Derek Mead
@dmead.bsky.social
I am the happiest man on the internet. Chief content officer of Straight Arrow News, san.com.
SAN won best site redesign for the Editor & Publisher annual awards. Well-deserved, as our product team is really dang good www.eppyawards.com
Home - Eppy Awards
www.eppyawards.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:06 PM
SAN won best site redesign for the Editor & Publisher annual awards. Well-deserved, as our product team is really dang good www.eppyawards.com
Adoption is unbelievably expensive in the US, and prospective parents are taking on additional jobs just to pay the fees san.com/cc/facing-50...
Facing $50K in adoption fees, this Texas couple baked up a sweet side hustle
Unable to conceive, a couple channeled their heartbreak into hope by selling baked goods at pop-up markets to fund a $50,000 adoption journey.
san.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Adoption is unbelievably expensive in the US, and prospective parents are taking on additional jobs just to pay the fees san.com/cc/facing-50...
Reposted by Derek Mead
The construction industry, where more than a quarter of workers are foreign-born, has long struggled to find enough workers. Now, industry officials say Trump's immigration crackdown is making it worse. n.pr/4qLBoeQ
ICE is sending a chill through the construction industry
The construction industry, where more than a quarter of workers are foreign-born, has long struggled to find enough workers. Now, industry officials say Trump's immigration crackdown is making it worse.
n.pr
November 6, 2025 at 7:10 PM
The construction industry, where more than a quarter of workers are foreign-born, has long struggled to find enough workers. Now, industry officials say Trump's immigration crackdown is making it worse. n.pr/4qLBoeQ
After allegedly using fentanyl-laced drugs to incapacitate and rob party goers, the people involved have been charged with murder: san.com/cc/crime-rin...
Crime ring used fentanyl-laced party drugs to rob victims. NYC charged them with murder.
A New York City DA charged those involved in three deadly, fentanyl-related robberies with second-degree murder.
san.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:46 PM
After allegedly using fentanyl-laced drugs to incapacitate and rob party goers, the people involved have been charged with murder: san.com/cc/crime-rin...
Reposted by Derek Mead
New: The FBI filed a subpoena trying to unmask the person or people behind archive.is / archive.today, which have been running anonymously for 13 yrs. Site was widely used by GamerGate, and then to bypass paywalls but has become kind of core archiving infrastructure
www.404media.co/fbi-tries-to...
www.404media.co/fbi-tries-to...
FBI Tries to Unmask Owner of Infamous Archive.is Site
The FBI has subpoenaed the domain registrar of archive.today, demanding information about the owner.
www.404media.co
November 6, 2025 at 2:53 PM
New: The FBI filed a subpoena trying to unmask the person or people behind archive.is / archive.today, which have been running anonymously for 13 yrs. Site was widely used by GamerGate, and then to bypass paywalls but has become kind of core archiving infrastructure
www.404media.co/fbi-tries-to...
www.404media.co/fbi-tries-to...
Reposted by Derek Mead
New from 404 Media: CBP has quietly launched a facial recognition app for local cops to do immigration enforcement. Scans their face, tells cops whether to contact ICE about this person or not. A truly rapid expansion of ICE's facial recognition app to local cops
www.404media.co/cbp-quietly-...
www.404media.co/cbp-quietly-...
CBP Quietly Launches Face Scanning App for Local Cops To Do Immigration Enforcement
The app, called Mobile Identify and available on the Google Play Store, is specifically for local and regional law enforcement agencies working with ICE on immigration enforcement.
www.404media.co
November 4, 2025 at 5:44 PM
New from 404 Media: CBP has quietly launched a facial recognition app for local cops to do immigration enforcement. Scans their face, tells cops whether to contact ICE about this person or not. A truly rapid expansion of ICE's facial recognition app to local cops
www.404media.co/cbp-quietly-...
www.404media.co/cbp-quietly-...
Reposted by Derek Mead
New from 404 Media: the same hackers who doxed hundreds of DHS, ICE, and FBI officials say they have personal data of tens of thousands more government officials, including thousands NSA, more in intel community. They sent me data from a dizzying list of agencies
www.404media.co/hackers-say-...
www.404media.co/hackers-say-...
