We're going to be recording a special primary episode of the @theintercept.com briefing podcast tonight for Michigan and Missouri! Let us know if you have any burning questions for our politics team @jonahmv.bsky.social and @akelalacy.bsky.social
jonah valdez
@jonahmv.bsky.social
journalist @theintercept.com send tips: (signal) @jonahmv.05 (proton) jonah.valdez@theintercept.com https://theintercept.com/staff/jonahvaldez/
Leaving this article from @jonahmv.bsky.social showing all of the racism @abdulelsayed.bsky.social has faced from Democrats here because wtf. theintercept.com/2026/07/27/a...
Abdul El-Sayed Faces Islamophobic Attacks From GOP and Democratic Establishment
AIPAC has spent nearly $30 million against Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, fueling ads that paint him as a terrorist sympathizer.
theintercept.com
Rav@rvbdrm.com · 7d agoWhat the fuck?? “While Mr. El-Sayed is fringy and radical, he’s also a Muslim man. Ms. Stevens is a white woman. This puts her at a disadvantage in the identity Olympics that internal Democratic Party politics have become.” www.wsj.com/opinion/free...
The Islamophobic noise in this race has been so bad online, but far worse here in Michigan, where you can’t watch tv or YouTube without getting multiple ads dealing in the most vile anti-Muslim tropes shoved down your throat.
jonah valdez@jonahmv.bsky.social · last wk.NEW: I spoke to scholars of Islamophobia about anti-Muslim and anti-Arab tropes used in the Michigan U.S. Senate race against Abdul El-Sayed. One expert called a recent CNN interview w/ Jake Tapper and El-Sayed "sloppy and offensive" and "racist."✍️ @theintercept.com theintercept.com/2026/07/27/a...
NEW: I spoke to scholars of Islamophobia about anti-Muslim and anti-Arab tropes used in the Michigan U.S. Senate race against Abdul El-Sayed. One expert called a recent CNN interview w/ Jake Tapper and El-Sayed "sloppy and offensive" and "racist."✍️ @theintercept.com theintercept.com/2026/07/27/a...
Abdul El-Sayed Faces Islamophobic Attacks From GOP and Democratic Establishment
AIPAC has spent nearly $30 million against Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, fueling ads that paint him as a terrorist sympathizer.
theintercept.com
NEW @theintercept.com: Nancy Pelosi's pick to replace her in Congress, Connie Chan, a progressive SF local lawmaker, has now gained the endorsement of @trackaipac.com, vowing to back a total arms embargo on Israel, in her race against state Sen. Scott Wiener. theintercept.com/2026/07/21/c...
Nancy Pelosi’s Pick for Her SF House Seat Takes Anti-AIPAC Pledge
Pelosi-backed House candidate Connie Chan’s embrace by TrackAIPAC signals the growing influence of a politics skeptical of Israel.
theintercept.com
GEO Group forced to hand over videos related to brutal attack on detained people at Adelanto Dispatch from me over at @thesouthlander.com: thesouthlander.com/geo-group-re...
GEO Group forced to hand over videos related to brutal attack on detained people at Adelanto
Our motion unsealed these records. Now we need your support to continue our reporting on GEO Group’s violence.
thesouthlander.com
Over the weekend, I interviewed Congressman @rokhanna.bsky.social, potential 2028 presidential candidate, about being detained by armed Israeli settlers and the IDF while in the West Bank. He's calling for settler outposts to be demolished. ✍️: @theintercept.com theintercept.com/2026/07/11/r...
Armed Israeli Settlers Detained Ro Khanna. He Wants Their Illegal Outposts Demolished.
In an interview, Ro Khanna recounts the fear at being detained and says anyone who visits the West Bank “would conclude that it is apartheid.”
theintercept.com
BREAKING: The political action arm of Jewish Voice for Peace is endorsing Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, the first-ever U.S. Senate candidate endorsement for the Jewish-led pro-Palestine group known for their anti-genocide protests. ✍️ @theintercept.com theintercept.com/2026/06/29/a...
Abdul El-Sayed Becomes First Senate Candidate Backed by Pro-Palestine Jewish Group
The political arm of Jewish Voice for Peace, known for protesting the genocide in Gaza, is endorsing El-Sayed for Senate in Michigan.
theintercept.com
EXCLUSIVE: Top Pentagon Official Admits Boat Strike May Have Killed Victims of Human Trafficking If this boat was running drugs, why was it loaded with so many people? theintercept.com/2026/06/10/t...
