Sign in

Tess Owen

@tessowen.bsky.social
54K followers 1.8K following 526 posts

Senior politics writer @WIRED. Previous: words & reporting in WSJ, New Yorker, NY Mag, Guardian, & VICE News etc. Signal: tessowen.77

PostsRepliesMedia
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 18h
Oh, and if you’re not already subscribed, it’s time to change that! It’s cheap and WORTH IT! www.wired.com/v2/offers/wi...
wired.com
WIRED - The Latest in Technology, Science, Culture and Business | WIRED
Unlock a world of benefits, only for WIRED subscribers. | Best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore - plus gear reviews, podcasts, and more
1506
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 20h
Is this thing still on? Excited to share some personal news: I’m joining @wired.com as their new politics reporter!
2862226
Reposted by Tess Owen
Christopher Mathias @letsgomathias.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
NEW: @talkingpointsmemo.com can reveal GOP nominee for Florida legislature: -marched at deadly Charlottesville Nazi rally w/ white supremacist group's flag -has *many* white supremacist donors -appears to advocate lynching He is expected to win Nov. election talkingpointsmemo.com/news/florida...
talkingpointsmemo.com
Exclusive: He Marched With Nazis in Charlottesville. Now He’s Expected to Join the Florida Legislature.
The Republican nominee for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives...
7022761250
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
"Of the 279 people accused by officials on X of attacking federal officers in the past year, 181 were U.S. citizens, the Journal found. Close to half of those Americans were never charged with assault. None have been convicted at trial." www.wsj.com/us-news/immi...
wsj.com
Americans Are Now a Target in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
A WSJ investigation tracked the U.S. citizens caught in the crosshairs of an aggressive federal campaign to detain and demonize dissenters.
1268
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
"Hundreds of thousands of audit logs spanning a month show police are searching a national database of automated license plate reader data, including from school cameras, for immigration-related investigations." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Local police aid ICE by tapping school cameras amid Trump’s immigration crackdown
Local police assisted federal immigration agents by repeatedly searching school cameras that record license plate numbers, data show
08169
Reposted by Tess Owen
jason @jasooooon.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
another @thiccreese.bsky.social banger www.wired.com/story/i-infi...
wired.com
I Infiltrated Moltbook, the AI-Only Social Network Where Humans Aren't Allowed
I went undercover on Moltbook and loved role-playing as a conscious bot. But rather than a novel breakthrough, the AI-only site is a crude rehashing of sci-fi fantasies.
14811
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
"To Catch A Fascist" is finally here! @letsgomathias.bsky.social has spent the last three years immersed in the underground world of contemporary militant antifascism. There's thrills, espionage, and more. Get your copy: www.simonandschuster.com/books/To-Cat...
simonandschuster.com
To Catch a Fascist
A searing, provocative investigation into the rise of white nationalist and neo-Nazi movements in the United States, centered on the anti-fascist g...
15212
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
2016: obama era optimism, doing shots on a weeknight until 3 am and being able to go to work just fine 2026: getting a buzz on at home after the baby has gone to bed, messaging people on Facebook marketplace en masse to inquire if their item is “still available”
2420
Reposted by Tess Owen
Maé @its-mae-bae.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
I just read this article and was wondering what you were doing, and now I know. Stay safe.
share.google
ICE Detention Center Captain Was on a Neo-Nazi Website and Wanted to Start a White Nationalist Group
“Deep down, no one really gives a shit about racism,” Travis Frey, who was then a senior employee at an Indianapolis jail, wrote on Iron March.
1188
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Since ICE arrived in Minneapolis over a month ago, people have mobilized across the city to a stunning degree to track agents and monitor their activities. @wsj.com went there to understand what this looks like in practice. www.youtube.com/watch?si=A3t...
youtube.com
How the Deadly ICE Shooting Turned Minneapolis ‘Upside Down’ | WSJ
YouTube video by The Wall Street Journal
212236
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
nightmare being in Minneapolis reporting and having to constantly clarify whether you’re talking about ICE the federal agents or the ice all over the sidewalks
7643
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
How was this 5 years ago? Feels so much more recent, perhaps because the dust never fully settled since, and because this country is still fighting for control of the narrative of that day
38222
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
damn all I did was listen to one Coldplay album
1431
Reposted by Tess Owen
Josh Sternberg @joshsternberg.com · 19/12/2025
This is like Ticketmaster shit. Amazing.
