The day after Max Miller referred himself for Ethics investigation, Politico reports his team edited Dropbox metadata, changing authorship from “Office of Rep. Max Miller—Legal Counsel” to personal lawyers. (Also suggests the nude photo of his toddler was posted by Miller’s *congressional office*)

Pretty great juxtaposition against CBS owner David Ellison’s NYT op-ed today about why he’s actually the perfect guy to run CNN and how everybody is wrong to suspect he has political allegiances

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.gov · yesterday

One more interesting point: this spring I sat down with Sharyn Alfonsi of 60 Minutes for an extensive interview about my Epstein investigation. Subsequently, CBS pulled the segment and fired the reporter. The MAGA buyout of media has unquestionably aided the Trump administration’s cover up here.

It’s not just Iran contradicting Trump’s claims about negotiations — U.S. officials are contradicting him, too

Every vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general is a vote to continue the coverup of the Epstein Files.

Awful: The local press in Maine is crediting Susan Collins for getting Trump to agree to ICE bodycams nationwide. It's cynical BS: She voted for $70 billion in ICE money and against requiring bodycams. But this kind of thing is why she could still win. New from me: newrepublic.com/article/2138...

These are the consequences of believing there are no consequences

Ron Filipkowski@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 3d ago

After Max Miller’s statement, Bernie Moreno finally issues a statement denouncing Miller, saying he needs psychological help and should not be in Congress.

The fears from this kind of story spreading could themselves suppress voter registration — and this exclusive also comes from Axios and not, say, NYT or WSJ

Kyle Griffin@kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 5d ago

The Trump admin is digging into the IP addresses of individuals who went online to register to vote. The FBI recently obtained the IP address of someone who registered online in South Carolina, according to documents first shared with Axios.

The latest CNN poll shows that only 2% of Americans say economic conditions in the US are "very good," while 77% say they're somewhat or very poor.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 5d ago

Bessent: "President Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton could not have imagined the economy that we would have created. It is the envy of the world."

This NYT profile of David Ellison ends with something I've been wondering: Was he so willing to hold off on the Warner acquisition bc he can't afford it anymore. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/m...

The Fauci show trial is an amazing illustration of the fundamental immaturity and insecurity of the modern right. What really outrages them is that he dared to suggest that people make sacrifices for the common good. So much of X/techbro/manosphere thought is just insisting that should never happen.

Independents at 22%

Josh Marshall@joshtpm.bsky.social · 7d ago

Trump down to 32% approval in new Q poll. poll.qu.edu/poll-release...

Wonder how this guy talks to MAGA congressman Max Miller, who allegedly assaulted his daughter and granddaughter

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 7d ago

Moreno to Fauci: "Who the fuck did you think you were?"

The supposedly biggest company in the world is now asserting its corporate interest in getting rid of a law that punishes people for using its products to generate fake nudes

Lora Kolodny@lorak.bsky.social · last wk.

SpaceX-owned xAI, the developer of Grok, sued Minnesota AG to challenge a law coming into effect in the state that will ban "nudify" apps, use of these AI image generators to make non-consenting intimate images, aka AI deepfake porn of real people including minors. www.cnbc.com/2026/07/28/s...

NEWS: Former FBI director James Comey files motion to dismiss “8647” seashells indictment based on selective or vindictive prosecution. Read the motion: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Memorandum in Support of Motion – #36 in United States v. Comey (E.D.N.C., 4:26-cr-00016) – CourtListener.com

Memorandum in Support by James Brien Comey, Jr regarding 35 MOTION to Dismiss Indictment for Vindictive and Selective Prosecution filed by James Brien Comey, Jr. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A - Appendix...

storage.courtlistener.com

Stage 1: Start an access journalism newsletter

Distorting government records in service of absurd lies aimed at getting around clear laws really sucks. Corrosive in multiple ways. In this case, altering US casualty data for the Iran war to pretend it’s multiple separate wars as a contemptuous disregard for the time limits in the War Powers Act.

Roger Sollenberger@sollenbergerrc.bsky.social · last wk.

After the official Iran war casualty database listed the four U.S. servicemembers recently killed in the Iran war, the Pentagon quietly removed their names and put them on a new list. That new list starts July 7, the day Trump notified Congress of a “new” conflict in Iran apnews.com/article/iran...

BREAKING: In my lawsuit against Todd Blanche for the Epstein Files, Judge Sullivan has just ordered Blanche to produce, in camera (in chambers), the UNREDACTED emails & documents, and Blanche must bring documentation supporting his representations the DOJ’s redactions are what he claims they are.

