert on 'Chasing Shadows,' his penetrating account of spyware scandals rocking governments around the world
04517
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
should have known something was up
010
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Last night, Musk's staff were stopped trying to enter USAID's HQ. They threatened to call U.S. Marshals. @cnn.com: Sources say they wanted access to security systems and personnel files and to access classified information. Today, the USAID Director of Security and his deputy were put on leave.
cnn.com
Senior USAID security officials put on leave after refusing Musk’s DOGE access to agency systems | CNN Politics
Two top security officials at the US Agency for International Development were put on administrative leave Saturday night after refusing to allow officials from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Ef...
491228664
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
"In the wake of the worst American air disaster in two decades, the understaffed and cash-strapped National Transportation Safety Board was scrambling to keep investigators from leaving after federal employees received an offer by the Trump administration to resign and be paid through September."
cnn.com
Exclusive: NTSB scrambled to retain employees after Trump’s federal worker resignation offer | CNN Politics
In the wake of the worst American air disaster in two decades, the understaffed and cash-strapped National Transportation Safety Board was scrambling to keep investigators from leaving after federal e...
21618
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
forget about waking the president — someone wake up Bill Simmons
1032820
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
WASHINGTON POST, DATELINE LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to acquire Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Anthony Davis in a blockbuster trade, people with knowledge of the situation confirmed Saturday. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...
washingtonpost.com
Lakers trade Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic in blockbuster with Mavericks
The Lakers will pair Luka Doncic with LeBron James in a stunning trade.
7443
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
this trade is deeply unsettling!!!
020
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
"Billionaire Elon Musk’s deputies have gained access to a sensitive Treasury Department system responsible for trillions of dollars in U.S. government payments after the administration ousted a top career official at the department." www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
washingtonpost.com
Musk aides gain access to sensitive Treasury Department payment system
The access, granted by Scott Bessent, Trump’s newly confirmed treasury secretary, comes after the ousting of the agency’s top career official.
0177
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Peter Stevenson @peterwstevenson.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
NEW: @washingtonpost.com has obtained dash-cam video of a previously unseen angle of the DC plane crash (via WaPo's Jenny Gathright):
66210
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
U.S. Naval Institute @usni.org · 27/01/2025
#OTD in 1925, Paul Newman was born. He wanted to be a naval aviator but was rejected because of his colorblindness. He served as an aviation radioman in the Pacific theater during WWII and was aboard USS Hollandia when the news of Japan's surrender was announcd on 14 August 1945.
26110
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 21/01/2025
Trump's TikTok executive order is out: Tells Justice Department to pretend the law doesn't exist for 75 days, taking "no action" to enforce it or impose any fines, and to send letters to providers saying they won't face liability. He can't promise that, though. The law does exist. wapo.st/3WrFcV3
washingtonpost.com
Trump signs executive order to halt TikTok ban, risking legal showdown
Measure directs Justice Department to not enforce the law for 75 days while administration determines “the appropriate course forward.”
2431275
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Matthew Hay Brown @matthewhaybrown.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
President Trump has pardoned or ordered the release of virtually all who were federally prosecuted for Jan. 6, including those convicted of seditious conspiracy or assaulting police officers. Here's free access to my colleagues' extraordinary coverage of that day: www.pulitzer.org/winners/wash...
24293118
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys who is serving the longest sentence among all Jan. 6 cases, is being released from federal prison tonight, his lawyer told The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Live updates: Trump signs executive actions, including ordering federal workers back to office
Shortly before leaving office, President Joe Biden preemptively pardoned several people he said could be unfairly prosecuted during the Trump administration.
3136
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
David Burbach 🇺🇸 @dburbach.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Trump directs that a list of personnel be immediately granted TS/SCI clearances without background investigations. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
whitehouse.gov
Memorandum to Resolve the Backlog of Security Clearances for Executive Office of the President Personnel – The White House
January 20, 2025 MEMORANDUM TO THE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL SUBJECT:      Memorandum to Resolve the Backlog of Security Clearances for
59416225
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
All the Jan-6ers prosecuted by the DOJ, including felons convicted of assaulting police officers, will soon be released from incarceration if they were still in federal custody. www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
washingtonpost.com
Trump pardons almost all involved in Jan. 6 riot, commutes remaining 14 sentences
Trump ordered those still incarcerated to be released immediately from federal prison.
2218153
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
David Lynch, who brought surrealism into the cineplex, dies at 78 www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2...
washingtonpost.com
David Lynch, who brought surrealism into the cineplex, dies at 78
The renowned director mixed melodrama and horror in movies such as “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive.” He helped trigger a TV revolution with “Twin Peaks.”
062
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
NEW: A Washington Post Investigation identifies major security lapses preceding the NYE attack in New Orleans that left 14 dead. The Post used visual evidence, witness testimony — and exclusively obtained a road closure plan for that evening. Gift link here: wapo.st/3C9HrWd
wapo.st
How New Orleans failed to protect Bourbon Street from attack, block by block
An examination of visuals, witness accounts and city planning documents reveals that security lapses in New Orleans left crucial gaps on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day.