Hackers Say They Have Personal Data of Thousands of NSA and Other Government Officials
The same hackers who doxed hundreds of DHS, ICE, and FBI officials now say they have the personal data of tens of thousands of officials from the NSA, Air Force, Defense Intelligence Agency, and many ...
www.404media.co
October 20, 2025 at 3:18 PM
New from 404 Media: the same hackers who doxed hundreds of DHS, ICE, and FBI officials say they have personal data of tens of thousands more government officials, including thousands NSA, more in intel community. They sent me data from a dizzying list of agencies
www.404media.co/hackers-say-...
www.404media.co/hackers-say-...
Reposted by Derek Mead
Mikael Thalen's video explainer is the best, simplest explanation that I've ever seen of how these somewhat obscure devices work. Well worth your 2 min. 24 secs.
EXCLUSIVE: A cell-site simulator, commonly referred to as an IMSI-catcher or "Stingray," may have been used at the ICE facility in Portland.
Analysis of cellular signals in the area showed phones receiving abnormal spikes in requests for their unique identifiers. san.com/cc/exclusive...
Analysis of cellular signals in the area showed phones receiving abnormal spikes in requests for their unique identifiers. san.com/cc/exclusive...
Exclusive: Fake cellphone tower likely surveilled protesters at Portland ICE facility
Law enforcement officials may have deployed a secretive cellphone surveillance technology last weekend at Portland’s ICE facility.
san.com
October 11, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Mikael Thalen's video explainer is the best, simplest explanation that I've ever seen of how these somewhat obscure devices work. Well worth your 2 min. 24 secs.
Yet more evidence, direct from @mikaelthalen.bsky.social, of blanket ICE cell phone surveillance at protests san.com/cc/exclusive...
Exclusive: Fake cellphone tower likely surveilled protesters at Portland ICE facility
Law enforcement officials may have deployed a secretive cellphone surveillance technology last weekend at Portland’s ICE facility.
san.com
October 11, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Yet more evidence, direct from @mikaelthalen.bsky.social, of blanket ICE cell phone surveillance at protests san.com/cc/exclusive...
This finding (from Axios' 2025 Annual Media Trends Report) is important to keep in mind as national storylines continue to shift towards starting social-first (rather than traditional news outlet-first).
September 23, 2025 at 9:30 PM
This finding (from Axios' 2025 Annual Media Trends Report) is important to keep in mind as national storylines continue to shift towards starting social-first (rather than traditional news outlet-first).
Reposted by Derek Mead
The app Cancel the Hate was set up to let users report people who spoke negatively about Charlie Kirk after his assassination. But then the app leaked personal data about its users, per @mikaelthalen.bsky.social's investigation. san.com/cc/app-for-o...
App for outing Charlie Kirk’s critics leaked its users’ personal data
An app for anonymously reporting individuals accused of speaking ill against conservative Charlie Kirk leaked personal data about its users.
san.com
September 22, 2025 at 10:23 PM
The app Cancel the Hate was set up to let users report people who spoke negatively about Charlie Kirk after his assassination. But then the app leaked personal data about its users, per @mikaelthalen.bsky.social's investigation. san.com/cc/app-for-o...
Where is everybody? "The United States Senate was in session for a total of 29 seconds on Monday; that’s 29 seconds longer than the House of Representatives." san.com/cc/wheres-co...
Where’s Congress? Capitol Hill empty one week out from government shutdown
The United States Senate was in session for a total of 29 seconds on Monday; that’s 29 seconds longer than the House of Representatives.
san.com
September 22, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Where is everybody? "The United States Senate was in session for a total of 29 seconds on Monday; that’s 29 seconds longer than the House of Representatives." san.com/cc/wheres-co...
Reposted by Derek Mead
NEW: An app launched by Cancel the Hate, a website for anonymously reporting those accused of speaking ill against Charlie Kirk, was leaking user data.
