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Radley Balko

@radleybalko.bsky.social

Journalist. Quattrone Center journalism fellow. Author: Rise of the Warrior Cop. Co-author: The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist. New podcast: Collateral Damage Substack: radleybalko.substack.com Signal: radleybalko.52

104,214 Followers  |  1,894 Following  |  5,023 Posts  |  Joined: 08.05.2023
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Posts by Radley Balko (@radleybalko.bsky.social)

Especially amazing given that Trump completely β€œobliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities just eight months ago.

04.03.2026 23:35 β€” πŸ‘ 691    πŸ” 141    πŸ’¬ 11    πŸ“Œ 5
Tweets about people asking Grok which president told the most lies.

Tweets about people asking Grok which president told the most lies.

Bahahaha. 😁😏

#DJT #DJ6T #FDJ6T #PantsOnFireDJ6T

04.03.2026 20:48 β€” πŸ‘ 6916    πŸ” 1706    πŸ’¬ 197    πŸ“Œ 102
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RFK Jr has 'unreviewable' authority to reshape vaccine policy, DOJ lawyer tells judge A lawyer for the Trump administration told a judge on Wednesday that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has such broad authority over vaccine policy that he could even ​scrap re...

Judge Murphy: β€œIs it your position that is totally ​unreviewable? If [RFK Jr.] said instead of getting a shot to prevent measles I think you should get a shot that gives you measles, is that unreviewable?”

Department of Justice: Yes

www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

04.03.2026 22:51 β€” πŸ‘ 363    πŸ” 163    πŸ’¬ 22    πŸ“Œ 21
"But when the same mistakes happen over and over again - the picture can start to look different," he wrote. "What looks like inadvertence (when it happens once) might begin to inch closer to looking intentional (when it happens more than once a week)."
Farbiarz's opinion orders an extraordinary remedy for prosecutors in all of the judge's immigration-habeas cases - those in which a detained immigration challenges their detention
- where Farbiarz issues a no-transfer order.
Prosecutors will be required to sign a declaration, under penalty of perjury, that they have received the injunction, conveyed it to ICE, and provided ICE with written legal advice on the agency's obligation to comply with the order.
And ICE will be required to sign a second declaration confirming it received the injunction and has received written legal advice from prosecutors on its obligation to comply with the order.
"Requiring declarations is intrusive. But it is a narrowly-tailored way to address the precise problem before the Court - of ensuring going-forward compliance with judicial no-transfer orders," Farbiarz wrote.

"But when the same mistakes happen over and over again - the picture can start to look different," he wrote. "What looks like inadvertence (when it happens once) might begin to inch closer to looking intentional (when it happens more than once a week)." Farbiarz's opinion orders an extraordinary remedy for prosecutors in all of the judge's immigration-habeas cases - those in which a detained immigration challenges their detention - where Farbiarz issues a no-transfer order. Prosecutors will be required to sign a declaration, under penalty of perjury, that they have received the injunction, conveyed it to ICE, and provided ICE with written legal advice on the agency's obligation to comply with the order. And ICE will be required to sign a second declaration confirming it received the injunction and has received written legal advice from prosecutors on its obligation to comply with the order. "Requiring declarations is intrusive. But it is a narrowly-tailored way to address the precise problem before the Court - of ensuring going-forward compliance with judicial no-transfer orders," Farbiarz wrote.

New Jersey federal judge Michael Farbiarz has threatened criminal contempt against ICE and ordered a very unusual remedy as an intermediate step: requiring both DOJ and ICE to certify receipt of his orders under oath newjerseymonitor.com/2026/03/03/j...

04.03.2026 22:12 β€” πŸ‘ 204    πŸ” 58    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 1

Iran-Contra happened 40 years ago! It *literally* involved the US selling weapons to... Iran.

So, the argument is we were funding the armed forces of a country we were at war with?

04.03.2026 18:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1527    πŸ” 442    πŸ’¬ 39    πŸ“Œ 12

Quite literally β€œwe have always been at war with Iran.”

04.03.2026 19:14 β€” πŸ‘ 2692    πŸ” 525    πŸ’¬ 160    πŸ“Œ 9
a pack of kittens closes in a a large dog standing on a chair

a pack of kittens closes in a a large dog standing on a chair

David Attenborough [whispering]:

β€œAs the predators close in on their helpless prey, we can only watch in silent horror, for it is not man’s role to interfere in the hierarchy of nature.”

04.03.2026 13:08 β€” πŸ‘ 7051    πŸ” 1423    πŸ’¬ 127    πŸ“Œ 65

28 USC 530B(a): "An attorney for the Government shall be subject to state laws and rules ... governing attorneys in each State where such attorney engages in that attorney's duties, to the same extent and in the same manner as other attorneys in that state."
1/
www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/...

