Wayne O'Cohen / 上野公園
@wayneocohen.bsky.social
Maryland native, adopted New Jerseyan, current Tokyoite whose heart's in Hong Kong. Syracuse grad; postgrad at Gutenberg Universität Mainz. Entertainment writer formerly of Japan's Mainichi Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun. Interests: Media biz, Asian history
Pinned
I've updated the lists of accounts I follow, adding 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗨𝗦 / 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 & 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀, which focuses on outlets outside of the 3 Mid-Atlantic states I've called home. There's a separate list for 𝗡𝗝 / 𝗡𝗬 / 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱. Also new is 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 / 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺 / 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱, still very much a grab bag.
Not sure if this is true or just a joke. Either way, it's clever. Some context for non-North Americans: Ice fishing is a beloved winter pastime in Minnesota & the other Upper Midwestern states that involves catching fish through holes bored through the ice of frozen lakes.
February 6, 2026 at 7:08 AM
Not sure if this is true or just a joke. Either way, it's clever. Some context for non-North Americans: Ice fishing is a beloved winter pastime in Minnesota & the other Upper Midwestern states that involves catching fish through holes bored through the ice of frozen lakes.
It's a move that's long overdue: Send Kristi Noem on her merry way. She's clearly incompetent & unqualified to fulfill her responsibilities. In fact, the only thing she appears to excel in is posturing & posing in costume at her public appearances. That ain't part of her job description.
Chairs of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Congressional Black Caucus led 105 House Members in a letter to President Trump demanding immediate action to fire Kristi Noem.
February 5, 2026 at 2:44 PM
It's a move that's long overdue: Send Kristi Noem on her merry way. She's clearly incompetent & unqualified to fulfill her responsibilities. In fact, the only thing she appears to excel in is posturing & posing in costume at her public appearances. That ain't part of her job description.
Welcome news for the nation's 2nd-largest Haitian community. Not surprisingly, DHS calls the judge's action "lawless activism." Sad to hear about the closure of businesses in Brooklyn's Little Caribbean district, both E & SE of Prospect Park. Worth a visit if you seek a taste of the islands in NYC.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the end of protection status for Haitian immigrants. CBS News New York's Jennifer Bisram spoke with people in Brooklyn's Little Haiti.
Some Haitian immigrants in NYC still living in fear despite TPS reprieve
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the end of TPS for Haitian immigrants. Some in NYC say it's a small win, but the fear continues.
cbsloc.al
February 5, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Welcome news for the nation's 2nd-largest Haitian community. Not surprisingly, DHS calls the judge's action "lawless activism." Sad to hear about the closure of businesses in Brooklyn's Little Caribbean district, both E & SE of Prospect Park. Worth a visit if you seek a taste of the islands in NYC.
Keep fighting, Mahmoud! Glad to hear you're not giving in to fear. Creating an atmosphere of fear is one of the weapons in the DHS toolbox of cruelty. Making their twisted, self-styled job description more difficult is the right & duty of all patriotic Americans. It's Noem who must go. Now.
Responding to a statement the Department of Homeland Security sent NY1 suggesting that Mahmoud Khalil should “self-deport now before he is arrested, deported, and never given a chance to return,” Khalil said, “My wife is American. My son is American. New York is my home.”
February 5, 2026 at 11:07 AM
Keep fighting, Mahmoud! Glad to hear you're not giving in to fear. Creating an atmosphere of fear is one of the weapons in the DHS toolbox of cruelty. Making their twisted, self-styled job description more difficult is the right & duty of all patriotic Americans. It's Noem who must go. Now.
Jayne Miller, the retired longtime chief investigative reporter at NBC affiliate WBAL-TV in my native Baltimore, is referring to comments by George Conway. Both have valid points: Bezos made this mess & he can clean it up.
Expats: I still watch WBAL in Tokyo via the very useful Haystack News app.
Expats: I still watch WBAL in Tokyo via the very useful Haystack News app.
This is true.
Bezos can afford to finance the Washingtin Post at arm's length.
It is well past time some of these billionaires started showing some civic leadership.
Bezos can afford to finance the Washingtin Post at arm's length.
It is well past time some of these billionaires started showing some civic leadership.
If Jeff Bezos had any strength of character he would pay someone to take the newspaper he's destroyed off his hands and contribute money to a trust to restore it.
February 5, 2026 at 9:45 AM
Jayne Miller, the retired longtime chief investigative reporter at NBC affiliate WBAL-TV in my native Baltimore, is referring to comments by George Conway. Both have valid points: Bezos made this mess & he can clean it up.
