Sam Learner
@samlearner.bsky.social
graphics/data journalist on the @financialtimes.com visual storytelling team
work: https://www.ft.com/sam-learner
projects: https://samlearner.com/projects
signal: samlearner.79
work: https://www.ft.com/sam-learner
projects: https://samlearner.com/projects
signal: samlearner.79
Pinned
Sam Learner
@samlearner.bsky.social
· Nov 12
River Runner Global
Watch the path of a raindrop from anywhere in the world
river-runner-global.samlearner.com
have migrated over here more, so making a quick thread of some visual stories/projects I’ve done over the past few years
starting with this river runner project from a couple years ago, which visualizes the path of a raindrop from anywhere on earth: river-runner-global.samlearner.com
starting with this river runner project from a couple years ago, which visualizes the path of a raindrop from anywhere on earth: river-runner-global.samlearner.com
Reposted by Sam Learner
I'm sorry the guy changing the rules on the fly is named what
I stand with County Executive Calvin Ball as he signs emergency legislation today prohibiting privately owned buildings from being used as ICE detention centers.
Howard County chose dignity, accountability, and its people. Tune into our event now:
bit.ly/4a2VtHw
Howard County chose dignity, accountability, and its people. Tune into our event now:
bit.ly/4a2VtHw
Redirecting...
bit.ly
February 7, 2026 at 2:34 PM
I'm sorry the guy changing the rules on the fly is named what
Reposted by Sam Learner
as ever:
archive.org/donate?origi...
The Internet Archive is probably the org I've supported/urged ppl to fundraise for the most, after my own org, #MEAction.
Seriously, if you won't miss $5/month, it's always a good time to support the Archive.
archive.org/donate?origi...
The Internet Archive is probably the org I've supported/urged ppl to fundraise for the most, after my own org, #MEAction.
Seriously, if you won't miss $5/month, it's always a good time to support the Archive.
Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine
archive.org
February 5, 2026 at 12:09 AM
as ever:
archive.org/donate?origi...
The Internet Archive is probably the org I've supported/urged ppl to fundraise for the most, after my own org, #MEAction.
Seriously, if you won't miss $5/month, it's always a good time to support the Archive.
archive.org/donate?origi...
The Internet Archive is probably the org I've supported/urged ppl to fundraise for the most, after my own org, #MEAction.
Seriously, if you won't miss $5/month, it's always a good time to support the Archive.
Reposted by Sam Learner
Critics fear these tactics have a “chilling effect”, discouraging people from filming. The result? “These agents get to effectively be as unaccountable as any group in the history of our country,” says David Bier, of the Cato Institute.
Read the full story in today’s #FTEdit 👉 ft.trib.al/yAKlCgR
Read the full story in today’s #FTEdit 👉 ft.trib.al/yAKlCgR
ICE agents hate being filmed
Trump administration accused of trampling First Amendment by targeting Americans recording immigration raids
ft.trib.al
February 3, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Critics fear these tactics have a “chilling effect”, discouraging people from filming. The result? “These agents get to effectively be as unaccountable as any group in the history of our country,” says David Bier, of the Cato Institute.
Read the full story in today’s #FTEdit 👉 ft.trib.al/yAKlCgR
Read the full story in today’s #FTEdit 👉 ft.trib.al/yAKlCgR
Reposted by Sam Learner
ICE agents are also invoking a federal criminal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 111, which makes it a crime to interfere with federal officers while performing their duties. Civil rights experts say the statute is being misapplied, as recording agents does not constrain their ability to carry out operations.
February 3, 2026 at 3:40 PM
ICE agents are also invoking a federal criminal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 111, which makes it a crime to interfere with federal officers while performing their duties. Civil rights experts say the statute is being misapplied, as recording agents does not constrain their ability to carry out operations.
Reposted by Sam Learner
Over the past few months, hundreds of Americans have been pepper sprayed, threatened and detained for attempting to film on their phones the largest crackdown on undocumented migrants in recent American history.
