It’s hard to not numb yourself to the news. When every day is norm breaking, none of them are. but this — I’ve never seen anything quite like it. When you think of how devastating fires have been for the US in 2025 alone… I’m at a loss.
senior politics editor @wired.com -- signal leahfeiger.86 with tips
23,531 followers 321 following 271 posts
view profile on Bluesky
It’s hard to not numb yourself to the news. When every day is norm breaking, none of them are. but this — I’ve never seen anything quite like it. When you think of how devastating fires have been for the US in 2025 alone… I’m at a loss.
NEW: SSA chief data officer and whistleblower Charles Borges resigned today—but his resignation email quickly disappeared from recipients' inboxes, sources tell @wired.com. @makenakelly.bsky.social and @davidgilbert.bsky.social report: www.wired.com/story/charle...
Filed under this *really* happened: Following a week of strife at the disaster relief agency, Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem told FEMA employees to "be vocal" about their positive experiences with the Trump administration. @mollytaft.com on the chaos at FEMA:
HAPPENING NOW: Hello from the media room in DC district court, where Judge Jia Cobb is set to hear argument on Lisa Cook's motion for a temporary restraining order to block her removal from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. I'm here for @lawfaremedia.org. Follow along ⬇️🧵
We obtained emails that appear to show the White House ordered government officials to put Grok back on the list of approved vendors “ASAP” www.wired.com/story/white-...
this is just such quality content
NEW: A partnership between Elon Musk's xAI and the US government fell apart earlier this summer after Grok praised Hitler. Then the White House apparently got involved, and Grok is back. read @zoeschiffer.bsky.social:
SCOOP: Some operatives from DOGE are joining Airbnb cofounder and DOGE member Joe Gebbia’s National Design Studio, a new government initiative that...appeared just rebrand work that was already taking place. read @makenakelly.bsky.social:
SCOOP: DOGE ops join Airbnb cofounder + DOGE member Joe Gebbia’s new National Design Studio. Gebbia was possibly going to join USDS, but now he has his own office and is bringing DOGE folks from the General Services Administration along with him. www.wired.com/story/doge-o...
The CDC is in chaos. If you’re a current employee and would like to share information anonymously, please reach out via Signal: emullin.06 www.wired.com/story/center...
gonna just keep reposting this from @ryanbort.bsky.social @andrewperez.bsky.social and me www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
SCOOP I spoke to the leader of the 764-linked swatting group that is behind the recent spare of hoax active shooter calls at university campuses across the US. He claims to have earned $100,000 in the space of just six days www.wired.com/story/purgat...
SCOOP: A Dark Money Group Is Secretly Funding High-Profile Democratic Influencers, raising questions about ethics in the independent media space
NEW: A dark money group Is secretly funding high-profile Democratic influencers, offering influencers up to $8,000 a month to push the party line. All they have to do is keep it secret—and agree to restrictions on their content. a truly wild story from @taylorlorenz.bsky.social for @wired.com:
An initiative aimed at boosting Democrats online offers influencers up to $8,000 a month to push the party line. All they have to do is keep it secret—and agree to restrictions on their content. www.wired.com/story/dark-m...
In a conversation with Status, WIRED’s @katie-drummond.bsky.social argues that Silicon Valley is no longer just innovating new technology—it’s actively shaping American democracy. Read the Q&A: www.status.news/p/wired-kati...
NEW: DOGE affiliate Chris Sweet has developed an AI tool that is being used to rapidly slash government regulations, according to details of a meeting reviewed by @wired.com. Scoop by me: www.wired.com/story/sweetr...
The US government announced a series of major AI partnerships in recent weeks with firms like OpenAI and Anthropic. One company that was supposed to be part of the mix? Elon Musk's xAI. Here's what happened. With @makenakelly.bsky.social: www.wired.com/story/xai-gr...
NEW: Elon Musk's xAI was about to land a major government contract -- then Grok praised Hitler on X. It's been a massive, messy scramble to onboard OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI providers to the federal government. @zoeschiffer.bsky.social and @makenakelly.bsky.social have the inside details:
“It's basically turning ideology into influencer culture,” said @anthropaulicy.bsky.social of @ttp-updates.bsky.social. “Instagram is the best platform for that. It’s one of the platforms that influencers have broadly flocked to because they can monetize it easily."