Expats: I still watch WBAL in Tokyo via the very useful Haystack News app.
Expats: I still watch WBAL in Tokyo via the very useful Haystack News app.
I've seen lots of posts along these lines, w/ commenters suggesting Bezos could easily absorb losses associated w/ operating in today's media environment--losses that he brought upon the paper himself in some cases. Here, former WaPo columnist Philip Bump brings a dollar perspective to the matter.
Jeff Bezos’s wealth has increased an average of $70 million every day of 2026, meaning that he could have offset The Post’s losses with what he’s made since Monday.
February 5, 2026 at 5:27 AM
I've seen lots of posts along these lines, w/ commenters suggesting Bezos could easily absorb losses associated w/ operating in today's media environment--losses that he brought upon the paper himself in some cases. Here, former WaPo columnist Philip Bump brings a dollar perspective to the matter.
A very long thread. Not sure if lunchboxes were a thing outside of N. America, but those who had 1 as a kid should head over to the OP for a trip down memory lane. Most of 'em came long after my metal Peanuts lunchbox. I dropped it once, resulting in a Thermos full of broken glass & chocolate milk.
VINTAGE LUNCHBOX MEGATHREAD!
There is something deeply, nostalgic about the artwork on old lunchboxes. They meet at the crossroads of childhood, food, pop culture, & school/friends. Every day, for as long as I feel like, I'll be adding a new lunchbox to this thread!
TMNT-1989 (My first lunchbox!)
There is something deeply, nostalgic about the artwork on old lunchboxes. They meet at the crossroads of childhood, food, pop culture, & school/friends. Every day, for as long as I feel like, I'll be adding a new lunchbox to this thread!
TMNT-1989 (My first lunchbox!)
February 4, 2026 at 1:55 PM
A very long thread. Not sure if lunchboxes were a thing outside of N. America, but those who had 1 as a kid should head over to the OP for a trip down memory lane. Most of 'em came long after my metal Peanuts lunchbox. I dropped it once, resulting in a Thermos full of broken glass & chocolate milk.
Tomato soup? A fave since I was a kid. Luckily, I can find Japanese-made burrata at Seijo Ishii stores. And I know of a deli-type shop in Nezu that'll slice mortadella to order. Pesto? Lovingly embraced by Japanese, so it's everywhere. Top the soup w/ 'em, and you've got a winner. Recipe included.
Telkens we de combinatie van burrata, mortadella en pesto zien, zijn we eigenlijk al om. In Italië zien we de heilige drievuldigheid vaak terug op pizza of op broodjes, maar hier belanden ze als toppings op een kom soep. Daarmee wordt deze tomatensoep met burrata het ideale staaltje comfort food,…
Culy Homemade: tomatensoep met burrata, pesto, mortadella & focacciacroutons (comfort food in een kom!)
Telkens we de combinatie van burrata, mortadella en pesto zien, zijn we eigenlijk al om. In Italië zien we de heilige drievuldigheid vaak terug op pizza of op broodjes, maar hier belanden ze als toppings op een kom soep. Daarmee wordt deze tomatensoep met burrata het ideale staaltje comfort food, en de perfecte munitie tegen troosteloze winterdagen.
www.culy.nl
February 4, 2026 at 1:34 PM
Tomato soup? A fave since I was a kid. Luckily, I can find Japanese-made burrata at Seijo Ishii stores. And I know of a deli-type shop in Nezu that'll slice mortadella to order. Pesto? Lovingly embraced by Japanese, so it's everywhere. Top the soup w/ 'em, and you've got a winner. Recipe included.
Never been on Xitter. Pay little attention to "influencers," as opposed to legit journalists, researchers, scientists & academics, etc. In & out of the US & Anglophone media ecosystems. So, don't know much about this guy. But what I've seen to date is troubling. This 🧵 seals the deal. In full at OP.
Presented without comment. I just want everyone here to know.
I want you to know what you're looking at the next time you see this guy being interviewed or RTed by an Abundance bro.
1/8
I want you to know what you're looking at the next time you see this guy being interviewed or RTed by an Abundance bro.
1/8
February 3, 2026 at 7:49 AM
Never been on Xitter. Pay little attention to "influencers," as opposed to legit journalists, researchers, scientists & academics, etc. In & out of the US & Anglophone media ecosystems. So, don't know much about this guy. But what I've seen to date is troubling. This 🧵 seals the deal. In full at OP.
Reposted by Wayne O'Cohen / 上野公園
if you work for this administration, you WILL ultimately end up disgraced and possibly subpoenaed and/or indicted.