An #FTEdit video 🧵 on why ICE agents are so camera shy 👇
An #FTEdit video 🧵 on why ICE agents are so camera shy 👇
February 3, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Over the past few months, hundreds of Americans have been pepper sprayed, threatened and detained for attempting to film on their phones the largest crackdown on undocumented migrants in recent American history.
An #FTEdit video 🧵 on why ICE agents are so camera shy 👇
An #FTEdit video 🧵 on why ICE agents are so camera shy 👇
in retrospect, it was probably a warning sign last tuesday when I overheard someone at the climbing gym telling their friends about all of the money they were making on gold. could have looked like a genius if I had called the top right at that moment
leveraged rally is suffering a choppy unwind, say market-watchers
"The surge has been remarkable and leverage has played a key part in both the rally and now the decline" www.ft.com/content/e830...
"The surge has been remarkable and leverage has played a key part in both the rally and now the decline" www.ft.com/content/e830...
February 2, 2026 at 4:16 PM
in retrospect, it was probably a warning sign last tuesday when I overheard someone at the climbing gym telling their friends about all of the money they were making on gold. could have looked like a genius if I had called the top right at that moment
Reposted by Sam Learner
I gather some people think the FT has been neglecting its core for “woke nonsense” bla bla yada yada, which is news to this 12k word beast — an oral history of the Federal Reserve’s Covid-19 crisis made up of quotes from the recently released full transcripts. www.ft.com/content/cb9a...
February 2, 2026 at 7:29 AM
I gather some people think the FT has been neglecting its core for “woke nonsense” bla bla yada yada, which is news to this 12k word beast — an oral history of the Federal Reserve’s Covid-19 crisis made up of quotes from the recently released full transcripts. www.ft.com/content/cb9a...
Reposted by Sam Learner
Over the past few months, video footage circulating on social media has repeatedly shown US citizens who have tried to film ICE agents on their phones being pushed, pepper sprayed, threatened with arrest and occasionally detained. ft.trib.al/q3kzNQC
February 2, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Over the past few months, video footage circulating on social media has repeatedly shown US citizens who have tried to film ICE agents on their phones being pushed, pepper sprayed, threatened with arrest and occasionally detained. ft.trib.al/q3kzNQC
Patrick Bateman routine, without the dinner reservations
January 29, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Patrick Bateman routine, without the dinner reservations
Reposted by Sam Learner
Footage taken moments before a struggle shows that the man was filming, holding a phone in his right hand, backing up. His left hand is up, visible, palm facing out, as he backs away from the area. An agent uses his right hand, on the torso of the victim, pushing him back, while the man complies.
January 24, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Footage taken moments before a struggle shows that the man was filming, holding a phone in his right hand, backing up. His left hand is up, visible, palm facing out, as he backs away from the area. An agent uses his right hand, on the torso of the victim, pushing him back, while the man complies.
maybe I'm in the minority here, but I've never watched a video podcast on purpose and never really intend to? I was under the impression that the point of producing video podcasts was just to cut clips/take advantage of more passive video platforms, but this and the netflix thing are throwing me off
January 20, 2026 at 10:00 PM
maybe I'm in the minority here, but I've never watched a video podcast on purpose and never really intend to? I was under the impression that the point of producing video podcasts was just to cut clips/take advantage of more passive video platforms, but this and the netflix thing are throwing me off
Reposted by Sam Learner
Keep Alphaville free* by investing in our Free** Jay Powell merch.
* without cost
** not under the control of another
as.ft.com/r/82db28aa-3...
* without cost
** not under the control of another
as.ft.com/r/82db28aa-3...
Get your ‘Free Jay Powell’ T-shirts here
[FREE TO READ] Street Fed
as.ft.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Keep Alphaville free* by investing in our Free** Jay Powell merch.
* without cost
** not under the control of another
as.ft.com/r/82db28aa-3...
