Aaron Schaffer

new rembrandt just dropped

Hyperfixed | Cry Fowl

Am working my way through my podcast queue and loved this @hyperfixedpod.bsky.social episode about ducks and FOIA www.hyperfixedpod.com/listen/hyper...

How obsession to ‘liberate Cuba’ led men on deadly speedboat journey Family members described the men as poorly trained activists who hoped to make a statement. Cuban forces opened fire on the boat, killing four and wounding six.

How obsession to ‘liberate Cuba’ led men on deadly speedboat journey wapo.st/3OQBd3v

Phrack (Final)

Huh -- this week, the FBI uploaded 35 pages on Phrack to its FOIA Library vault.fbi.gov/phrack/phrac...

Screenshot from opinion that says the following: "The PPA is directed at government lawyers, and its terms require the Attorney General to issue regulations outlining the procedures the government must employ when seeking information from the press. See 42 U.S.C. §2000aa-11. These DOJ regulations, found in 28 C.F.R. Part 50, confirm that subpoenas and search warrants targeting the press are “extraordinary measures, not standard investigatory practices.” 28 C.F.R. § 50.10(a)(3). Recognizing the extraordinary nature of these devices, the regulations require approval at all levels up to the Attorney General when the government seeks a search warrant targeting the press. So does DOJ’s Justice Manual, which is issued to every AUSA throughout the country. See U.S. Dep’t of Just., Just. Manual § 9-13.400. The Court’s communications with the government over two days were not limited to the local AUSA. Counsel from the highest levels of the DOJ participated in at least one of those calls. Many government lawyers had multiple opportunities to identify the PPA as controlling authority and to include an analysis of it in the warrant application. None of them did." One line is highlighted: "Counsel from the highest levels of the DOJ participated in at least one of those calls."

👀 Interestingly, the judge also mentioned that "counsel from the highest levels of the DOJ participated in at least one" call with him, but the PPA was never mentioned www.washingtonpost.com/documents/82...

AlsoL "The Court finds that seizing the totality of a reporter’s electronic work product, including tools essential to ongoing newsgathering, constitutes a restraint on the exercise of First Amendment rights" www.washingtonpost.com/documents/82...

Judge says government may not search devices seized from Post reporter A federal judge in Virginia denied the Justice Department’s request to search a Washington Post reporter’s devices in a national security leak probe.

The judge also said prosecutors' failure to inform him about the Privacy Protection Act of 1980 before he approved the warrant in the case “has seriously undermined the Court’s confidence in the government’s disclosures in this proceeding” wapo.st/4kR9c7P

Opinion: washingtonpost.com/documents/82...

Judge says government may not search devices seized from Post reporter A federal judge in Virginia denied the Justice Department’s request to search a Washington Post reporter’s devices in a national security leak probe.

NEW: Judge blocks DOJ from searching reporter Hannah Natanson's seized devices, says court will review them. The judge also said a DOJ filter team's search of work-product would be "the equivalent of leaving the government’s fox in charge of the Washington Post’s henhouse"
wapo.st/4kR9c7P

FT Exclusive: Goldman Sachs general counsel Kathy Ruemmler said she will resign this summer after documents released by the US Department of Justice revealed the extent of her ties with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ft.trib.al/E7RdaEU

The truth about covering tech at Bezos’s Washington Post And why ‘We the users’ matters more than ever

It's always a good idea to read @geoffreyfowler.bsky.social substack.com/@geoffreyfow...

Lovely thread from @pkcapitol.bsky.social about my incredible colleagues on The Post's politics desk: x.com/pkcapitol/st...

Paige’s last story for us, now atop the homepage, shows what we lost.

She could have done a quick hit on Oz telling Americans to delay retirement, but instead delivered a comprehensive piece rich in policy analysis, data, voices of real people and a rare non-TV interview with Oz wapo.st/4rHUCC6

Iranian forces massacred protesters fleeing burning market, witnesses say A rare detailed account of Iran’s crackdown, produced by The Post, reveals the brutality used by security forces in one of many such cities rocked by violence.

2. Just incredible, backbreaking work to do this sort of forensic investigation in general… to do it when there was no internet in Iran is staggering.

Please follow @ntabrizy.bsky.social and @yjtorbati.bsky.social

Haven't seen a sports-specific starter pack for Washington Post folks affected by recent layoffs so created one below - please show them your support and give a follow (let me know if I've missed anyone too!)

Donate to Support for Washington Post international employees, organized by Michelle Lee Among the hundreds of journalists laid off by The Washington Post on … Michelle Lee needs your support for Support for Washington Post international employees

So many have given to The Post Guild’s fundraising effort, and we are floored. But we also ask you to consider supporting the fundraiser for our international staff and staff in our bureaus who aren’t Guild eligible. They are absolutely vital to coverage. www.gofundme.com/f/support-fo...

"No Subject"

Will Lewis has just told staff at the Washington Post he is stepping down

GoFundMe for Guild colleagues: www.gofundme.com/f/standing-t...

GoFundMe for international staff: www.gofundme.com/f/support-fo...

Not only are they my colleagues, they are my heroes and friends. Somehow, I "survived" this week's layoffs. But they are devastating. I'm not sure what the future holds, but you can help by donating to these fundraisers for Guild and international staff who were laid off. Please donate if you can.

One of the best parts of my job at The Washington Post is that I get to work with journalists in every section of the newspaper and see them work behind-the-scenes. To say they are collegial and talented does not do them justice. They are the best.

Epstein’s network included Russian tech investors with past Kremlin ties Documents released by the Justice Department show that Epstein had links with Russian tech investors who had drawn scrutiny from U.S. intelligence officials.

Proud to have worked on this story (and many others) with @joemenn.bsky.social. He is a legend and it is so stupid that he was laid off. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

I've been on a different team than this group for years but I've (greedily) tried to work with them as much as possible because they're an awe-inspiring group of journalists and so fun to work with. Hire them ASAP or you'll be sorry!

THEY ARE THE BEST IN THE BIZ. HIRE THEM ASAP
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
@joemenn.bsky.social
@naominix.bsky.social
@heatherkelly.bsky.social
@tatumhunter.bsky.social
@ceodonovan.bsky.social
@lisabonos.bsky.social
x.com/evadou
@danielleabril.bsky.social
@pranshuverma.bsky.social

THEY ARE THE BEST IN THE BIZ. HIRE THEM ASAP
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
@joemenn.bsky.social
@naominix.bsky.social
@heatherkelly.bsky.social
@tatumhunter.bsky.social
@ceodonovan.bsky.social
@lisabonos.bsky.social
x.com/evadou
@danielleabril.bsky.social
@pranshuverma.bsky.social

And not just one of the greats...everyone who was laid off on the tech team was Hall of Fame level

imagine having one of the best tech reporters of all time on your staff and then choosing to lay them off

Will Lewis was too busy to join the call to tell his staff he’s destroying the @washingtonpost sports department yesterday … but he did have time to walk the red carpet at NFL Honors here in San Francisco today. Amazing.

. @nickijhabvala.bsky.social: "Will Lewis was too busy to join the call to tell his staff he’s destroying the @washingtonpost.com sports department yesterday … but he did have time to walk the red carpet at NFL Honors here in San Francisco today. Amazing."

Also adding another important GoFundMe. This one is for our absolutely brilliant and generous international employees & local staff who were laid off: bsky.app/profile/myhl...

A bunch more incredibly talented colleagues who were laid off in this X thread, give them a follow (or a job if you can) 😭 x.com/Annie_Wu_22/...

Definitely worth noting since it wasn't announced in that way.