Russ Choma
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russchoma.bsky.social
Russ Choma
@russchoma.bsky.social
15K followers 110 following 51 posts
Investigative reporter @Motherjones DC ex OpenSecrets.org tip me at rchoma @ motherjones.com
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Reposted by Russ Choma
motherjones.com
We partnered with @pablo.show to investigate Riley Gaines' rise to MAGA stardom. @msjpauly.bsky.social dug up docs that reveal the right-wing funders behind her ascent and spoke to puzzled teammates who wonder what happened to her.

Read ow.ly/o3wq50XuCzp
Watch/listen www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKUl...
How right-wing superstar Riley Gaines built an anti-trans empire
The swimmer tied a trans woman for fifth. The MAGA industrial complex took care of the rest.
ow.ly
November 21, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Reposted by Russ Choma
motherjones.com
“Saudi Arabia, I get along with all of them,” Trump said at a campaign stop in 2015. “They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”
Trump meets business partner In the Oval Office
From “bad situation” to “things happen”: How Saudi money changed Trump’s tune on Khashoggi's murder.
www.motherjones.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
motherjones.com
“They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”
Trump meets business partner In the Oval Office
From “bad situation” to “things happen”: How Saudi money changed Trump’s tune on Khashoggi's murder.
www.motherjones.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
motherjones.com
Donald Trump has never been particularly critical of the Saudis, and he has always been very clear about the reasons why.

“They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”
Trump meets business partner In the Oval Office
From “bad situation” to “things happen”: How Saudi money changed Trump’s tune on Khashoggi's murder.
www.motherjones.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:53 PM
russchoma.bsky.social
Trump, who rushed to defend MBS today, has always professed affection for the Saudis but he once condemned the killing of Khashoggi - since then his family’s business relationship with the kingdom has also evolved www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump meets business partner In the Oval Office
From “bad situation” to “things happen”: How Saudi money changed Trump’s tune on Khashoggi's murder.
www.motherjones.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
schwellenbach.bsky.social
Border Patrol agents led by Greg Bovino have used force far more often relative to assaults they've faced than anywhere else in that agency, according to a new @pogo.org & Amer. Uni. Investigative Reporting Workshop analysis of four ys of federal data

www.pogo.org/investigatio...
Greg Bovino’s Border Patrol Agents Use Disproportionate Force, Data…
Border Patrol agents in the El Centro Sector have reported using force on other people more than three times as many times as they have faced assaults – a ratio higher than anywhere else in the agency...
www.pogo.org
November 10, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
michaelmechanic.bsky.social
As we were saying....
October 22, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
michaelmechanic.bsky.social
So Trump is gonna steal $230M from US taxpayers and then give it to charity? That claim, if you know anything about Trump's history with charitable giving, is downright laughable.
Trump Claims He’d Give His $230 Million Justice Department Grift to Charity. Yeah, Right.
The president, who has a history of reneging on charitable pledges, ran his own family foundation into the ground.
www.motherjones.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
schwellenbach.bsky.social
ICYMI: @dfriedman.bsky.social & I explored a big DHS deal being challenged in court: “the contract adds to a growing number of deals that have prompted questions about the integrity of DHS contracting."
schwellenbach.bsky.social Nick Schwellenbach @schwellenbach.bsky.social · Oct 10
NEW: A DHS "self-deportation" contract worth up to ~$1 billion was "unlawful, rushed, and noncompetitive," per a lawsuit. It went to a firm w/ no prior fed contracts whose CEO earlier worked w/ a top DHS official involved in the award

www.pogo.org/investigatio...
Massive DHS "Self-Deportation" Contract Challenged as Secretive and…
The “rushed” deal worth up to $915 million was handed to a firm with “no track record” as a federal contractor, a rival's lawsuit alleges.
www.pogo.org
October 14, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
abbyvesoulis.bsky.social
What happens when a miscarriage is treated like a crime?
That’s not a hypothetical anymore. It’s happening in the U.S. right now. 🧵 www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
When miscarriages become crimes
412 women faced criminal charges for pregnancy outcomes. This is what fetal personhood looks like.
www.motherjones.com
September 30, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
idgordon.bsky.social
• Iris-scanning system that would give agents the “capability to quickly and accurately identify individuals encountered during ICE operations”
• Lobbying by Ballard Partners, one of the most Trump-connected K Street firms
• No-bid contract awarded in August
Clients of a Trump-connected lobbying firm keep landing no-bid ICE contracts
Ballard Partners is helping companies cash-in on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
www.motherjones.com
September 25, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
pogo.org
Check out our latest investigation, by @schwellenbach.bsky.social in collaboration with @russchoma.bsky.social at @motherjones.com:

Clients of a Trump-Connected Lobbying Firm Keep Landing No-Bid ICE Contracts
Clients of a Trump-connected lobbying firm keep landing no-bid ICE contracts
Ballard Partners is helping companies cash-in on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
www.motherjones.com
September 25, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
schwellenbach.bsky.social
My newest story, co-authored with @russchoma.bsky.social, is out.

