Alex Shephard
@alexshephard.bsky.social
senior editor at the new republic
Pinned
Alex Shephard
@alexshephard.bsky.social
· Aug 11
the best animal character in all of literature is Mouse the horse in Lonesome Dove
A lot of the commentary about Don Lemon's arrest accepts the administration's rationale for it: That this is designed to intimidate the press into self censorship. That's fair but I don't really think that's how it will play out in practice and that seems more important imo
January 30, 2026 at 2:51 PM
A lot of the commentary about Don Lemon's arrest accepts the administration's rationale for it: That this is designed to intimidate the press into self censorship. That's fair but I don't really think that's how it will play out in practice and that seems more important imo
Reposted by Alex Shephard
“”Investigative scoops” still have a place at CBS, but they’re being crowded out in favor of “scoops of ideas” and “scoops of explanation.” Weiss is fully convinced that this is the future. The problem is that it’s already the present—and it sucks.”
I wrote about Bari Weiss and CBS’s pivot to “scoops of ideas” newrepublic.com/article/2059...
What Bari Weiss Doesn’t Get About CBS News
Her plan to focus on “scoops of ideas” will only make the news network’s offerings more like (pretty much) everything else in media.
newrepublic.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:12 PM
“”Investigative scoops” still have a place at CBS, but they’re being crowded out in favor of “scoops of ideas” and “scoops of explanation.” Weiss is fully convinced that this is the future. The problem is that it’s already the present—and it sucks.”
another round of Benfica v Real Madrid in the knockouts
January 30, 2026 at 2:25 PM
another round of Benfica v Real Madrid in the knockouts
Reposted by Alex Shephard
there's this new dynamic where the DOJ cannot win in court and is (relatedly) incapable of meeting the minimum threshold of professional legal conduct, and so an increasing percentage of its actions are purely for intimidation and content
January 30, 2026 at 1:54 PM
there's this new dynamic where the DOJ cannot win in court and is (relatedly) incapable of meeting the minimum threshold of professional legal conduct, and so an increasing percentage of its actions are purely for intimidation and content
I wrote about Bari Weiss and CBS’s pivot to “scoops of ideas” newrepublic.com/article/2059...
What Bari Weiss Doesn’t Get About CBS News
Her plan to focus on “scoops of ideas” will only make the news network’s offerings more like (pretty much) everything else in media.
newrepublic.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:50 PM
I wrote about Bari Weiss and CBS’s pivot to “scoops of ideas” newrepublic.com/article/2059...
Reposted by Alex Shephard
New from me:
What’s going on in ICE detention isn’t just lethal (a 20-year high of 32 deaths last yr; 2 in a single facility this yr).
It’s leading countless people to “choose” to give up their cases. Which was the core of Miller’s ‘23 mass deportation plan. linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%...
What’s going on in ICE detention isn’t just lethal (a 20-year high of 32 deaths last yr; 2 in a single facility this yr).
It’s leading countless people to “choose” to give up their cases. Which was the core of Miller’s ‘23 mass deportation plan. linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%...
The Throughline: Don’t Lose Sight of Detention Atrocities
linkprotect.cudasvc.com
January 30, 2026 at 12:20 PM
New from me:
What’s going on in ICE detention isn’t just lethal (a 20-year high of 32 deaths last yr; 2 in a single facility this yr).
It’s leading countless people to “choose” to give up their cases. Which was the core of Miller’s ‘23 mass deportation plan. linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%...
What’s going on in ICE detention isn’t just lethal (a 20-year high of 32 deaths last yr; 2 in a single facility this yr).
It’s leading countless people to “choose” to give up their cases. Which was the core of Miller’s ‘23 mass deportation plan. linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%...
one underdiscussed part of the bond between the Beatles is that they were basically the only four people in Liverpool who didn’t care about soccer and were insanely unathletic. three of them were 6 feet tall though… they would have won ~13.5 games with Wilt
if you paired the Sgt. Pepper’s Beatles with 1967 Wilt Chamberlain (who averaged 24/24/7 and won MVP), how many games would they have won at the time
January 30, 2026 at 3:05 AM
one underdiscussed part of the bond between the Beatles is that they were basically the only four people in Liverpool who didn’t care about soccer and were insanely unathletic. three of them were 6 feet tall though… they would have won ~13.5 games with Wilt
Reposted by Alex Shephard
Reposted by Alex Shephard
was that not already banned
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Thursday said House Democrats will demand a ban on the deportation of American citizens as a condition of winning their support for legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Jeffries demands ban on deportation of US citizens as part of DHS reforms
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Thursday said House Democrats will demand a ban on the deportation of American citizens as a condition of winning their support for legislation fun…
www.kget.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:17 AM
was that not already banned
if you are interested in seeing Carla Gugino look as hot as anyone in history, may I recommend the 1995 BBC miniseries of Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneers
January 30, 2026 at 12:52 AM
if you are interested in seeing Carla Gugino look as hot as anyone in history, may I recommend the 1995 BBC miniseries of Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneers
my friend is one of the eight people in New York who bought a ticket to see Melania. Last night he left his ticket on his dashboard and this morning he noticed his car has been broken into and there were two tickets to Melania on the dashboard!!!!!
January 30, 2026 at 12:45 AM
my friend is one of the eight people in New York who bought a ticket to see Melania. Last night he left his ticket on his dashboard and this morning he noticed his car has been broken into and there were two tickets to Melania on the dashboard!!!!!
Reposted by Alex Shephard
Sixers hold a moment of silence for Dan McQuade.
