Ben Wieder
@bwieder.bsky.social
Los Angeles Times DC Investigations, ex-Miami Herald/McClatchy DC, ben.wieder@latimes.com, signal: @benwieder.51
AI-backed super PACs “have been among the most prolific political spenders so far in the 2026 midterm elections, splashing out more than $38 million to date.” A must-read deep dive on dark money by @bwieder.bsky.social for @latimes.com
'I got crushed': AI giants are funding ad wars in races across the country
In some races, the AI-backed political groups have spent more than the candidates they are backing.
latimes.com
Here’s what the onslaught of OpenAI and Anthropic-linked super PAC ads looks like. Fantastic visualization by @jimcooke.bsky.social based on @techoversight.bsky.social research www.latimes.com/politics/sto...
‘I got crushed’: AI giants are funding a super PAC spending boom shaping Congressional races from the Big Apple to Big Sky country www.latimes.com/politics/sto...
'I got crushed': AI giants are funding ad wars in races across the country
In some races, the AI-backed political groups have spent more than the candidates they are backing.
latimes.com
NEW: Epstein’s purported suicide note had echoes of e-mails he had sent earlier www.latimes.com/politics/sto...
Purported Jeffrey Epstein suicide note had echoes of messages he had sent earlier
The note contains an apparent reference to a line from a 1931 Little Rascals short film that Epstein had used in at least two email messages.
latimes.com
NEW: Tom Steyer is trying to sell himself to voters as an agent of change. But perhaps the biggest change he is selling is his own. www.latimes.com/politics/sto...
Tom Steyer tries to sell voters on his own personal change
Tom Steyer has sold himself to voters as an agent of change, but will they buy the billionaire's own transformation?
latimes.com
NEW: Californians provided the most out-of-state cash to Democrats in nearly every hotly contested Senate race, and in several cases gave more than in-state donors, w/ @lamarrlemee.bsky.social www.latimes.com/politics/sto...
Californians are pouring money into Democrats' Senate races in other states
California donors helped Democrats in key Senate races outraise their Republican opponents, according to latest campaign filings.
latimes.com
Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales both resigned from Congress. Swalwell is facing accusations of sexual assault. He has denied the allegations. @alivitali.bsky.social, @basilsmiklephd.bsky.social, Susan del Percio and @bwieder.bsky.social join @anacabrera.bsky.social. www.ms.now/ana-cabrera-...
LA Times Reporter breaks down Swalwell scandal: 'Extensively corroborated'
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) announced their resignations from Congress just hours apart. Swalwell is facing accusations of sexual assault. He has denied the allegations. Ho...
ms.now
1/ BREAKING: Government documents reviewed by ProPublica identify Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35, as the two who fired their weapons during the deadly encounter with Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting
The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...
propublica.org
NEW: Where is Carlos? An American family caught in the immigration crackdown. Powerful reporting by Churchill Ndonwie www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...
Where is Carlos? An American family caught in the immigration crackdown
A Mexican national was moved to more than a dozen detention centers in the last five months. His American wife has followed him each time.
miamiherald.com
ICYMI: With drinks, social visits Jeffrey Epstein’s high-powered lawyers sought to influence federal prosecutors even after his deal, as the financier’s cushy jail sentence raised concerns, w/@jkbjournalist amp.miamiherald.com/news/local/a...
As Epstein’s cushy jail sentence raised concerns, his lawyers went on charm offensive
The Epstein Files show how his attorneys mixed personal and business relationships with prosecutors who had agreed to settle Epstein’s case.
amp.miamiherald.com
NEW: As Epstein’s cushy jail sentence raised concerns, his lawyers went on charm offensive, w/ @jkbjournalist.bsky.social www.miamiherald.com/news/local/a...
As Epstein’s cushy jail sentence raised concerns, his lawyers went on charm offensive
The Epstein Files show how his attorneys mixed personal and business relationships with prosecutors who had agreed to settle Epstein’s case.
miamiherald.com
NEW: SEC was investigating Epstein before his death, Epstein Files reveal amp.miamiherald.com/news/busines...
SEC was investigating Epstein’s financial activities, new file release shows
Epstein claimed that his wealth was derived from managing money for wealthy clients, and famously bragged that he only took on billionaires.
amp.miamiherald.com
It was certainly not his most memorable work, but I will always appreciate Rob Reiner spotlighting the work of my predecessors at what would become the McClatchy DC Bureau. When I met him soon after the film’s release he was, not surprisingly, a real mensch m.imdb.com/title/tt5540...
Shock and Awe (2017) ⭐ 6.4 | Biography, Drama, History
1h 30m | R
m.imdb.com
NEW: Jeffrey’s journalists: Epstein emails reveal cozy relationship with two reporters www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c...
Jeffrey’s journalists: Epstein emails reveal cozy relationship with two reporters
Emails reveal Jeffrey Epstein’s close interactions with reporters and how Michael Wolff counseled him after the Miami Herald’s South Florida investigation.
miamiherald.com
Haunted by Brightline: Powerful story of a former conductor for the Florida high speed rail company plagued by memories of all the people his trains killed, via @brittanywallman.bsky.social & @semerriam.bsky.social www.miamiherald.com/news/local/a...
Haunted by Brightline: A conductor got his dream job. Then people started dying.