It's a collaboration b/t @pogo.org & @motherjones.com

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Clients of a Trump-connected lobbying firm keep landing no-bid ICE contracts
Ballard Partners is helping companies cash-in on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
www.motherjones.com
September 25, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
adamweinstein.bsky.social
Quite the headline on this @annamerlan.bsky.social and @kieraevebutler.bsky.social joint www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Anti-vax groups struggle to explain how Tylenol fits in with their whole thing
The White House's very weird autism announcement triggers a moment of opportunity and crisis.
www.motherjones.com
September 24, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
motherjones.com
President Trump is using his time before the United Nations to once again rail against "the green energy scam" and...windmills.

A good time to read how Trump's war on wind power has one very big exception, by @russchoma.bsky.social.
Trump's war on wind power has one very big exception
The president's sons are using scarce clean energy to mine for bitcoins.
www.motherjones.com
September 23, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
ketanjoshi.co
Here, @russchoma.bsky.social's @motherjones.com article seems to have been plagiarised

Original: www.motherjones.com/politics/202... (GREAT READ BTW)

Plagiarised: archive.ph/wip/EghBx web.archive.org/web/20250923...

Reddit should be auto-blocking these sites and banning the guy(s) running them
The bitcoin mine—known as the Vega Data Center—is a 162,000-square-foot building that will be packed to the rafters with thousands of high-end computers, cooled with water. The computers’ task is, quite literally, to print money. They’ll churn their way through increasingly complex algorithms, which, as they’re solved, release new bitcoins into the world. Bitcoin, the world’s marquee cryptocurrency, now has a market price well above $100,000; it’s a potentially lucrative project, but an enormously energy-hungry one. That’s where wind power comes in—the Vega center was built over the last year next to the Canadian Breaks wind farm, a 200-megawatt facility in North Texas. Since 2019, the wind farm had supplied inexpensive green energy to Texas’ power grid. But last year, the farm’s owners agreed instead to sell the facility’s energy to a subsidiary of a company called Hut 8, which owns that new bitcoin mine. The deal was a triumph for Hut 8. Crypto mining is profitable only if the electricity it runs on is cheap, and, the company’s CEO told investors, the new mine “benefits from some of the lowest locational wholesale power prices in North America.” So this past spring, when he struck a deal with Hut 8, Eric Trump became a power player in the worlds of both renewable energy and crypto mining—interlocking industries whose fortunes are being reshaped by his father’s presidency. His timing couldn’t have been better. He was locking in a low-cost source of clean power just as the Trump administration was ramping up a campaign to block construction of new wind projects around the country. A Crypto Empire Fueled by Wind The president’s sons have stepped into the booming business of bitcoin mining. Bitcoin mining is a process where thousands of powerful computers run nonstop to solve complex puzzles. When these puzzles are solved, new bitcoins are released, which can then be sold or kept as investments. With Bitcoin prices soaring past $100,000, the rewards can be huge. There is one big problem: mining bitcoin eats up massive amounts of electricity. To stay profitable, miners need the cheapest energy they can find. In Texas, the president’s son struck gold—only not in the ground, but in the wind. Near the Canadian Breaks wind farm in the Texas Panhandle, a massive bitcoin mine has been built. This mine, called the Vega Data Center, is a 162,000-square-foot building filled with rows of computers cooled by water. These machines consume enormous amounts of electricity every second. Trump halts offshore wind projects while backing $200 million White House ballroom The solution came when the mine secured exclusive access to power from the wind farm. Instead of sending clean energy to thousands of homes, the turbines now send it straight into the servers that create bitcoin. For the mining company behind the project, the deal was perfect. Wind power was not just clean—it was cheap. That low cost meant higher profits. Soon after, the president’s sons joined forces with the company, forming a new venture called American Bitcoin. One of them even took on the role of chief strategy officer. Together with their partners, they turned the operation into a public company, aiming to build wealth with every coin mined.
September 23, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Reposted by Russ Choma
ketanjoshi.co
This is part of a massive generative slop / plagiarism operation seemingly being run by one dude operating a bunch of similarly designed websites - "Krishna Pathak" (not sure if actual real dude)