January 30, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Sixers hold a moment of silence for Dan McQuade.
the first ever general strike organized by chain letter
January 30, 2026 at 12:15 AM
the first ever general strike organized by chain letter
Reposted by Alex Shephard
I think Homan’s description today that these goons are “in theater” demonstrates that our occupiers see their their mission the same way.
January 29, 2026 at 11:05 PM
I think Homan’s description today that these goons are “in theater” demonstrates that our occupiers see their their mission the same way.
Reposted by Alex Shephard
“Reign of Terror” by @attackerman.bsky.social, now available in paperback
Walz says Trump compared Minneapolis surge to Venezuela mission
The Minnesota governor tells MS NOW’s Jacob Soboroff that the reference shows where Trump’s head is. The White House denies that.
www.ms.now
January 29, 2026 at 11:11 PM
“Reign of Terror” by @attackerman.bsky.social, now available in paperback
Reposted by Alex Shephard
I certainly would not have been able to write my story about all the bravery I witnessed in Minneapolis without the access I was given! bsky.app/profile/whst...
I would really appreciate if journalists who have done ridealongs would speak up about how important they are to helping Minneapolis. As I’ve said many times, opsec fears are the greatest threat to the networks we’ve built. But the reason we’re out here is to show the world what’s happening.
Ridiculous. @chrislhayes.bsky.social did a ride-along that was played on @ms.now last night - the piece threatened nothing and was good 'publicity' for the cause. Hopefully they'll come around for you, Will. Thanks for what you're doing for our city & state.
January 29, 2026 at 9:22 PM
I certainly would not have been able to write my story about all the bravery I witnessed in Minneapolis without the access I was given! bsky.app/profile/whst...
Danny McBride (!) has a book of short stories coming in June
January 29, 2026 at 10:01 PM
Danny McBride (!) has a book of short stories coming in June
Reposted by Alex Shephard
I cannot tell you how much doubt was consistently directed at the Gaza Health Ministry’s casualty numbers and how much pressure was put on news organizations to couch those numbers as unreliable.
Biden himself said they were fabricated!
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Biden himself said they were fabricated!
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
IDF accepts Gaza Health Ministry death toll of over 71,000 Palestinians killed in the war
Although Many International Experts Have Accepted the Health Ministry's Data as Reliable, and Even Conservative Relative to the True Death Toll, Israel Had Refused to Accept the Health Ministry's Coun...
www.haaretz.com
January 29, 2026 at 3:31 PM
I cannot tell you how much doubt was consistently directed at the Gaza Health Ministry’s casualty numbers and how much pressure was put on news organizations to couch those numbers as unreliable.
Biden himself said they were fabricated!
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Biden himself said they were fabricated!
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
this really puts one of the things that irritated me about Ken Burns's American Revolution—its heavy reliance on footage of reenactors and contemporary artistic renderings of the events discussed—in perspective
First trailer for Darren Aranofsky's new AI animated series 'On This Day... 1776'
• Tells short narrative stories about the Revolutionary War
• Uses Gen AI tools, including tech made by Google DeepMind
• Has SAG voice actors
• Tells short narrative stories about the Revolutionary War
• Uses Gen AI tools, including tech made by Google DeepMind
• Has SAG voice actors
January 29, 2026 at 7:28 PM
this really puts one of the things that irritated me about Ken Burns's American Revolution—its heavy reliance on footage of reenactors and contemporary artistic renderings of the events discussed—in perspective
this is completely made up, flight and hotel bookings are actually *up* www.reuters.com/sports/socce...
January 29, 2026 at 6:40 PM
this is completely made up, flight and hotel bookings are actually *up* www.reuters.com/sports/socce...
Reposted by Alex Shephard
“Without Dan’s voice, Philly Mag wouldn’t be Philly Mag. And, I’d argue, Philadelphia wouldn’t quite be Philadelphia.”
Dan’s editor here, Brian Howard, on what our friend meant to this magazine and, more importantly, this city.
Dan’s editor here, Brian Howard, on what our friend meant to this magazine and, more importantly, this city.
Dan McQuade Got Philly Like No One Else
The writer, who died Wednesday, was one of the most gifted chroniclers of the Philadelphia experience.
www.phillymag.com
January 29, 2026 at 4:43 PM
“Without Dan’s voice, Philly Mag wouldn’t be Philly Mag. And, I’d argue, Philadelphia wouldn’t quite be Philadelphia.”
Dan’s editor here, Brian Howard, on what our friend meant to this magazine and, more importantly, this city.
Dan’s editor here, Brian Howard, on what our friend meant to this magazine and, more importantly, this city.
this makes it look like George Harrison was in Pearl Jam
January 29, 2026 at 6:18 PM
this makes it look like George Harrison was in Pearl Jam
Reposted by Alex Shephard
lol that all the papers in this look like theyre already 200 years old because ai and the people who use it are incapable of thinking
First trailer for Darren Aranofsky's new AI animated series 'On This Day... 1776'
• Tells short narrative stories about the Revolutionary War
• Uses Gen AI tools, including tech made by Google DeepMind
• Has SAG voice actors
• Tells short narrative stories about the Revolutionary War
• Uses Gen AI tools, including tech made by Google DeepMind
• Has SAG voice actors
January 29, 2026 at 6:16 PM
lol that all the papers in this look like theyre already 200 years old because ai and the people who use it are incapable of thinking
darren aronofsky utilizing new technology to make utter dogshit? doesnt sound like him at all
January 29, 2026 at 6:11 PM
darren aronofsky utilizing new technology to make utter dogshit? doesnt sound like him at all
he looks exactly like Jason Scwartzman in Walk Hard
January 29, 2026 at 5:55 PM
he looks exactly like Jason Scwartzman in Walk Hard