NEW: There's a new guard of paramilitary activists, whose youthful membership, edgy aesthetics, and overt nods to religion points to a new brand of anti-government Christian nationalist militias -- and they're using Instagram to recruit. always read @tessowen.bsky.social:
A senior administration official, as well as other officials, told Rolling Stone that it is a priority of Trump that these kinds of military deployments -- in times of relative calm -- become normalized in American political culture. More: rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
"All the threats against duly elected law-abiding state legislators have been alarming—it should be alarming to all of us." read @jakelahut.writes.news on Texas state rep James Talarico fleeing the state to stop gerrymandering -- and what comes next:
New Inner Loop, with a James Talarico Q&A on being on the lam + a scoop on the lack of tech enforcement from the Trump admin w/ new data www.wired.com/story/james-...
and I rarely spend too much time thinking about how the White House / government responds to our @wired.com stories, but this one was particularly gruesome: bsky.app/profile/timm...
For @wired.com I wrote about the Trump admin's latest propaganda strategy: incorporating the casual nihilism and cruelty of the highly online far-right into memes about deportation www.wired.com/story/trump-...
The Trump administration has been using memes and catchy TikTok tunes to turn mass deportation into a big joke -- Experts say it’s intentional: The memes these accounts share are core to the Trump administration’s propaganda strategy. an expert analysis from @tessowen.bsky.social:
NEW: Inside the "Whites Only" Community in Arkansas — I've spent six months tracking "Return to the Land" and its leader Eric Orwoll, their connections to neo-Nazis and white supremacists, and how the Trump administration is emboldening their racist movement www.wired.com/story/whites...
NEW: Inside the ‘Whites Only’ community in Arkansas - members have espoused racist and antisemitic views and repeatedly praised Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. They've also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, and their movement is growing. read @davidgilbert.bsky.social:
OpenAI just announced a major partnership with the US government—the culmination of months of meetings between high-ranking OpenAI employees and the General Services Administration. With @willknight.bsky.social: www.wired.com/story/openai...
New from me in this week's Inner Loop, Epstein 'Great Expectations' edition: “Honestly, like, fuck Trump,” a Trumpworld source who works in conservative media tells me. “I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but there’s obviously something nefarious that went on.” www.wired.com/story/trumpw...
SCOOP from me: FEMA is planning to order states to immediately stop activities intended to combat domestic violent extremism - the latest in a broad federal move to downplay the threat:
NEW: Documents obtained by @wired.com show that FEMA plans to direct states and tribes to halt activities intended to combat domestic violent extremism --- so as to align with "current administration priorities." read @mollytaft.com:
Scoop: @commoncause.org, the preeminent anti-gerrymandering org, is in the midst of a tense internal fight over whether to change its stance in light of California Dems' push to fire back at Trump/Texas/etc. Would be a big shift—and telling. www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics...
NEW: WIRED has the police report about the alleged assault on Edward "Big Balls" Coristine -- the incident that predated President Donald Trump threatening to "federalize" DC. Read @carolinehaskins.bsky.social and @makenakelly.bsky.social:
NEW: Edward "Big Balls" Coristine Assaulted in Alleged Carjacking w/ @carolinehaskins.bsky.social More here, including info from the police report ⤵️ www.wired.com/story/edward...
I edit features @WIRED.com and work with some of Earth’s best journalists. Right now a subscription to our journalism costs TWO DOLLARS PER MONTH. Yes, there is a limited-edition tote. And yes, we do hyphenate certain compound modifiers such as “limited edition.” www.wired.com/v2/offers/wi...
NEW: After massive contract terminations for consulting giants like Accenture, Booz Allen, and Deloitte, Palantir has emerged ahead. Now the data analytics firm is partnering with those companies—offering them a lifeline while consolidating its own power. www.wired.com/story/palant...
NEW: i spoke to nine (!) scientists across several disciplines whose work was cited in the new Department of Energy report that downplays the severity of climate change. all of them say their work was misrepresented, cherry picked, and/or lacked context —
SCOOP: We filed a Freedom of Information Act Request and received hundreds of pages of documents about the system access DOGE members Edward Coristine and Donald Park received at the Small Business Administration. But nested in there was something even bigger... www.wired.com/story/edward...
NEW: Hundreds of pages of records show just how quickly Edward ‘Big Balls’ Coristine and DOGE got access to a federal payroll system. And, because @wired.com has dropped paywalls for Freedom of Information Act-based reporting, this one is free for all to read! from @telliotter.bsky.social:
For this week’s Inner Loop, we peel back the curtain on the makings of the first real fight between Trumpworld and big crypto: “We said, you’re just fuckin’ wrong,” a senior administration source involved in negotiations over crypto legislation tells me. @wired.com www.wired.com/story/trump-...
How does the Epstein scandal end? I went over some likely scenarios. Mostly it’s just amazing to consider what an absurd Gordian knot the Trump administration has created for themselves. Featuring some thoughts from the very smart @rothschildmd.bsky.social. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Today my Plaintext column relaunches with a new--and familiar--name: Backchannel. It's the same thoughtful, fresh column, informed by my looooong coverage of tech. To get it in your inbox every Friday, you need a WIRED subscription. Which is a no brainer... www.wired.com/newsletter/e...