“What’s your body count?” someone asked the conductor on Instagram. “16,” he responded, like he was providing his shirt size.
miamiherald.com
NEW @miamiherald.com: Seniors in Miami-Dade — the county with the highest share of food stamp beneficiaries with one elderly member in the household — risk going hungry as federal government shutdown continues (GIFT LINK)
New shutdown problem: Miami is the U.S. capital for seniors on food stamps
Florida is warning families not to expect their EBT cards to be reloaded next month, increasing pressure on Congress to end the government shutdown.
miamiherald.com
After death, Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre describes toll of abuse — and advocacy www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c...
After death, Epstein victim describes toll of abuse — and advocacy
In a posthumous memoir, Virginia Giuffre recounts a lifetime of abuse and significant legal and cultural victories against her most prominent alleged abusers.
miamiherald.com
Epstein had dinners with a top Florida prosecutor on his case, docs show, via @jkbjournalist.bsky.social & Claire Healy amp.miamiherald.com/news/local/c...
Epstein had dinners with a top Florida prosecutor on his case, docs show
Matthew Menchel, who spearheaded Jeffrey Epstein’s 2007 criminal prosecution, left the DOJ in 2007 to take a job as a trial lawyer at Kobre & Kim. Epstein’s calendars show Menchel met with Epstein in ...
amp.miamiherald.com
This is why you don't even accept a small snack from a source! www.thecity.nyc/2025/08/20/w...
Eric Adams Advisor Winnie Greco Handed a CITY Reporter Cash Stuffed in a Bag of Potato Chips
THE CITY reported the incident to law enforcement and was promptly contacted by the Brooklyn U.S. attorney’s office.
thecity.nyc
A month into his detention at Alligator Alcatraz, Daniel Ortiz Piñeda faced a stark choice: continue his legal fight for asylum or give it up to hopefully put an end to his extended stay at the makeshift immigration detention camp in the Everglades. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...
‘Psychological warfare’: Internal data shows true nature of Alligator Alcatraz
“Putting people in tents in the middle of the Everglades is a great tool to make them give up their cases,” said one immigration attorney
miamiherald.com
EXCLUSIVE: A team of researchers in California drew notoriety last year with an aborted test of a cloud-making machine. But behind the scenes, they were planning a larger and potentially riskier study of tech that could dim the sun's rays, internal documents show. www.politico.com/news/2025/07...
Researchers quietly planned a test to dim sunlight. They wanted to ‘avoid scaring’ the public.
Hundreds of documents show how researchers failed to notify officials in California about a test of technology to block the sun’s rays — while they planned a much huger sequel.
politico.com
NEW: One-third of President Trump's nominated ambassadors hail from his adopted home state of Florida as the president sidelines career diplomats, slashes the State Department and has dismantled USAID www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
Donald Trump remakes American diplomacy in Florida’s image
One out of every three ambassador-level nominees come from Florida, top campaign donors, Mar-a-Lago regulars and personal friends of the president.
miamiherald.com
Scoop: Attorney General Pam Bondi has fired her personal ethics chief, Joseph Tirrell. Without explanation, she removes DOJ's career ethics office director who advised the most senior political appointees (such as Todd Blanche, Kash Patel) on conflicts. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Bondi Fires Her Personal Ethics Chief as DOJ Purge Continues
Attorney General Pam Bondi has fired her personal ethics adviser, removing the Justice Department’s top official responsible for counseling the most senior political appointees, according to two peopl...
news.bloomberglaw.com
NEW: Pam Bondi changed DOJ’s policy on foreign corruption cases. Then her former client Pfizer’s investigation went away www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
Bondi made changes to DOJ policy. Her former client Pfizer might have benefited
The Justice Department changed its policy on foreign corruption cases, which might have put an end to investigations into the pharmaceutical company.
miamiherald.com
Update: The Florida Bar submitted a filing last Friday saying it supports Brad Schandler's request to give up his law license. It would put an end into the investigation into the attorney following our "Rigged" project.
Ben Wieder@bwieder.bsky.social · last yr.NEW: The Florida attorney who was the focus of our “Rigged” investigation last year into the manipulation of foreclosure proceedings has volunteered to give up his law license for 5 years to end a FL Bar investigation, w/Brittany Wallman www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c...
New: The FL Bar is seeking an emergency suspension for an attorney who was the subject of my @MiamiHerald investigation last year www.miamiherald.com/news/local/a..., via Jay Weaver
Florida Bar seeks suspension of Coral Gables attorney accused of fleecing clients
Coral Gables attorney Jay Farrow has been accused by more than a dozen clients of misconduct.
miamiherald.com
NEW: The Florida attorney who was the focus of our “Rigged” investigation last year into the manipulation of foreclosure proceedings has volunteered to give up his law license for 5 years to end a FL Bar investigation, w/Brittany Wallman www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c...
Attorney who was subject of Herald investigation asks to have law license revoked
The Herald’s reporting found nearly 30 cases in which the Hollywood lawyer used a series of unconventional tactics to game the foreclosure process.
miamiherald.com
Virginia Giuffre is at least the second Epstein victim to die in the last couple years. This is the story I wrote ahead of Ghislaine Maxwell’s sentencing on the difficult path victims faced on the way to justice www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c...
‘This sorority that none of us asked to join’: Victims head to NYC for Maxwell sentencing
Some have come from overseas, some from only a couple hours away. But their journey can’t be measured in the miles they have traveled. It can be measured in the mental hurdles they have overcome. The ...
miamiherald.com
NEW: The end appears to be nearing for UM booster John Ruiz's insurance claims company, w/Jay Weaver www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c...
UM booster John Ruiz’s company says it could close within a year
The admissions represent a stunning decline for the company, which went public in May 2022 with an eye-popping valuation of more than $32 billion.
miamiherald.com
