The FCC's $200 Billion Disaster
on the fcc’s three-decade, $200 billion program the government accountability office has constantly accused of fraud and mismanagement, and lacking transparency and even goals
By Corbin Barthold
Politics
How CNN’s Failure in Syria Was Great for its Genocidal DictatorDec 18
clarissa ward's botched report on a “rescued prisoner” put her at the center of the story and shoved assad’s atrocities — and his victims — into the back seat
Ashley Rindsberg
Why is NYC’s "New Ellis Island" Operated by the Pakistani Government?Dec 9
the city is paying the pakistani government $220 million to operate its “new Ellis island” — where even residents are afraid to leave their rooms
Kevin Chaiken
Is Chicago About to Hit Rock Bottom?Nov 21
after decades of corruption and chronic mismanagement, chicago might be ready to admit it has a problem — and its far-left crony mayor pushing the city to the brink might trigger a revival
Austin Berg
Prop K Could Prove to Be an Own Goal for SF ModeratesNov 19
if moderates had refrained from putting prop k on the ballot, they might have secured total victory. instead, they may have handed progressives an advantage for years to come
Kartik Sathappan
An Inside Look at the “Dark MAGA” Video Edit that Captivated XNov 18
we spoke with the anon account who created a timeless banger that went viral as americans were heading to polls on election day
Riley Nork
Total VictoryNov 7
pirate wires #128 // season of lies concludes, and the mainstream press monopoly is dead; america votes in favor of the social contract; and it’s a clown world landslide (good news, bad news)
Mike Solana
The Day After the Election, Mainstream Media Turns on AmericansNov 6
nyt, atlantic, and msnbc are aiming their rage at americans after trump’s win, but other outlets seem ready to navigate an entirely revised political and cultural environment
Ashley Rindsberg
Wikipedia Editors Officially Deem Trump a Fascist Oct 29
the “donald trump and fascism” wikipedia page appeared the same day the guardian published a 4,000-word article called “is donald trump a fascist?” — and it’s still up
Ashley Rindsberg
Inside the Government’s Attempt to Destroy Election Markets in the Name of DemocracyOct 21
what accounts for the cftc’s “sheer hatred” of political prediction markets that has led it to conduct a years-long campaign to ban them from the united states?
Jack Solowey
Walz Doubles Down on Punishment for Hate Speech, MSM Continues to Ignore ItOct 2
despite a well-established, unambiguous supreme court precedent, vp pick tim walz argues (yet again) that hate speech isn't constitutionally protected
Riley Nork
Endorsements for Human Civilization (November 2024)Sep 23
a san francisco voter guide for people who aren’t insane
The Pirate Wires Editorial Board
Apocalypse MeowSep 18
pirate wires #127 // a second attempt on trump’s life (his fault btw) overshadowed by the question of migrants eating cats, immigration, and the devilish power of a meme
Mike Solana
Jail the Tech BrosSep 3
pirate wires #126 // brazil bans x as the global war on speech continues, the overton window shifts to jailing founders, and facing the despotism now before us
Mike Solana
Death by VibesAug 19
pirate wires #125 // america goes cuckoo for coconut, VCs for kamala, war on the “substance demanders,” EU moves for global censorship, and how the world has changed since we’ve been vibing
Mike Solana
Thoughts and Prayers for “Literally Hitler”Jul 16
pirate wires #123 // attempt on trump’s life, mainstream discourse in the crosshairs, the blueanon distraction from accountability, and thank god for conspiracy theories: the price we pay for truth
Mike Solana
California’s Impending Tax ApocalypseJul 2
california relies disproportionately on a tiny handful of ultrawealthy households, which underwrite the state’s massive expenditures. what happens if it taxes them out?
Sanjana Friedman
Inside Newsom’s Attempt to Keep Serial Retail Theft Legal in CaliforniaJun 24
a closer look at newsom’s backdoor maneuver to kill the citizen-led initiative to repeal prop 47, the 2014 law that effectively legalized retail theft statewide
Sanjana Friedman
The Oakland Defund Movement Is Starting to Look a Lot Like FraudJun 11
the oakland defund movement seems to have devolved into a get-rich scheme for the well-connected — a case study of what happens when a moral panic produces a windfall for a fringe activist cause
Sanjana Friedman
Inside SF Public Schools' Shocking Health CurriculumApr 10
kindergarteners learn their sex is a ‘guess that grown-ups make’ and ninth graders memorize the definitions of ‘demisexual’ and ‘down low,’ often without parental notification
Sanjana Friedman
The SF Tenants Union Is Actively Helping Squatters Find New Homes to Take OverApr 3
the union has a list of abandoned properties perfect for squatting linked on its website and, through its friends in city government, has spent decades shaping the city's reckless housing policy
River Page
Meet the British Scammer Who Infiltrated the Highest Levels of CA Education PolicymakingApr 2
yolande beckles’s history of financial scandals in the u.k. and los angeles is easy to find, so why have education policymakers like jo boaler welcomed her in?
