iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

BREAKING WSJ: The Trump Justice Department is reviewing whether the special prosecutor's office that investigated Watergate committed misconduct. A revisionist historian went to DOJ HQ to present his case that Richard Nixon and his associates weren't treated fairly.

wsj.com

Exclusive | Decades After Watergate, Justice Department Reviews Whether Nixon Got a Raw Deal

A revisionist historian went to the DOJ headquarters to present his case that the former president and his associates weren’t treated fairly.

4961477545

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

New York Magazine @nymag.com · 29/09/2026

‘The Cornell Daily Sun’ spent months reporting on the ‘Cornell Seven’ lawsuit. In a new interview, the lead reporter Cereese Qusba and editor-in-chief Sophia Dasser about their work, the paper’s blistering editorial, and what’s next.

thecut.com

How Student Journalists Broke the ‘Cornell Seven’ Case

“Our coverage was absolutely completely raw from the lawsuit and nothing was concealed. At a minimum, that’s what we can do as the student newspaper.”

0116

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

ProPublica @propublica.org · 26/09/2026

NEW: ProPublica’s Jake Pearson lost $10,000 mimicking the betting patterns of a problem gambler on DraftKings to test the company’s “responsible gaming” safeguards. One week in, he was invited to become a VIP — and faced little pushback as he spiraled.

propublica.org

I Deliberately Bet Like a Problem Gambler. DraftKings Made Me a VIP.

Amid growing public health concerns, operators like DraftKings have touted “responsible gaming” tools and prompts. But as I went off the deep end, I found they were no match for the incentives and pro...

11838911491

Thomas Friestad @thomasfriestad.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

KC’s primary repayment source for Royals bonds is a “stadium impact area” that could capture a slurry of future taxes from the Westside to Wendell Phillips and beyond. www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n...

bizjournals.com

Royals 'stadium impact area' would siphon taxes miles away from Crown Center - Kansas City Business Journal

Paying for Crossroads street parking? Buying tacos off Southwest Boulevard? Those transactions may help pay Royals bonds.

020

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

Brian Jay Jones @brianjayjones.com · 24/09/2026

Jim Henson would have been 90 (yup, you read that right: NINETY) years old today. You can celebrate his life by celebrating creativity, diversity, peace, imagination, and silliness.

A tuxedoed Jim Henson sits in a sea of Muppets.

212434965

Thomas Friestad @thomasfriestad.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

About two years ago, Molzer and his partners were schlepping 100s of old mattresses and chairs out of Kansas City's old Aladdin Hotel. Now, in recent weeks, they've moved the first dozen or so apartment residents in. www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n...

bizjournals.com

'Welcome to the party:' Developers move first residents in after $38M Aladdin hotel conversion - Kansas City Business Journal

A developer describes substantial completion of The Aladdin Apartments as both surreal and life-changing.

010

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I've spent a lot of time inside classrooms of very poor schools, including working with well-resourced parents like @nhannahjones.bsky.social who opted for those schools out of social obligation. Her experience - and agony - is common and wrenching. She's just one of (very few) willing to be honest.

nytimes.com

In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own?

A decade ago, I made a decision about my daughter’s education that I hoped would challenge New York City’s separate and unequal school system. Now 16, she thinks I made the wrong choice.

1726722

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

ProPublica @propublica.org · 22/09/2026

NEW: In late 2024, FBI investigators had enough evidence to launch a sweeping bribery probe that could ensnare top lawmakers, including Sen. Susan Collins. Then Trump was reelected and eviscerated the FBI and DOJ teams handling public corruption probes.

propublica.org

The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way

After the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...

13746322242

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

Jason Hancock @jasonhancock.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Federal prosecutors say Siddharth Jawahar hired Jeff Roe's Axiom Strategies to land favorable media before sentencing. Days later, the News Tribune ran a glowing profile, and Roe discussed spending money to digitally target the story to the judge's home so he would be likely to see it. #moleg #mogov

missouriindependent.com

Missouri congressman urged leniency for Ponzi schemer who hired longtime consultant • Missouri Independent

Federal prosecutors say Siddharth Jawahar agreed to pay Axiom Strategies to secure a favorable newspaper article and a letter of support from Sam Graves.

156

Thomas Friestad @thomasfriestad.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The Royals' TIF plan lists $80 million in "land" costs. The figure isn't solely the team's purchase price for Hallmark's HQ site, but may hint at one well above market value. www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n...

bizjournals.com

Royals may pay Hallmark a premium for Crown Center stadium site - Kansas City Business Journal

The Royals' TIF plan lists $80 million in anticipated land costs, which may hint at a purchase price well above market value for Hallmark's headquarters.

000

Thomas Friestad @thomasfriestad.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

An Indianapolis developer late last month took a step toward starting a 13-story apartment high-rise in the River Market, more than half a decade since project planning began. www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n...

bizjournals.com

The Bellwether high-rise in River Market could take flight after KC approval - Kansas City Business Journal

Final plan approval puts a 13-story River Market high-rise a step closer to starting.