BREAKING: 8 more U.S. Attorneys in MN resign from Trump’s DOJ in protest as backlash grows.
This isn’t normal; isn’t routine reshuffling. It’s a rebellion.
Last month, 6 veteran prosecutors quit in protest. Normal staffing for the MN DOJ’s office is around 50 attorneys. They’re down to just 9.
This isn’t normal; isn’t routine reshuffling. It’s a rebellion.
Last month, 6 veteran prosecutors quit in protest. Normal staffing for the MN DOJ’s office is around 50 attorneys. They’re down to just 9.
February 3, 2026 at 5:29 AM
if you work for this administration, you WILL ultimately end up disgraced and possibly subpoenaed and/or indicted.
I rarely pay attention to Texas politics--or Texas anything--but this is big news.
Via AP: "Rehmet, a union leader & vet, easily defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist, in the Ft. Worth-area district. W/ almost all votes counted, [he] had a comfortable lead of > 14 pct pts."
Via AP: "Rehmet, a union leader & vet, easily defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist, in the Ft. Worth-area district. W/ almost all votes counted, [he] had a comfortable lead of > 14 pct pts."
Congratulations to my friend and our newest State Senator from Tarrant County, Taylor Rehmet! I met Taylor years ago through labor organizing.
Don’t tell us what can’t be done in Texas. When we show up #TexasTough, we change the game. Today we proved what we’ve known all along: Texas is in play.
Don’t tell us what can’t be done in Texas. When we show up #TexasTough, we change the game. Today we proved what we’ve known all along: Texas is in play.
February 1, 2026 at 8:34 AM
I rarely pay attention to Texas politics--or Texas anything--but this is big news.
Via AP: "Rehmet, a union leader & vet, easily defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist, in the Ft. Worth-area district. W/ almost all votes counted, [he] had a comfortable lead of > 14 pct pts."
Via AP: "Rehmet, a union leader & vet, easily defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist, in the Ft. Worth-area district. W/ almost all votes counted, [he] had a comfortable lead of > 14 pct pts."
"Power unused is power surrendered." Haven't heard that before, but I like the sound of it. Will be adding it to my vocabulary--and doing my best to use what power I have whenever the need arises.
Congress needs to seize this moment. They have the attention of the entire world; the people want to see these criminals be punished, not funded.
Take lessons from when the minority held legislation hostage for years. Gum it up, don't give it up!
Power unused is power surrendered.
Take lessons from when the minority held legislation hostage for years. Gum it up, don't give it up!
Power unused is power surrendered.
January 30, 2026 at 1:07 PM
"Power unused is power surrendered." Haven't heard that before, but I like the sound of it. Will be adding it to my vocabulary--and doing my best to use what power I have whenever the need arises.
The @rcfp.org's team in Minnesota is looking to hire a lawyer qualified to practice in the state who can assist them w/ pro bono legal work on behalf of local reporters & newsrooms. Anyone know someone who's willing to step up to the plate?
‼️ We're expanding @rcfp.org's Local Legal Initiative to Minnesota — and hiring an in-state attorney to provide local journalists and newsrooms free legal help to pursue impactful reporting in their communities.
Learn more and apply: smrtr.io/wM-xy
Learn more and apply: smrtr.io/wM-xy
January 29, 2026 at 8:49 PM
The @rcfp.org's team in Minnesota is looking to hire a lawyer qualified to practice in the state who can assist them w/ pro bono legal work on behalf of local reporters & newsrooms. Anyone know someone who's willing to step up to the plate?
Some of these tips are relevant to members of the general public who are protesting, including having proper ID, prearranging check-ins w/ family or friends, & having the name & contact info of legal representation on your phone, a piece of paper, or even your arm.
Journalists covering Minneapolis ICE operations and protests are at the center of the action. CPJ safety experts have compiled resources for journalists to help you stay safe and mitigate risks.👇
January 29, 2026 at 8:42 PM
Some of these tips are relevant to members of the general public who are protesting, including having proper ID, prearranging check-ins w/ family or friends, & having the name & contact info of legal representation on your phone, a piece of paper, or even your arm.
An unsupported claim? Yup. It's Noem talking. The video makes the case in a short & snappy fashion. The accompanying article lays it out in great detail. FactCheck is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
As ICE Arrests Increased, a Higher Portion Had No U.S. Criminal Record
www.factcheck.org/2026/01/as-i...
www.factcheck.org/2026/01/as-i...
