Michael Colborne
@colborne.bsky.social
@bellingcat.com journalist etc focused on the transnational far right. i give trainings. i take pictures of stickers. Signal: michaelcolborne.01
Pinned
The End Goal of Trump’s Cringey, Nonsensical Videos
Trump’s use of the anti-war song “Fortunate Son” in a video of the military raid in Venezuela was no mistake. It’s part of a very deliberate far-right aesthetic.
newrepublic.com
Yeah, so Trump’s use of CCR's anti-war song “Fortunate Son” in his TruthSocial video of the military raid in Venezuela wasn't a mistake — it’s part of a very deliberate far-right approach to aesthetics. A short thinkpiece I did for @newrepublic.com
newrepublic.com/article/2049...
newrepublic.com/article/2049...
“and Rob Schneider”
Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has joined Benjamin Netanyahu, Giorgia Meloni, Marine Le Pen, Alice Weidel and Rob Schneider in a video voicing support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as he stands for reelection.
Morawiecki ruszył z odsieczą Orbanowi. Ramię w ramię z liderką AfD
Premier Włoch Giorgia Meloni, były premier Polski Mateusz Morawiecki, szefowa francuskiego Frontu Narodowego Marine Le Pen, Alice Weidel, współliderka skrajnie prawicowej Alternatywy dla Niemiec czy p...
www.rmf24.pl
January 16, 2026 at 6:37 PM
“and Rob Schneider”
Reposted by Michael Colborne
pretty sure he meant the other thing, grok, but very cool that those are your two things
January 16, 2026 at 4:55 PM
pretty sure he meant the other thing, grok, but very cool that those are your two things
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Just hours after Renee Good was shot, one member of Customs and Border Patrol’s elite tactical team on an adjacent street fired a less-lethal weapon five times in less than five minutes, with four shots aimed at the faces of protestors. www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...
Analysing One Federal Agent’s Use of Less-Lethal Launcher in Minneapolis
After the fatal shooting of Renee Good, Border Patrol agent "EZ-17" was filmed shooting less-lethal munitions at protesters five times in five minutes.
www.bellingcat.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:52 PM
Just hours after Renee Good was shot, one member of Customs and Border Patrol’s elite tactical team on an adjacent street fired a less-lethal weapon five times in less than five minutes, with four shots aimed at the faces of protestors. www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...
“…the visual evidence shows no indication that the agent who fired the shots, Jonathan Ross, had been run over….it also establishes — millisecond by millisecond — how Mr. Ross put himself in a dangerous position near her vehicle in the first place”
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/v...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/v...
Video Analysis of ICE Shooting Sheds Light on Contested Moments
www.nytimes.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:38 AM
“…the visual evidence shows no indication that the agent who fired the shots, Jonathan Ross, had been run over….it also establishes — millisecond by millisecond — how Mr. Ross put himself in a dangerous position near her vehicle in the first place”
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/v...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/v...
how soon til he demands a meeting with Aaron Judge to be presented with the 2025 American League MVP
María Corina Machado on her meeting with Trump: “I presented the president of the United States with the Nobel Peace Prize”
January 15, 2026 at 10:10 PM
how soon til he demands a meeting with Aaron Judge to be presented with the 2025 American League MVP
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Over the weekend, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security shared posts with a song, "We'll Have Our Home Again."
I dug into the group that performed and popularized it. Its cofounder said his goal was to create "the seed of an eventual government." www.splcenter.org/resources/ha...
I dug into the group that performed and popularized it. Its cofounder said his goal was to create "the seed of an eventual government." www.splcenter.org/resources/ha...
DHS, White House shared white nationalist song in ICE recruitment posts
Multiple accounts run by DHS share references to “We’ll have our home again” song, popularized by a white nationalist group, with a link to join ICE.
www.splcenter.org
January 15, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Over the weekend, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security shared posts with a song, "We'll Have Our Home Again."
I dug into the group that performed and popularized it. Its cofounder said his goal was to create "the seed of an eventual government." www.splcenter.org/resources/ha...
I dug into the group that performed and popularized it. Its cofounder said his goal was to create "the seed of an eventual government." www.splcenter.org/resources/ha...
as someone from western canada it brings something to mind
January 15, 2026 at 7:12 PM
as someone from western canada it brings something to mind
Reposted by Michael Colborne
An absolutely wild one from @unawrites.bsky.social - intelligence officials in Serbia worked with Russia’s FSB to test ‘crowd control’ sound cannons (LARDs) on dogs in defiance of Serbia’s own animal protection laws
www.politico.eu/article/serb...
www.politico.eu/article/serb...
January 15, 2026 at 9:22 AM
An absolutely wild one from @unawrites.bsky.social - intelligence officials in Serbia worked with Russia’s FSB to test ‘crowd control’ sound cannons (LARDs) on dogs in defiance of Serbia’s own animal protection laws
www.politico.eu/article/serb...
www.politico.eu/article/serb...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Documents seen by POLITICO show Serbia brought in Russia's FSB to conduct experiments on animals.
