Brian
halma.bsky.social
Brian
@halma.bsky.social
History, cities and urbanism, exploring, Nationals, Panthers, Hurricanes, Hornets
Views are my own
Reposted by Brian
February 7, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by Brian
The Guardian has a rough outline of what the Tulsi whistleblower complaint is about: NSA found someone close to Trump in contact with foreign intelligence, and rather than doing something about that, Tulsi brought the report to Susie Wiles.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
NSA detected phone call between foreign intelligence and a person close to Trump
Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 6:05 PM
I heard a podcast interview with Charlie Plumb and decided I would pick up his book.

One nice bonus of used books - you sometimes end up with an autographed book.

#Histbookchat

#PhotoFriday
February 6, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Brian
Here is a little teaser for our latest episode with @rooneyvision.bsky.social about Alcock and Brown flying The Big Hop.

Watch it here: youtu.be/5OPUSy8ndHY

#avgeek #aviation
February 5, 2026 at 8:56 PM
Reposted by Brian
1 Bloomberg: #MichaelBurry, who rose to prominence for his wager against the #UShousingmarket ahead of the 2008 #financialcrisis, is warning that Bitcoin’s plunge could deepen into a self-reinforcing “death spiral.” 🧵
#Bitcoin #markets
February 4, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Reposted by Brian
SHAHEEN: It's been reported that the oil sold for $500 million and $300 million went to Venezuelan government. What happened to the other $200 million?

RUBIO: It's still sitting in the account is my understanding

SHAHEEN: The account in Qatar?

RUBIO: Yes
January 28, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Reposted by Brian
Taking your #Panthers mailbag questions for the week!

What's on your mind?
a man in a blue shirt with the number 3 on it
ALT: a man in a blue shirt with the number 3 on it
media.tenor.com
February 2, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by Brian
New, from me: Time for a brand-new Carolina #Panthers mock draft following this past week’s Senior Bowl. I addressed some critical areas, plus a new starting center and a tools-y developmental QB.

CAR Mock 2.0: catcrave.com/carolina-pan...
Carolina Panthers 7-round mock draft flips the roster into playoff mode
It's time to look at potential prospects for the Carolina Panthers following the Senior Bowl.
catcrave.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Reposted by Brian
It’s great to see Blue Sky becoming a great hub for instant sports talk. For the ones new here, welcome! I’m one of the local #Panthers folks on this platform while also doing NFL coverage for On SI. You’ll also be getting draft coverage from me as well. Glad to have y’all!
January 19, 2026 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Brian
3 weeks ago.
February 2, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Reposted by Brian
Four days before Trump’s inauguration, lieutenants to an Abu Dhabi royal secretly signed a deal w/the Trump family to buy a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500M, according to docs & people familiar. The buyer paid half up front, steering $187M to Trump entities.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company
$500 million investment for 49% of World Liberty came months before U.A.E. won access to tightly guarded American AI chips.
www.wsj.com
February 1, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Reposted by Brian
Last day to take advantage of our huge website sale. 30% off all books. 40% off when you buy five items or more.
Huge website sale ends tomorrow. Act now or live with regret! www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com
February 1, 2026 at 2:32 PM
Reposted by Brian
I don't know exactly what's next for me, but I intend for it to include continued coverage of the Nationals in one form or another. Keep listening to @natschatpodcast.bsky.social and follow along here for an update: Once I know, you'll know!
January 30, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Reposted by Brian
Bidding farewell to MASN, who for the last 10 years gave me the opportunity to write and talk about the Nationals through a decade of highs and lows. And a thank you to my colleagues and all the readers and viewers for their unwavering support.
www.masnsports.com/blog/entry/f...
Farewell after 10 wonderful years
I wish I could say this is the first time I’ve written one of these columns. But I’ve been a professional sportswriter for 27 years now. It’s part of the job description.You get hired by one outlet, y...
www.masnsports.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:04 PM
I'm finding this book interesting as it provides a different perspective and helps to tie together a narrative of other groups and events (e.g., Abbasids, Umayyad Empire).

#PhotoFriday

#Histbookchat
January 30, 2026 at 2:26 PM
Reposted by Brian
After billionaire fugitive Roger Ver failed to win a Trump pardon, he still managed to avoid prison by hiring one of the well-connected defense attorneys that DOJ prosecutors labeled the “Friends of Trump” for their access to top agency appointees.
How “Bitcoin Jesus” Avoided Prison, Thanks to One of the “Friends of Trump”
Billionaire fugitive Roger Ver was facing federal criminal charges until he sought the services of a select club of President Donald Trump’s former personal attorneys who have easy access to top Justi...
www.propublica.org
January 28, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Reposted by Brian
CBP chief Bovino has confirmed that the officers who executed Alex Pretti in the street yesterday are not only *not on administrative leave,* they have all been reassigned to other jurisdictions and are all on the street today.

This is totally unheard of for any officer-involved shooting
January 25, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by Brian
More than 400 years of history and a decade of advocacy were torn down Thursday afternoon when National Park Service employees removed every single display at the President’s House.

🔗 What's next? We explain: www.inquirer.com/politics/nat...
January 23, 2026 at 10:33 PM
As I delve into the American Revolution more, I thought I should include this book.

There are traces of Braddock's March in Maryland where I used to live.

#PhotoFriday

#Histbookchat
January 23, 2026 at 12:16 PM
I listened to a podcast interview of Giles Tremlett on his biography of Franco - I hadn't extensively considered the impact of the Spanish-American War on Spain - the impact the defeat had on the nation, and particularly the navy - and how this impacted Franco's family.

#Histbookchat
January 21, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by Brian
We will roll out our new Top 100 Prospects rankings tomorrow. In preparation for that, I did a research project looking at our 36 previous Top 100 lists (1990-present).

Quick thread on some of what I found.

www.baseballamerica.com/stories/how-...
How Good Is The Top 100 Prospects List At Identifying Future MLB Stars?
J.J. Cooper looks back on 36 years of Top 100 Prospects data to see just how successful Baseball America's annual lists have been identifying future stars.
www.baseballamerica.com
January 20, 2026 at 3:21 PM
I'm reading Thomas Paine's Common Sense as it celebrates its 250th year.

I've run into a number of expected themes - the case against monarchy, the argument for why reconciliation between England and the colonies no longer makes sense...

#Histbookchat

#navalhistory
January 19, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Reposted by Brian
Doug Fister
Pitcher
Debut: 2009 - Retired: 2018
TEX - HOU - BOS - DET - SEA - WSN
Doug Fister at baseball-reference.com
Career stats of Doug Fister
baseball-reference.com
January 17, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Reposted by Brian
Here's a brief thread on part of the "Second Air Battle of Bougainville" fought 8-9 Nov 1943. The name originates on the Japanese side based on wildly optimistic claims that portrayed a great victory. It serves as an extreme example of overclaiming - something that plagued all sides in air combat.
January 16, 2026 at 8:56 PM