molly taft
@mollytaft.com
disaster lesbian on the apocalypse beat @wired.com . very tall with a very short dog. pitch me: molly_taft@wired.com, signal: @mollytaft.76. mollytaft.com
Pinned
molly taft
@mollytaft.com
· Aug 20
FEMA Now Requires Disaster Victims to Have an Email Address
Workers at FEMA worry that demanding disaster survivors access services using email could shut out people without internet connectivity from receiving government aid.
www.wired.com
SCOOP: FEMA is now requiring disaster survivors to sign up to receive aid using an email address - a move that is already putting some of the country’s most vulnerable people at risk of missing out on federal help, employees told me:
new from me today: not all data centers are created environmentally equal — and building them in states with cleaner grids and more access to water could go a long way in preventing environmental catastrophe
If the US Has to Build Data Centers, Here’s Where They Should Go
A new analysis tries to calculate the coming environmental footprint of AI in the US and finds that the ideal sites for data centers aren’t where they’re being built.
www.wired.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:11 PM
new from me today: not all data centers are created environmentally equal — and building them in states with cleaner grids and more access to water could go a long way in preventing environmental catastrophe
Reposted by molly taft
"When I think about the jobs the data center will bring to our area, I think about the impact of introducing nuclear technology to the world and deploying it on civilians"
www.404media.co/a-small-town...
www.404media.co/a-small-town...
A Small Town Is Fighting a $1.2 Billion AI Datacenter for America's Nuclear Weapon Scientists
Ypsilanti, Michigan has officially decided to fight against the construction of a 'high-performance computing facility' that would service a nuclear weapons laboratory 1,500 miles away.
www.404media.co
November 10, 2025 at 4:42 PM
"When I think about the jobs the data center will bring to our area, I think about the impact of introducing nuclear technology to the world and deploying it on civilians"
www.404media.co/a-small-town...
www.404media.co/a-small-town...
Reposted by molly taft
Thousands of EPA employees are furloughed. Some of those who remain are busy loosening pollution regulations, a key priority of the Trump admin.
Great reporting from @mollytaft.com
Great reporting from @mollytaft.com
The EPA Is in Chaos
“We learn who is furloughed when we send an email to someone and get the out-of-office message,” one employee tells WIRED.
www.wired.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Thousands of EPA employees are furloughed. Some of those who remain are busy loosening pollution regulations, a key priority of the Trump admin.
Great reporting from @mollytaft.com
Great reporting from @mollytaft.com
Reposted by molly taft
NEW: Even with the end of the US government shutdown in sight, the EPA is in chaos.
@mollytaft.com spoke with employees at the agency about their instructions over the last 5 weeks (and lack thereof):
@mollytaft.com spoke with employees at the agency about their instructions over the last 5 weeks (and lack thereof):
The EPA Is in Chaos
“We learn who is furloughed when we send an email to someone and get the out-of-office message,” one employee tells WIRED.
www.wired.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:40 PM
NEW: Even with the end of the US government shutdown in sight, the EPA is in chaos.
@mollytaft.com spoke with employees at the agency about their instructions over the last 5 weeks (and lack thereof):
@mollytaft.com spoke with employees at the agency about their instructions over the last 5 weeks (and lack thereof):
with the end of the shutdown looming, here's my look for @wired.com into what life has been like for EPA employees over the past five weeks: little to no heads up about who was getting furloughed next, important projects getting put on the back burner while deregulation moves forward:
The EPA Is in Chaos
“We learn who is furloughed when we send an email to someone and get the out-of-office message,” one employee tells WIRED.
www.wired.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:39 PM
with the end of the shutdown looming, here's my look for @wired.com into what life has been like for EPA employees over the past five weeks: little to no heads up about who was getting furloughed next, important projects getting put on the back burner while deregulation moves forward:
Reposted by molly taft
SCOOP: WIRED obtained notes from a Social Security Administration management meeting, where employees grilled leadership on plans for the agency. wrd.cm/3JNrCIu
Social Security Employees Grill Management During Tense Shutdown Meeting
WIRED obtained notes from a Social Security Administration management meeting, where employees pressed leadership on plans for the agency.
www.wired.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:51 PM
SCOOP: WIRED obtained notes from a Social Security Administration management meeting, where employees grilled leadership on plans for the agency. wrd.cm/3JNrCIu
“People are coming to me saying they cannot put gas in their car and they cannot afford to come to work anymore, and they'll need to get other jobs,” said one employee on the call. “Pretty soon they won't be able to afford to work at the agency.”