Top Pentagon Official Admits Boat Strike May Have Killed Victims of Human Trafficking
If this boat was running drugs, why was it loaded with so many people?
theintercept.com
SCOOP: Rep. Ro Khanna, once a target of TrackAIPAC, has now received its endorsement. He is the first member of Congress who previously had a red TrackAIPAC graphic to be endorsed by the group and is the first to sign its new pledge. Read @theintercept.com theintercept.com/2026/06/17/r...
Once a Target of TrackAIPAC, Ro Khanna Gains Its Endorsement
With endorsements and a new pledge for lawmakers, TrackAIPAC is flexing its growing influence on the Capitol.
theintercept.com
highly recommend this episode of @theintercept.com briefing because @jordanuhl.com, @jesswash.bsky.social and @jonahmv.bsky.social have a great conversation on what really causes homelessness and how candidates in the la mayoral race are framing it:
The Race to Build AI Data Centers — Before the People Can Protest
From Utah to Georgia, communities are demanding data center moratoriums as concerns move from local zoning fights into national politics.
theintercept.com
TODAY at 5PM EST I'll be talking with @tksshawa.bsky.social for a live @theintercept.com Briefing podcast recording. We'll be discussing Gaza, the fake ceasefire, and what the new U.S.-Iran deal tells us about Israel and Palestine's future: join.theintercept.com/signup/gaza-...
RSVP for The Intercept Briefing Podcast’s Live Conversation on Gaza
This event was rescheduled to Tuesday, June 16, at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. Join The Intercept Briefing podcast for a special live episode taping with Intercept journalist Jonah Valdez and Tariq Kenney-Sh...
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My latest on the mess that is the LA mayor’s race: Rae Huang supporters say Nithya Raman is compromised. Raman’s base calls Huang a spoiler. Looming over it all: reality TV star Spencer Pratt. ✍️with @jesswash.bsky.social @theintercept.com theintercept.com/2026/05/29/l...
The Los Angeles Left Is at War With Itself Over the Mayor’s Race
Rae Huang supporters say Nithya Raman is compromised. Raman’s base calls Huang a spoiler. Looming over it all: reality TV star Spencer Pratt.
theintercept.com
New: GKN Aerospace, the company behind the chemical leak in Garden Grove that displaced 50,000 people, raked in million$ in subcontracts with Lockheed Martin to produce F-35 jet parts during a period when the Israeli military grew its F-35 fleet. @theintercept.com theintercept.com/2026/05/28/g...
Company Behind California Chemical Leak Was Building F-35 Parts Amid Rush of Orders From U.S. and Israel
The military contractor whose leak displaced 50,000 Californians makes millions aiding fighter jet production for Lockheed Martin.
theintercept.com
BREAKING: Judge Waverly Crenshaw dismisses indictment of Kilmar Abrego Garcia based on selective and vindictive prosecution. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
NEW: Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich. and her mother went on a $27,000 trip to Portugal in 2024, all paid for by the centrist/pro-corporate group Center Forward. Now, the group is pouring more than $2 million in ads for her Senate bid in a heated race. @theintercept.com theintercept.com/2026/05/22/h...
Corporate Interests Paid for Haley Stevens' Trip to Portugal — and Her Campaign Ads
Center Forward sent Stevens and her mom to a banking and crypto conference. Two years later, it's spending millions on ads in Michigan.
theintercept.com
NEW: Why would a progressive—CA State Sen Scott Wiener, the leading candidate for Nancy Pelosi's seat—oppose two progressive taxes on billionaires that would help fund healthcare for Californians? For an answer, I looked at Wiener's biggest donors. @theintercept.com theintercept.com/2026/05/14/s...
This California Congressional Hopeful Opposes a Billionaire Tax. So Do His Tech CEO Backers.
Crypto executive Chris Larsen has spent millions fighting billionaire tax measures and funds a PAC backing Wiener.
theintercept.com
NEW: amid the Hasan Piker outrage cycle, both things can be true: 🗳️the Democratic party is looking to this Senate race for answers on who to be in 2028. 🗳️Michigan voters don't care about the party debate and just want to afford rent/healthcare. theintercept.com/2026/04/09/m...
The Democrats Don’t Know Who They’ll Be in 2028. Michigan May Offer an Answer.