Cancel the Hate declined to respond to my inquires & removed the app from its website shortly after.
san.com/cc/app-for-o...
Cancel the Hate declined to respond to my inquires & removed the app from its website shortly after.
san.com/cc/app-for-o...
App for outing Charlie Kirk’s critics leaked its users’ personal data
An app for anonymously reporting individuals accused of speaking ill against conservative Charlie Kirk leaked personal data about its users.
san.com
September 22, 2025 at 5:27 PM
NEW: An app launched by Cancel the Hate, a website for anonymously reporting those accused of speaking ill against Charlie Kirk, was leaking user data.
Cancel the Hate declined to respond to my inquires & removed the app from its website shortly after.
san.com/cc/app-for-o...
Cancel the Hate declined to respond to my inquires & removed the app from its website shortly after.
san.com/cc/app-for-o...
SAN investigated the $9 billion industry of heathcare data reselling, in which Big Pharma buys doctor and patient data to target advertising and IRL sales pitches to doctors who don't prescribe their drugs. Few doctors even know how advanced this industry actually is: san.com/cc/health-in...
Your health care data is for sale. Here's how Big Pharma is using it.
Straight Arrow News investigates how both doctor and patient data are collected, sold and utilized through a little-known $9B industry.
san.com
September 18, 2025 at 7:11 PM
SAN investigated the $9 billion industry of heathcare data reselling, in which Big Pharma buys doctor and patient data to target advertising and IRL sales pitches to doctors who don't prescribe their drugs. Few doctors even know how advanced this industry actually is: san.com/cc/health-in...
Local governments are jazzing up their social presence to try to increase civic participation. Good marketing, but what can be done to actually increase access? san.com/cc/americans...
Americans think local government is boring. Social media could fix that.
Fewer people are attending public meetings for local government nationwide. A social media push is trying to get more people involved.
san.com
September 15, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Local governments are jazzing up their social presence to try to increase civic participation. Good marketing, but what can be done to actually increase access? san.com/cc/americans...
Reposted by Derek Mead
We can’t afford massive film companies like Marvel abandoning the U.S. for cheaper options overseas.
Bringing back our greatest export is a bipartisan issue with bipartisan solutions.
Bringing back our greatest export is a bipartisan issue with bipartisan solutions.
'Hollywood of the South' loses Marvel productions to UK
Marvel Studios is moving production from Georgia to the U.K., a shift that highlights rising costs in the U.S. film industry.
san.com
September 8, 2025 at 11:59 PM
We can’t afford massive film companies like Marvel abandoning the U.S. for cheaper options overseas.
Bringing back our greatest export is a bipartisan issue with bipartisan solutions.
Bringing back our greatest export is a bipartisan issue with bipartisan solutions.
Reposted by Derek Mead
Marvel is leaving Atlanta and heading to the UK, citing rising costs.
Labor costs are less expensive in the U.K., and universal health care means studios wouldn’t have to subsidize workers’ medical expenses.
This move alone could cost Atlanta up to 20,000 jobs.
san.com/cc/hollywood...
Labor costs are less expensive in the U.K., and universal health care means studios wouldn’t have to subsidize workers’ medical expenses.
This move alone could cost Atlanta up to 20,000 jobs.
san.com/cc/hollywood...
'Hollywood of the South' loses Marvel productions to UK
Marvel Studios is moving production from Georgia to the U.K., a shift that highlights rising costs in the U.S. film industry.
san.com
September 9, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Marvel is leaving Atlanta and heading to the UK, citing rising costs.
Labor costs are less expensive in the U.K., and universal health care means studios wouldn’t have to subsidize workers’ medical expenses.
This move alone could cost Atlanta up to 20,000 jobs.
san.com/cc/hollywood...
Labor costs are less expensive in the U.K., and universal health care means studios wouldn’t have to subsidize workers’ medical expenses.
This move alone could cost Atlanta up to 20,000 jobs.
san.com/cc/hollywood...
New Epstein emails dropped: san.com/cc/impressiv...