Social Security Employees Grill Management During Tense Shutdown Meeting
WIRED obtained notes from a Social Security Administration management meeting, where employees pressed leadership on plans for the agency.
www.wired.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:15 PM
“People are coming to me saying they cannot put gas in their car and they cannot afford to come to work anymore, and they'll need to get other jobs,” said one employee on the call. “Pretty soon they won't be able to afford to work at the agency.”
Reposted by molly taft
Did you know a former White House climate advisor flipped a GOP stronghold in Virginia by running entirely on putting a stop to more AI data centers?
For @heatmap.news I profiled John McAuliff and a campaign that will be a roadmap for all future anti-AI politicians moving forward.
For @heatmap.news I profiled John McAuliff and a campaign that will be a roadmap for all future anti-AI politicians moving forward.
This Virginia Election Was a Warning for Data Centers
John McAuliff ran his campaign almost entirely on data centers — and won.
heatmap.news
November 7, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Did you know a former White House climate advisor flipped a GOP stronghold in Virginia by running entirely on putting a stop to more AI data centers?
For @heatmap.news I profiled John McAuliff and a campaign that will be a roadmap for all future anti-AI politicians moving forward.
For @heatmap.news I profiled John McAuliff and a campaign that will be a roadmap for all future anti-AI politicians moving forward.
Reposted by molly taft
I am absolutely certain that Jake is going to have a great job lined up before too long (a good reason to reach out to him now if you're hiring), but a job tomorrow doesn't pay the bills today.
Hey everyone, thank you so much for the outpouring of support.
I need to pay rent, and I launched a GoFundMe spot.fund/LahutRentFund
I need to pay rent, and I launched a GoFundMe spot.fund/LahutRentFund
Click here to support Jake Lahut's story *LahutRentFund
*spotfund is the easiest place to create beautiful and free online fundraisers. It takes just minutes to start raising money today.
spot.fund
November 7, 2025 at 3:27 PM
I am absolutely certain that Jake is going to have a great job lined up before too long (a good reason to reach out to him now if you're hiring), but a job tomorrow doesn't pay the bills today.
Reposted by molly taft
help jake pay rent, please!
Hey everyone, thank you so much for the outpouring of support.
I need to pay rent, and I launched a GoFundMe spot.fund/LahutRentFund
I need to pay rent, and I launched a GoFundMe spot.fund/LahutRentFund
Click here to support Jake Lahut's story *LahutRentFund
*spotfund is the easiest place to create beautiful and free online fundraisers. It takes just minutes to start raising money today.
spot.fund
November 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM
help jake pay rent, please!
Reposted by molly taft
being fired suddenly in NYC is a nightmare — if you can help out Jake, please consider it!
Hey everyone, thank you so much for the outpouring of support.
I need to pay rent, and I launched a GoFundMe spot.fund/LahutRentFund
I need to pay rent, and I launched a GoFundMe spot.fund/LahutRentFund
Click here to support Jake Lahut's story *LahutRentFund
*spotfund is the easiest place to create beautiful and free online fundraisers. It takes just minutes to start raising money today.
spot.fund
November 7, 2025 at 3:20 PM
being fired suddenly in NYC is a nightmare — if you can help out Jake, please consider it!
Reposted by molly taft
Hey everyone, thank you so much for the outpouring of support.
I need to pay rent, and I launched a GoFundMe spot.fund/LahutRentFund
I need to pay rent, and I launched a GoFundMe spot.fund/LahutRentFund
Click here to support Jake Lahut's story *LahutRentFund
*spotfund is the easiest place to create beautiful and free online fundraisers. It takes just minutes to start raising money today.
spot.fund
November 7, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Hey everyone, thank you so much for the outpouring of support.
