Michael Blanding
@michaelblanding.bsky.social
Investigative journalist and author of The Map Thief (NYT bestseller) and In Shakespeare’s Shadow. Upcoming book explores Hobby Lobby, looted antiquities, and the rise of Christian Nationalism (PublicAffairs, 2026). www.michaelblanding.com
Pinned
COVER REVEAL! Proud to officially announce my next book, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO HOBBY LOBBY: Inside a Billionaire Family’s Quest to Craft a Christian Nation, to be published by PublicAffairs on July 14, 2026. #ChristianNationalism #Bible #Politics #Religion #ReligiousFreedom #AntiquitiesTrafficking
Reposted by Michael Blanding
emailing in a semi-literate manner isn’t a sign of stupidity, it’s another form of rich asshole arrogance because you don’t think you owe anyone coherent thoughts
November 13, 2025 at 3:27 AM
emailing in a semi-literate manner isn’t a sign of stupidity, it’s another form of rich asshole arrogance because you don’t think you owe anyone coherent thoughts
Reposted by Michael Blanding
FROM: reporter@nytimes.com
TO: epstein@pedophile.com
SUBJECT: re: can you print these pictures of donald trump with underage women
hello jeffrey my friend. no for some reason
TO: epstein@pedophile.com
SUBJECT: re: can you print these pictures of donald trump with underage women
hello jeffrey my friend. no for some reason
November 12, 2025 at 10:33 PM
FROM: reporter@nytimes.com
TO: epstein@pedophile.com
SUBJECT: re: can you print these pictures of donald trump with underage women
hello jeffrey my friend. no for some reason
TO: epstein@pedophile.com
SUBJECT: re: can you print these pictures of donald trump with underage women
hello jeffrey my friend. no for some reason
Reposted by Michael Blanding
Looks like a fascinating book.
COVER REVEAL! Proud to officially announce my next book, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO HOBBY LOBBY: Inside a Billionaire Family’s Quest to Craft a Christian Nation, to be published by PublicAffairs on July 14, 2026. #ChristianNationalism #Bible #Politics #Religion #ReligiousFreedom #AntiquitiesTrafficking
November 12, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Looks like a fascinating book.
COVER REVEAL! Proud to officially announce my next book, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO HOBBY LOBBY: Inside a Billionaire Family’s Quest to Craft a Christian Nation, to be published by PublicAffairs on July 14, 2026. #ChristianNationalism #Bible #Politics #Religion #ReligiousFreedom #AntiquitiesTrafficking
November 12, 2025 at 7:53 PM
COVER REVEAL! Proud to officially announce my next book, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO HOBBY LOBBY: Inside a Billionaire Family’s Quest to Craft a Christian Nation, to be published by PublicAffairs on July 14, 2026. #ChristianNationalism #Bible #Politics #Religion #ReligiousFreedom #AntiquitiesTrafficking
New Bluesky motto just dropped
all of you are very annoying but i also am very annoying
November 12, 2025 at 3:21 AM
New Bluesky motto just dropped
Reposted by Michael Blanding
all of you are very annoying but i also am very annoying
November 12, 2025 at 2:39 AM
all of you are very annoying but i also am very annoying
Reposted by Michael Blanding
The absolutely crazy story behind Trump's $2,000 tariff rebate checks
deanbaker22.substack.com/p/the-absolu...
deanbaker22.substack.com/p/the-absolu...
The Absolutely Crazy Story Behind Trump’s $2,000 Tariff Rebate Checks
Trump is seriously confused
deanbaker22.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:29 PM
The absolutely crazy story behind Trump's $2,000 tariff rebate checks
deanbaker22.substack.com/p/the-absolu...
deanbaker22.substack.com/p/the-absolu...
Reposted by Michael Blanding
irony is dead
Three German universities offering post-docs for researchers "who cannot conduct or continue their work in the USA appropriately because of actual political pressure. "
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
Early Career Rescue Fellowship
www.uni-konstanz.de
November 11, 2025 at 7:54 PM
irony is dead
Reposted by Michael Blanding
On Wednesday, Conde Nast management illegally fired four union leaders. While our union fights these illegal dismissals, the “Fired Four” have been left with no severance or COBRA coverage. Please donate to help cover their living expenses at the link below.
Donate to Support the Fired Four: Alma, Ben, Jake, Jasper, organized by Louryn Strampe
On November 5, 2025, Conde Nast management illegally fired four union l… Louryn Strampe needs your support for Support the Fired Four: Alma, Ben, Jake, Jasper
www.gofundme.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:36 PM
On Wednesday, Conde Nast management illegally fired four union leaders. While our union fights these illegal dismissals, the “Fired Four” have been left with no severance or COBRA coverage. Please donate to help cover their living expenses at the link below.
Reposted by Michael Blanding
Gosh, the good thing here is that there’s already a framework to do just that, maybe they could call it The Affordable Care Act?
November 11, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Gosh, the good thing here is that there’s already a framework to do just that, maybe they could call it The Affordable Care Act?
Reposted by Michael Blanding
BREAKING: The Supreme Court DENIES former county clerk Kim Davis's request for the justices to take up her longshot bid to overturn 2015's Obergefell v. Hodges marriage equality decision. No justice even writes about the request.
November 10, 2025 at 2:34 PM
BREAKING: The Supreme Court DENIES former county clerk Kim Davis's request for the justices to take up her longshot bid to overturn 2015's Obergefell v. Hodges marriage equality decision. No justice even writes about the request.
Reposted by Michael Blanding
Loving today's news that the mysterious "fedora man" outside the Louvre heist was actually a 15-year-old museum visitor who dresses like a 1940s French detective all the time, just because. apnews.com/article/louv...