🔗 politi.co/45HOUr4
🔗 politi.co/45HOUr4
January 15, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Documents seen by POLITICO show Serbia brought in Russia's FSB to conduct experiments on animals.
🔗 politi.co/45HOUr4
🔗 politi.co/45HOUr4
Reposted by Michael Colborne
There’s very little that manages to shock those among us still covering the protests in Serbia.
Still, the idea that illegal tests were done on dogs to prop up the govt’s claim that protesters weren’t subjected to cruelty is about as grim as it gets. My story here: www.politico.eu/article/serb...
Still, the idea that illegal tests were done on dogs to prop up the govt’s claim that protesters weren’t subjected to cruelty is about as grim as it gets. My story here: www.politico.eu/article/serb...
Serbia let Putin’s spies zap dogs with ‘sound cannons’
Documents reveal Belgrade brought in Russia’s FSB to conduct experiments with sonic weapons while anti-government protests escalated.
www.politico.eu
January 15, 2026 at 3:13 PM
There’s very little that manages to shock those among us still covering the protests in Serbia.
Still, the idea that illegal tests were done on dogs to prop up the govt’s claim that protesters weren’t subjected to cruelty is about as grim as it gets. My story here: www.politico.eu/article/serb...
Still, the idea that illegal tests were done on dogs to prop up the govt’s claim that protesters weren’t subjected to cruelty is about as grim as it gets. My story here: www.politico.eu/article/serb...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Serbian intelligence officers have tested sound cannons on dogs in collaboration with Russia’s notorious security service, according to government documents seen by POLITICO.
Serbia let Putin’s spies zap dogs with ‘sound cannons’
Documents show Belgrade brought in Russia’s FSB to conduct experiments on animals.
www.politico.eu
January 15, 2026 at 8:57 AM
Serbian intelligence officers have tested sound cannons on dogs in collaboration with Russia’s notorious security service, according to government documents seen by POLITICO.
An absolutely wild one from @unawrites.bsky.social - intelligence officials in Serbia worked with Russia’s FSB to test ‘crowd control’ sound cannons (LARDs) on dogs in defiance of Serbia’s own animal protection laws
www.politico.eu/article/serb...
www.politico.eu/article/serb...
January 15, 2026 at 9:22 AM
An absolutely wild one from @unawrites.bsky.social - intelligence officials in Serbia worked with Russia’s FSB to test ‘crowd control’ sound cannons (LARDs) on dogs in defiance of Serbia’s own animal protection laws
www.politico.eu/article/serb...
www.politico.eu/article/serb...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
The corollary of this is that many far-right groups have gotten less militant: they know ICE is doing the dirty work of terrorizing minority communities, so they don't have to.
Alongside their own propaganda, Patriot Front members put up posters encouraging readers to call the ICE tip line.
Alongside their own propaganda, Patriot Front members put up posters encouraging readers to call the ICE tip line.
January 14, 2026 at 10:29 PM
The corollary of this is that many far-right groups have gotten less militant: they know ICE is doing the dirty work of terrorizing minority communities, so they don't have to.
Alongside their own propaganda, Patriot Front members put up posters encouraging readers to call the ICE tip line.
Alongside their own propaganda, Patriot Front members put up posters encouraging readers to call the ICE tip line.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Our researchers found at least 450 posts on Telegram dating back to 2020 that shared the song mentioned in this reporting.
Nearly all the posts we found were from explicitly neo-Nazi and white supremacist channels. And a review of our datasets found it hasn't circulated much outside those circles.
Nearly all the posts we found were from explicitly neo-Nazi and white supremacist channels. And a review of our datasets found it hasn't circulated much outside those circles.
January 14, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Our researchers found at least 450 posts on Telegram dating back to 2020 that shared the song mentioned in this reporting.
Nearly all the posts we found were from explicitly neo-Nazi and white supremacist channels. And a review of our datasets found it hasn't circulated much outside those circles.
Nearly all the posts we found were from explicitly neo-Nazi and white supremacist channels. And a review of our datasets found it hasn't circulated much outside those circles.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
'“The tribe does not intend to enter into an immigration agreement with ICE or Homeland Security,” Star Comes Out said in a letter. ... [He] said the detention of the four tribal citizens is a direct violation of federal law, various treaties and the constitutional protections owed to citizens.'
This is surreal. 4 Oglala Lakota men kidnapped by ICE in Minneapolis have finally been located. One of them was released but the other 3 are being held at Fort Snelling, a former concentration camp used to imprison Native people incl. the Dakota 38 during Dakota Wars.
ictnews.org/news/north-c...
ictnews.org/news/north-c...
Four Oglala detainees located, three still in ICE custody - ICT
The four Lakota detainees were reportedly sent to a former concentration camp used during the Dakota Wars
ictnews.org
January 15, 2026 at 12:17 AM
'“The tribe does not intend to enter into an immigration agreement with ICE or Homeland Security,” Star Comes Out said in a letter. ... [He] said the detention of the four tribal citizens is a direct violation of federal law, various treaties and the constitutional protections owed to citizens.'
