Dave Earley
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earleyedition.bsky.social
Dave Earley
@earleyedition.bsky.social
12K followers 1.3K following 1K posts
Audience Editor @australia.theguardian.com. Previously digital editor Quest Newspapers, engagement editor Courier Mail, online news editor 7News Brisbane and more. Social media, journalism, analytics, audience engagement, etc. All the digital news things
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earleyedition.bsky.social
BREAKING NEWS: The US appears to be attempting to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic in a high-stakes operation following a pursuit lasting more than two weeks, after Moscow reportedly moved to safeguard the vessel by dispatching a submarine www.theguardian.com/...
The Guardian app alert: US reportedly attempting to seize Venezuela-linked tanker in European waters - latest updates
January 7, 2026 at 1:23 PM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Kick off your New Year with @jessharwoodart.bsky.social‘s brain-rot prevention training program, and get ready for a new start in 2026! www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
January 7, 2026 at 1:06 PM
earleyedition.bsky.social
“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority […] & of course, utilizing the US military is always an option” www.theguardian.com/...
"President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it's vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region. The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief's disposal," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
January 7, 2026 at 4:05 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
What’s in the US criminal indictment against Nicolás Maduro? www.theguardian.com/...
What are the charges? The charges include “narco-terrorism” conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US. The indictment accuses Maduro of having ties to six different gangs and drug trafficking groups, including two Colombian rebel factions – the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Farc, and the National Liberation Army, ELN, as well as Tren de Aragua and two Mexican crime factions, the Sinaloa and the Zetas.
January 6, 2026 at 8:10 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Are NYT and WSJ okay?

“top three most important foreign policy victories of Mr. Trump’s second term”

“Mexico is acting like an adversary to the US” 🤔
In @nytopinion "The raid against Mr. Maduro may be one of the top three most important foreign policy victories of Mr. Trump's second term in office. Opinion | Donald Trump Was Right to Oust Maduro wsjopinion • 5h The U.S. armed forces went into harm's way and did more for liberty in Latin America in a single night than the Mexican state has achieved in a generation-and that state condemns us for it, writes Joshua Treviño Opinion | Mexico Is Acting Like an Adversary to the U.S.
January 6, 2026 at 7:43 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Come ON. María Corina Machado tells Sean Hannity she would share Nobel Peace prize with Donald Trump www.theguardian.com/...
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado says she would share Nobel Peace prize with Trump María Corina Machado, the exiled Venezuelan opposition leader, used an appearance on Sean Hannity's Fox News show on Monday to assure Donald Trump that she would like to share the Nobel peace prize she won last year with him. Machado, whose failure to immediately surrender the Nobel prize to Trump reportedly angered the US president, also told Fox News on Monday that she plans to return to her country as soon as possible. Speaking to Hannity, Trump's close ally, Machado was effusive in her praise for Trump, but she admitted that she had not yet offered to give him the Nobel prize. "It hasn't happened yet," she said, "but I certainly would love to be able to personally tell him that we believe, the Venezuelan people, because this is a prize of the Venezuelan people, certainly want to give it to him, and share it with him. In the aftermath of the US military operation to depose Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan president who is widely believed to have stolen the last election from the opposition, Trump dismissed the idea that Machado should run the country. "I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader," Trump said. "She doesn't have the support within, or the respect within, the country. She's a very nice woman, but she doesn't have the respect." Two people close to the White House told the Washington Post that Machado had alienated Trump by accepting the Nobel prize, instead of giving it to him.
January 6, 2026 at 3:56 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
"Resisting the violation of rules and insisting on adherence, even if certainly in vain, is how norms are established and then maintained. Lying low and hoping that this too shall pass is cowardice, denial and historical illiteracy." www.theguardian.com/...
The tepid response from those who still feel the need to restate support for international law does nothing but contribute to this state of encouraged predation. The situation in Venezuela cannot be contained with peaceful transition (which is unlikely if the entirety of recent history is anything to go by). Just as Gaza could not be contained. One could argue that it is wise not to anger Trump – not even with a statement of the truth of his actions – and ask what a country such as the UK could do anyway. But resisting the violation of rules and insisting on adherence, even if certainly in vain, is how norms are established and then maintained. Lying low and hoping that this too shall pass is cowardice, denial and historical illiteracy. The consequences will be reaped increasingly, and not just by the unfortunate in faraway places. Fences, both practical and notional, that maintained a settlement – fragile and flawed, but a settlement nonetheless – are being dismantled. Silence is not
January 5, 2026 at 10:26 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Here's the link to the full Ofcom report (PDF 115 pages) with a lot more charts and graphs www.ofcom.org.uk/sit...
January 3, 2026 at 11:36 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Donald Trump claims that Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife have been “captured and flown out of the country” after US bombing attack on Venezuela's capital, Caracas www.theguardian.com/...
Trump claims Maduro 'captured and flown out of the country' US president Donald Trump claims that the Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife have been “captured and flown out of the country”. In a Truth Social post shared only moments ago, Trump wrote: The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP. The Guardian has been unable to independently verify this report.
January 3, 2026 at 9:44 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
"Some people will commit human rights abuses rather than just go to therapy."
Even the Rat Pack has been conscripted into the misplaced MAGA nostalgia for a bygone, more nativist era. “Watched the Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra Family Christmas with my kids,” Stephen Miller tweeted Friday. “Imagine watching that and thinking America needed infinity migrants from the third world.” As my colleagues have pointed out, this is a strange takeaway about two singers whose parents immigrated from Italy, which would have been considered “third world” at the time. 2 2. It’s just also a weird takeaway, period. What kind of sicko watches a family holiday special about fluffy snow and Santa and immediately starts ranting about the Great Replacement? Some people will commit human rights abuses rather than just go to therapy.
December 30, 2025 at 12:42 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Newly released #EpsteinFiles have many Trump refs, incl suggestion he travelled on Epstein’s jet with women who would have been possible witnesses in Ghislaine Maxwell case