04.03.2026 18:05 β€” πŸ‘ 363    πŸ” 112    πŸ’¬ 9    πŸ“Œ 2

I agree, quite apart from the merits of the case. Alito could only defend the Supreme Court's authority to intervene by grievously misrepresenting the facts. The reality is that there's no plausible argument SCOTUS had the power to do what it did. Why didn't that matter to six justices?

04.03.2026 16:04 β€” πŸ‘ 1457    πŸ” 431    πŸ’¬ 31    πŸ“Œ 13
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New YouGov poll finds that for the first time, a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump *strongly.* His overall approval is down to 38%, a new second-term low.

When is the last time a majority has disapproved strongly of a president?

03.03.2026 19:07 β€” πŸ‘ 4037    πŸ” 1079    πŸ’¬ 119    πŸ“Œ 91

THIIIIIIIIIS.

And not just here. All over the place.

Like, I’d love a future Dem President to say β€œI’ve scoured the Constitution and can’t find a β€˜major question’ rule anywhere in it. So I’m just going to ignore that effort to arrogate power to yourself. That imbalance? Checked.”

03.03.2026 21:48 β€” πŸ‘ 420    πŸ” 101    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 1

When we talk about Baby Boomers not getting off the stage: In 1997, the US president was born in 1946.

In 2007, the US president was born in 1946.

In 2017, the US president was born in 1946.

And next year in 2027? The US president will have been born in 1946.

03.03.2026 20:10 β€” πŸ‘ 10486    πŸ” 3187    πŸ’¬ 193    πŸ“Œ 240

Unfortunately, as Trump pointed out, our bombs were so successful that we accidentally killed everyone not named Ayatollah Khamenei.

04.03.2026 11:47 β€” πŸ‘ 362    πŸ” 50    πŸ’¬ 13    πŸ“Œ 2
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WELCH: Mr. Yoho is also the husband of your former spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin?

NOEM: Yes

WELCH: So your former assistant and her husband are the ones that got the DHS no bid contract for $143m. Any dispute about that?

NOEM: No.

03.03.2026 18:37 β€” πŸ‘ 16700    πŸ” 6330    πŸ’¬ 966    πŸ“Œ 693
uld you support or oppose abolishing ICE? (%)

Somewhat or strongly supportNot sureSomewhat or strongly oppose
U.S. adult citizens
39
Party ID
Democrats
14
Independents
35
Republicans
68

uld you support or oppose abolishing ICE? (%) Somewhat or strongly supportNot sureSomewhat or strongly oppose U.S. adult citizens 39 Party ID Democrats 14 Independents 35 Republicans 68

Per The Economist/YouGov, half of Americans support ABOLISHING ICE.

Literally, "abolishing."

yougov.com/en-us/articl...

03.03.2026 19:45 β€” πŸ‘ 4254    πŸ” 1184    πŸ’¬ 66    πŸ“Œ 140

Earlier today, someone mentioned a study or survey which found that media coverage of crime in NYC spiked leading up to Adams' election in 2022, then dropped immediately after he took office, even though crime actually went up.

Anyone recall who did that study? Can't seem to find it.

03.03.2026 23:01 β€” πŸ‘ 122    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 0

Never forget

03.03.2026 16:49 β€” πŸ‘ 597    πŸ” 79    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 7

To be fair, who among us hasn't made plans that snuck up on us unexpectedly, leaving hundreds of people entrusted to our care stranded overseas as bombs rain down on 10 countries, closing airports and sending energy prices soaring worldwide, and instantly destroying billions in market value?

03.03.2026 18:01 β€” πŸ‘ 808    πŸ” 209    πŸ’¬ 18    πŸ“Œ 4
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All the planes being forced to fly around nearly the entire Middle East

03.03.2026 00:17 β€” πŸ‘ 164    πŸ” 55    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 4
Post image 03.03.2026 14:19 β€” πŸ‘ 439    πŸ” 176    πŸ’¬ 14    πŸ“Œ 6

Scenes from a personalist regime

03.03.2026 13:45 β€” πŸ‘ 2517    πŸ” 859    πŸ’¬ 93    πŸ“Œ 137
Screenshot of excerpt from opinion that reads:

"Despite this, the New York courts refused to stay the trial court’s order. After that highly questionable injunction was issued, the applicants filed appeals in both the Appellate Division (the State’s intermediate appellate court) and the Court of Appeals (its highest court) challenging the trial court’s order on federal constitutional grounds. At the same time, applicants asked both courts to stay the trial court’s order. The Appellate Division refused to issue a stay, and by order issued on February 11, the Court of Appeals sent the appeal filed in that court to the Appellate Division and dismissed applicants’ motions for a stay."

