Radley Balko

@radleybalko.bsky.social

Journalist. Quattrone Center journalism fellow. Author: Rise of the Warrior Cop. Co-author: The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist. New podcast: Collateral Damage Substack: radleybalko.substack.com Signal: radleybalko.52

Deploying troops or armed federal agents to election sites is illegal under federal law. And voters have the right to vote free from fear and intimidation. Here is what you can do to protect your vote if federal agents show up at your polling place. bit.ly/4wpSGAH

Vote Safely in 2026

Sending troops or ICE officers to the polls is illegal. Here’s how you can protect your vote and your community’s voice, even if federal agents unlawfully show up.

bit.ly

A thread on how U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) wargamed an Insurrection Act invocation scenario just five weeks after Trump's second inauguration...and how subsequent DoD actions raise the specter of military involvement in connection with the 2026 midterms.

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Patrick G. Eddington@pgeddington.bsky.social · 2d ago

A week after Trump issued his "national emergency" proclamation for the southern border, the military began planning for a potential invocation of the Insurrection Act & much more. Another major #FOIA get, out now. cc: @radleybalko.bsky.social @cjciaramella.bsky.social www.cato.org/blog/northco...

as noted yesterday, Trump has now come around to treating an Iranian toll system covering the Strait of Hormuz as a given. Hard to overstate the level of strategic failure. US started the war purely as a war of choice and ends up dramatically empowering Iran and given the Iranian govt big wins.

Bill Grueskin@bgrueskin.bsky.social · 10h ago

Reuters: Iran wants fees of 5%-7% of the price of cargo from ships using the strait; Oman wants 3%. "Making fees voluntary, at least nominally, could be a way out of the impasse, although an implied threat of Iranian attacks could mean shippers would be ​unlikely to risk transit without paying."

If you show up to Bluesky without following anyone, you'll be treated to a series of posts about art, music, and dogs. If you show up to X without following anyone, you'll be bombarded with right-wing conspiracies and white supremacist slop. It's weird which one is seen as a "political bubble"

A lot going on here. First, Miller looks shaken. Or drunk. Second, he comes off every bit the creep that he seems to be. Saying he isn't dropping out because Trump didn't drop out after being accused of sexual assault is a hell of a choice. And third, he doesn't appear to know what hearsay means.

The Bulwark@thebulwark.com · yesterday

Tapper: "There are now three women who have accused you of violent behavior…Are all three of these women who don't know each other lying?" Rep. Max Miller: "Yes…It's all hearsay." Tapper: "It's not hearsay if it is firsthand testimony from women."

Miller is a piece of shit. But be cautious about calling family photos of nude toddlers "CSAM." I've written about lives ruined over allegations that turned out to be harmless photos of kids taking a bath or running naked through the house. Moreno is already calling for prosecutions, here.

Max Miller’s lawyer admits to accidentally releasing ‘private images’ of daughter

Lawyers for ex-wife Emily Moreno said possible “Child Sexual Abuse Material” was included in a trove of documents the Ohio lawmaker publicly posted.

politico.com

I mean yeah, it’s the corruption. But it’s also that he impulsively spends billions and makes policy the way most rich dudes buy luxury sports cars. He heard about it on the golf course and now he has to have it. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/01/c...

Trump’s Fixation on Arctic Ships Led to Billions in No-Bid Contracts

The president decided to buy 11 polar icebreakers after a game of golf with Finland’s president. Experts say it’s far from clear the United States needs so many.

nytimes.com

On the same day that David Ellison claims he's not putting his finger on the scale, there's this: "CBS’s 60 Minutes had the scoop on Jeffrey Epstein’s sketchy financials—before the Bari Weiss–run network fired the reporter fronting the investigation."

The New Republic@newrepublic.com · yesterday

Banks permitted millions in suspicious transactions tied to Epstein—and former 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi had the story months ago. But the report would never air. trib.al/ZShZlIS