From: US attorney for southern district of NY
Subject: Epstein flight records
Date: 7 Jan 2020
Message: Uh wut
buff.ly/i69zoEI
The email – sent by the US attorney for the southern district of New York on 7 January 2020 – has the subject “Epstein flight records”. It reads: “For your situational awareness, wanted to let you know that the flight records we received yesterday reflect that Donald Trump travelled on Epstein’s private jet many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware), including during the period we would expect to charge in a Maxwell case. “In particular, he is listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, including at least four flights on which Maxwell was also present. He is listed as having travelled with, among others and at various times, Marla Maples, his daughter Tiffany, and his son Eric. “On one flight in 1993, he and Epstein are the only two listed passengers; on another, the only three passengers are Epstein, Trump, and then-20-year-old REDACTED. “On two other flights, two of the passengers, respectively, were women who would be possible witnesses in a [Ghislaine] Maxwell case.”
December 24, 2025 at 1:43 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
The Trump administration is currently holding 23,830 people with NO CRIMINAL RECORD in immigration detention buff.ly/OxfYCpn

Pre-Trump, people with no criminal record made up 6% of those in ICE detention. Now they make up 42% of people in ICE detention.
Graph of People in ICE detention by criminal history. As of 14 December 2025 No criminal record: 23,830 Criminal record: 16,740 Pending charges: 15,830 Guardian graphic. Note: Point-in-time counts every 14 days, as of 14 December 2025. Values rounded to nearest 10. Data includes people booked into ICE detention who were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Data was not reported during the federal government shutdown.
December 23, 2025 at 4:25 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
By the numbers: the latest ICE and CBP data on arrests, detentions and deportations in the US buff.ly/uDGBpsK
Total arrests 328,630 Up 21,180 in the past 14 days People currently in detention 68,440 Up 2,710 Total deportations 326,390 Up 19,220 Note: Values from 28 January 2025 to 14 December 2025 rounded to nearest 10. Arrest data includes arrests from Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
December 23, 2025 at 4:04 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
The number of people in immigration detention in the US has hit an all-time high according to data published by ICE. As of Dec 14, ICE held 68,440 people

