1. You may be wondering WTF is happening at the New York Times.
Let me explain in plain English.
2. Google and Facebook are destroying the journalism industry. The legacy publications that have survived are under pressure to appeal to the widest possible audience.
When the NYT plays "both sides," it's not about journalism. It's about the business model.
3. The NYT does some amazing journalism but, in a lot of cases, it's poorly positioned to challenge people in power. It needs ACCESS to powerful people for its reporting. And it needs to be a comfortable place for powerful corporations to advertise.
4. The NYT times is happy to suck up your anti-Trump dollars with these "truth" t-shirts. But, as any Times reporter will tell you, they do not oppose Trump. It's a scam perpetrated by their marketing department.
5. Unfortunately, journalism that is aligned with power, rather than opposed to it, is becoming the norm. Local independent outlets are being bought up by huge corporations. Coverage is being neutered and homogenized.
6. If you are looking for an alternative model that is focused on taking on power, check out my newsletter, Popular Information. Our scoops come from primary source documents and ordinary people.
1. Monday was a landmark day in one of the most brazen political and economic grifts in history.
It netted Trump, at least on paper, $3.4 BILLION.
Follow this thread for details.
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2. Trump launched World Liberty Financial and its crypto token (WLFI), about a year ago. At the time, the Biden administration considered such tokens illegal, unregistered securities.
3. To evade legal issues, WLFI were locked, meaning they couldn't be resold. Still, the company sought to sell $300 million worth of tokens, with 75% of the proceeds going directly into Trump's pocket.
Who would buy a cryptocurrency that couldn't be resold?
1. Since Roe was overturned, Republican AGs have engaged in aggressive legal campaign to limit abortion not only in their states, but across the nation.
These efforts are being financed by major American corporations — including CVS, United HealthCare, Airbnb, and the parent company of Coachella
2. In a fundraising email sent the day Roe was overturned in 2022, RAGA pledged: "Every donation will help Republican Attorneys General combat the Democrats' pro-abortion agenda and stand tall for life."
3. Since then RAGA members have pushes to restrict the ability of pharmacies to dispense abortion pills, eliminate privacy protections for people who receive reproductive healthcare, and preempt blue state "shield laws" that protect doctors
3. Pemberton has provided NO EVIDENCE to support his claims.
He is alleging a systemic conspiracy to manipulate crime data but has provided no documentation, no examples of cases where the alleged misclassification occurred, and no other proof to substantiate his claims.
1. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reposted a video last week advocating repealing women's the right to vote
It was a window into Hegseth's extreme Christian Nationalist ideology which he is imposing on 3 million military service members and civilian employees.
Let's dig in.
2. The video is an interview w/pastor Doug Wilson
Hegseth belongs to a church in Wilson's network
Hegseth's response — "All of Christ for All of Life" — means Christianity should dominate everything, including gov't
3. "The Secretary very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson's writings and teachings," a Pentagon spokesman aid in response to media inquires about Hegseth's post.
Beyond repealing women's voting rights, what are Wilson's "writing and teachings"? Let's review.
1. This week, the FBI released its comprehensive crime report for 2024, which revealed that both VIOLENT CRIME and PROPERTY CRIME reached their LOWEST LEVELS SINCE THE 1960s
This a massive story. But you might not have heard about it, even if you follow the news closely.
Here's why.
2. First, lets go back to September 28, 2021, when the FBI released the same report covering 2020 and it showed the largest increase in murders since data began being collected in 1960.
It was FRONT PAGE NEWS in the New York Times and the Washington Post.
3. Now, back to this week. Where did the NYT publish its story on the FBI crime report, which showed the largest drop in murders ever?
Trick question: the New York Times didn't cover it at all.
1. On February 24, Extremity Care LLC, a company that sells very expensive bandages made from placentas, donated $5 MILLION TO TRUMP'S SUPER PAC
Days later, Trump froze a pending rule that would BAR MEDICARE FROM COVERING EXTREMITY CARE'S PRODUCTS, which are overpriced & not backed by science.
2. 6 DAYS after receiving Extremity Care's $, Trump blasted the rule on Truth Social. The post absurdly claimed the rule would result in 187,286 deaths annually.
3. The Biden rule would preserve Medicare patients' access to "skin substitutes." Under the Biden rule, however, coverage would be limited to products "that are supported by evidence" that they are effective. Extremity Care's products would not qualify.