27210
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
If you’re in the Epstein line, stay in the Epstein line
1465
Reposted by Tess Owen
Will Sommer @willsommer.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Nick Fuentes and the groypers have their first candidate: Florida governor candidate James Fishback. And yes, he has some age of consent allegations. My latest newsletter for @thebulwark.com: www.thebulwark.com/p/meet-the-f...
thebulwark.com
Meet the First Groyper Politician
James Fishback’s campaign may not be flashy but it sure is fashy.
32330117
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
the scammers are refining their art of seduction
161108
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
big scoop from reuters: pardoned j6-ers are.... advising DOJ officials" "weaponization working group" on whether to bring charges against prosecutors who worked on j6 cases. www.reuters.com/investigatio...
reuters.com
They prosecuted the Capitol rioters. Now the rioters and the DOJ are after them.
After Trump’s mass pardons of the U.S. Capitol rioters, some have gained influence inside the Justice Department. The January 6 prosecutors describe mounting threats, harassment and fear of lasting da...
915584
Reposted by Tess Owen
Jeff Alworth @alworth.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
This is an absolutely riveting portrait of Katie Miller, and answers some of the questions I had about how she ended up married to Stephen. Fantastic reporting and storytelling by @tessowen.bsky.social.
slate.com
She’s Married to the Architect of Trump’s Darkest Policies. She Wants America to Love Her. It’s Not Going Well.
I spent a month in her head. I was surprised by what I found.
1164
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
1225760
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
The last story I did as a freelancer is finally out! For @slate.com I took a deep dive into the world of Katie Miller as she sheds her image as government attack dog and rebrands herself "trad-wife-in-chief" for her new podcast slate.com/news-and-pol...
slate.com
She’s Married to the Architect of Trump’s Darkest Policies. She Wants America to Love Her. It’s Not Going Well.
I spent a month in her head. I was surprised by what I found.
58822
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
One of the more disturbing, dystopian stories I’ve read in some time: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/m...
nytimes.com
051
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
very interested to learn more about the plot. turtle island liberation front has been characterized as leftist. if they were planning to target civilians —rather than property or government assets— that would mark a significant shift for leftist terrorism
7393
Reposted by Tess Owen
Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 15/12/2025
Merriam-Webster’s human editors have chosen ‘slop’ as the 2025 Word of the Year.
357238387190
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
happy Hanukkah to all my dear friends who celebrate, and im so very sorry that this year’s festivities are beginning with so much pain.
0606
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Some news: today is my first day at @wsj.com as a senior video correspondent! I’m so excited about joining this incredible team and I can’t wait to dive in
221459
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Completely baffled by this. What a fumble. Brittany is an incredible journalist (and an icon) and knows music and pop culture better than anyone. So excited to see what she ends up doing next. Frankly, I think RS needed her a lot more than she needed RS.
2344
Reposted by Tess Owen
Andy Campbell @andybcampbell.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
Wrote a whole chapter on Van Dyke in my Proud Boys book — described him as the physical manifestation of a human hand grenade. Should be an interesting campaign. thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/02/j...
thebarbedwire.com
He’s an Unapologetic Fascist Who ‘Despises’ Democracy. He Still Wants You to Vote for Him.
He was once leader of the Proud Boys, has posted racist threats online, and sports a white nationalist tattoo.