010

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

Joel Mathis @joelderburner.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

My lament for the Kansas City Star, Miami Herald, Lexington Herald-Leader and other papers gutted by #McClatchy today: joelmmathis.substack.com/p/the-end-of...

joelmmathis.substack.com

The end of (some) newspapers

McClatchy’s brutal layoffs leave a lot of cities without decent news coverage.

174

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

Bruce Arthur @brucearthur.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

After the NBA smashed the Clippers, @pablo.show was asked over and over, do you feel validated? He wanted to say no. But after growing up in a crumbling media environment, and after pouring so much into his Pulitzer-winning podcast, he struggled to admit: yes, he did. www.thestar.com/sports/rapto...

thestar.com

Pablo Torre uncovered the Kawhi scandal and won a Pulitzer. He’s still searching for something more

The Los Angeles Clippers-Kawhi Leonard cap circumvention case as presented on “Pablo Torre Finds Out” has been his masterpiece. It’s only part of his story.

391200216

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

Straight Arrow @san.com · 11/09/2026

McClatchy is gutting newsrooms while betting on artificial intelligence stories about nugget ice, saunas and poop. san.com/cc/as-it-lay...

As it lays off local reporters, newspaper chain goes all in on AI

001

Thomas Friestad @thomasfriestad.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Bar K's former KC home last week fetched a buyer more than a year after the popular dog park and bar abruptly shuttered amid steep financial issues. New ownership hopes a fresh riverfront F&B concept can open there again. www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n...

bizjournals.com

Former Bar K property fetches new owner - Kansas City Business Journal

Bar K's former KC home on the Berkley Riverfront recently fetched new ownership: a neighboring owner of hundreds of apartments.

021

Thomas Friestad @thomasfriestad.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Unfortunate KC Star layoffs, months after @san.com reports of McClatchy brass bemoaning a lack of “dramatic” new web traffic from investing in local reporting vs. AI story repackaging. Clearly disinvesting is the solution! Callous and rudderless.

152

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

Kathleen @kathleencarson.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I knew someone who worked at a Kansas jail. He used to complain about the number of people in the jail at any given time because they got sued for medical debt. Nothing says you want to get paid like having someone thrown in jail so they lose their job.

2143

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

ProPublica @propublica.org · 06/09/2026

ProPublica spoke to dozens of people who had lived in homeless encampments when cities cleared them out in “sweeps.” We distributed notecards so people could tell us about the toll in their own words. ➡️ This is what they wrote:

Handwritten notecard. Prompt at the top asks: What object was most devastating for you to lose, and how have you been coping? Answer below: Dentures. Were thrown away and coping isn't somthing I can do. It’s made me feel ugly, unworthy, can’t go get a job with no teeth. So how can get off the streets until another pair can be made?

10547771907

Thomas Friestad @thomasfriestad.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

KC's full pipeline of public safety projects would involve $34.2 million in annual debt service. But available public safety sales tax proceeds can only cover $8.6 million per year, leaving tough decisions ahead for council members. www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n...

bizjournals.com

KC has $402.6M pipeline of public safety projects. A voter-approved sales tax can fund $100M - Kansas City Business Journal

KC has a $402.6 million pipeline of public safety projects but may have only a trickle of funding to build them.

000

Thomas Friestad @thomasfriestad.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Modified Blunt Luminary Park ordinance passes council, setting up groundbreaking on one block later this year. Measure now calls for state/federal dollars to be used first, with city bonds TBD in FY2028 based on how much more private $$ comes in. www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n...

bizjournals.com

Council bond vote primes $164M Blunt Luminary Park phase for construction start - Kansas City Business Journal

A City Council vote could kick-start construction on Blunt Luminary Park in Downtown. But the decision wasn't without hedges.

000

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

Luke Ranker🚶‍♂️ @lukeranker.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The unanimous decision found that Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins was wrong to reject a campaign seeking to strike down the map, called HB 1. The ruling also makes it explicitly clear that the new map cannot be used in November. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...

kansascity.com

Missouri Supreme Court blocks gerrymandered map in major loss for Republicans

The unanimous decision found that Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins was wrong to reject a campaign seeking to strike down the map.

063

Reposted by Thomas Friestad

Elise Cutts @elisecutts.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Wow. $15,000-20,000 refundable tax credit (you get the money like a grant if your taxes aren't as high as the benefit) for keeping journalists hired. $15,000 for hiring new ones. $7,500 for hiring part-time. For-profit, nonprofit, **sole-proprietors** — doesn't matter. How did this happen???

rebuildlocalnews.org

California Legislature Passes Nation’s Largest Proposed Investment in Community News

Historic effort provides support to local news outlets for hiring or retaining local journalists, AB 2222 now heads to Gov. Newsom's desk.

13567166

Thomas Friestad @thomasfriestad.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

From KCBJ’s Sydnie Savage, on the makeup of Kansas’ new Sports Facilities Authority. It seems the UG prevailed in that whole earlier back-and-forth, where some state reps threatened no board seat unless UG dropped a contingency on its STAR bond pledge. www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n...

bizjournals.com

Kansas picks 10 of 11 sports authority members ahead of Chiefs stadium construction - Kansas City Business Journal

The newly appointed board members oversee the Chiefs' move to Kansas.

000