The outrage over Abdul El-Sayed’s appearance with Hasan Piker reveals a schism that runs deeper than his Democratic primary race against Mallory McMorrow.
theintercept.com
SCOOP: J Street, the liberal pro-Israel lobby group, has endorsed Mallory McMorrow for the U.S. Senate race in Michigan and is encouraging donors to give on their site. News is tucked into our brand new story on TrackAIPAC: 👇🏽 theintercept.com/2026/03/26/tra…
NEW: We untangled how @trackaipac.com tracks AIPAC. If you’ve ever wondered why one candidate/member of Congress is doomed to a red graphic while another is spared; or how a candidate can have a 🟥 graphic despite taking $0 from AIPAC, this story is for you. theintercept.com/2026/03/26/t...
How Does TrackAIPAC Actually Track AIPAC?
The social media warriors have helped make AIPAC a politically toxic brand — and fueled debate over what it means to be "pro-Israel."
theintercept.com
New story coming soon on @trackaipac.com and how they actually track AIPAC and the pro-Israel lobby amid all the backlash/confusion surrounding their red graphic cards for Daniel Biss and Mallory McMorrow, neither of whom have taken AIPAC money. 👀Watch this space and @theintercept.com for more
SCOOP: I spoke with a U.S. doctor who is currently stuck in Gaza. The Israeli govt. is again blocking medical workers from entering or leaving Gaza, the latest restriction placed on the Palestinian territories since Israel-U.S. launched its war on Iran. theintercept.com/2026/03/13/i...
Israel’s Deadly Blockade Traps 7 U.S. Doctors in Gaza
While waging war on Iran, Israel is blocking medical trips into and out of Gaza, putting vulnerable patients at risk.
theintercept.com
While Talarico calls for partially defunding ICE (not abolition) in favor of services (like healthcare) he also supports boosts to border funds, such as The Dignity Act, which increases militarization and surveillance at ports of entry. w/ @akelalacy.bsky.social theintercept.com/2026/03/04/jam…
theintercept.com
Akela Lacy@akelalacy.bsky.social · 5mo agoNEW: Progressives are already pushing Talarico on Israel & Gaza, ICE. Organizers saw little daylight between he & Crockett on those policies but saw more room to move him than they did her. Also heard he’s being advised on improving on Gaza. W/ @jonahmv.bsky.social theintercept.com/2026/03/04/j...
NEW: Progressives are already pushing Talarico on Israel & Gaza, ICE. Organizers saw little daylight between he & Crockett on those policies but saw more room to move him than they did her. Also heard he’s being advised on improving on Gaza. W/ @jonahmv.bsky.social theintercept.com/2026/03/04/j...
Will James Talarico Really Fight for Justice in Texas?
The race between Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett emphasized style over substance. Now local organizers want concrete promises.
theintercept.com
EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s Orwellian Board of Peace Consists Entirely of Human Rights Abusers An Intercept analysis finds that every single Board of Peace member state has been rebuked for human rights violations. theintercept.com/2026/03/02/t...
Trump’s Orwellian Board of Peace Consists Entirely of Human Rights Abusers
An Intercept analysis finds that every single Board of Peace member state has been rebuked for human rights violations.
theintercept.com
Hard to know what to say on mornings like these. Just deeply ashamed of this country and the violence we inflict on the world.
“The weaponization of antisemitism — the manipulative or bad faith invocation of accusations to silence legitimate criticism, scholarship, or activism — creates significant adverse consequences for Jews and non-Jews who oppose the state of Israel’s actions and support Palestinian rights.”
Chris Walker@thatchriswalker.bsky.social · 5mo agoThe APA changed its guidelines to note that criticism of the state of Israel does not equal antisemitism. truthout.org/articles/apa...
The APA changed its guidelines to note that criticism of the state of Israel does not equal antisemitism. truthout.org/articles/apa...
American Psychological Association Rewrites Antisemitism Guidelines to Protect Speech on Palestine
The weaponization of antisemitism…creates significant adverse consequences for Jews and non-Jews," the APA wrote.
truthout.org
This is a very well-reported and important story; read it.
jonah valdez@jonahmv.bsky.social · 5mo agoFor those unfamiliar w/ Stew Peters, he's in my profile of the Anti-Zionist America PAC, which he promotes. Peters often uses Israel's genocide to rail against Jewish people, using antisemitic slurs and spreading conspiracies of a "satanic" agenda of global control. theintercept.com/2026/02/19/i...