Sophie Hurwitz
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hurwitz.bsky.social
Sophie Hurwitz
@hurwitz.bsky.social
12K followers 1.1K following 330 posts
reporter/researcher, just hanging out | sophiehurwitz@gmail.com, Signal @shurwitz.18
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Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
theintercept.com
An Intercept analysis confirmed that the White House used Google AI tools to alter the photo of Minnesota activist Nekima Levy Armstrong.
White House Doctored Photo With Google AI to Make It Look Like an Activist Was Sobbing During Perp Walk
An Intercept analysis confirmed that the White House used Google AI tools to alter the photo of Minnesota activist Nekima Levy Armstrong.
interc.pt
January 22, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
alexjn.bsky.social
This was always likely without a whip on the vote from Democratic leadership.

The DHS funding bill was also separated from a vote on three other House appropriations bills, making an overwhelming Republican majority and some Democratic "yes" votes quite easy.

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Section of a Mother Jones article on Hakeem Jeffries saying he would vote "no" to the DHS funding bill, but not demanding all Democrats to follow him: "But, according to NBC News, Democratic leaders did not state they would whip a vote to push all members to follow their “no” vote. This leaves the door open for Democrats, many of whom are facing close elections this year, to vote in favor of the appropriation bill. The House Appropriations Committee released the DHS funding bill on Tuesday with three other appropriation bills for the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and other related agencies. Those three bills are grouped into a single vote, while the DHS bill is separate."
January 22, 2026 at 10:42 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
lexmcmenamin.com
just thinking about living in a community that is being polluted so that Grok can do psychological violence to millions of women
Elon Musk’s xAI datacenter generating extra electricity illegally, regulator rules
Win for Memphis activists who say ‘Colossus’ facilities add extra pollution to already overburdened communities
www.theguardian.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
justinbaragona.bsky.social
Nick Fuentes urging Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota: "Bro, do it. Do something. Just stop chickening out. I'm just tired of the idle threats... Please pull the trigger. Please kill them, Mr. President. Please just kill them."

www.mediamatters.org/nick-fuentes...
Nick Fuentes: “Please pull the trigger. Please kill them, Mr. President. … I'm not actually wishing for violence, but please send in the military and restore order.”
www.mediamatters.org
January 20, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
tkbarnes.bsky.social
Our @inkstickmedia.com reporting fellow @hurwitz.bsky.social has documented some of the about-fact on DEI in the arms industry during the second Trump admin:

inkstickmedia.com/the-year-arm...

inkstickmedia.com/largest-lgbt...
The Year Arms Contractors Stopped Sponsoring Pride
Lockheed, Boeing, and other major players have quietly dropped sponsorships across the US, raising questions about queer solidarity, protest, and corporate influence.
inkstickmedia.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
tkbarnes.bsky.social
Another wow re: Anduril's planned autonomous weapons plant in Ohio

A company rep told local media that the drones produced will not be "considered weapons."

www.dispatch.com/story/busine...

Not according to the Pentagon's weapons catalog! See p 1-27

comptroller.war.gov/Portals/45/D...
January 20, 2026 at 4:52 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
getfree-mvmt.bsky.social
🚨NYC students at colleges and high schools are planning a citywide walkout on Jan 23rd, the same day that Minneapolis is holding a general strike, in an act of joyful defiance and solidarity🚨

Pledge to walkout ➡️ bit.ly/nycstudentwalkout
January 16, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
starsandstripes.bsky.social
At least eight more countries say the United States has invited them to join President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, a new body of world leaders meant to oversee next steps in Gaza.
$1 billion gets a permanent seat on Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza, as India and others invited
www.stripes.com
January 19, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
adamfederman.bsky.social
I traveled to Greenland in 2023 and found the people to be very open to partnering with the US on trade, security, minerals etc. The US had been very effective in using soft power to achieve its goals. In a single year, the Trump admin has completely blown up whatever goodwill there was.
January 18, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
zinelib.bsky.social
There is a lot of woe in the world, but here is one thing I'm excited about:

nashhigh.itch.io/zinearranger This zine layout tool is a dream I never knew I had. You can upload a pdf of your, e.g., 56-page 1/4-sized zine in page order (1-56), and in seconds get back a 14-page doc you can print from.
The ZineArranger by Nash High
Zine layout tool for PDFs
nashhigh.itch.io
January 14, 2026 at 10:16 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
lexmcmenamin.com
I've reported from a lot of LGBTQ+ rallies, protests, Pride events, etc but this is the most I've seen people shoved or yelled at (or that I myself have been yelled at) by anti-trans activists. it was the first time in a long time at a DC rally that the anti-trans crowd was as big as the trans crowd
‘They’re here to antagonize us’: trans advocates say hostility at rallies is up as supreme court hears key case
As high court considers trans kids’ participation in school sports, tensions run high between opposing protest groups
www.theguardian.com
January 17, 2026 at 11:21 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
diplomatofnight.com
70% of all Harris voters in 2024 and 65% of all self identified Democrats believe Israel has committed genocide