Reposted by Michael Colborne
“The suspension, which will begin Jan. 21, will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, or temporary tourist or business visas.”
January 14, 2026 at 5:55 PM
“The suspension, which will begin Jan. 21, will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, or temporary tourist or business visas.”
Reposted by Michael Colborne
So… people from the Western Balkans (apart from Serbia), Moldova, Belarus and Russia won’t be able to travel to the US anytime soon?
January 14, 2026 at 5:32 PM
So… people from the Western Balkans (apart from Serbia), Moldova, Belarus and Russia won’t be able to travel to the US anytime soon?
"It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building," says a self-described "very aesthetic person" obsessed with gold and, apparently, giving us all enough material on far-right aesthetics to write any number of thinkpieces and books
A US early-warning radar of one sort or another has been on Greenland for nearly 70 years—without the need for US sovereignty. Greenland is also covered by Article Five & US could protect it v Russia or China. Conflating Greenland's military importance with the issue of US ownership is dishonest.
January 14, 2026 at 1:39 PM
"It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building," says a self-described "very aesthetic person" obsessed with gold and, apparently, giving us all enough material on far-right aesthetics to write any number of thinkpieces and books
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Doing more digging on the list dumps I’ve been able to find of this and yeah the “leak” angle here is complete bullshit. It’s a scrape of anybody that has had ICE, Border Patrol, FBI in their linkedin profiles combined with a dump of Brady List databases.
Someone inside DHS leaked the names of 4,500 ICE and CBP officers to a nonprofit that tracks ICE. About 80 percent of those name are active.
www.rawstory.com/ice-agents-d...
www.rawstory.com/ice-agents-d...
Whistleblower drops 'largest ever' ICE leak to unmask agents: 'The last straw'
A Department of Homeland Security whistleblower has released the identities of about 4,500 ICE and Border Patrol employees Tuesday in what has been called potentially the largest agency data breach fo...
www.rawstory.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:58 AM
Doing more digging on the list dumps I’ve been able to find of this and yeah the “leak” angle here is complete bullshit. It’s a scrape of anybody that has had ICE, Border Patrol, FBI in their linkedin profiles combined with a dump of Brady List databases.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Periodic reminder that large data leaks often have misleading information that needs to be verified and corroborated, and that just drawing conclusions without doing so is irresponsible.
January 14, 2026 at 5:03 AM
Periodic reminder that large data leaks often have misleading information that needs to be verified and corroborated, and that just drawing conclusions without doing so is irresponsible.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
I spoke to NPR yesterday about X's AI, Grok, and users generating sexual content of women and girls.
This has been an issue for months on X. This did not just suddenly start over the holidays. And on a larger scale, an issue for years in AI-gen tech
www.npr.org/2026/01/12/n...
This has been an issue for months on X. This did not just suddenly start over the holidays. And on a larger scale, an issue for years in AI-gen tech
www.npr.org/2026/01/12/n...
Elon Musk's X faces bans and investigations over nonconsensual bikini images
After the social media app's AI chatbot started generating sexualized images of women and children, two countries have blocked it and several more have launched investigations.
www.npr.org
January 13, 2026 at 6:15 PM
I spoke to NPR yesterday about X's AI, Grok, and users generating sexual content of women and girls.
This has been an issue for months on X. This did not just suddenly start over the holidays. And on a larger scale, an issue for years in AI-gen tech
www.npr.org/2026/01/12/n...
This has been an issue for months on X. This did not just suddenly start over the holidays. And on a larger scale, an issue for years in AI-gen tech
www.npr.org/2026/01/12/n...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Our researcher @godin.bsky.social has collated our analysis so far on the fatal shooting of Renee Good on Jan 7 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, into one shareable article. Read here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...
Analysing Footage of Minneapolis ICE Shooting - bellingcat
Synced up footage of the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal agent in Minneapolis helps a fuller picture of events to emerge.
www.bellingcat.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Our researcher @godin.bsky.social has collated our analysis so far on the fatal shooting of Renee Good on Jan 7 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, into one shareable article. Read here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...
well this is certainly an interesting aesthetic choice
January 13, 2026 at 10:59 AM
well this is certainly an interesting aesthetic choice
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Experts who track neo-Nazis call the development a big blow for the NSN, but warn the group, which is not renouncing Nazism, is far from done. www.theage.com.au/national/tru...
Australia’s biggest Nazi group to disband to escape jail ahead of crackdown
Australia’s neo-Nazis will formally disband ahead of the Albanese government’s crackdown, but experts say they are far from done.
www.theage.com.au
January 13, 2026 at 6:53 AM
Experts who track neo-Nazis call the development a big blow for the NSN, but warn the group, which is not renouncing Nazism, is far from done. www.theage.com.au/national/tru...