Tim O’Brien
@timobrien.bsky.social
Senior Executive Editor, @Opinion.bloomberg.com. Political Analyst, MSNOW. Author: “TrumpNation.” Priors: New York Times, Wall Street Journal. www.timothylobrien.com
Pinned
Trump’s UAE Chip Deal Is a National Security Risk
The United Arab Emirates has spent years seeking access to advanced US chips to help cement its position as a technology hub and fuel its AI aspirations. The Biden administration, concerned that cutti...
www.bloomberg.com
Of course the Trumps’ massive payday from the UAE — prior to the White House easing chip restrictions on the UAE — is a huge national security risk and financial conflict of interest. And a GOP-led Congress won’t do anything about it:
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Reposted by Tim O’Brien
Breaking: Trump told Palm Beach police chief 'everyone' knew about Epstein and 'evil' Maxwell www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
Trump told Palm Beach police chief ‘everyone’ knew about Epstein, Maxwell was ‘evil’
The new information comes as Ghislaine Maxwell was summoned to appear Monday before a Congressional committee.
www.miamiherald.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Breaking: Trump told Palm Beach police chief 'everyone' knew about Epstein and 'evil' Maxwell www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
“While his father Steve Witkoff acts as President Trump's all-purpose special envoy, 32-year-old Zach Witkoff now heads up World Liberty, which has doled out at least $1.4 billion to both families since the president's re-election.”
www.wsj.com/finance/curr...
www.wsj.com/finance/curr...
One Generation Runs the Country. The Next Cashed In on Crypto.
Sons of top Trump administration officials made billions for their families, but their investors didn’t always fare so well.
www.wsj.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:48 PM
“While his father Steve Witkoff acts as President Trump's all-purpose special envoy, 32-year-old Zach Witkoff now heads up World Liberty, which has doled out at least $1.4 billion to both families since the president's re-election.”
www.wsj.com/finance/curr...
www.wsj.com/finance/curr...
“Since February 2022, Russian forces have suffered nearly 1.2 million casualties, more losses than any major power in any war since World War II. At current rates, combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties could reach 2 million by the spring of 2026.” www.csis.org/analysis/rus...
Russia’s Grinding War in Ukraine
Despite claims of success in Ukraine, new CSIS data shows that Russia is paying an extraordinary price for minimal gains, with over 1.2 million casualties. Russia is also in decline as a major economi...
www.csis.org
February 9, 2026 at 9:47 PM
“Since February 2022, Russian forces have suffered nearly 1.2 million casualties, more losses than any major power in any war since World War II. At current rates, combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties could reach 2 million by the spring of 2026.” www.csis.org/analysis/rus...
Will Lewis out at the Washington Post: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/t...
Washington Post C.E.O. Will Lewis Steps Down After Stormy Tenure
www.nytimes.com
February 8, 2026 at 1:38 AM
Will Lewis out at the Washington Post: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/t...
“Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.” — Leavitt
apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com/article/trum...
Trump shares a racist video that depicts the Obamas as primates
President Donald Trump has used his social media account to share a video about election conspiracy theories that includes a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Ob...
apnews.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:51 PM
“Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.” — Leavitt
apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com/article/trum...
Reposted by Tim O’Brien
Pour one out for every professional political pundit, writer, consultant whatever that has spent the last decade trying to pretend that the Trump phenomenon was about trade or opiates and not a big chunk of white america losing its mind over having a black president bsky.app/profile/kyle...
A screenshot from a video posted on Trump's Truth Social account: truthsocial.com/@realDonaldT...
February 6, 2026 at 9:28 AM
Pour one out for every professional political pundit, writer, consultant whatever that has spent the last decade trying to pretend that the Trump phenomenon was about trade or opiates and not a big chunk of white america losing its mind over having a black president bsky.app/profile/kyle...
“Trumpism”: When you play chicken with vital and economically essential railway and tunnel funds so you can get a train station and an airport named after yourself.
www.axios.com/2026/02/06/t...
www.axios.com/2026/02/06/t...
Democrats erupt in fury over Trump demanding Schumer help rename Dulles, Penn Station
"There is no point in yielding to his ever-changing ransom demands," said one Democrat.
www.axios.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:26 PM
“Trumpism”: When you play chicken with vital and economically essential railway and tunnel funds so you can get a train station and an airport named after yourself.
www.axios.com/2026/02/06/t...
www.axios.com/2026/02/06/t...