Immigrants with no criminal record continue to make up the largest group in detention, not “the worst of the worst” criminals buff.ly/3U2lIz7
Graph of People in ICE detention Point-in-time counts every 14 days, as of 14 December 2025 Guardian graphic. Note: Data includes people booked into ICE detention who were arrested by Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Values rounded to nearest 10. Graph of People in ICE detention by criminal history Guardian graphic. Note: Point-in-time counts every 14 days, as of 14 December 2025. Values rounded to nearest 10. Data includes people booked into ICE detention who were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Data was not reported during the federal government shutdown.
December 23, 2025 at 4:04 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
🎄BREAKING🎁 for news nerds. Australia's Top News website rankings from November are out today.

🚨news•com•au takes the No1 spot from ABC for first time in 2025, pipping them by just 108k readers. Guardian Australia is the 5th most read news website in the country for a record 5th consecutive month💪
Top News Websites in Australia. Source: Ipsos Iris Online Measurement Service, November 2025, Age +14, All Devices (PC/Laptop, Smartphone and Tablet)s, Text, Brand Level, News Category Excluding aggregators and Weather, Audience (000s), Audience Reach (%), Average Mins PP
December 22, 2025 at 12:18 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Also, also, also, and.. 😳👀 www.theguardian.com/...
President Donald Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles in the oval office in February. Photograph: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Revelations from White House chief of staff Susie Wiles in a series of remarkably unguarded interviews with Vanity Fair caused quite a stir today. Among the key tidbits were Wiles directly contradicting the official administration line when she said that Trump’s real goal in striking alleged drug boats in the Caribbean is indeed regime change in Venezuela, not the so-called “war on drugs”. She also said that Trump was “wrong” to tie former president Bill Clinton to Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activity. And while she doesn’t think Trump is on a retribution tour, she conceded that the case of Letitia James “might be the one retribution”. “When there’s an opportunity [for score settling], he will go for it,” she said of the president. Also in those interviews, Wiles said that Trump has “an alcoholic’s personality”; JD Vance “has been a conspiracy theorist for a decade” and his conversion to Trumpism was “sort of political” when he was running for the Senate; and attorney general Pam Bondi “completely whiffed” her early handling of the Epstein files. There were also striking comments about Elon Musk’s ketamine use and his dismantling of USAID, the latter of which Wiles said left her “initially aghast”. Wiles also disclosed that she had warned Trump against pardoning the most violent participants in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and pressed him to delay his decision on sweeping trade tariffs, but was unable to change his mind in either case. “The tariff decision has been more painful than I expected,” she said.
December 16, 2025 at 10:07 PM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Susie Wiles says Trump "wants to keep on blowing boats up until [Nicolás] Maduro cries uncle. And people way smarter than me 😳👀 on that say that he will" www.theguardian.com/...
Trump’s chief of staff suggests real goal of US boat strikes is to topple Venezuela’s Maduro President Donald Trump and chief of staff Susie Wiles in the oval office in February. Photograph: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
December 16, 2025 at 10:07 PM
earleyedition.bsky.social
I'd say in your "Suggested Reels" carousel DON'T put a terrorist attack alongside your AI-gen videos of koalas on the run and kangaroos getting arrested by cops but idk maybe that's just me.