‘Impressive island’: Ex-Israeli prime minister’s hacked emails reveal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
Emails hacked from the inbox of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak reveal discussions with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
san.com
August 28, 2025 at 7:41 PM
New Epstein emails dropped: san.com/cc/impressiv...
Reposted by Derek Mead
NEW: ICE is legally required to publish detention statistics every 2 weeks. But the data is complex.
That's why the interactive "ICE Detention Map" automatically scrapes & visualizes ICE's data, which shows, among other things, that 71% of detainees have no criminal record.
san.com/cc/interacti...
That's why the interactive "ICE Detention Map" automatically scrapes & visualizes ICE's data, which shows, among other things, that 71% of detainees have no criminal record.
san.com/cc/interacti...
Interactive ‘ICE Detention Map’ shows 71% of detainees have no criminal record
The detention map extracts immigration data that ICE is legally required to publish to let anyone see stats on detainees across the country.
san.com
August 20, 2025 at 4:05 PM
NEW: ICE is legally required to publish detention statistics every 2 weeks. But the data is complex.
That's why the interactive "ICE Detention Map" automatically scrapes & visualizes ICE's data, which shows, among other things, that 71% of detainees have no criminal record.
san.com/cc/interacti...
That's why the interactive "ICE Detention Map" automatically scrapes & visualizes ICE's data, which shows, among other things, that 71% of detainees have no criminal record.
san.com/cc/interacti...
People seeing energy prices go up vs. the endless demand for data centers: Who comes out on top? san.com/cc/texans-wa...
Texans want to form a new town. A $5 billion Bitcoin company wants to stop it
In Hood County, Texas, residents’ efforts to form their own municipality has brought them into conflict with a $5 billion Bitcoin company.
san.com
August 19, 2025 at 6:34 PM
People seeing energy prices go up vs. the endless demand for data centers: Who comes out on top? san.com/cc/texans-wa...
Is there a word for when two sequential pages of a book have the same word in the same location on both pages? Syncroverbumpagination?
August 13, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Is there a word for when two sequential pages of a book have the same word in the same location on both pages? Syncroverbumpagination?
What was the first night of the DC federal takeover like? We hit the streets! san.com/cc/what-dc-w...
What DC was like first night of federal takeover: SAN reporter hits the streets
Straight Arrow News gives a first hand look at DC as the Trump administration takes control of the Metropolitan Police Department.
san.com
August 12, 2025 at 3:18 PM
What was the first night of the DC federal takeover like? We hit the streets! san.com/cc/what-dc-w...
We just wanted to know how much bitcoin mining is straining the Texas electric grid, and PUCT sued to prevent the freedom of information request: san.com/cc/exclusive...
Exclusive: SAN reporter's inquiry into Texas' Bitcoin mines triggers lawsuit
The Public Utility Commission of Texas wants to block the release of data on Bitcoin mining, citing terrorism concerns.
san.com
August 7, 2025 at 8:40 PM
We just wanted to know how much bitcoin mining is straining the Texas electric grid, and PUCT sued to prevent the freedom of information request: san.com/cc/exclusive...
A ransomware gang stole the identities (including SSNs) of the confidential informants of a Louisiana sheriff's office, amongst other data: san.com/cc/exclusive...
Exclusive: Confidential informants exposed in Louisiana sheriff's office hack
Data stolen by a ransomware gang has exposed highly sensitive information from a Louisiana sheriff’s office, including names of informants.
san.com
August 5, 2025 at 5:22 PM
A ransomware gang stole the identities (including SSNs) of the confidential informants of a Louisiana sheriff's office, amongst other data: san.com/cc/exclusive...
Chuck me right in a hole in the ground and help restore some critical habitat. Just don't tell the neighbors... san.com/cc/green-bur...
'Green' burials are helping restore Texas land. Not everyone digs the trend.
A growing number of Americans are choosing “green” burials – in biodegradable coffins or burial shrouds, in low-density cemeteries.
san.com
August 4, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Chuck me right in a hole in the ground and help restore some critical habitat. Just don't tell the neighbors... san.com/cc/green-bur...