A federal jury in Phoenix on Thursday ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a passenger who said one of its drivers had raped her, setting the stage for thousands of similar cases around the country.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/b...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/b...
Uber Found Liable in Rape by Driver, Setting Stage for Thousands of Cases
www.nytimes.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:53 PM
A federal jury in Phoenix on Thursday ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a passenger who said one of its drivers had raped her, setting the stage for thousands of similar cases around the country.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/b...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/b...
Reposted by Tim O’Brien
A screenshot from a video posted on Trump's Truth Social account: truthsocial.com/@realDonaldT...
February 6, 2026 at 6:13 AM
A screenshot from a video posted on Trump's Truth Social account: truthsocial.com/@realDonaldT...
Reposted by Tim O’Brien
. @nickijhabvala.bsky.social: "Will Lewis was too busy to join the call to tell his staff he’s destroying the @washingtonpost.com sports department yesterday … but he did have time to walk the red carpet at NFL Honors here in San Francisco today. Amazing."
February 6, 2026 at 12:48 AM
. @nickijhabvala.bsky.social: "Will Lewis was too busy to join the call to tell his staff he’s destroying the @washingtonpost.com sports department yesterday … but he did have time to walk the red carpet at NFL Honors here in San Francisco today. Amazing."
Wayne Barrett is still keeping them on their toes.
nypost.com/2026/02/05/u...
nypost.com/2026/02/05/u...
NYC knew about potentially deadly risks of 9/11 toxins – but insisted Lower Manhattan was safe: bombshell memo
A bombshell memo made public Thursday proves the city knew about the potential risks of Sept. 11, 2001 toxins weeks after the terror attacks.
nypost.com
February 6, 2026 at 1:59 AM
Wayne Barrett is still keeping them on their toes.
nypost.com/2026/02/05/u...
nypost.com/2026/02/05/u...
Standard “prayer breakfast” fare.
Trump at National Prayer Breakfast: "They rigged the second election. I had to win it. I needed it for my own ego. I would've had a bad ego for the rest of my life. Now I really have a big ego. Beating these lunatics was incredible ... The first time they said I didn't win the popular vote. I did"
February 5, 2026 at 3:50 PM
Standard “prayer breakfast” fare.
“What Trump is identifying as unpredictability is actually anxiety about his electoral prospects.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/u...
Trump Says His Unpredictable Style Gives Him Leverage. But It Has a Cost.
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:49 PM
“What Trump is identifying as unpredictability is actually anxiety about his electoral prospects.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/u...
(Bloomberg) -- US companies announced the largest number of job cuts for any January since the depths of the Great Recession in 2009, according to data from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.
February 5, 2026 at 12:41 PM
(Bloomberg) -- US companies announced the largest number of job cuts for any January since the depths of the Great Recession in 2009, according to data from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.
Reposted by Tim O’Brien
Of course the Trumps’ massive payday from the UAE — prior to the White House easing chip restrictions on the UAE — is a huge national security risk and financial conflict of interest. And a GOP-led Congress won’t do anything about it:
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Trump’s UAE Chip Deal Is a National Security Risk
The United Arab Emirates has spent years seeking access to advanced US chips to help cement its position as a technology hub and fuel its AI aspirations. The Biden administration, concerned that cutti...
www.bloomberg.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:26 AM
Reposted by Tim O’Brien
Kind of obsessed with my 11-year-old's drawing of a black hole barfing out a rainbow and creating the earth.
February 4, 2026 at 11:42 PM
Kind of obsessed with my 11-year-old's drawing of a black hole barfing out a rainbow and creating the earth.
“Arrest records for two of the 37 immigrants detained…provide the clearest picture yet of what led to the controversial and aggressive operation, in which agents descended from a Blackhawk helicopter, broke down doors and zip-tied U.S. citizens and immigrants.”
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
The Real Story Behind the Midnight Immigration Raid on a Chicago Apartment Building
The Trump administration has claimed the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua had taken over the building. But new documents make no mention of the gang and reveal federal agents had information about “ille...
www.propublica.org
February 5, 2026 at 12:40 AM
“Arrest records for two of the 37 immigrants detained…provide the clearest picture yet of what led to the controversial and aggressive operation, in which agents descended from a Blackhawk helicopter, broke down doors and zip-tied U.S. citizens and immigrants.”
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
Reposted by Tim O’Brien
The CIA just stopped publishing their World Factbook and took every page, including the archived copies of previous versions!