Two easy reasons.
1. Taste
2. Reducing trust in the veracity of actual vision from the Bondi shooting
Instagram suggested Reels carousel Bondi terror attack Koala chase in high speed pursuit Kangaroo being arrested by police
December 15, 2025 at 11:03 PM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Australians and in fact the rest of the world, not too keen on going to America, it turns out. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Fewer Australians are travelling to the US under Trump Showing the year-on-year % change in visitors to the US from Australia, and visitors from all countries (excluding land-based visitors from Canada and Mexico) Guardian graphic Source: ITA https://www.trade.gov/i-94-arrivals-program Notes: Data for October is preliminary
December 12, 2025 at 3:37 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Something had actually already happened there for me. I tried to edit my birthday before I went to any age verification, and got that message, when I definitely hadn't recently edited it.
You recently changed your birthdate There is a limit to how often you can change your birthdate. You may need to wait a day or two before updating it again.
December 9, 2025 at 8:05 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Ha, it prefilled DOB entry as 18 years old when I went to add it.

But it let me put in 5 May 1821, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ www.theguardian.com/gnm-archive/...
December 9, 2025 at 7:14 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Bluesky has also asked the @australia.theguardian.com account to put in its age, and is even more restrictive.

Guardian Australia can't use @bsky.app, though 3rd party posts are still going through.

I won't put GdnAus's 2013 launch as birth date in case it nukes the account. Maybe I'll try 1821
December 9, 2025 at 7:09 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
After going through above, I was sent an email, which sent me to the Kids Web Services website. I chose "Face Scan", which directed me to Yoti, face was scanned and it began estimating my age. It was taking so long I forgot about it, and just came back 4hrs later to see it is still "Estimating age"👍
You need to verify your age Bluesky Social needs to confirm that the person with this email address meets a required age. We use KWS to provide you with a range of methods to verify your age. Verify My Age When you click 'Verify My Age', Bluesky Social will share your email address with KWS. KWS will check if you previously verified your age. If not, you'll be taken to the KWS website to provide more details. By continuing, you agree to the KWS Terms of Use and acknowledge that KWS will store your verified status alongside your hashed email address in accordance with the KWS Privacy Policy. This means you won't need to verify again the next time you use this email for other games/services powered by KWS technology. = Only takes a couple of minutes. Helps build a safer internet. & This process has been designed with your data privacy in mind KWS will tell us if you successfully verify your age but will never share your verification information with us. For any questions about verification, visit the KWS support site for frequently asked questions or to contact support. If you've received this email by mistake, please contact support. Thank you, Bluesky Social Team KWS Kids Web Services Choose a method to verify your age By selecting a verification method below, you confirm that you have read KWS' Privacy Policy. We will let Bluesky Social know once you've verified your age. What do you do with my information? ^ KWS will use the verification details you provide only to verify your age. Once successfully verified, KWS remembers your verified status. This means you won't need to verify again when using this email for other games or services powered by KWS technology. Face Scan We use Yoti to scan your facial features and estimate your age. Credit Card We use Stripe to authorise your card. Your card will not be charged. ID Scan We use Veriff to scan and validate documents like a government-issued ID, passport or driving license. YOTI Estimating age
December 9, 2025 at 6:53 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Welcome to Australia's #socialmediaban, Bluesky!

@bsky.app 👀

*Bluesky is not in the social media ban, but has rolled out age verification.
The laws in your location require you to verify you're an adult to access certain features. Tap to learn more. Birthday - Edit • Age Assurance Due to laws in your region, certain features on Bluesky are currently restricted until you're able to verify you're an adult. Age assurance only takes a few minutes Verify now Age Assurance Verify your age We have partnered with KWS to verify that you're an adult. When you click "Begin" below, KWS will check if you have previously verified your age using this email address for other games/services powered by KWS technology. If not, KWS will email you instructions for verifying your age. When you're done, you'll be brought back to continue using Bluesky. This should only take a few minutes.
December 9, 2025 at 6:53 AM
earleyedition.bsky.social
Since the program started in 2015 Shell, one of the world’s biggest oil and gas companies, has contributed $10.25m in sponsorship for various Queensland museum programs, including Future Makers, materials for which had been downloaded 400,000 times www.theguardian.com/...
December 8, 2025 at 12:02 PM