Leah Sottile

The sound of journalists around the world rapidly inserting the word "former" before Kristi Noem's name into stories in production.

We received such fantastic questions from the audience! Here’s the link to my conversation with @benjaminepark.bsky.social from last night.

Yes!

Hey this is tonight!

The Rise of Mormon Extremism: A LIVE Discussion with Benjamin Park and Leah Sottile YouTube video by Benjamin Park, Historian

I’ll be doing my first-ever livestream on YouTube tomorrow March 4 at 7 pm MT with @benjaminepark.bsky.social , author of American Zion. We’ll be talking all about extremism in church history, Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell, the Bundys, etc. Join us!
www.youtube.com/live/pzWyl2q...

A Complimentary Profile Of Jason Lee That Was Surprisingly Difficult To Publish | Defector If you walked down Colorado Boulevard in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles at some point in the past three years, you might have noticed a modest, pueblo-style beige building with “PHOTO” pai...

After Jason Lee opened a camera shop in Eagle Rock, I thought, man, that'd be a fun story to do. I did not know that it would eventually lead to him threatening to take me to court. For @defector.com, the whole bloody affair:
defector.com/a-compliment...

A screenshot of a headline that says "Kyron Horman's name surfaces in Epstein files"

Today in clickbait.

I've now woken up and decided why not be overt: it's classless when The Oregonian and Oregon Public Broadcasting doesn't cite independent reporters writing a story first. Are we still doing this in 2026?

PacifiCorp officially owes Oregonians more than $1 billion for 2020 fires A Wednesday court verdict pushed the Warren Buffett-owned utility beyond the remarkable figure.

Ahem, I just want to say @ryanjhaas.bsky.social broke the news in @thewesternedge.bsky.social that PacifiCorp now owes Oregonians $1 billion

www.thewesternedge.media/p/pacificorp...

Epstein Files Are Missing Records About Woman Who Made Claim Against Trump

The Epstein files published by DOJ briefly mention a woman’s unverified accusation that President Trump assaulted her in the 1980s, when she was a minor. But several key FBI memos related to the woman's account have not been released.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/u...

Hungry for Affirmation, Vulnerable to Scams: As a Writer, I Know the Feeling

I think it means that I’m dead inside because when I’ve received these adoring emails, my reaction was “people would never be this nice about my writing so this must be a scam.” Saved by a powerful negative voice!

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/b...

PacifiCorp officially owes Oregonians more than $1 billion for 2020 fires A Tuesday court verdict pushed the Warren Buffet-owned utility beyond the remarkable figure.

Oregon's second largest electric utility, PacifiCorp, passed a notable milestone today: $1 billion owed to people who had their lives destroyed by the 2020 Labor Day wildfires.

Portland, you're coming to see @letsgomathias.bsky.social talk about his incredible book tomorrow, yeah? Come ask good questions!

I’ve been too preoccupied to deal with Kristof’s Epstein take—which gratuitously involves him using sex work ads to call the cops on a guy he says is a pimp, and maybe for the first time acknowledges that survivors are not all grateful to cops for “rescuing” them (as he also lightly scolds them)

again, so so stoked to be discussing my book with the incredible @leahsottile.bsky.social THIS Thursday in PORTLAND, OREGON at the @cstpdx.bsky.social!

Sponsored by the amazing folks at @ojrcenter.bsky.social , @westernstatescenter.org , and @107ist.org! Get your tixxxxx cstpdx.com/event/to-cat...

🤣

But seriously, tell your friends happy birthday. Everyone likes it.

Every year when I wish my friends happy birthdays, literally the response is "how did you remember?!" Calendars, man. Hell of a tool.

After a busy week I finally got the time to read this today from @ryanjhaas.bsky.social & @leahsottile.bsky.social. Notable details: a councilor‘s response to a threatening email, an AI slop video from a local news outlet.

When I say that @ryanjhaas.bsky.social and I like to deep dive with our reporting, what I mean is that we go to the absolute bottom and find insane shit like this.

A comment on a Western Edge story praising its reporting.

What are people saying about @thewesternedge.bsky.social?

Wendy absolutely gets the vibe we are going for. Old school reporting that cuts at power, packaged for the digital age.

SO EXCITED that the great @leahsottile.bsky.social is going to interview me LIVE at the @cstpdx.bsky.social in PORTLAND, OREGON next week!

Sponsored by amazing folks at @ojrcenter.bsky.social @westernstatescenter.org & @portlandtimbers.bsky.social! Get your tix now! cstpdx.com/event/to-cat...

CANNOT WAIT.

“Far left meets far right, finds common cause”: Leah Sottile’s ‘Blazing Eye Sees All’ (Part One) In this episode of ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn speaks to journalist Leah Sottile about ‘Blazing Eye Sees All: Love Has Won, False Prophets, and the Fever Dream of the American New Age’ (Gra...

A very cool thing to be featured on Lauren Korn's The Write Question! Here's the first part of a two-part interview I did all about the New Age movement. www.mtpr.org/podcast/the-...

Is Redemption Possible in Oregon's Capital City? The Western Edge uncovered a manufactured crisis, backroom deals, political spending, AI slop and a city council bending to appease a police union.

A December media blitz over a police oversight board in Salem missed how the city’s police union leveraged political spending to control a controversial city decision.

The first investigation by The Western Edge is out now.

www.thewesternedge.media/p/is-redempt...

I'm genuinely amazed the Deanna Gwyn replied to that person's vitriolic email. She didn't reply to my email taking her to task for supporting a budget that would have closed our Public Library.

It seems she only replies to constituents if she agrees with them.

To Catch a Fascist with Christopher Mathias | Clinton Street Theater The Oregon Justice Resource Center is bringing Christopher Mathias to Portland for an evening in conversation with local journalist and author Leah Sottile.

Next Thursday, come on out to hear me ask @letsgomathias.bsky.social one million questions about his INCREDIBLE new book, To Catch a Fascist. You need a ticket, which you can get here: cstpdx.com/event/to-cat...

Fantastic reporting from this new journalism project! If you live in Oregon or Washington, definitely consider getting a subscription if you can spare some $$.

Thanks, Wendy!!