Daniel Knowles
@dlknowles.bsky.social
Midwest correspondent at The Economist, in Chicago. Before that, in London, Mumbai, Nairobi and DC.
Buy my book: http://shorturl.at/BJOUV
Buy my book: http://shorturl.at/BJOUV
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
A 23 year old larping as a journalist made a misleading and inaccurate YouTube video that the administration full of chronically online shitposters used to justify the “largest immigration operation ever” and now someone is dead
January 7, 2026 at 6:58 PM
A 23 year old larping as a journalist made a misleading and inaccurate YouTube video that the administration full of chronically online shitposters used to justify the “largest immigration operation ever” and now someone is dead
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
Mayor Jacob Frey: "They are already trying to spin this as an action of self defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit."
January 7, 2026 at 6:39 PM
Mayor Jacob Frey: "They are already trying to spin this as an action of self defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit."
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
With news of yet another DHS shooting breaking, a reminder that DHS’s initial statements should not be trusted without further verification, given previous post-shooting statements which crumbled under further investigation. In addition, be wary of short context-free video clips shared virally.
"My public safety team is working to gather information on an ICE related shooting this morning" near Portland Avenue and 34th Street in Minneapolis, says Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
"We will share information as we learn more. In the meantime, I ask folks to remain calm."
"We will share information as we learn more. In the meantime, I ask folks to remain calm."
January 7, 2026 at 5:06 PM
With news of yet another DHS shooting breaking, a reminder that DHS’s initial statements should not be trusted without further verification, given previous post-shooting statements which crumbled under further investigation. In addition, be wary of short context-free video clips shared virally.
Absolutely horrific details about an ICE shooting in Minneapolis.
A witness says a woman was trying to drive away from an ICE operation and the ICE agent "reached across the hood of the car and shot her in the face like three, four times."
Bovino was there.
www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
A witness says a woman was trying to drive away from an ICE operation and the ICE agent "reached across the hood of the car and shot her in the face like three, four times."
Bovino was there.
www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
January 7, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
Whole-of-gov effort (including gov-approved media) going on right now to "root out fraud" with the assumption that blue states have been handing out gifts to illegal immigrants. Iterating on last year's campaign to cut blue state Medicaid $ bc they were giving it to illegal immigrants.
Weird little quirk going on right now on "immigration," showing a minor uptick (my guess is the massive attack on the right against Somalis is activating some bigotry) while support for "deportations" fell.
January 7, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Whole-of-gov effort (including gov-approved media) going on right now to "root out fraud" with the assumption that blue states have been handing out gifts to illegal immigrants. Iterating on last year's campaign to cut blue state Medicaid $ bc they were giving it to illegal immigrants.
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
What in the Gestapo is going on in Grand Rapids?
Watch this activist get arrested *mid-interview* for speaking out against U.S. action in Venezuela.
Watch this activist get arrested *mid-interview* for speaking out against U.S. action in Venezuela.
January 5, 2026 at 4:12 PM
What in the Gestapo is going on in Grand Rapids?
Watch this activist get arrested *mid-interview* for speaking out against U.S. action in Venezuela.
Watch this activist get arrested *mid-interview* for speaking out against U.S. action in Venezuela.
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
The Utrecht morning rush hour in the snow did not disappoint!
January 5, 2026 at 7:26 AM
The Utrecht morning rush hour in the snow did not disappoint!
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
It's the only game that matters. My SKETCH of British politicians playing the Trump Game.
January 4, 2026 at 5:23 PM
It's the only game that matters. My SKETCH of British politicians playing the Trump Game.
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
The President is literally endorsing the crazy conspiracy reasoning of a multiple murderer. An assassin.
Is running Venezuela putting him over the edge?
Think of how Melissa’s and Mark’s family feel when they see this. But that’s the point, the President doesn’t care.
Is running Venezuela putting him over the edge?
Think of how Melissa’s and Mark’s family feel when they see this. But that’s the point, the President doesn’t care.
Donald Trump is now reposting videos on Truth Social suggesting that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had Melissa Hortman assassinated.
This is objectively evil, and calling it out should not be political.
This is objectively evil, and calling it out should not be political.
January 4, 2026 at 4:27 AM
The President is literally endorsing the crazy conspiracy reasoning of a multiple murderer. An assassin.
Is running Venezuela putting him over the edge?
Think of how Melissa’s and Mark’s family feel when they see this. But that’s the point, the President doesn’t care.
Is running Venezuela putting him over the edge?
Think of how Melissa’s and Mark’s family feel when they see this. But that’s the point, the President doesn’t care.
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
None of this excuses Trump, but:
1) There is an OLC opinion that authorizes this, which future AG then OLC head Bill Barr signed in 1989 to authorize the very similar Panama invasion.
2) There is an indictment. It was unsealed under Barr in 2020.
3) Indictment is real. Former top aide pled in June
1) There is an OLC opinion that authorizes this, which future AG then OLC head Bill Barr signed in 1989 to authorize the very similar Panama invasion.
2) There is an indictment. It was unsealed under Barr in 2020.
3) Indictment is real. Former top aide pled in June
January 3, 2026 at 1:23 PM
None of this excuses Trump, but:
1) There is an OLC opinion that authorizes this, which future AG then OLC head Bill Barr signed in 1989 to authorize the very similar Panama invasion.