75115
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Richard Waite @waiterich.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
Did a commute write this
washingtonpost.com
Opinion | I love my long commute. You should, too.
In the darkness, mile markers, rivers and small towns are an atlas for a rural commuter’s life.
2714249249
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Doug MacMillan @douglasmac.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
I've spent the past year obsessed with how police are using facial recognition. What I found: Police in 12 states have used these tools to find and arrest suspects when they have no other evidence, leading to wrongful arrests wapo.st/4fQYlXn 🧵 what I learned from 1,000 docs & dozens of sources ->
wapo.st
Arrested by AI: Police ignore standards after facial recognition matches
Confident in unproven facial recognition technology, sometimes investigators skip steps; at least eight Americans have been wrongfully arrested.
10249118
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
NEW: A Washington Post Investigation identifies major security lapses preceding the NYE attack in New Orleans that left 14 dead. The Post used visual evidence, witness testimony — and exclusively obtained a road closure plan for that evening. Gift link here: wapo.st/3C9HrWd
wapo.st
How New Orleans failed to protect Bourbon Street from attack, block by block
An examination of visuals, witness accounts and city planning documents reveals that security lapses in New Orleans left crucial gaps on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day.
75115
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
"Wall Street investment giants view Main Street retirement savings as a way to boost demand for non-listed illiquid bets that aren’t traded on any public exchange." finance.yahoo.com/news/private...
finance.yahoo.com
Private equity wants a piece of your 401(k) — and hopes Trump can make it happen
Private equity firms are hoping that the new Trump administration makes it easier for them to access something they have long wanted: your 401(k).
222
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Moriarty Maps @moriartymaps.com · 08/01/2025
We're mapping the fires in Los Angeles. Wind + fire is a wicked combination, flashbacks to Paradise and Lahaina. www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025...
washingtonpost.com
Mapping the Palisades wildfire spread in Los Angeles
We’re tracking the fires in Los Angeles, California. See maps of recently burned areas and key locations in the vicinity of the fire.
23915
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Isabel Ravenna @theravennareport.com · 09/01/2025
Frank Mayor, a 67-year-old Altadena resident, witnessed the tragic loss of his 1887 architectural gem, the McNally House, built by renowned map publisher Andrew McNally. Despite being among the last to evacuate, the house burned down in an area not typically considered a fire hazard.
42911
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
Byron Tau @byrontau.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
Apple has opted iOS and MacOS users into an AI photo scanning feature which tries to extract landmarks from your photos called Enhanced Visual Search by default with little notice. www.theregister.com/2025/01/03/a...
theregister.com
Apple opts everyone into having their Photos analyzed by AI
Homomorphic-based Enhanced Visual Search is so privacy-preserving, iPhone giant activated it without asking
8014091123
Reposted by Samuel Oakford (WaPo)
SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) @covid19disease.bsky.social · 30/12/2024
5 years ago today: Wuhan Health Commission sends urgent notice reporting cases of unidentified pneumonia. It's the first official word about COVID-19.
531770
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
All but two of the 181 people who were aboard a Jeju Air flight are presumed dead after the plane crashed while landing at an airport near the South Korea's southern tip early Sunday, in what appears to be the nation’s deadliest aviation accident in decades. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...
washingtonpost.com
Nearly all 181 on plane that crashed in South Korea presumed dead, fire agency says
The Jeju Air flight was coming from Bangkok when it crashed at Muan International Airport, according to officials. Two were rescued.
174
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
A big cat sanctuary in Washington — home to tigers, cougars and leopards — has temporarily closed after a devastating bird flu outbreak killed most of its animals, some rapidly after they developed pneumonia-like symptoms, the director said. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/...
washingtonpost.com
Bird flu kills 20 big cats at Washington sanctuary now under quarantine
A big cat sanctuary in Washington is temporarily closed and quarantined after bird flu killed 20 wild cats there, including cougars, bobcats and a tiger.
11613
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
Trump backs H-1B visas, aligning with Musk on immigration. 
“I’ve always liked the visas,” he said, siding with tech leaders against anti-immigration hard-liners. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
washingtonpost.com
Trump backs H-1B visas, aligning with Musk on immigration
“I’ve always liked the visas,” he said, siding with tech leaders against anti-immigration hardliners.
4138
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
Thank you.
1112
Samuel Oakford (WaPo) @samueloakford.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
In Texas, at least 18 babies have been abandoned this year. Whether there’s a pattern or common link in these tragedies is not clear. But they’re happening in a state with one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans — with no exceptions for rape or incest — and one of the highest birth rates.
washingtonpost.com
‘Baby in a dumpster.’ A spate of abandoned newborns unsettles Texas.
Critics say these cases are no coincidence in a state with one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans and near-bottom rankings on women’s health care.
12012