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/t...
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/t...
Spotlighting The World Factbook as We Bid a Fond Farewell
Somewhat devastating news today from the CIA: One of CIA’s oldest and most recognizable intelligence publications, The World Factbook, has sunset. There's not even a hint as to why they …
simonwillison.net
February 5, 2026 at 12:25 AM
The CIA just stopped publishing their World Factbook and took every page, including the archived copies of previous versions!
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/t...
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/t...
“Now Mandelson’s pantomime act has crashed into reality. At the same time as he was sharing an ice cream with me and fellow hacks, he was allegedly passing along sensitive market information to his pal, the pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.”
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
The Epstein Shame Goes Way Beyond Mandelson
A little over 15 years ago I was on a bus with Peter Mandelson touring England’s northern towns and cities. It was spring 2010 and the then-business secretary had been drafted in by Prime Minister Gor...
www.bloomberg.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:33 PM
“Now Mandelson’s pantomime act has crashed into reality. At the same time as he was sharing an ice cream with me and fellow hacks, he was allegedly passing along sensitive market information to his pal, the pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.”
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Reposted by Tim O’Brien
🚨BREAKING: Steve Bannon said Tuesday that the federal government is planning to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to patrol polling stations during this year’s midterm elections. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Steve Bannon says ICE will ‘surround the polls’ as Trump doubles down on taking over elections
Trump doubled down on his comments to nationalize voting Tuesday during an Oval Office press conference. “If you think about it, a state is an agent for the federal government in elections,” Trump sai...
www.democracydocket.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:33 PM
🚨BREAKING: Steve Bannon said Tuesday that the federal government is planning to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to patrol polling stations during this year’s midterm elections. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Any chance that, say, just $1 million or $3 million or $4 million or $7 million of the $75 million spent on the “Melania” vanity project could have been used to preserve some reporting spots at the Washington Post?
a man in a suit and tie is sitting at a table with his hands up
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is sitting at a table with his hands up
media.tenor.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Any chance that, say, just $1 million or $3 million or $4 million or $7 million of the $75 million spent on the “Melania” vanity project could have been used to preserve some reporting spots at the Washington Post?
Reposted by Tim O’Brien
"Those who were laid off include Caroline O’Donovan, the Post’s beat reporter covering Amazon"
Jeff Bezos’ Washington Post Cuts 30% of Staff, Laying Off More Than 300 Employees Including Amazon Beat Reporter
The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is enacting layoffs that will eliminate "hundreds" of jobs.
variety.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:12 PM
"Those who were laid off include Caroline O’Donovan, the Post’s beat reporter covering Amazon"
Reposted by Tim O’Brien
A publisher who lays off a reporter whose pen is freezing because she's covering a frigid war zone while dodging missiles is not an editor you want to work for, in a more perfect world
February 4, 2026 at 5:07 PM
A publisher who lays off a reporter whose pen is freezing because she's covering a frigid war zone while dodging missiles is not an editor you want to work for, in a more perfect world
In a little over a year, the number of detention facilities used by ICE nearly doubled to 212 sites spread across 47 states and territories. Most of that growth came through existing contracts with the U.S. Marshals Service or deals to use empty beds at county jails.
apnews.com/article/immi...
apnews.com/article/immi...
Trump's $45 billion expansion of immigrant detention sites faces pushback from communities
State and local officials are pushing back against federal plans to expand immigrant detention facilities.
apnews.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:32 PM
In a little over a year, the number of detention facilities used by ICE nearly doubled to 212 sites spread across 47 states and territories. Most of that growth came through existing contracts with the U.S. Marshals Service or deals to use empty beds at county jails.
apnews.com/article/immi...
apnews.com/article/immi...
Reposted by Tim O’Brien
"Color me skeptical that no conflicts of interest cling to this mess or that Trump isn’t compromising his constitutional responsibilities. Conflicts of interest are rampant in the money grabs gilding the US and UAE’s chip deals."
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Trump’s UAE Chip Deal Is a National Security Risk
The United Arab Emirates has spent years seeking access to advanced US chips to help cement its position as a technology hub and fuel its AI aspirations. The Biden administration, concerned that cutti...
www.bloomberg.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:44 PM
"Color me skeptical that no conflicts of interest cling to this mess or that Trump isn’t compromising his constitutional responsibilities. Conflicts of interest are rampant in the money grabs gilding the US and UAE’s chip deals."
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...