Sanjana Friedman
The U.S. Immigration System Has No LogicMar 29
case in point: the diversity lotto gives visas to 55,000 foreign nationals each year, regardless of whether they can contribute or assimilate, to increase the number of immigrants from Africa
River Page
Asylum: Just Another Word for Open BordersMar 26
immigration judges interpret the same asylum laws, but one denies 86% of cases, while another denies only 1.2%. this is happening across the country — what's going on?
River Page
CA’s Architect of “Equity-Based Algebra” Accused of Academic FraudMar 26
the state's math framework is strongly influenced by the academic work of jo boaler, now accused of significantly distorting citations in research underpinning the framework
Sanjana Friedman
How San Francisco Attracts and Traps Homeless TransplantsMar 21
from doordash-style paraphernalia delivery to legal teams suing the city each time it clears encampments: the grim story of how sf captures drug addicts so they can get high until they die
Sanjana Friedman
TikTok’s Battle for the Swamp Mar 9
classified tiktok meeting triggers surprise divestment bill, assessing the criticism, trump’s wild pivot, the real motivation for tiktok’s loudest defenders, & questions pertaining to “america first”
Mike Solana
San Francisco Mostly Chooses SanityMar 8
taking stock of the march election results and the city's continued centerward shift
Sanjana Friedman
Project Roomkey: California’s $3 Billion COVID Homeless Policy DisasterMar 1
newsom is asking taxpayers for billions more to address homelessness after forcing them to foot the bill for his inhumane, pandemic-era program to house homeless people in hotels
Sanjana Friedman
California Taxpayers Are Funding Left Wing Activism Through the CA Arts CouncilFeb 28
california taxpayer money is being laundered through 'funding for the arts' into radical leftist groups, some of which don't appear to do much art at all
River Page
Endorsements for Human Civilization (March 2024)Feb 23
a san francisco voter guide for people who aren’t insane
The Pirate Wires Editorial Board
The Court Case Against a Massive Encampment That WonFeb 21
how private citizens in a major US city sued their local government over a thousand-person tent city — and forced officials to clear it
Sanjana Friedman
Tiffany Henyard: America’s Mayor Feb 13
Finally, in the south suburbs of Chicago, one politician has the courage to be as corrupt in public as the rest of them are in private.
River Page
How San Francisco's DEI Industrial Complex WorksFeb 9
for years, mayor breed has presided over massive budget increases to a now-$100 million a year DEI clientelism scheme
Sanjana Friedman
The Great Billionaire BogeymanFeb 7
dolores park #12 // progressives steal campaign posters (again), preston wants an inquiry into dream keeper, newsom sends the troopers into oakland, everyone at uc santa cruz is nonbinary, etc
Sanjana Friedman
Legalizing Chaos: How Activists Are Changing Laws Around the Country Feb 5
activists groups are suing police departments across the country to effectively legalize blocking major transit routes and other destructive forms of protest
Sanjana Friedman
Audit the NonprofitsJan 31
dolores park #11 // a chesa boudin acolyte rises from the ashes, homeless caves are found in modesto, jackie fielder cancels garry tan, car theft joyrides abound
Sanjana Friedman
San Francisco Taxpayers Funded the Bay Bridge ProtestsJan 26
a look into AROC, the organization that billionaires and the city of san francisco are paying to stage protests blocking the bay bridge
River Page
A Few More Billions Down the Homeless DrainJan 24
dolores park #10 // newsom wants $650,000 beds for the homeless; jenkins threatens fentanyl dealers with murder charges; assembly members push racial discrimination; in-n-out sparks activist fury
Sanjana Friedman
Et Tu, Peskin?Jan 17
dolores park #9 // peskin backstabs dorsey, the supreme court decides to weigh in on clearing encampments, newsom contends with the deficit, public defenders push lenience for fentanyl dealers
Sanjana Friedman
Budget Apocalypse LoomsDec 20
dolores park #7 // the city budget collapses, dream keeper throws a kwanzaa bash, newsom slams delays on conservatorship for addicts, the bay bridge protesters go to court, drain pipes flood (again)
Sanjana Friedman
Are Most of San Francisco's Homeless Even From the City?Dec 17
mainstream reporting on sf and california homelessness is based on two reports afflicted by methodological flaws and ideological bias so extreme, they're impossible to take seriously
Sanjana Friedman
No Bids? No ProblemDec 13
dolores park #6 // breed defends no-bid homeless contracts, california’s budget deficit soars, dei intensifies at stanford, more atms get snatched
Sanjana Friedman
The Biden Admin's March Toward Permanently Enshrining DEI Into Corporate AmericaDec 7
the biden administration has incorporated dei into every facet of the federal bureaucracy. now, they want to pressure corporate america into doing the same
River Page
Bread and CeasefiresDec 6
dolores park #5 // preston casts a ceasefire spell, breed quietly cuts spending, the valencia st bike lane causes chaos, and santacon returns.
