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capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
Alexander Cohen
@capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
730 followers 2.4K following 310 posts
Investigative data journalist. Native Washingtonian, garage rock ❤️. Past work: Bloomberg, CNN, Center for Public Integrity, Reuters. Aspiring Butlerian Jihadist. Teach me. Mostly doesn’t follow soapboxers, meanies. He/him. Signal: capitolmuckrakr.01
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capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
The environment?
The first amendment/civil liberties?
Architecture/Interior Decorating?!

Feels like Gallup missed a few here.

I’d be curious to know the methodology for choosing issues (I’ll look it up eventually). Is there a limit for how many you want to include because of decision fatigue?
A bar chart titled "President Trump's Job Approval Ratings on Issues" from a Gallup poll conducted November 3-25, 2025. The chart displays the percentage of approval for how Donald Trump is handling various issues. The issues and their corresponding approval percentages are: * Overall job: 36% * Crime: 43% * Foreign affairs: 41% * Foreign trade: 39% * Immigration: 37% * The economy: 36% * The situation in the Middle East between the Israelis and Palestinians: 33% * The federal budget: 31% * The situation in Ukraine: 31% * Healthcare policy: 30% The highest approval rating is for Crime (43%) and the lowest is for Healthcare policy (30%).
November 28, 2025 at 6:16 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
November 2023, Brugge, Belgium
Nighttime view of a canal in Brugge, with swans gliding on the water in the foreground. Old brick buildings line the canal, and a small arched stone bridge crosses it. In the background, a tall, illuminated church spire rises against the cloudy night sky, casting a glow. Trees frame the view on both sides.
October 24, 2025 at 11:45 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
A country divided. trends.google.com/trends/explo...
Google Trends comparison map showing search interest for “Labubu” (blue) versus “Stuffed toy” (red) in the United States in 2025. Most western and southern states, including California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Hawaii, show higher interest in “Labubu,” while many midwestern and northeastern states show higher interest in “Stuffed toy.” The top five subregions for “Labubu” are Hawaii, Nevada, California, District of Columbia, and New Mexico.
October 9, 2025 at 7:12 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
National Guard troops for thee, but not for me.
www.ipsos.com/en-us/where-...
A chart from an NPR/Ipsos poll conducted September 19–21, 2025, showing that more Americans oppose than support recent deployments of the National Guard. The chart measures “Net Percent Support” (support minus oppose) for several deployment scenarios, divided by party: total (gray), Republican (red), Democrat (blue), and Independent (purple). Republicans show strong positive support (around +75%) for all deployments, while Democrats and Independents show net opposition (around –50%). The strongest opposition across groups is for “Deploying National Guard troops to your local area for law enforcement efforts,” which is highlighted with a pink underline.
October 5, 2025 at 1:52 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
Quoting the head of recruitment here, I wonder if this comports with Hegseth’s warrior ethos?
The Navy, he said, was now only bringing in recruits with AFQT scores of 26 and above, at levels below the non-waivered limit of 4% of the total enlistment pool. The “small numbers” of those scoring 26-30%, also known as Category 4s, are being brought in, he indicated, as part of the Navy’s vision for itself, rather than due to a need for numbers. Before boot camp, they head to the Navy’s three-week Future Sailor Preparatory Course, which last year saw 66% of low-scoring enlistees leave the course with a score of 31% or higher, Waters said. “Many times, these young people that are scoring [lower] were disadvantaged in how they were educated and developed and come from difficult personal situations,” Waters said. “It’s important to me and it’s important to the recruiters, more importantly, that we continue to provide this opportunity for young people.”
October 2, 2025 at 7:34 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
And so it begins! 🎃👻🧛🧟‍♀️
The image shows the trunk of a large tree, with a Halloween decoration attached to it. The decoration resembles a large spider with long, thin, gray furry legs that extend outward across the tree bark. The spider is positioned so it looks like it’s climbing the tree.
October 1, 2025 at 2:24 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
Still from the movie High Noon shows Will Kane (Gary Cooper) and Amy Fowler Kane (Grace Kelly). Will is in the background on the left, looking directly forward with a serious expression. He is wearing a white shirt, a dark vest, and a dark cowboy hat. Amy is in the foreground on the right, also looking forward with a concerned expression. She is wearing a white, high-necked dress with lace trim and a white bonnet tied with a bow under her chin.
September 29, 2025 at 8:47 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
As expected, a measured response:
From Laura Loomer: It’s time for the Trump administration to shut down, defund, & prosecute every single Leftist organization. If Charlie Kirk dies from his injuries, his life cannot be in vain. We must shut these lunatic leftists down. Once and for all. The Left is a national security threat. 3:41 PM · Sep 10, 2025 · 343.6K Views
September 10, 2025 at 8:12 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
Screenshot of “Great American Grump Out” on May 6 with a “Realness Score” of 0.5
September 2, 2025 at 8:32 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
Nature’s canvas in overtime.