2) There is an indictment. It was unsealed under Barr in 2020.
3) Indictment is real. Former top aide pled in June
1) There is an OLC opinion that authorizes this, which future AG then OLC head Bill Barr signed in 1989 to authorize the very similar Panama invasion.
2) There is an indictment. It was unsealed under Barr in 2020.
3) Indictment is real. Former top aide pled in June
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
fwiw it’s been about six weeks since Trump pardoned the former president of Honduras who had been convicted of trafficking drugs into the US
January 3, 2026 at 10:47 AM
fwiw it’s been about six weeks since Trump pardoned the former president of Honduras who had been convicted of trafficking drugs into the US
So does this beat the record of the Anglo-Zanzibar war of 1896 for the shortest war ever?
January 3, 2026 at 12:06 PM
So does this beat the record of the Anglo-Zanzibar war of 1896 for the shortest war ever?
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
The helicopters that fired guns and missiles at ground targets in Venezuela are typically used only for high-value targets. What is unclear is whether someone in Nicolás Maduro’s inside circle sold him out to America econ.st/49sOfeq
Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
January 3, 2026 at 11:23 AM
The helicopters that fired guns and missiles at ground targets in Venezuela are typically used only for high-value targets. What is unclear is whether someone in Nicolás Maduro’s inside circle sold him out to America econ.st/49sOfeq
Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
Remember that there is a legitimately elected president of Venezuela: Edmundo Gonzalez. He won the election in 2024.
January 3, 2026 at 10:44 AM
Remember that there is a legitimately elected president of Venezuela: Edmundo Gonzalez. He won the election in 2024.
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
on the other hand, hundreds of thousands of people - at least - are going to die as a result of the combination of USAID and RFK Jr alone. (Including the demolition of the one unquestionably good thing GW Bush, Pepfar.)
rating presidents from best to worst is a bit of a mug’s game, but anyone who thinks that trump is *obviously* worse than GW Bush might consider what it was exactly that at least 100,000 Iraqi civilians died violent deaths for
January 3, 2026 at 9:05 AM
on the other hand, hundreds of thousands of people - at least - are going to die as a result of the combination of USAID and RFK Jr alone. (Including the demolition of the one unquestionably good thing GW Bush, Pepfar.)
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
grim posthumous scenario i had not previously considered: you post a picture of the missile headed straight for you, and are memorialized by a bunch of random assholes complaining about alt text
![A Bluesky user based in Venezuela posted 'I live near a military air base and five earth-shaking explosions were just heart.'
User @thenordic.bsky.social (a random asshole) replied 'was it too hard for you to to [sic] add a link?' along with a link to an AP piece. Quick, don't look, what do you think the odds are that this user responded gracefully to being told that OP was on the ground and reporting firsthand?](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ycbmujtxprrwbkiw3x5qsyz4/bafkreieh2ddespqvcqdhpfy4g2higsw4lfiguzpaxs3rdessztcokmww6i@jpeg)
January 3, 2026 at 8:21 AM
grim posthumous scenario i had not previously considered: you post a picture of the missile headed straight for you, and are memorialized by a bunch of random assholes complaining about alt text
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
A good point that media outlets misreport this story if they give agency to the AI Grok itself - which generates contradictory statenents whenever prompted to do so
www.readtpa.com/p/grok-cant-...
www.readtpa.com/p/grok-cant-...
Grok Can't Apologize. Grok Isn't Sentient. So Why Do Headlines Keep Saying It Did?
Elon Musk’s chatbot has been “undressing” women and children in public. Journalists are letting xAI off the hook by pretending the bot is responsible.
www.readtpa.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:35 PM
A good point that media outlets misreport this story if they give agency to the AI Grok itself - which generates contradictory statenents whenever prompted to do so
www.readtpa.com/p/grok-cant-...
www.readtpa.com/p/grok-cant-...
Reposted by Daniel Knowles
Homicides in Chicago hit 60 year low. Yes, even fewer would be better but this is a huge accomplishment
www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
Chicago sees 30% drop in homicides in 2025, with fewest murders in a year since 1965
As overall crime continued to drop in Chicago in 2025, the city ended the year with the fewest homicides in 60 years.
www.cbsnews.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:38 AM
Homicides in Chicago hit 60 year low. Yes, even fewer would be better but this is a huge accomplishment
www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
Quite enjoyed throwing this out there and then not checking it for five hours tbf
January 1, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Quite enjoyed throwing this out there and then not checking it for five hours tbf
Honestly that's pretty wild! And bleak!
January 1, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Honestly that's pretty wild! And bleak!
(Yes I am in London)
January 1, 2026 at 6:13 PM
(Yes I am in London)
It is 18 hours into 2026 and I have taken six Lime bike rides today. Start as you mean to go on
January 1, 2026 at 6:12 PM
It is 18 hours into 2026 and I have taken six Lime bike rides today. Start as you mean to go on
Hah yes that's one reason
January 1, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Hah yes that's one reason
Hard to tell, but seems like there's a lot more dog mess on the streets in London than there was or in Birmingham
January 1, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Hard to tell, but seems like there's a lot more dog mess on the streets in London than there was or in Birmingham