Sanjana Friedman
The Dream Keeper Initiative: How San Francisco Defunded the Police for a Historic Racial Equity Cash GrabNov 17
in 2020, san francisco announced it would defund its police department of $120 million to fund a racial equity program called the dream keeper initiative — here's how the money was spent
Sanjana Friedman
Breaking: San Francisco is CleanNov 15
dolores park #2 // sf dressed to impress (a communist dictator), aaron peskin shakes his fist at democracy, activists scream (again), london breed goes to a gay club
Sanjana Friedman
Keffiyehs Storm the PortNov 7
taxpayer-funded west coast activists are chaining themselves to a military vessel supposedly bound for israel
Sanjana Friedman
Florida Has High Speed Rail and California Never WillSep 27
the high speed brightline train now connects miami and orlando, but california still has not laid a single mile of rail. what's the difference between these two projects?
River Page
Dean Preston: San Francisco's Millionaire MarxistSep 22
the card carrying dsa sf politician also happens to be a millionaire who refuses to allow more housing in the city
Sanjana Friedman
Biden's DEI Tech Hubs ProgramSep 21
a new government grant program that aims to build "tech hubs" in the middle of nowhere is littered with political patronage, dei tomfoolery, and self-erected barriers to success
River Page
A Bus Driver Killed a Man, the City Blamed TechSep 13
from activists and journalists to government officials, a sprawling web of disinformation has distorted the narrative around self-driving taxis — and now it’s being exposed
Sanjana Friedman
Open Borders for Thee, Not for MeSep 12
biden's potential "remain in texas" policy for migrants puts the crisis out of sight, out of mind for his progressive voter bloc — just as they like it
River Page
Doom LoopSep 1
pirate wires #104 // looking back on proposition c, tech's san francisco turning point, "doom loop" analysis, a well-paved path to eternal homelessness, and how to solve the crisis
Mike Solana
CA Senate Appropriations Approves Ban on Self-Driving Trucks for the Rest of DecadeSep 1
the committee approved ab 316, sending it back to the senate floor, and if the senate passes it, all that's left is for governor newsom to sign the bill into law
Sanjana Friedman
Welcome to the EU-California Anti-Tech AllianceAug 30
california and european union bureaucrats are working together to take advantage of federal inaction and strongarm tech into onerous restrictions
Luke Hogg
China’s U.S. Stamp Tax, Scammers Take AmericaAug 27
chinese postage fraudsters are stealing the identities of american businesses, ripping off consumers, and costing the postal service millions
River Page
San Francisco's Homeless Ticking Time BombAug 17
the majority of the city's homelessness budget goes to keeping people in no-contingency housing units, permanently. what happens when the city can't pay the bill?
Sanjana Friedman
Miami's Red MirageAug 13
what does miami's unique brand of conservatism mean for the future of the american GOP?