* without cost
** not under the control of another
as.ft.com/r/82db28aa-3...
on top of everything else, have to say again that underlining/circling two publicly-available numbers is an UNBELIEVABLY LAZY form of "data journalism", regardless of how many corny, theatric hand gestures you make
CNN is covering the Kalshi prediction markets as though they are news
January 7, 2026 at 5:38 PM
on top of everything else, have to say again that underlining/circling two publicly-available numbers is an UNBELIEVABLY LAZY form of "data journalism", regardless of how many corny, theatric hand gestures you make
hmm, I've come across an AI-generated podcast that fully plagiarized a story of mine, slightly rephrasing it as a "conversation" between two fake hosts. not a big fan of this!
January 2, 2026 at 6:12 PM
hmm, I've come across an AI-generated podcast that fully plagiarized a story of mine, slightly rephrasing it as a "conversation" between two fake hosts. not a big fan of this!
wrote about Kalshi's business being about 5% truth machine/95% sportsbook (even if they refuse to mention it)
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
Prediction markets barely make money; sportsbooks make money
Kalshi’s ‘truth machine’ is financialising differences of opinion (about sports)
www.ft.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:34 PM
wrote about Kalshi's business being about 5% truth machine/95% sportsbook (even if they refuse to mention it)
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
Reposted by Sam Learner
The new way to lose money gambling is very similar to the old way to lose money gambling.
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
Prediction markets barely make money; sportsbooks make money
Kalshi’s ‘truth machine’ is financialising differences of opinion (about sports)
www.ft.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:09 PM
The new way to lose money gambling is very similar to the old way to lose money gambling.
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
"everyone's mad at me, so I must be doing something right!" wow, how convenient that your mark of high quality is indistinguishable from the widely-understood mark of low quality
December 19, 2025 at 1:28 AM
"everyone's mad at me, so I must be doing something right!" wow, how convenient that your mark of high quality is indistinguishable from the widely-understood mark of low quality
Reposted by Sam Learner
NEW: We took a deep dive into ICE's data dragnet: the data brokers, biometrics tools, and license plate readers powering Trump's deportation effort. Some of the contracts are for tools previous administrations deemed too intrusive.
Trump’s immigration data dragnet
The US is pulling in vast amounts of personal information in its drive to deport 1mn people this year
ig.ft.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:37 AM
NEW: We took a deep dive into ICE's data dragnet: the data brokers, biometrics tools, and license plate readers powering Trump's deportation effort. Some of the contracts are for tools previous administrations deemed too intrusive.
can't even take in whatever this poll is supposed to be saying because I'm getting so angry at whatever is going on with the sizes of the bars + the blue/red color scheme that is *not* mapped to party ID...
November 24, 2025 at 9:33 PM
can't even take in whatever this poll is supposed to be saying because I'm getting so angry at whatever is going on with the sizes of the bars + the blue/red color scheme that is *not* mapped to party ID...
Reposted by Sam Learner
Q: Are you affirming that you think President Trump is a fascist?
MAMDANI: I've spoken about--
TRUMP: That's okay. You can just say yes. I don't mind.
MAMDANI: I've spoken about--
TRUMP: That's okay. You can just say yes. I don't mind.
November 21, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Q: Are you affirming that you think President Trump is a fascist?
MAMDANI: I've spoken about--
TRUMP: That's okay. You can just say yes. I don't mind.
MAMDANI: I've spoken about--
TRUMP: That's okay. You can just say yes. I don't mind.
economists need to GET OVER THEMSELVES
November 21, 2025 at 7:11 PM
economists need to GET OVER THEMSELVES
"i htink weak thoughts?"
November 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
"i htink weak thoughts?"
Reposted by Sam Learner
power, data and birds on the loneliest road in america: www.ft.com/content/729d...
The AI boom comes to America’s loneliest place
Plans for a 230-mile transmission line threaten Nevada’s wilderness and have united hunters and wildlife groups
www.ft.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:21 PM
power, data and birds on the loneliest road in america: www.ft.com/content/729d...
Reposted by Sam Learner
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:56 AM
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...