Fedora man unmasked: Meet the teen behind the Louvre mystery photo
Fifteen-year-old Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux has become an internet sensation after an Associated Press photo captured him outside the Louvre on the day of a crown jewels heist.
apnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Loving today's news that the mysterious "fedora man" outside the Louvre heist was actually a 15-year-old museum visitor who dresses like a 1940s French detective all the time, just because. apnews.com/article/louv...
Reposted by Michael Blanding
Imagine being so bad at posting that you have to buy Twitter and change the algorithm to force people to read your shit, and then the world's best poster comes along and casually annihilates you in between parentheses.
November 9, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Imagine being so bad at posting that you have to buy Twitter and change the algorithm to force people to read your shit, and then the world's best poster comes along and casually annihilates you in between parentheses.
Reposted by Michael Blanding
This is, unsurprisingly, nonsensical. Is he suggesting eliminating health insurance and giving people a few thousand dollars instead? And then when they get a cancer diagnosis they just go bankrupt?
He is so unserious. That's why we are shut down and Americans know it.
He is so unserious. That's why we are shut down and Americans know it.
November 8, 2025 at 4:40 PM
This is, unsurprisingly, nonsensical. Is he suggesting eliminating health insurance and giving people a few thousand dollars instead? And then when they get a cancer diagnosis they just go bankrupt?
He is so unserious. That's why we are shut down and Americans know it.
He is so unserious. That's why we are shut down and Americans know it.
Reposted by Michael Blanding
"World's first potential trillionaire has killed 600,000 people, including 400,000 children" is the only headline that anyone should ever read about Elon Musk
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
November 7, 2025 at 1:33 AM
"World's first potential trillionaire has killed 600,000 people, including 400,000 children" is the only headline that anyone should ever read about Elon Musk
Reposted by Michael Blanding
This is a really hard day and I want to just add as WIRED's politics editor -- WIRED's politics reporting isn't going anywhere. We are very much here and won't stop.
Please continue to read and support us - canceling your subscription to WIRED is not standing in solidarity with our journalists.
Please continue to read and support us - canceling your subscription to WIRED is not standing in solidarity with our journalists.
The key thing to watch here: they fired a Wired political reporter. That’s the title doing the most effective, pointed work. Teen Vogue’s stuff was culturally impactful, but less focused on investigating the administration. Within the Condé portfolio, Wired and the New Yorker are the canaries.
New: Conde Nast fired four employees who were among a group that confronted the company's head of human resources on Wednesday over the decision to fold Teen Vogue into Vogue/recent cuts. Employees who were fired included journalists from the New Yorker, Wired, and Bon Appétit.
November 6, 2025 at 6:26 PM
This is a really hard day and I want to just add as WIRED's politics editor -- WIRED's politics reporting isn't going anywhere. We are very much here and won't stop.
Please continue to read and support us - canceling your subscription to WIRED is not standing in solidarity with our journalists.
Please continue to read and support us - canceling your subscription to WIRED is not standing in solidarity with our journalists.
Reposted by Michael Blanding
Closing arguments begin. The government says, “Everyone has a right to their personal beliefs…However, that does not give them the right to touch another person, to strike another person, even with a sandwich.”
November 5, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Reposted by Michael Blanding
dawg not the steakhouse wedding font
November 5, 2025 at 3:33 PM
dawg not the steakhouse wedding font
Reposted by Michael Blanding
Young people experiencing hope from the democratic process is a beautiful thing to see:
November 5, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Young people experiencing hope from the democratic process is a beautiful thing to see:
Reposted by Michael Blanding
I better see no less than six stories this week in the NYT about Mamdani voters talking about their economic anxiety in Brooklyn diners and what the GOP can do to win them back.
November 5, 2025 at 2:48 AM
I better see no less than six stories this week in the NYT about Mamdani voters talking about their economic anxiety in Brooklyn diners and what the GOP can do to win them back.
Reposted by Michael Blanding
Beginning to wonder if the Nobel Peace Prize can ever recover from this.
November 2, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Beginning to wonder if the Nobel Peace Prize can ever recover from this.
Quite literally Nobody Wants This
JD Vance says he’s raising his kids Christian and hopes his wife, Usha, comes around to the faith
“I honestly do wish that. I believe in the Christian gospel, and I hope eventually, my wife comes to see it the same way."
“I honestly do wish that. I believe in the Christian gospel, and I hope eventually, my wife comes to see it the same way."
October 31, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Quite literally Nobody Wants This
Reposted by Michael Blanding
Ahead of the 1st shutdown of US food aid to hungry Americans in 60 years, some of the 200,000 Little Free Library locations are converting into food pantries. Thanks @littlefreelibrary.bsky.social
October 30, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Ahead of the 1st shutdown of US food aid to hungry Americans in 60 years, some of the 200,000 Little Free Library locations are converting into food pantries. Thanks @littlefreelibrary.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Blanding
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works and let me know if you have any questions! 🤗
October 29, 2025 at 9:16 PM
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works and let me know if you have any questions! 🤗
Reposted by Michael Blanding
So long 4th Amendment, or whatever’s left of it
New: Videos show ICE/CBP agents are scanning peoples' faces on the street to verify citizenship. ICE has tool to instantly look up unprecedented number of databases with just a photo
“I’m an American citizen so leave me alone”
“Alright, we just got to verify that”
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
“I’m an American citizen so leave me alone”
“Alright, we just got to verify that”
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
ICE and CBP Agents Are Scanning Peoples’ Faces on the Street To Verify Citizenship
Videos on social media show officers from ICE and CBP using facial recognition technology on people in the field. One expert described the practice as “pure dystopian creep.”
www.404media.co
October 29, 2025 at 2:44 PM
So long 4th Amendment, or whatever’s left of it