I need to pay rent, and I launched a GoFundMe spot.fund/LahutRentFund
I need to pay rent, and I launched a GoFundMe spot.fund/LahutRentFund
Reposted by molly taft
my latest: i spent weeks investigating how frustrations about data centers were about to swallow american politics…
…and then the 2025 election happened, proving the electoral impacts are already here.
read and share my deep dive on the bipartisan AI techlash shaping our elections before our eyes!
…and then the 2025 election happened, proving the electoral impacts are already here.
read and share my deep dive on the bipartisan AI techlash shaping our elections before our eyes!
The Data Center Backlash Is Swallowing American Politics
Activists on both the left and the right are pushing back against rampant AI development.
heatmap.news
November 6, 2025 at 9:13 PM
my latest: i spent weeks investigating how frustrations about data centers were about to swallow american politics…
…and then the 2025 election happened, proving the electoral impacts are already here.
read and share my deep dive on the bipartisan AI techlash shaping our elections before our eyes!
…and then the 2025 election happened, proving the electoral impacts are already here.
read and share my deep dive on the bipartisan AI techlash shaping our elections before our eyes!
once again jael writes the piece I wish I’d written :)
my latest: i spent weeks investigating how frustrations about data centers were about to swallow american politics…
…and then the 2025 election happened, proving the electoral impacts are already here.
read and share my deep dive on the bipartisan AI techlash shaping our elections before our eyes!
…and then the 2025 election happened, proving the electoral impacts are already here.
read and share my deep dive on the bipartisan AI techlash shaping our elections before our eyes!
The Data Center Backlash Is Swallowing American Politics
Activists on both the left and the right are pushing back against rampant AI development.
heatmap.news
November 6, 2025 at 9:41 PM
once again jael writes the piece I wish I’d written :)
Reposted by molly taft
I’ll add more context here, because I think folks are (understandably) reading a lot into what I’m saying here. I am not asserting anything past what’s literally reported in this story. And I am on the record as being a huge supporter of the current Wired team, whose work I encourage you to pay for.
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 8:39 PM
I’ll add more context here, because I think folks are (understandably) reading a lot into what I’m saying here. I am not asserting anything past what’s literally reported in this story. And I am on the record as being a huge supporter of the current Wired team, whose work I encourage you to pay for.
Reposted by molly taft
Reposted by molly taft
when Elon Musk attacked my reporting to his millions of followers last week, it was one of the scariest days of my life
in that moment, the leadership at @wired.com enthusiastically stood by my article and its message: holding powerful tech leaders accountable
in that moment, the leadership at @wired.com enthusiastically stood by my article and its message: holding powerful tech leaders accountable
November 6, 2025 at 6:35 PM
when Elon Musk attacked my reporting to his millions of followers last week, it was one of the scariest days of my life
in that moment, the leadership at @wired.com enthusiastically stood by my article and its message: holding powerful tech leaders accountable
in that moment, the leadership at @wired.com enthusiastically stood by my article and its message: holding powerful tech leaders accountable
Reposted by molly taft
WIRED is focused on reporting the forces shaping the most terrifying administration in a generation already plagued by terror wars, financial ruin, and a global pandemic. The best way to help us keep doing that today is to stay reading. We'll see what happens tomorrow.
November 6, 2025 at 7:12 PM
WIRED is focused on reporting the forces shaping the most terrifying administration in a generation already plagued by terror wars, financial ruin, and a global pandemic. The best way to help us keep doing that today is to stay reading. We'll see what happens tomorrow.
Reposted by molly taft
In 2023, students at Ohio State blocked the doors to the president's office.
Little did they know, live video from campus CCTVs were being fed straight to DHS.
It's part of a little-known, decades-long surveillance effort built on the back of college football.
www.foiaball.com/p/dhs-colleg...
Little did they know, live video from campus CCTVs were being fed straight to DHS.
