Ken Bazinet
@kenbazinet.bsky.social
Longtime DC scribe, covering three presidencies (DC is fine, but I prefer the United States). Reflections on democracy, First Amendment, Boston sports, and jam bands. Simple approach: trusted source intel + research & data + analysis = smart solutions.
Pinned
Ken Bazinet
@kenbazinet.bsky.social
· Jan 20
Having to fight for the pursuit of happiness is one of the great but necessary ironies of our lifetimes, but having people who will fight for our pursuit of happiness is one of its great blessings. #Resist #Organize #StayStrong
“This case is not about a failed startup or ambitious founder,” the complaint said, according to Law.com. “It is about misrepresentations, concealed market manipulation, and the deliberate exploitation of public trust in emerging technology.”
#AI
#AI
Crypto founder who allegedly staged his death is at center of class action lawsuit
The founders of a cryptocurrency project called Zerebro have been accused of promoting fake artificial intelligence, manipulating token markets, and staging one of their deaths to draw attention away from mounting questions over insider trading.
www.abajournal.com
February 13, 2026 at 7:46 AM
Polymarket is a magnet for insider trading and eruptions over payouts and payouts declined. The cryptocurrency-based platform is an unregulated sportsbook short of safeguards but long on opportunities to cheat and make a killing.
States like Massachusetts have begun taking protective action.
States like Massachusetts have begun taking protective action.
Israel accuses two of using military secrets to place Polymarket bets
The Tel Aviv indictment is the first publicly known instance of people being accused of leveraging military secrets to place bets on the popular prediction market.
www.npr.org
February 13, 2026 at 5:34 AM
Polymarket is a magnet for insider trading and eruptions over payouts and payouts declined. The cryptocurrency-based platform is an unregulated sportsbook short of safeguards but long on opportunities to cheat and make a killing.
States like Massachusetts have begun taking protective action.
States like Massachusetts have begun taking protective action.
"Israeli officials did not name the suspects or the military operations they allegedly bet on, though recent reports in Israeli media described an investigation into a Polymarket bet on the timing of the Israeli attack on Iran.(The account earned $150,000 on the wager, then went dark.)," NYMag said.
The Prediction-Market Scandals Are Getting Bleaker
An arrest of an IDF reservist for allegedly using insider information on a military wager on Polymarket shows the dark side of betting on everything.
nymag.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:14 AM
"Israeli officials did not name the suspects or the military operations they allegedly bet on, though recent reports in Israeli media described an investigation into a Polymarket bet on the timing of the Israeli attack on Iran.(The account earned $150,000 on the wager, then went dark.)," NYMag said.
"Kushner is deeply embedded in the Trump administration’s national security dealings—as a front for a series of pretty blatant real estate and land development grifts," writes Edith Olmsted. "Kushner has previously been under scrutiny for possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act."
Whistleblower Complaint Tulsi Gabbard Blocked Is About Jared Kushner
Two foreign officials reportedly discussed Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
newrepublic.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:47 AM
"Kushner is deeply embedded in the Trump administration’s national security dealings—as a front for a series of pretty blatant real estate and land development grifts," writes Edith Olmsted. "Kushner has previously been under scrutiny for possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act."
Reposted by Ken Bazinet
The highly classified whistleblower complaint against Tulsi Gabbard is related to a foreign conversation about Jared Kushner that was intercepted last spring.
Gabbard Whistleblower Complaint Based on Intercepted Conversation About Jared Kushner
The substance of the conversation, which covered in part issues related to Iran, isn’t known.
on.wsj.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:09 PM
The highly classified whistleblower complaint against Tulsi Gabbard is related to a foreign conversation about Jared Kushner that was intercepted last spring.
Reposted by Ken Bazinet
The highly classified whistleblower complaint against Tulsi Gabbard involves an intercepted conversation in which two foreign nationals discussed Jared Kushner. The complaint was locked in a safe for eight months. The allegations about Kushner are significant if verified. (WSJ)
February 12, 2026 at 9:16 PM
The highly classified whistleblower complaint against Tulsi Gabbard involves an intercepted conversation in which two foreign nationals discussed Jared Kushner. The complaint was locked in a safe for eight months. The allegations about Kushner are significant if verified. (WSJ)
Reposted by Ken Bazinet
A whistle-blower has accused Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, of blocking the distribution of a report that included Jared Kushner’s name in an intercepted communication about Iran. nyti.ms/4aL9zgO
Intelligence Dispute Centers on Kushner Reference in Intercepted Communication
A whistle-blower has accused Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, of blocking distribution of a report that Jared Kushner’s name came up in an intercepted communication about Iran.
nyti.ms
February 12, 2026 at 11:05 PM
A whistle-blower has accused Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, of blocking the distribution of a report that included Jared Kushner’s name in an intercepted communication about Iran. nyti.ms/4aL9zgO
She educated him on how the law differentiates between underage victims of sex crimes and adult prostitutes, The Times reported.
“I think the point is that if she was underage, she could not legally consent to engaging in prostitution,” Ms. Ruemmler wrote to Mr. Epstein in 2015.