January 29, 2026 at 8:28 PM
An unsupported claim? Yup. It's Noem talking. The video makes the case in a short & snappy fashion. The accompanying article lays it out in great detail. FactCheck is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Speak up and be heard. Tip line should be confidential & encrypted, but check to be sure and safe.
If you are a journalist — or know one — who has been attacked, seriously threatened, denied access by a public official or targeted with a legal order in the course of reporting, let us know. You can now submit tips in English or Spanish.
Email: tips@pressfreedomtracker.us
Email: tips@pressfreedomtracker.us
January 29, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Speak up and be heard. Tip line should be confidential & encrypted, but check to be sure and safe.
Free, virtual & public: "Our panel will discuss the current state of on the ground reporting in MPLS, how these developments fit into broader press freedom trends CPJ has documented since the start of the 2nd Trump admin. & outline safety precautions journalists can take to protect themselves."
Join CPJ CEO @jodieginsberg.bsky.social and CPJ board vice chair @polgreen.bsky.social for a flash briefing on the events unfolding in Minneapolis as reporters face confrontations with federal agents conducting immigration raids in the community.
Register👇
cpj-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Register👇
cpj-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
January 29, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Free, virtual & public: "Our panel will discuss the current state of on the ground reporting in MPLS, how these developments fit into broader press freedom trends CPJ has documented since the start of the 2nd Trump admin. & outline safety precautions journalists can take to protect themselves."
I try to stay up-to-date w/ tech news, especially when it concerns online hygiene, & I strive to be an educated consumer, even if I linger in the Apple ecosystem. But what to make of this? I'm getting older, need new specs & don't wear contacts as often as I used to. Nah. Think I'll sit this 1 out.
2026 Is About to Be a Blockbuster Year for Smart Glasses https://gizmodo.com/2026-is-about-to-be-a-blockbuster-year-for-smart-glasses-2000715511
2026 Is About to Be a Blockbuster Year for Smart Glasses
Heated competition, legal drama, and the future of tech on the line? Start writing the movie now, I guess.
gizmodo.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:45 PM
I try to stay up-to-date w/ tech news, especially when it concerns online hygiene, & I strive to be an educated consumer, even if I linger in the Apple ecosystem. But what to make of this? I'm getting older, need new specs & don't wear contacts as often as I used to. Nah. Think I'll sit this 1 out.
This'll prove interesting. As one commenter remarked, this graphic ought to be accompanied by one that measures educational achievement. I have little doubt that Trump support & lack of education go hand in hand. MAGA states' best & brightest go to NY, CA, etc. for opportunity & to escape ignorance.
Trump approval, per The Economist —
Georgia: -18.6%
Maine: -18.4%
Texas: -17.2%
Michigan: -15.8%
North Carolina: -13.6%
Ohio: -9.2%
Iowa: -8.7%
Florida: -7.5%
South Carolina: -7.3%
Mississippi: -6.9%
Alaska: -6.6%
Louisiana: -5.1%
Nebraska: -1.8%
These states all have Senate elections this year
Georgia: -18.6%
Maine: -18.4%
Texas: -17.2%
Michigan: -15.8%
North Carolina: -13.6%
Ohio: -9.2%
Iowa: -8.7%
Florida: -7.5%
South Carolina: -7.3%
Mississippi: -6.9%
Alaska: -6.6%
Louisiana: -5.1%
Nebraska: -1.8%
These states all have Senate elections this year
January 21, 2026 at 5:47 PM
This'll prove interesting. As one commenter remarked, this graphic ought to be accompanied by one that measures educational achievement. I have little doubt that Trump support & lack of education go hand in hand. MAGA states' best & brightest go to NY, CA, etc. for opportunity & to escape ignorance.
Not much I can add here, except to say that the Trump regime's attempt to sabotage MLK Day and Juneteenth, two American celebrations that he & his ilk deem to be merely "Black holidays," will prove to be futile. As Bruce notes, it's time to meet the moment & do what's necessary. Make good trouble.
This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we reflect on a simple, enduring truth: "The time is always right to do what is right." His words continue to challenge us to meet the moment — whatever it asks of us.
Jacob's Ladder (Live at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 2006)
YouTube video by BruceSpringsteenVEVO
youtu.be
January 20, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Not much I can add here, except to say that the Trump regime's attempt to sabotage MLK Day and Juneteenth, two American celebrations that he & his ilk deem to be merely "Black holidays," will prove to be futile. As Bruce notes, it's time to meet the moment & do what's necessary. Make good trouble.
Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith has posted some real zingers here on Bluesky, but I think this one might be his best effort yet. Because heaven knows Trump loves nothing more than pleasuring himself.