A scenic ocean view with calm blue-green water stretching to the horizon, where several small boats or ships are visible in the distance. The sky dominates the upper portion of the image, featuring a mix of white puffy cumulus clouds and wispy formations against a bright blue background. A sandy beach is visible in the foreground at the bottom of the frame, and there appear to be a few birds flying in the distant sky. The lighting suggests daytime with good weather conditions.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
August 30, 2025 at 4:37 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
www.climatechangenews.com/2025/08/08/a...
“Oil and gas-producing countries see the petrochemical sector as a lifeline. Seven countries, including China, the US and Saudi Arabia, are responsible for two-thirds of the world’s plastic production, according to research from Zero Carbon Analytics.”
A pie chart showing that seven countries produce two-thirds of the world’s plastic, led by China (34%) and the U.S. (13%).
August 11, 2025 at 5:35 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
two vertical checkboxes with the labels “non-park pigeons” and “park squirrels”
July 27, 2025 at 10:07 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
@mkraju on X: “Top Dems on House and Senate Intel Committees — Jim Himes and Mark Warner, both members of Gang of Eight — were not briefed before the attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, per sources.”
June 22, 2025 at 1:32 AM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
@annmarie on X: “Iran’s state TV reported that the country had evacuated personnel from the three nuclear sites in advance. According to the broadcaster’s political deputy, Iran had relocated its nuclear stockpiles from those sites to secure locations.”
June 22, 2025 at 1:03 AM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
I think I’ve found my go-to coffee spot for the conference. #IRE25
Verdant outdoor courtyard with a cappuccino and croissant on a table in the foreground.
June 20, 2025 at 12:32 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
One man standing in the way of a column of tanks in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, a day after hundreds, possibly thousands of pro-democracy protesters were killed in the crackdown by the Chinese government.
June 3, 2025 at 12:17 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
Dear @nytimes.com,
A small request since I’m trying to read the Sunday paper and an article’s pithy, clever headline doesn’t convey its subject. Cut this shit out, it’s ruining the reading experience that I already pay for.
A right-click view of a NYT article with the summary of the article blocked by a pop-up ad.
May 25, 2025 at 6:13 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
Chaos vs. Control?
A cybertruck with a Washington, DC license plate and, in place of the brand logo, a skull icon with a lighting bolt inside the crown, an insignia belonging to the band The Grateful Dead.
May 19, 2025 at 12:26 AM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
They’re here.
A Waymo vehicle with a person sitting in the driver’s seat, waiting for the traffic light to turn green, at Connecticut Ave. NW and the intersection with Calvert St. NW, Washington, D.C.
May 14, 2025 at 8:21 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
David Schor, the principal would like to see you in their office.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
``` A news article excerpt.The article states: "Updated 9h ago. William P. Davis Director of election analytics. Turnout in this year's spring election could be more than 2.4 million. That's extraordinarily high for an off-year election — nearly 40 percent higher than the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election, and just a few hundred thousand voters short of the number that might show up for a midterm election."
April 2, 2025 at 12:13 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
Portrait style drawing of a frowning cyberman
March 21, 2025 at 1:35 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
Updating my look! Thanks, @tisha.bsky.social #NICAR4EVAH #IRE50
A beautiful, glamorous, wonderful button that reads, “I SUPPORT NICAR”
March 19, 2025 at 10:15 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
I was going to link to the UN page about the treaty, but
www.unhcr.org/us/about-unh...
US version of UN page on 1951 refugee convention, which returns a 404 not found error
March 19, 2025 at 8:22 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
State of the Global Climate 2024

wmo.int/publication-...
Wile E. Coyote realizing he׳s just run off a cliff.
March 19, 2025 at 12:57 PM
capitolmuckrakr.bsky.social
Starlink and other “satellite constellations” may harm the ozone layer.

www.science.org/content/arti...
When the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket failed to reach a high enough orbit on 11 July, the 20 Starlink satellites it released were doomed. Within a couple days, the satellites had fallen back into Earth’s atmosphere, burning up as anthropogenic meteor showers. Although the demise of the 20 Starlink satellites was premature, such fiery “deorbits” are also the preferred way to dispose of spacecraft at the end of their operational lives, so they don’t drift on as space junk. But with commercial plans to put many tens of thousands of satellites into orbit in vast megaconstellations, researchers are starting to wonder about the atmospheric consequences when those spacecraft are retired in large numbers. Recent studies highlight growing concerns over the rising concentrations of metal particles and gases from satellites that can linger in the stratosphere for years, potentially catalyzing the destruction of ozone. “Almost no one is thinking about the environmental impact on the stratosphere,” says atmospheric chemist Daniel Murphy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Chemical Sciences Laboratory. “It would be better to understand it now than when there’s much more.”
March 18, 2025 at 3:15 AM