#EpsteinCoverUp
“I think the point is that if she was underage, she could not legally consent to engaging in prostitution,” Ms. Ruemmler wrote to Mr. Epstein in 2015.
#EpsteinCoverUp
Goldman’s Top Lawyer Departs Amid Revelations About Her Ties to Epstein
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:16 AM
She educated him on how the law differentiates between underage victims of sex crimes and adult prostitutes, The Times reported.
“I think the point is that if she was underage, she could not legally consent to engaging in prostitution,” Ms. Ruemmler wrote to Mr. Epstein in 2015.
#EpsteinCoverUp
“I think the point is that if she was underage, she could not legally consent to engaging in prostitution,” Ms. Ruemmler wrote to Mr. Epstein in 2015.
#EpsteinCoverUp
"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees," Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote in his opinion, NPR reported.
Judge temporarily blocks Pentagon action against Mark Kelly over illegal orders video
Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, sued Hegseth after the Defense Secretary moved to formally censure him for participating in a video where he told service members they can refuse illegal orders.
www.npr.org
February 12, 2026 at 11:15 PM
"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees," Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote in his opinion, NPR reported.
Reposted by Ken Bazinet
New Jersey’s newly elected Governor Mikie Sherill is the latest Democratic state leader to take action to protect her state’s residents from ICE: barring agents from entering, accessing, or using nonpublic areas of state-owned property without first receiving a judicial warrant. trib.al/vqBrPzT
Democratic Governor Bans ICE From State Property
Governor Mikie Sherill is ramping up ways to keep ICE in check.
trib.al
February 12, 2026 at 10:48 PM
New Jersey’s newly elected Governor Mikie Sherill is the latest Democratic state leader to take action to protect her state’s residents from ICE: barring agents from entering, accessing, or using nonpublic areas of state-owned property without first receiving a judicial warrant. trib.al/vqBrPzT
"The preliminary ruling by Richard Leon, a George W Bush appointee, is the latest setback for Donald Trump in his campaign of vengeance against perceived political enemies, which has drawn opposition from judges across the ideological spectrum," writes Sara Braun.
US judge blocks Hegseth’s bid to punish Mark Kelly over ‘illegal orders’ video
Judge reprimands defense secretary over attempt to reduce Arizona senator’s military rank and pension
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:48 PM
"The preliminary ruling by Richard Leon, a George W Bush appointee, is the latest setback for Donald Trump in his campaign of vengeance against perceived political enemies, which has drawn opposition from judges across the ideological spectrum," writes Sara Braun.
DHS received roughly $190 billion over four years from the GOP's "One Big Beautiful Bill" in a lump sum, empowering ICE to go rogue with a $75 billion windfall. Coupled with the tax giveaway for the rich and corporations -amid a debt crisis Trump ensured will last decades- it's a big waste of money.
DHS shutdown all but certain after failed Senate vote
Senate Democrats blocked a funding bill from advancing Thursday after House members had already left Washington.
www.politico.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:25 PM
DHS received roughly $190 billion over four years from the GOP's "One Big Beautiful Bill" in a lump sum, empowering ICE to go rogue with a $75 billion windfall. Coupled with the tax giveaway for the rich and corporations -amid a debt crisis Trump ensured will last decades- it's a big waste of money.
Tkachuck from Tkachuck (and Werenski) for Team USA's opening goal of the Olympic men's hockey tournament. Hate 'em in the NHL, but love them here.
USA is stacked with NHL stars. So are Team Canada and Team Sweden.
USA is stacked with NHL stars. So are Team Canada and Team Sweden.
February 12, 2026 at 8:52 PM
Tkachuck from Tkachuck (and Werenski) for Team USA's opening goal of the Olympic men's hockey tournament. Hate 'em in the NHL, but love them here.
USA is stacked with NHL stars. So are Team Canada and Team Sweden.
USA is stacked with NHL stars. So are Team Canada and Team Sweden.
Authorities have said scammers appear to be outside US using encrypted communications platforms. They usually instruct people to make payments through bitcoin or other forms of cryptocurrency, The Morning Call reported.
Scammers pretending to be Northampton sheriffs demanding bitcoin, police say
Scammers are pretending to be members of the Northampton County Sheriff’s office to get people to make payments to them through bitcoin, according to police.
www.mcall.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Authorities have said scammers appear to be outside US using encrypted communications platforms. They usually instruct people to make payments through bitcoin or other forms of cryptocurrency, The Morning Call reported.
Reposted by Ken Bazinet
Reposted by Ken Bazinet
Bad Bunny's show offers cultural lifeline to a besieged Hispanic community reut.rs/4qrLaBv
Bad Bunny's show offers cultural lifeline to a besieged Hispanic community
Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show, which celebrated Latino culture in Spanish, offered an uplifting moment of cultural pride for many Hispanic residents in Aurora, Colorado, where daily life has been reshaped by fears of immigration raids and deportations.
reut.rs
February 12, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Bad Bunny's show offers cultural lifeline to a besieged Hispanic community reut.rs/4qrLaBv
Republicans running for office at every level are more worried about warnings they are hearing from voters than threats from a venal bungler like Trump, who suddenly can't read a poll and clearly has an extremely obstructed view of the political landscape.