Since Trump is such a colossal jerk-off
Instead of giving him the Nobel Peace Prize
Why don't they give him the "Pull-it-Sir" Prize? RS
Instead of giving him the Nobel Peace Prize
Why don't they give him the "Pull-it-Sir" Prize? RS
January 20, 2026 at 7:17 AM
Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith has posted some real zingers here on Bluesky, but I think this one might be his best effort yet. Because heaven knows Trump loves nothing more than pleasuring himself.
Wow! Lots of mixed reactions, many of them negative, to this man's decision to show compassion to another man--one who likely wouldn't do the same if their roles were reversed. I'm at a loss for words when I read the opinions of those who believe he did the wrong thing by rescuing a hate-monger.
“I move off love and unity. That’s how Jesus, Yahweh walked… showing love regardless of what someone did to you. We can’t treat hate with hate.”
This man protected Jake Lang in the crowd in Minneapolis despite knowing he was a white supremacist there to incite.
This man protected Jake Lang in the crowd in Minneapolis despite knowing he was a white supremacist there to incite.
January 18, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Wow! Lots of mixed reactions, many of them negative, to this man's decision to show compassion to another man--one who likely wouldn't do the same if their roles were reversed. I'm at a loss for words when I read the opinions of those who believe he did the wrong thing by rescuing a hate-monger.
Via WaPo's military affairs reporter. Follow the🧵for more. From ABC: "Some 1,500 active duty Army paratroopers have been put on alert for a potential deployment to Minn., according to two defense officials. [They're] from the 11th Airborne ... the military's leading formation for Arctic warfare."
About 1,500 soldiers w/ 11th Airborne Division in Alaska have been placed on prepare-to-deploy orders with a mission in Minnesota in mind, defense officials tell me tonight. Unclear if some or all of them ultimately will go.
News reported tonight by ABC News, too.
News reported tonight by ABC News, too.
January 18, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Via WaPo's military affairs reporter. Follow the🧵for more. From ABC: "Some 1,500 active duty Army paratroopers have been put on alert for a potential deployment to Minn., according to two defense officials. [They're] from the 11th Airborne ... the military's leading formation for Arctic warfare."
Very cool, but eerily intimate. The act of peering into another living creature's body is almost too much so. Obviously, I wasn't cut out to work in any sort of medical field. But this short clip is surely much more interesting than any of the AI-undressing crap that fElon's Grok is churning out.
Float like a glass squid.
What might it feel like to reach a state where your body’s density perfectly matches your surroundings? Their buoyant bodies are filled with ammonium chloride, which is lighter than seawater, helping them to conserve energy while traveling. 1,729 m #ArgentinianDeepSeeps
What might it feel like to reach a state where your body’s density perfectly matches your surroundings? Their buoyant bodies are filled with ammonium chloride, which is lighter than seawater, helping them to conserve energy while traveling. 1,729 m #ArgentinianDeepSeeps
January 17, 2026 at 7:20 AM
Very cool, but eerily intimate. The act of peering into another living creature's body is almost too much so. Obviously, I wasn't cut out to work in any sort of medical field. But this short clip is surely much more interesting than any of the AI-undressing crap that fElon's Grok is churning out.
The IATP has offices in DC, Berlin, but its home is Mpls. Follow its🧵for ways to help those affected by locally & elsewhere.
"We have compiled links to organizations & mutual aid fundraisers that are providing groceries, legal support & rent aid to those most impacted by ongoing ICE activity."
"We have compiled links to organizations & mutual aid fundraisers that are providing groceries, legal support & rent aid to those most impacted by ongoing ICE activity."
While we work nationally & internationally, IATP is deeply rooted in our home state of Minnesota and our city of Minneapolis, where we have been based since our founding nearly 40 years ago. Our community has been facing a surge of ICE violence. Here’s how you can help: www.iatp.org/ice-in-minne...
An Update from Minneapolis: What’s going on, and how you can help
While we work nationally and internationally, IATP is deeply rooted in our home state of Minnesota and our city of Minneapolis, where we have been based since our founding nearly 40 years ago.
www.iatp.org
January 17, 2026 at 7:10 AM
The IATP has offices in DC, Berlin, but its home is Mpls. Follow its🧵for ways to help those affected by locally & elsewhere.
"We have compiled links to organizations & mutual aid fundraisers that are providing groceries, legal support & rent aid to those most impacted by ongoing ICE activity."
"We have compiled links to organizations & mutual aid fundraisers that are providing groceries, legal support & rent aid to those most impacted by ongoing ICE activity."