SCOOP from me: Trump's AI action plan released last week makes a specific set of recommendations around loosening Clean Water Act permits for data centers — recommendations mirrored in letters sent to the administration by Big Tech lobbyists earlier this year:
❤️❤️❤️
Thrilled about the launch of Made in China, an indispensable weekly newsletter from @zeyiyang.bsky.social and @lmatsakis.bsky.social. Sign up and learn a little something! www.wired.com/story/china-...
NEW For decades, pseudoscience grifters urged followers to drink toxic bleach solutions. Now one inventor is going even further, injecting cancer patients with highly-concentrated doses of the bleach solution. Next, he wants to bring it to the US www.wired.com/story/danger...
<3
i promise i'm working on it, scott!! thank you for subscribing!!!
lol
thank you <333
It’s a privilege to have a job in media right now, especially at a publication that cares about reporting the news as accurately and tenaciously as possible. Your support has meant the world -- we've really savored every dm, message, and shout-out. So stay with us! We have so much more coming.
And it hasn’t just been the inner workings of DOGE either — we’ve gotten deep into Trumpworld, too.
Something that was particularly gratifying as well - while we broke news on dozens of new DOGE operatives, we also got very granular with the kind of access they had, and exactly what that meant. This was monumental - our coverage caused lawsuits around the country.
I don’t think our team slept for about a month and a half straight when this all started. I’ve never seen a group of journalists more committed to getting a story out. I’m so so proud of all we did during this time.
I wanted to take a minute to talk about some of our coverage from this year that I am particularly proud of — starting with DOGE! Our politics team, which formed only about 1.5 years ago, broke the news on what’s shaped up to be one of the biggest stories of this administration.
Hello! I’m WIRED’s senior politics editor, and it’s hard to put into words what it’s been like in our newsroom this year. I am so in awe of my colleagues here, and so grateful to wake up every day to get you, our lovely readers, the news. If you’ve haven’t already, subscribe!! Help us keep it going.
NEW: “You can't be expected to have a successful AI program when every single article, book or anything else that you've read or studied, you're supposed to pay for,” Trump said. “We appreciate that, but just can't do it— because it's not doable.” www.wired.com/story/presid...
One of the highlights of my career has been reporting on China & working closely with @zeyiyang.bsky.social. So I’m really excited to share that we’re launching a new newsletter together for @wired.com. It's called "Made in China." You can sign up for it here: www.wired.com/newsletter/e...
this is a very very good read, highly recommend anything @annamerlan.bsky.social does as always!
DOGE has largely vacated the General Services Administration building in Washington DC. Children's play toys, mattresses, and pillows were left behind. Here are the photos: www.wired.com/story/photos...
The first edition of Inner Loop, a fantastic new @wired.com newsletter from @jakelahut.writes.news, is out now. What do GOP insiders hope Silicon Valley's elite learn from Elon's political flameout? Be less like Musk, and more like Peter Thiel. www.wired.com/story/peter-...
SCOOP: Elon Musk’s DOGE minions have largely moved out of the General Services Administration. A dystopian scene of bedding and discarded kids' toys remains -- and we've got the pictures. read @zoeschiffer.bsky.social:
WIRED is hiring! We're looking for a senior writer to cover the frontiers of scientific advancement—breakthroughs in space tech, quantum science, nanotechnology, batteries, and more—and the people and companies behind them. This role is based in our London office. www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/42...
Introducing my new premium newsletter for @wired.com, Inner Loop. This inaugural edition is right in the wheelhouse of what you can expect — the intersection of Trumpworld and Silicon Valley billionaires — but if you'll indulge me in a thread on our new subscription.. www.wired.com/story/peter-...
drew <33333
NEW NEWSLETTER ALERT!!! did you like @wired.com's Politics Lab? Well, you're going to love @jakelahut.writes.news's Inner Loop! read the first edition here, and subscribe to WIRED for scoops and analysis about the inner workings of Trumpworld and how it intersects with Silicon Valley!
Today, we're launching a new, improved subscription to give our fans more of the @wired.com they love. It includes: - Five exclusive, subscriber-only newsletters - Livestreams to connect with our journalists - A new commenting experience + more It's been a remarkable year so far. A look back: 🧵
SCOOP Mentions of "false flag conspiracies" have risen exponentially on X in the last few months according to data from @isdglobal.org and shared exclusively with WIRED www.wired.com/story/false-...