60% of Democrats believe Israel kills children intentionally and whopping 77% overall have a negative view of Israel.
But the reality is that the trend line against Israel's public image isn't likely to reverse in any dramatic way. An Economist/YouGov poll from August found that 45 percent of the public believe Israel is committing genocide, and that 65 percent of all Democrats believe that there is a genocide. Seven in 10 Harris voters in 2024 believe that Israel has committed genocide. A whopping 54 percent of all Americans aged 18-29 believe that Israel has committed genocide. A Pew Research poll earlier this month found that 59 percent of all Americans view the Israeli state negatively. Among Democrats, that number increases to a whopping 77 percent. A New York Times/Siena Poll from September found that 40 percent of all Americans, and 60 percent of Democrats, believe that Israel has murdered children intentionally. And according to a Pew poll from earlier in the year, negative Democratic perceptions of Israel have risen across every age demographic, with 71 percent of Democrats aged 18-49 having a negative view of Israel in 2025, and 66 percent of Democrats over 50.
January 17, 2026 at 8:48 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
catconlan.net
ICE has kidnapped one of my MN News Guild siblings
Guild member detained by ICE in Minnesota January 16, 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Dylan Manshack, Comms | dmanshack@cwa-union.org | 202-445-4033 Member remains in ICE custody in Texas MINNEAPOLIS — On Friday, January 9, ICE arrested a member of our union, the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild, TNG-CWA Local 37002, as part of Operation Metro Surge. While the circumstances of his arrest are not clear, we know he has been transferred to an ICE detention facility in El Paso, Texas, where he is awaiting action on his petition for habeas corpus. The Guild is not publicly identifying the member out of concern for his family’s safety, but he is a father, a husband, and a staff member at a Minneapolis non-profit organization. He is a steward in our union and an advocate for all workers. And he is one of dozens of Minnesota union members who have been detained in recent weeks. The Department of Homeland Security says it has made more than 2,000 arrests since the surge began in December, according to an MPR News report. But the agency has not provided details about the people arrested, such as how many were charged with a crime, how many face deportation, and how many were subsequently released. “The Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild stands with our member and his family as they face an uncertainty that is all too common in our state right now,” local president Nick Woltman said. “Like all Minnesota workers, our members deserve to feel safe in their communities both on and off the job.” “The detention of a Guild member in Minnesota amidst the chaos created by DHS is heartbreaking and infuriating,” said NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss. “My heart goes out to his family, who are now without their father and husband. As a union, we commit to fight for each other as stewards of our communities—especially in times as dark as this, while federal agents continue to target working families.” ALT TEXT CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
January 16, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
newsguild.org
On Friday, January 9, ICE arrested a member of our union, the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild, as part of Operation Metro Surge.

He has been transferred to a detention facility in Texas, where he is awaiting action on his petition for habeas corpus.

newsguild.org/guild-member...
Guild member detained by ICE in Minnesota | The NewsGuild - TNG-CWA
On Friday, January 9, ICE arrested a member of our union, the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild, as part of Operation Metro Surge.
newsguild.org
January 16, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
thehousered.bsky.social
every single successful general strike in US history has had union backing through the local AFL-CIO

this is the first time it’s been called for since the 1940s
January 16, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
rainesford.bsky.social
From @mprnews.org: "DHH began packing groceries when the immigration operation started back in December. They had families register if they needed groceries delivered. In the first day, 2,000 families registered. Now, they have more than 24,000 families registered and there is a waitlist."
Minneapolis church has delivered more than 12,000 boxes of groceries to families in hiding
DHH church has hundreds of volunteers packing and delivering groceries to families who have been too scared to leave their homes during the immigration operation.
www.mprnews.org
January 16, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
donnydonny.bsky.social
Pittsfield’s Lenco Industries is selling ICE Bearcat armored vehicles
January 16, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
tkbarnes.bsky.social
Terrific reporting and resource from @sludge.bsky.social. Can't help but recall how Google responded last time a similar map was posted... inkstick.substack.com/p/google-sup...
January 16, 2026 at 8:35 PM
hurwitz.bsky.social
Learning from @sludge.bsky.social that ICE is spending a whole lot on, like, parking spaces readsludge.com/2026/01/16/t...
The Companies Behind ICE
Sludge built an interactive map of every ICE contractor working with the Trump administration.
readsludge.com
January 16, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
openmeasures.bsky.social
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.
Timeline chart of posts promoting a song included in a recent DHS post on X
January 14, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
hencarnell.bsky.social
Notable since, I haven't seen a study on this as big before (not that sample size should reign supreme.)

“Our findings tell us that young people’s choices around social media ... may be shaped by how they’re feeling but not necessarily the other way around."
socialmedialab.ca Social Media Lab @socialmedialab.ca · 8d
"Social media time does not increase teenagers’ mental health problems – study. Research finds no evidence heavier social media use or more gaming increases symptoms of anxiety or depression." www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...
Social media time does not increase teenagers’ mental health problems – study
Research finds no evidence heavier social media use or more gaming increases symptoms of anxiety or depression
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
whodat35.bsky.social
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...
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 14, 2026 at 10:31 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
menrywy.bsky.social
An expected outcome of anti-data center pushback: moving projects from predominantly white communities to communities of color that is less well-resourced or positioned to have say. This is a tale as old as time when it comes to industrial siting:

www.canarymedia.com/articles/dat...
After a white town rejected a data center, developers eyed a Black…
Four million Americans live within 1 mile of a data center. The communities closest to them are “overwhelmingly” non-white.
www.canarymedia.com
January 14, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
nickturse.bsky.social
NEW: DANISH FORCES ARE MANDATED TO FIRE BACK IF U.S. ATTACKS GREENLAND

Trump says Greenland is defended by dog sleds (true). But under royal decree, Denmark’s small military presence must put up a fight if attacked.

theintercept.com/2026/01/14/t...
Danish Forces Are Mandated to Fire Back if U.S. Attacks Greenland
Trump says Greenland is defended by dog sleds (true). But under royal decree, Denmark’s small military presence must put up a fight if attacked.
theintercept.com
January 14, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Reposted by Sophie Hurwitz
wellgoshacs.bsky.social
this morning I stood out on the street corner watching for feds while a family with kids frantically threw their suitcases into a waiting car, trying to escape my neighborhood
January 14, 2026 at 5:27 PM