12512
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
so how does the “anarchist” characterization come into play? or was that misleading information that was given out as a way to muddy the narrative around this
2429
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
i am withering away after seeing this comment on one of those “hipster millennial nostalgia” videos
191
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Per FBI: the suspected j6 pipe bomber seemingly started experimenting with building explosives as early as 2019, when he purchased the same components that were later used in the devices found on j6 storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
Affidavit In Support – #1, Att. #1 in United States v. COLE (D.D.C., 1:25-mj-00276) – CourtListener.com
SEALED COMPLAINT as to BRIAN J. COLE, JR (1). (Attachments: # 1 Affidavit In Support) (zmcg) (Main Document 1 replaced on 12/4/2025) (zmcg). (Attachment 1 replaced on 12/4/2025) (zmcg). (Main Document...
1114
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
WOW
2123
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
growing increasingly concerned that we are all hapless pawns in some sort of elaborate sex game between journalists who have a lot of z’s in their names
824521
Reposted by Tess Owen
Andy Campbell @andybcampbell.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
BIG NEWS! So excited to announce my new role as senior enterprise editor @ms.now, where I’ll work alongside @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social to build on our incredible coverage at the intersection of politics, extremism and culture. This is a dream team, I can’t wait to get started. Watch this space!
3230923
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
filing under the (surprisingly large category) of : once-good journalists absolutely losing the fucking plot
1241
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
many potentially disastrous Thanksgiving dinners salvaged
0446
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
Mamdanis charisma needs to be bottled and studied in a lab
1530520
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
Laura loomer is crashing out
81447
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
seems like the mamdani-trump meeting went extremely well, and there’s a wide consensus that mamdani emerged looking brilliant. unfortunately the moment Trump reads that analysis, it’s absolutely over for their relationship
3816
Reposted by Tess Owen
Bookchat @bookchat.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
Books Aren’t Magic Empathy Pills (But They Help): Last week I read a really lovely WIRED story by Tess Owen about people who desperately want to deprogram their MAGA-pilled family members and hope to use books to do so. They want to start a meaningful conversation… #CraftandCriticism #Features
lithub.com
Books Aren’t Magic Empathy Pills (But They Help)
Last week I read a really lovely WIRED story by Tess Owen about people who desperately want to deprogram their MAGA-pilled family members and hope to use books to do so. They want to start a meaningful conversation using verifiable facts and beautiful language rather than fighting words, and I find that commendable. I understand […]
0103
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
what?
5421
Reposted by Tess Owen
Jared Holt @jaredlholt.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
ITV unmasks a neo-Nazi activist in Britain who gave Buckingham Palace tours by day and organized within international fascist movements by night. “When confronted by ITV News on a suburban street in west London, Gravill froze. ‘Oh f***,’ he muttered.” www.itv.com/news/2025-11...
itv.com
013342
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
This lede by antonia hitchens is utterly perfect www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
1211620
Reposted by Tess Owen
Anna Merlan @annamerlan.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
I am so grateful for every week I get to work in this terrible profession and I also feel constant heartburn about what a mess it is. Strong statement from the News Guild on the absurd firings at Conde: www.nyguild.org/post/stateme...
nyguild.org
Statement from The NewsGuild of New York and Condé United on illegal firing of four union leaders who demanded answers about this week’s layoffs at Teen Vogue, other brands
Late Wednesday night, Condé Nast’s VP of Labor Relations notified the Guild that the Company was immediately terminating four Condé United leaders for engaging …
2487134
Reposted by Tess Owen
Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
NEWS — The Oregon Department of Human Services has issued 100% of November SNAP benefits, per an alert on their website. I've received reports that the funds have already hit recipients' EBT accounts. www.oregon.gov/odhs/news/Pa...
7747901207
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Forgot to post this spooky story I wrote for Slate on Friday amid the Halloween shuffle: The mainstream right makes a little room at the table for Nick Fuentes slate.com/news-and-pol...
slate.com
Tucker Carlson Gave a Softball Interview to a Neo-Nazi. Republicans Are Having a Meltdown—but Not for the Reason You’d Think.
It's another reminder of the scary state of American conservatism.
24014
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
at this point no one can convince me that he wasn’t born in the suit-and-tie
2462
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
we voted !
0660
Tess Owen @tessowen.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
Elon Musk using his own platform to stoke hatred and division in a country that he has a tenuous link to at best
1612035