I went on @slate.com's What Next podcast to discuss my ongoing H-2A visa series for @propublica.org. Listen to our convo about the perils of the program, tough choices facing foreign farmworkers, and the difficulties of clamping down on abuse and exploitation. slate.com/podcasts/wha...

Does your food come from a system of modern day slavery here in the US? I'm guest-hosting for Mary Harris today on What Next, @slate.com's daily news pod. ProPublica's @maxblau.bsky.social joined to share his reporting on H-2A visas for seasonal farmworkers, who will be more vulnerable under Trump.

“The mother will have to tough it out a little bit”

We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Oh actually I forgot to mention, there's one other option: we can do it the really stupid way that makes me look like an idiot in the end.

Gift link: 2025, lot of people are talking about cash bribes in bags.

congrats to @benmathislilley.bsky.social for capping off a legendary 11-year run at Slate. it's been an honor and a pleasure, and I'll very much miss working with you slate.com/news-and-pol...

I had a minor, non-serious recurring medical issue over the summer that required 3 separate specialists. While waiting for appointments, I would get impatient and ask the AI LLMs. Every single time, they gave me convincing stuff to read that sounded great but was ultimately a bunch of nonsense.

Brian Kilmeade gets off with a tepid apology after saying homeless people should be euthanized. But let’s talk about the liberal media bias.

A big part of this is that rank and file journalists who don’t have name recognition are rightfully scared of getting fired for perceived bias if they too explicitly call out the bad faith from bad actors.

Captain America 2, still the best Marvel movie out of the bunch.

Sick burn, leader Jeffries’s office. Remember that time when Van Hollen went to confront that concentration camp in El Salvador, got tons of press, and then a couple weeks later Dem staffers were saying Jeffries told other Dem lawmakers to stop? www.thebulwark.com/p/what-happe...

Gift link: In NY State, the thin blue line means cops let other cops who drink and drive get off easy. “he admitted to drinking six cocktails and a shot that night, according to disciplinary records. He was suspended without pay for 35 days. Mr. Wilson, 49, is still with the State Police.”

Conservative media people can say whatever they want without consequence. Every other journalist must play by the right’s rules of civility or risk being fired.

Gift link: nytimes cites the shooter suspect being politically amped up by the Benghazi attacks in 2012, which took on an outsized life as a right wing conspiracy in both conservative media and government.

Anaconda is better than Jaws

Hey @nytimes.com @haleaziz.bsky.social you should give Jose Olivares for getting this scoop days ago. He even talked to the same expert you have cited in your piece. bsky.app/profile/1rob...

My life would have turned out dramatically different if my parents had only bought me the virtual boy back in the 90s.

If we were a serious country the only thing we would be talking about right now is how to pass legislation to get our runaway gun violence problem under control as quickly and forcefully as possible.

How did it so unmanageable? There’s no way to spend these points faster than you collect them.

Congress has the power to take advantage of this changed atmosphere and pass sweeping gun laws.

Gun violence is disgusting. He didn’t deserve a summary execution. Charlie Kirk leaves behind this legacy: “He speaks against the LGBTQ community and is a prominent supporter of President Donald Trump. He also has a history of racist comments and encourages women to “submit” to their husbands.”

Seriously cannot stop eating Singapore mei fun. This is the greatest Chinese takeout dish I have ever had.

Huge scoop from Jose Olivares: "The document contradicts claims by the agency that all 475 people arrested during the raid were working illegally or violating their visas."

I've been trying out this new thing where I cut my finger on the same spot every single day when I reach into the drawer and forget about the roll of plastic wrap and touch the sharp edge every single time.

A no brainer.

My internet is trying real hard to get me to buy algae cooking oil. Feels like a conspiracy. Can’t tell how widespread or niche this is. I refuse.

This is all going to end with Trump shooting someone on 5th ave and the guy he shoots is going to be holding a copy of the pee tape.

Gift link: ““Think carefully before taking this step,” [Schumer] said on the Senate floor on Monday afternoon. “If you go nuclear, it will be a decision you’ll come to regret.”” I don’t think they’ll regret it. The only ones who lose sleep are centrist dems on their way out of office.

Hard to imagine how we come back from this without seeing real accountability for everyone involved in this: lawmakers, judges, cops. This is a major red line.

A trainee at Subway made my sandwich today and gave me like a pound of provolone, this is the best, I feel like I won the lottery.

Now that summer’s over, we can put to rest this whole story that the zucchini flower is some sort of treat. I’m calling it as it is. Zucchini too, barely a food. I’ll still eat it because I’m not a snob, but come on.

“Wednesday’s dustup also wasn’t the first time Bessent has gotten into an altercation with a fellow Trump official. In April, he confronted Elon Musk just outside the Oval Office // in a profanity-laden tirade”

Gift link: “And why would you approve of or donate to the Democratic Party right now? If you are frightened or appalled by what is happening, what are Democrats offering you?”

Rand Paul from the top rope

“I think, deep down, we don’t want people to fix bald. You got dealt a bad genetic hand, and the world wants to see you play it out.”

I joined my friends' fantasy football league for the first time in like 10 years. 1st round I picked Travis Kelce for the lolz, nobody laughed. 2nd round, I picked the next best player, but forgot I still had "Travis" typed in, so I wound up drafting some 2nd best Travis. Lots of lolz.

lol, "you think Bill Ackman will let us walk into City Hall? No, he'll write a long tweet, and then write a bigger check."

Gift link: wild story. This sticks out: "the killing of civilians was justified under the rules of engagement," You read stuff like this so often it can feel like a numb, casual truth, like too bad, this is technically OK. To which I say, you don't have to accept that justification. It's not OK.

NIN at Barclays

Gift link: “Based on what we earn, we see different ads, stand in different lines, eat different food, stay in different hotels, watch the parade from different sections, and on and on. What’s profitable today is not unification. It’s segmentation.”

Kids drink so much water. When I was a kid I never drank water. Nobody did.

Mainstream centrists are like, our people are telling us we should no longer talk about words like, “woke, trans, poor, Gaza, immigration, abortion, abolition, opposition.”

Every day in Astoria Queens there are suped up cars flying down residential streets and running red lights. This AM a BMW driver lost control and took down an entire traffic light. We need serious reform here in NYC. Daylight laws. Speed and red light cameras on every street. @nyc.streetsblog.org

Nobody in power right now is acting like they’re even remotely worried they’ll face any consequences if future elections don’t go their way. The opposition could communicate a promise to seek accountability, even if just to discourage the lawlessness that’s becoming more an everyday part of life.

A third group suggested media coverage may play a part, like that whole shoplifting crisis in blue cities that turned out to be based on made up research from a retail trade group.

We're going to put spikes on the inside of the handcuffs, so when people get arrested, their wrists will get all cut up, to deter people from getting arrested.

Trump ignored a judge, sending hundreds of Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador. Last month, they were released in exchange for 10 US prisoners, including a murderer, who is now free. I spoke with @jonathanblitzer.bsky.social, who says the constitutional crisis isn't over, for @slate.com.

Day 1 of letting the 8yo use iMessage on the iPad went a lot harder than I expected tbh

So much of what we know about starvation in Gaza is because of reporting by Anas Al-Sharif. Israel targeted and killed him and his entire crew while they were in a press tent outside a hospital. I spoke with @jodieginsberg.bsky.social, head of the CPJ @pressfreedom.bsky.social for @slate.com.

This guy stood up to fight another man inside the Senate.