Trump threatens political payback on Republicans opposing Canada tariffs
Trump warns he’ll “primary” Republicans who joined Democrats in repealing Canada tariffs, as Senate eyes more votes and a potential White House veto.
www.scrippsnews.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Republicans running for office at every level are more worried about warnings they are hearing from voters than threats from a venal bungler like Trump, who suddenly can't read a poll and clearly has an extremely obstructed view of the political landscape.
Reposted by Ken Bazinet
Sen. Lisa Murkowski is the first Republican senator to speak out against the SAVE Act, a sweeping election bill backed by President Trump that would require proof of citizenship to vote nationwide.
GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski comes out against Trump's election bill, with a warning to her party
The Alaskan reminded her fellow Republicans that they claimed to oppose any new federal election laws just a few years ago, insisting that the issue should be left to states.
nbcnews.to
February 10, 2026 at 8:20 PM
Sen. Lisa Murkowski is the first Republican senator to speak out against the SAVE Act, a sweeping election bill backed by President Trump that would require proof of citizenship to vote nationwide.
Reposted by Ken Bazinet
Sens. Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal introduced the first bipartisan bill in Congress aimed at preventing data center power usage from spiking consumers’ electric bills.
Senators introduce first bipartisan effort to curb utility bill hikes related to data centers
Republican Josh Hawley and Democrat Richard Blumenthal are diving into an issue getting increased attention from federal and state lawmakers as well as political candidates.
nbcnews.to
February 11, 2026 at 11:20 PM
Sens. Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal introduced the first bipartisan bill in Congress aimed at preventing data center power usage from spiking consumers’ electric bills.
Reposted by Ken Bazinet
Survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell speak to NBC News' Hallie Jackson after Attorney General Pam Bondi was questioned by lawmakers in an hours' long hearing on Capitol Hill.
February 12, 2026 at 12:40 PM
Survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell speak to NBC News' Hallie Jackson after Attorney General Pam Bondi was questioned by lawmakers in an hours' long hearing on Capitol Hill.
Before the vote, Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said Trump's tariffs have been a "net negative" and a "significant tax that American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers are paying," USA Today reported.
#Tariffs
#TaxHike
#Tariffs
#TaxHike
'Net negative.' Trump loses on tariffs as GOP votes against president
The House of Representatives on Feb. 11 voted to overturn President Trump's Canadian tariffs – the first in what could be a series of rebukes.
www.usatoday.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:55 PM
“Improving affordability for American families is a top priority for the nation. Borrowing trillion after trillion takes us in the wrong direction, leading to higher interest costs and higher prices for everyday needs,” Peterson Foundation CEO, Michael Peterson, told Fortune in a statement.
America’s national debt borrowing binge means interest payments will rocket to $2 trillion a year by 2036, CBO says | Fortune
Annual interest payments will double to $2.14 trillion by 2036, nearly double the yearly budget for spending on defense.
fortune.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:47 PM
“Improving affordability for American families is a top priority for the nation. Borrowing trillion after trillion takes us in the wrong direction, leading to higher interest costs and higher prices for everyday needs,” Peterson Foundation CEO, Michael Peterson, told Fortune in a statement.
Reposted by Ken Bazinet
Doug Ford on Trump's bridge threats: "There's fiction, what President Trump says, and then there's true facts that people can look up."
February 10, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Doug Ford on Trump's bridge threats: "There's fiction, what President Trump says, and then there's true facts that people can look up."
Reposted by Ken Bazinet
I think 10 years from now, the big story of this era will be North American completely shitting the bed on EVs, wind and solar.
It could very well be the defining factor Chinese geopolitical preeminence in the years to come.
It could very well be the defining factor Chinese geopolitical preeminence in the years to come.
More than half of the world’s new electric cars are now plugging into Chinese sockets instead of lining up at gas stations. By 2024, it is estimated that China’s EV sales were growing about 40% year on year, even as some Western markets stumbled.
www.ecoticias.com/en/china-sol...
www.ecoticias.com/en/china-sol...
China sold 11 million electric vehicles in one year, leaving less room for the oil it used to buy from Venezuela
But there is a basic question lurking behind the headlines. Who will actually need that oil in the years ahead? For years, China has been one of Venezuela’s
www.ecoticias.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:47 PM
I think 10 years from now, the big story of this era will be North American completely shitting the bed on EVs, wind and solar.
It could very well be the defining factor Chinese geopolitical preeminence in the years to come.
It could very well be the defining factor Chinese geopolitical preeminence in the years to come.
Reposted by Ken Bazinet
"They've been utterly incompetent. Incompetent to the point that it almost seems like you'd have to be doing this on purpose to be this incompetent."
Massie accuses Bondi of 'criminal negligence' in Epstein release
The Kentucky congressman tells Reason that Republicans and Democrats engaged in a “cover-up” of epic proportions that will haunt U.S. politics for years.
reason.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:09 PM
"They've been utterly incompetent. Incompetent to the point that it almost seems like you'd have to be doing this on purpose to be this incompetent."