After the official Iran war casualty database listed the four U.S. servicemembers recently killed in the Iran war, the Pentagon quietly removed their names and put them on a new list. That new list starts July 7, the day Trump notified Congress of a “new” conflict in Iran apnews.com/article/iran...

Politico’s @caldermchugh.bsky.social pulling the mask back on Josh Vlasto and Zach Moffat — the political operatives hired by tech firms to orchestrate hundreds of millions of dollars in MAGA-aligned crypto and AI super PAC election spending www.politico.com/news/magazin...

Big Tech’s Money Men Don’t Care About the Backlash

Meet the two political brawlers unleashing the AI industry’s massive cash on the midterms.

politico.com

CAN'T MAKE IT UP: ICE deported a man to Mexico in violation of a court order in Nov., acknowledged the error and returned him to the U.S. Then they deported him to El Salvador, in violation of court-ordered torture protection. He's currently imprisoned. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Too bad Massive Attack already released an Iran War single called “Boots on the Ground”

“dozens more medics being sent to the sprawling U.S. base in Landstuhl, Germany” www.cbsnews.com/live-updates...

Iran War Latest: Trump threatens Iran, Houthis with "major military punishment" as war spreads to Red Sea

The U.S. moves more refueling planes to the Mideast and adds medics at a major military hospital as the war with Iran spreads to another key waterway.

cbsnews.com

Man, @noahshachtman.bsky.social is KILLING it on the MSG/facial recognition beat. "While the shutdown order reviewed by WIRED applied only to July 2, those sources add that they were told the lockout was repeated on July 3, Swift and Kelce’s wedding night..." www.wired.com/story/for-ta...

For Taylor Swift, Madison Square Garden’s Controversial Cameras Briefly Went Dark

MSG’s sprawling surveillance system can monitor guests down to the second. Its owners made an exception for the pop star’s rehearsal dinner.

wired.com

“In December 2024, one month after Trump’s election, a Saudi firm named Dar Global announced that it would launch two Trump-branded developments in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital city.”

Zach Everson@zacheverson.com · 2w ago

🚨 "Trump Bolstered Saudi Business Connections Amid Nuclear Discussions" @danalexander21.bsky.social for Forbes

🚨 "Trump Bolstered Saudi Business Connections Amid Nuclear Discussions" @danalexander21.bsky.social for Forbes

Trump's Business Pursued Saudi Deal As He Conducted Nuclear Discussions

While Trump's administration held nuclear-energy talks with Saudi Arabia, his private business moved ahead with a real-estate project tied to the crown prince.

forbes.com

It's wild that the House this week has passed both a resolution to end the Iran war, *and* a defense spending bill that officially renames the Pentagon the "Department of War" and increases its budget by more than 20%

The Associated Press@apnews.com · 2w ago

The House again passes resolution seeking to halt military action in Iran as some Republicans defect.

Good thing Pakistan’s already a business partner of Trump’s WLFI crypto scheme!

Conflict Coin: How the Trumps' Billion-Dollar Crypto Stake Depends on a Company That Helped Iran Evade Sanctions - Public Citizen

Trumps’ World Liberty Financial is heavily dependent on Binance, a crypto exchange that pleaded guilty to helping Iran evade sanctions

citizen.org

Reuters@reuters.com · 2w ago

EXCLUSIVE: Pakistan seeks $10 billion in US backstop facility to boost reserves, source says reut.rs/4gQ1bAm

I just had this conversarion with an editor yesterday. If you start hedging for imagined bad faith readers, you have stopped writing and started journaling a fan fic to them.

BeijingPalmer@beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 2w ago

there is literally no amount of caveats or careful wording that will protect you from stupidity or bad faith, so you might as well say things straightforwardly and strongly to begin with.

But federal agents can shoot and kill someone in broad daylight without showing ID or being identified later

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2w ago

Scalise: "For God's sake -- you can't get pasta at Olive Garden without a picture ID! Why not be able to show a picture ID to vote?"

The FBI director is traveling to Russia weeks before the midterm elections. “His host is likely to be the FSB, the Russian security service that is heir to the Soviet-era KGB” www.politico.com/news/2026/07...

FBI Director Kash Patel plans Russia trip

The plans come as the U.S. and Russia have failed to come to terms on ending the war in Ukraine.

politico.com