The full story of how a high-energy laser weapon and a power struggle between federal agencies brought a night of hassles to this Texas border city.
The Night the Government Closed the Skies Over El Paso
nytimes.com
Tawnell Hobbs
@tawnell.bsky.social
New York Times investigative reporter. Former WSJ. Veteran - Air Force & Texas Air National Guard. Tips: tawnell.hobbs@nytimes.com. Signal: @tawnell.43
The full story of how a high-energy laser weapon and a power struggle between federal agencies brought a night of hassles to this Texas border city.
The Night the Government Closed the Skies Over El Paso
nytimes.com
Deep-dive into the Trump shooter by Steve Eder and @tawnell.bsky.social - my takeaway is that young men desperately need deep friendships. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/u...
The Quiet Unraveling of the Man Who Almost Killed Trump
nytimes.com
The @nytimes.com obtained homemade videos of Thomas Crooks, the meek, nerdy young man with a “passion for cooking with my family” — who then began building bombs and nearly killed Donald Trump. @tawnell.bsky.social @virginiahughes.bsky.social 🎁🔗 www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/u...
The Quiet Unraveling of the Man Who Almost Killed Trump
nytimes.com
A MUST READ: Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, used aliases and encrypted networks to carry out the attack – all while his mind unraveled. The fullest picture yet of Crooks’s life! www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/u...
The Quiet Unraveling of the Man Who Almost Killed Trump
nytimes.com
My last story at the WSJ. It’s a good one — give it a read! www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...
Did You Shoot Somebody in Self-Defense? There’s an Insurance Policy for That
Rise in gun ownership and stand-your-ground laws drives a lucrative new market to insulate shooters from criminal and civil liability.
wsj.com
Some personal news: I have joined The New York Times investigations team!
Tawnell Hobbs Joins The Times | The New York Times Company
nytco.com
Must read: This is a wild story about Elon Musk! (Free link) www.wsj.com/politics/elo...
The Tactics Elon Musk Uses to Manage His ‘Legion’ of Babies—and Their Mothers
The world’s richest man juggles more than a dozen children and ‘harem drama’ along with running his companies and advising Trump. He recently took a paternity test in a battle with one woman over mone...
wsj.com
EXCLUSIVE: WSJ obtains draft of Trump executive order eliminating the Education Department. www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Exclusive | Draft of Trump Executive Order Aims to Eliminate Education Department
Secretary Linda McMahon would be directed to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” based on “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
wsj.com
Jan. 6 rioters argue pardons apply to charges including murder plot, child porn, etc. Dozens of defendants help compile and publicize the names of those who had a hand in their convictions.
Jan. 6 Rioters Argue Pardons Apply to Charges Including Murder Plot, Child Porn
Defendants are arguing that President Trump’s pardon for offenses related to the storming of the Capitol should also absolve them of other alleged crimes, some discovered during Jan. 6 investigations.
wsj.com
Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. would hit Moscow with sanctions and potentially military action if Putin won’t agree to a peace deal with Ukraine that guarantees Kyiv long-term independence
Exclusive | Vance Wields Threat of Sanctions, Military Action to Push Putin Into Ukraine Deal
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the vice president said Ukraine must have “sovereign independence.”
wsj.com
Anslysis: “…Black and Hispanic employees still make up a small fraction of executive and other higher-paid professional jobs. In 2023, one in 20 senior managers was Black—less than half the share of Black workers in the broader U.S. workforce. Hispanic managers make up a similar share...”
DEI Didn’t Change the Workforce All That Much. A Look at 13 Million Jobs.
Diversity, equity and inclusion policies haven’t radically changed who advances up the corporate ladder, a Wall Street Journal analysis found.
wsj.com
MAGA base splintered over Trump's Gaza proposal takeover (free link)
Trump’s Gaza Takeover Proposal Splinters MAGA Base
The White House tried to sell a skeptical Republican Party and foreign policy establishment on taking over the Palestinian enclave.
wsj.com
Former Sen. Bob Menendez Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison
Former Sen. Bob Menendez Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison
The decision capped the New Jersey lawmaker’s extraordinary downfall after a half-century political career.
wsj.com
BREAKING: The Trump administration rescinded its order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal grants, loans and other financial-assistance programs
Trump Administration Rescinds Order to Freeze Federal Aid Funding
White House memo prompted widespread chaos in Washington before being temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
wsj.com
The White House gave federal workers a choice: return to the office full time or resign and get paid for the next eight months.
Trump Offers Buyouts to Federal Employees in Bid to Cut Workforce
Staffers would be paid for eight months if they resign rather than return to the office full time.
wsj.com
Americans are tipping less at restaurants than they have in at least six years
Americans Are Tipping Less Than They Have in Years
Frustration with rising menu prices and ubiquitous tip prompts lead to a six-year low.
wsj.com
HISTORY: Trump is first former president sentenced to a felony
Trump Becomes First Former President Sentenced for Felony
The judge handed down a sentence of unconditional discharge, which carries no punishment.
wsj.com
“What do I do? I only knew how to do one thing. I knew how to blow stuff up, and I knew how to kill people.” My latest…
‘I Only Knew How to Do One Thing’: New Year’s Violence Resurrects the Dark Side of Military Life
The New Orleans attack and Las Vegas explosion, by men tied to the Army, have raised alarms about the pressures faced by service members.
wsj.com
The House Ethics Committee released an explosive report detailing its investigation of sexual-misconduct allegations against ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz.
House Ethics Report Says Matt Gaetz Regularly Paid Women For Sex
The 37-page report said Gaetz regularly paid women, including a 17-year-old girl, for sex since he was elected in 2017 until 2020.
wsj.com
Private prison complexes are gearing up for Trump’s mass deportation effort — and exploring the controversial practice of detaining unaccompanied minors.
America’s Private Prison Complex Gears Up for Trump Deportation Bonanza
Private prisons and detention-services providers are getting ready to cash in on the expected largest domestic deportation operation in U.S. history.
wsj.com
Thirty-eight House Republicans resisted President-elect Trump's command to support a spending and debt deal, showing that at least some of his followers are willing to buck his leadership in the right circumstances. See how every House member voted here. nyti.ms/3VOsmzW
A MUST READ: WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich helps identify the spy unit behind his wrongful detainment in Russian. He never stopped reporting, and neither did his colleagues. @wsj.com
Tracking Putin’s Most Feared Secret Agency—From Inside a Russian Prison and Beyond
The spy unit that arrested a Wall Street Journal reporter is leading the biggest campaign of internal repression since the Stalin era.
wsj.com