It's part of a little-known, decades-long surveillance effort built on the back of college football.
www.foiaball.com/p/dhs-colleg...
Scoop: Inside DHS's vast college football surveillance effort
If you go to a college football game, the feds have cameras on you.
www.foiaball.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:19 PM
In 2023, students at Ohio State blocked the doors to the president's office.
Little did they know, live video from campus CCTVs were being fed straight to DHS.
It's part of a little-known, decades-long surveillance effort built on the back of college football.
www.foiaball.com/p/dhs-colleg...
Little did they know, live video from campus CCTVs were being fed straight to DHS.
It's part of a little-known, decades-long surveillance effort built on the back of college football.
www.foiaball.com/p/dhs-colleg...
Reposted by molly taft
I'm one of the four fired employees. I was a writer & producer at Bon Appétit for nearly five years, during which I helped organize our union and sat on our bargaining committee.
I am, to my knowledge, the only trans woman in our union and the only trans woman on editorial who doesn't work at Them
I am, to my knowledge, the only trans woman in our union and the only trans woman on editorial who doesn't work at Them
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 6:32 PM
I'm one of the four fired employees. I was a writer & producer at Bon Appétit for nearly five years, during which I helped organize our union and sat on our bargaining committee.
I am, to my knowledge, the only trans woman in our union and the only trans woman on editorial who doesn't work at Them
I am, to my knowledge, the only trans woman in our union and the only trans woman on editorial who doesn't work at Them
Reposted by molly taft
I PROMISE you, our aggressive, unflinching, investigative reporting isn't going anywhere—ever.
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.
November 6, 2025 at 6:45 PM
I PROMISE you, our aggressive, unflinching, investigative reporting isn't going anywhere—ever.
Reposted by molly taft
Just to be absolutely clear: Our commitment to politics reporting is unwavering, and we'll continue to invest in, hire for, and prioritize that coverage.
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 6:39 PM
Just to be absolutely clear: Our commitment to politics reporting is unwavering, and we'll continue to invest in, hire for, and prioritize that coverage.
Reposted by molly taft
As my general two cents: don't cancel your WIRED subscriptions.
Best culture, best newsroom of anywhere I've worked. I love the living shit out of these folks, and they don't deserve to be negatively impacted by a decision that was made by the parent company, not them. And it's only $2 a month.
Best culture, best newsroom of anywhere I've worked. I love the living shit out of these folks, and they don't deserve to be negatively impacted by a decision that was made by the parent company, not them. And it's only $2 a month.
November 6, 2025 at 6:39 PM
As my general two cents: don't cancel your WIRED subscriptions.
Best culture, best newsroom of anywhere I've worked. I love the living shit out of these folks, and they don't deserve to be negatively impacted by a decision that was made by the parent company, not them. And it's only $2 a month.
Best culture, best newsroom of anywhere I've worked. I love the living shit out of these folks, and they don't deserve to be negatively impacted by a decision that was made by the parent company, not them. And it's only $2 a month.
Reposted by molly taft
unsubscribe to me at your own fucking peril
November 6, 2025 at 6:26 PM
unsubscribe to me at your own fucking peril
Reposted by molly taft
I don’t think this is fair to all these journalists. Compared to Teen Vogue, Wired invested in adversarial politics reporting relatively recently (and are great at it!). When Wintour was telling TV they don’t want to hear about politics, in 2021? That was the canary. bsky.app/profile/meli...
“In January 2021 after the politics section had broken our traffic records with coverage of the COVID pandemic, George Floyd protests, election, and Capitol insurrection, Anna Wintour asked [news and politics editor] Lucy Diavolo if we still needed a politics section. After all, Joe Biden had won.”
What We Lost When Condé Nast Unceremoniously Shuttered Teen Vogue
This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news...
talkingpointsmemo.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:30 PM
I don’t think this is fair to all these journalists. Compared to Teen Vogue, Wired invested in adversarial politics reporting relatively recently (and are great at it!). When Wintour was telling TV they don’t want to hear about politics, in 2021? That was the canary. bsky.app/profile/meli...