Screenshot of excerpt from opinion that reads: "Despite this, the New York courts refused to stay the trial court’s order. After that highly questionable injunction was issued, the applicants filed appeals in both the Appellate Division (the State’s intermediate appellate court) and the Court of Appeals (its highest court) challenging the trial court’s order on federal constitutional grounds. At the same time, applicants asked both courts to stay the trial court’s order. The Appellate Division refused to issue a stay, and by order issued on February 11, the Court of Appeals sent the appeal filed in that court to the Appellate Division and dismissed applicants’ motions for a stay."

With nowhere else to turn, the applicants asked us to issue a stay, and we have jurisdiction to entertain their application. Title 28 U. S. C. Β§1257(a) gives us jurisdiction to review β€œ[f]inal judgments or decrees” that are rendered by a State’s highest court and adjudicate federal constitutional claims, and the Court of Appeals’ February 11 order falls
within that category.

With nowhere else to turn, the applicants asked us to issue a stay, and we have jurisdiction to entertain their application. Title 28 U. S. C. Β§1257(a) gives us jurisdiction to review β€œ[f]inal judgments or decrees” that are rendered by a State’s highest court and adjudicate federal constitutional claims, and the Court of Appeals’ February 11 order falls within that category.

1/9: In the New York redistricting case, Justice Alito's justification for why #SCOTUS even had *jurisdiction* to issue a stay is based upon a remarkably misleading portrayal of the state court proceedings.

I realize this is technical, but I wanted to write a short thread to explain the shadiness:

03.03.2026 13:59 β€” πŸ‘ 1488    πŸ” 524    πŸ’¬ 39    πŸ“Œ 75

This really ought to be terrifying. We literally have people making decisions to drop bombs in the grips of apocalyptic fantasies.

03.03.2026 04:59 β€” πŸ‘ 991    πŸ” 284    πŸ’¬ 15    πŸ“Œ 19

This president has called members of the WHCA "scum", "fake news," "enemies of the people," and a female reporter "piggy." Just a year ago, the WHCA was criticizing Trump for undermining "the independence of a free press in the United States."
Now they're "happy" to host him.

03.03.2026 00:59 β€” πŸ‘ 1310    πŸ” 303    πŸ’¬ 111    πŸ“Œ 19

It's interesting that filing an amicus brief supporting the interpretation of birthright citizenship that has existed for over a century is a point for partisanship, but setting up a farm system for exclusively conservative judges is not

03.03.2026 13:48 β€” πŸ‘ 268    πŸ” 51    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 1
Preview
Noem refuses to retract statements calling Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists Durbin asked Noem if she would like to retract her previous statements falsely calling Good and Pretti, who were both fatally shot by immigration agents in Minn

Noem refuses to retract statements calling Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists

03.03.2026 15:08 β€” πŸ‘ 201    πŸ” 78    πŸ’¬ 24    πŸ“Œ 13
Preview
CBP Tapped Into the Online Advertising Ecosystem To Track Peoples’ Movements An internal DHS document obtained by 404 Media shows for the first time CBP used location data sourced from the online advertising industry to track phone locations. ICE has bought access to similar t...

New from 404 Media: CBP tapped into the online advertising ecosystem to track peoples' movements, according to an internal DHS document. Shows for the first time DHS tracked phones via process for putting ads in ordinary appsβ€”video games, fitness apps, many more www.404media.co/cbp-tapped-i...

03.03.2026 14:07 β€” πŸ‘ 1169    πŸ” 724    πŸ’¬ 31    πŸ“Œ 118

Because she was working with a federal task force, she was considered a federal officer, and thus protected by SCOTUS rulings making it all but impossible to sue federal cops, even for egregious abuse.

Now consider what this means for Trump's immigration thugs.

Democrats had two years to fix this.

03.03.2026 14:58 β€” πŸ‘ 1252    πŸ” 499    πŸ’¬ 24    πŸ“Œ 11
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Jim Jordan: "When people step back and evaluate it, they say, 'This was the right decision. This was consistent with what the president told the American people when we the people elected him. He said he was going to do this.'" (Trump literally campaigned on no war with Iran!)

03.03.2026 13:58 β€” πŸ‘ 1924    πŸ” 442    πŸ’¬ 318    πŸ“Œ 80
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'UNIMAGINABLE CRUELTY': Judge Gary Brown, a Trump appointeee from NY, thrashes DHS' treatment of a man who came to the US at 9 as an abuse/neglect victim, has no criminal record and became a college grad.

"The laws of decency condemn such villainy." storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

03.03.2026 14:46 β€” πŸ‘ 6424    πŸ” 2392    πŸ’¬ 84    πŸ“Œ 129