NEW: Conspiracy theories about so-called false flag attacks have been around for decades. But as trust in media and public institutions craters, every major news event is labeled fake -- and the volume of posts mentioning “false flags” is at an unprecedented high. read @davidgilbert.bsky.social:
NEW from me: after EPA announced it would officially do away with its scientific research arm Friday, officials at the Office of Research and Development had few answers for employees on a Monday call about how many of them will be reassigned to other offices—and how many will lose their jobs
NEW: A subsidiary of Cantor Fitzgerald, which is run by the sons of US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, is letting clients essentially bet that President Donald Trump’s tariffs will be struck down in court. scoop from @lmatsakis.bsky.social and @zoeschiffer.bsky.social:
its gonna be a wild week for AI policy huh www.axios.com/pro/tech-pol...
As part of the examination of health vs wellness, we wanted to look at how Trump Administration cuts would impact research. Did not expect such big numbers on cancer, from @anthonylydgate.bsky.social and Elisa Muyl www.wired.com/story/how-tr...
Anyone know what "wellness" means anymore? From TikTok hacks to those in key US government roles using their authority to wreak havoc on the lives of Americans, WIRED decided, ye, let's dive in. From Bryan Johnson's longevity quest to AI drugs, here is Beyond Wellness: www.wired.com/beyond-welln...
NEW: ICE officials are getting access to the personal data of nearly 80 million people on Medicaid. Why? To find "information concerning the identification and location of aliens in the United States.” www.wired.com/story/ice-ac...
ICE is getting access to the sensitive data of nearly 80 million Medicaid recipients. @leahfeiger.bsky.social got the agreement! www.wired.com/story/ice-ac...
NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen Colbert tells studio audience CBS is canceling 'The Late Show,' to end in May 2026.
Scoop! We got the agreement between ICE and Medicaid to share sensitive data with ICE agents. @leahfeiger.bsky.social @makenakelly.bsky.social @hudsongiles.bsky.social www.wired.com/story/ice-ac...
This information exchange agreement, which was first reported on by the AP, is pretty unheard of: “This was never even considered during my five years at DHS working on immigration enforcement,” says John Sandweg, the acting director of ICE during President Barack Obama’s administration.
ICE agents are getting truly unprecedented access to Medicaid data, granted by CMS with the goal of locating immigrants -- A new agreement viewed by @wired.com gives ICE direct access to a federal database containing sensitive medical and personal data on tens of millions of Americans.
NEW: After a single meeting with lobbyists, DOGE put Direct File, the free tax filing tool from the IRS, on the chopping block. read @makenakelly.bsky.social:
"By putting wind in the Epstein sails from the beginning, we have created this problem for ourselves," a Trump adviser tells @jakelahut.writes.news. "An own goal, if you will. Which we can’t undo.” great reporting about inner MAGA turmoil over the Epstein debacle:
Despite all the ~ nothing to see here ~ rhetoric from the Trump White House & admin on Epstein, the president’s advisers see this as a very bad situation with no clear end in sight. “Nothing we do is going to satisfy the base.” My latest newsletter for @wired.com www.wired.com/story/trump-...
SCOOP: DOGE moved to kill Direct File, the IRS's popular free tax filing tool, days after meeting with private tax filing software lobbyists. www.wired.com/story/doge-d...
was a pleasure to interview @cartersherman.bsky.social about why Gen Z is in a "sex recession" due to social media, the overturning of Roe, MeToo, and many other factors. She says they're "very horny" but feel self-conscious and fearful. Buy her book, The Second Coming! www.wired.com/story/carter...
was gonna say
New: Metadata shows nearly 3 minutes were cut from what the DOJ & FBI described as “full raw” Epstein surveillance footage. WIRED previously revealed the video was stitched together in Premiere Pro. Now we’ve found one of the source clips was nearly 3 mins longer than what was released
1. @abenewman.bsky.social and I have a new piece in @wired.com on the enshittification of American power. It repurposes arguments from our book, Underground Empire amzn.to/3PbIyqX , and Cory Doctorow's idea of enshittification to explain how the Trump administration is trying to remake the world.
BREAKING: The Supreme Court allows the Trump administration to move forward with the abolition of the Department of Education. It gives no explanation for its order. All three liberals dissent. www.documentcloud.org/documents/25... From Sotomayor's dissent:
MAGA is angry about Epstein. But it's also mad about a lot of other things: vaccines, deportations, chemtrails, www.wired.com/story/jeffre...
It's not just Epstein -- MAGAworld is mad at the Trump administration about a lot of things at the moment. read @davidgilbert.bsky.social:
NEW: The metadata of the "full raw" video from the prison nearby Jeffrey Epstein's cell that DOJ released this week appears to have been modified—but nobody would say how, exactly, which will likely further fuel conspiracy theories. @dmehro.bsky.social has the scoop: www.wired.com/story/metada...
NEW from me and @makenakelly.bsky.social: Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency is continuing its wholesale assault on federal agencies—even without Musk in government. www.wired.com/story/next-s...