Also being syndicated on MSN. Registered at 'paper mill' address in Wyoming

GenAI is the WORST
Regtechtimes 22.1K Followers 🌍 Climate collapse ahead? Norway’s $1.6 trillion fund warns of 19% U.S. portfolio loss Story by Krishna Pathak • 2mo • 4 min read In this article MSCI INC. MSCI ▲ ‎+1.48%‎ Contact Us Mayur Joshi by Mayur Joshi April 30, 2025 For Advertising on the Website(s) For advertising and brand integration opportunities on one of largest digital news publishing group. onlinesales@cleantechtimes.com For Jobs with the Website(s) To consider your candidature, we request you to fill out the following form. Application Form For epaper subscriptions Drop us a note for any issues, queries and user feedback – if you are already an epaper subscriber – please provide your name, cell number, date when subscription was made and issue /query if any subscriptions@cleantechtimes.com Grievance & feedback for the Website (s) For content related feedback, please provide to feedback@cleantechtimes.com details from person who desires to give feedback, as follows: – full name – postal residential address – email address – cell number – Self attested photocopy or scanned copy of Government issued photo-identity – title & date/ link of news report, article, editorial or content which is the subject matter of the feedback – to set out the sentence(s) or word(s) verbatim from news report, article, editorial or content in respect of which there is a grievance – feedback or explanation in 500 words – specify & attach supporting documents or court orders if any relied upon – and a signed declaration that whatever information and/or documents are submitted with the feedback are true, complete and current in all respects and nothing therein is false. Please note that feedback must be from person aggrieved or someone personally and directly affected by the matter which forms the subject matter of the feedback or complaint. It must not be vexatious, trivial or argumentative. In the alternate, please write to the following address with all the above: Feedback Cleantech Times Postal Address: 30 North Gould Street Ste R Sheridan, WY 82801. Pin Code: 82801 Letter to Editor of the Website Got user feedback? We’d love to hear from you, our users. Bouquets and brick bats are welcome…
September 23, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Reposted by Russ Choma
schwellenbach.bsky.social
Big scoop by @carolleonnig.bsky.social & @kendilanian-nbc.bsky.social. Undercover FBI agents recorded Trump border czar Tom Homan accepting $50k in cash as he promised to steer federal contracts. Trump's DOJ shut the probe down

www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/t...
Tom Homan was investigated for accepting $50,000 from undercover FBI agents. Trump's DOJ shut it down.
The FBI and Justice officials closed the investigation, which a Justice Department appointee had called a “deep state” probe in early 2025.
www.msnbc.com
September 20, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
siriusxmprog.bsky.social
‼️ On today's @msignorile.bsky.social Show ‼️

@owillis.bsky.social of @dailykos.com

@russchoma.bsky.social of @motherjones.com

@ashtonpittman.bsky.social of @mississippifreepress.org

🔊Listen Here:
siriusxm.us/Signorile
Give us your calls at: 866-997-4748
September 17, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
timobrien.bsky.social
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent once agreed to occupy two different houses as his “principal residence” at the same time, mortgage documents show — the same kind of contradictory pledges that Trump has been using to try to oust Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Bessent, Like Fed Governor, Made Contradictory Mortgage Pledges
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent once agreed to occupy two different houses as his “principal residence” at the same time, mortgage documents show — the same kind of contradictory pledges that Pres...
www.bloomberg.com
September 17, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Reposted by Russ Choma
paulmozur.bsky.social
The Trump family got a $2 billion deposit into their crypto company, the United Arab Emirates got a huge amount of restricted AI chips despite security concerns. Our story about how how business is being done, and influence gained, in the second Trump administration. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...
Anatomy of Two Giant Deals: The U.A.E. Got Chips. The Trump Team Got Crypto Riches.
www.nytimes.com
September 16, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Reposted by Russ Choma
michaelmechanic.bsky.social
The royal family of grift is sucking up power, electrical and otherwise, like there's no tomorrow. And check out the very cool animated art on this story by my colleague @russchoma.bsky.social. You have to click to see it.
Trump's war on wind power has one very big exception
The president's sons are using scarce clean energy to mine for bitcoins.
www.motherjones.com
September 16, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
zacheverson.com
"Trump’s War on Wind Power Has One Very Big Exception

The president’s sons are using scarce clean energy to mine for bitcoins."

@russchoma.bsky.social for @motherjones.com
Trump's war on wind power has one very big exception
The president's sons are using scarce clean energy to mine for bitcoins.
www.motherjones.com
September 16, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by Russ Choma
rossmacfarlane.bsky.social
Q: When does the Trump family actually support wind power?

A: When it provides the lowest cost energy to power one of Don Jr and Eric's crypto scams.

Great reporting from @motherjones.com @russchoma.bsky.social

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump's war on wind power has one very big exception
The president's sons are using scarce clean energy to mine for bitcoins.
www.motherjones.com
September 16, 2025 at 8:33 PM