Alex Perez
Labor’s Shadow War With Self-Driving CarsJul 27
SF's self-driving taxi opponents say they’re concerned about AV safety, but the numbers tell a different story
Sanjana Friedman
SNAPSHOT: Trump's Boomer Tailgate Army WaitsJun 16
river's first-hand account of trump's arraignment in miami
River Page
Philly's Working Class Black Neighborhoods Choose Tough-On-Crime Mayoral CandidateMay 17
cherelle parker, a defender of stop-and-frisk policing, swept the majority-black neighborhoods most impacted by gun violence, beating a bernie-backed progressive and high-spending moderates
Nick Russo
The Soros ExceptionMay 17
is it antisemitic to say that your political opponents hate humanity? if that political opponent is george soros, some say it is
River Page
Jeff Jackson, TikTok KingApr 19
a look inside the freshman congressman’s meteoric rise to internet stardom – and behind his claims to transparency in campaign and personal finance
Nick Russo
Reporter Can't Give Example Of "Hateful Speech" After Blaming Elon For ItApr 12
"then I say, sir, that you don’t know what you’re talking about"
Mike Solana
University Of California Uses High School Racial Composition For Admissions, Data SuggestsApr 3
in 2020, california voters rejected affirmative action, but data suggests that ucsd is finding a way around that
Brandon Gorrell
The Battle Over AI Surveillance at the Paris OlympicsApr 3
france's plan to use ai to help surveil the 2024 paris olympics has some groups saying it would turn the country into a “dystopian surveillance state”
Sanjana Friedman
"Limited Exceptions" Clause Casts Doubt on TikTok's Project TexasApr 1
tiktok's data security plan contains ambiguous exceptions for third-party access and bytedance job postings describe extensive collaboration with tiktok — oracle should clarify its data guarding plans
Nick Russo
Can Section 230 Protect Tech From Social Media Addiction Litigation?Mar 29
amid rising concern that social media is harming minors, veteran trial lawyer matthew bergman is leading a new fight to hold companies liable. here’s how he plans to circumvent section 230.
Nick Russo
Biden Admin Sells Out Aleut Village to Save Face Over Oil DealMar 25
18 residents of king cove, alaska have died because they don’t have a road to the nearest all weather airport. the first native american interior secretary just made sure that won’t change.
River Page
Did The Government Start A Global Financial Crisis In An Attempt To Destroy Crypto?Mar 23
six weeks later, operation chokepoint 2.0 has brought crypto to its knees… along with america’s entire financial system
Nic Carter
TikTok’s Congressional DisasterMar 23
pirate wires #93 // amidst growing bi-partisan support of a ban, summary and analysis of tiktok’s first congressional hearing
Mike Solana
Biden Shouldn’t Blow Off Marianne WilliamsonMar 14
even if she doesn’t win, she’s likely to make the president sweat — and actually campaign. here’s why.
River Page
Congressman George Santos' Oscar PicksMar 12
in addition to his deep understanding of drag race lore, santos has a lot of opinions on hollywood, the future of entertainment, and who deserves best actress at the oscars on sunday
Matthew Foldi
No One Knows What Gavin Newsom's Walgreens Tweet Means, Not Even His Own OfficeMar 8
what does it mean that the state of california will no longer "do business" with walgreens?
Brandon Gorrell
China Is Buying Up U.S. Military Academies And FarmlandMar 8
a 70-foot pagoda overlooking d.c., two high school military academies, and over 300 acres of north dakota farmland — why is china trying to buy up these and other american assets?
Matthew Foldi
The Indomitable Charm of George SantosMar 3
he may not be a good congressman, but he’s a great drag queen
River Page
Operation Choke Point 2.0 Is Underway, And Crypto Is In Its CrosshairsFeb 8
detailing the Biden Admin's coordinated, ongoing effort across virtually every US financial regulator to deny crypto firms access to banking services
Nic Carter
Trash Fire: The Collapse of PhiladelphiaDec 2
Philly’s out-of-control trash and junkyard problems encapsulate the city's biggest issue: it's governed by miserable people who hate their jobs
Nick Russo
Are Race-Based Firings Legal? Twilio's About to Find OutSep 16
this week, twilio laid off 11% of its staff. the race of employees was a determining factor.
Max Meyer
One Party StateSep 5
pirate wires #77 // a brief history of tech industry stasi shit, the downfall of andrew tate as a blueprint for 2024, and the final boss of internet censorship
Mike Solana
Control the Metal, Control the WorldJul 14
a new era of industry, china's dominance in critical materials, and what america must do about it
Ryan McEntush
Chesa Boudin: ExtractedJun 8
pirate wires #71 // pirates seize the polls
Mike Solana
WarMar 1
pirate wires #64 // kyiv under siege, the corporate front, and how to take a breath and think when nukes are on the table
Mike Solana
Conquering CerberusSep 10
socialism: defining terms, pulling back the curtain on our war of words, and following this uniquely dangerous political ideology to its logical conclusion
Mike Solana
Trillion Dollar Paint JobAug 10
pirate wires #49 // "infrastructure" isn't infrastructure, banning crypto (still not infrastructure), the price of ambition, and a road trip through america's essential spending
Mike SolanaConquering CerberusFeb 19
Socialism is a lethal ideology comprised of three forms. To preserve freedom and achieve our human potential, we must conquer them all.
Mike Solana