David Folkenflik

SLED investigating fire at SC circuit judge's Edisto home, 3 injured The S.C. Law Enforcement Division is investigating a residential fire at a home near Edisto Beach in Colleton County that began the evening of Oct. 4.

Law enforcement investigates fire at South Carolina judge's home

Kiss reality goodbye: AI-generated social media has arrived With the launch of Sora 2, OpenAI has opened a new chapter in addictive, and some worry dangerous, AI video content.

my colleague @gbrumfiel.bsky.social did a great story looking at how Sora’s AI slop machine can collapse our collective sense of reality and create wildly new disinfo problems www.npr.org/2025/10/03/n...

Legal experts condemn Apple bowing to White House's request to remove ICE tracking app It's the latest example of tech giants bowing to pressure from the Trump administration. Legal experts say the developer of the app has free speech rights that may have been violated.

Apple bowing to Trump admin’s pressure on ICEBlock invites even more jawboning, says @gshans.bsky.social.

"Compliance will only incentivize further government demands."

www.npr.org/2025/10/03/n...

I don't represent NPR, Elaine, I cover media for it, which includes NPR.

May I ask, for whom do you work?

ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team Documents show ICE plans to hire dozens of contractors to scan X, Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms to target people for deportation.

NEW: ICE is planning to hire a team of nearly 30 people to surveil social media 24/7, build dossiers on people, and flag them for arrest and deportation. @dell.bsky.social has the scoop: www.wired.com/story/ice-so...

A public broadcaster's path after losing U.S. funds: Youth sports and less local news South Dakota Public Broadcasting says there's an ironic result to President Trump's successful attack on public media: It will have to rely more on NPR programs.

Public media charts new path after Congress cancels funding

My report from South Dakota

www.npr.org/2025/10/03/n...

YouTube agrees to pay Trump $24 million to settle lawsuit over Jan. 6 suspension YouTube is the latest social media company to pay Trump tens of millions of dollars to resolve lawsuits brought before he returned to power. The money will fund a new ballroom at the White House.

"This is straight influence-peddling," said @ericgoldman.bsky.social "This YouTube settlement is not a sign of any legal merit."

www.npr.org/2025/09/29/n...

New on MSNBC: According to the court transcript, only 14 of the 23 grand jurors voted in favor of indicting James Comey on the two counts that went forward.

A judge ruled their firings were illegal. The government got to do it anyway A judge ruled the firing of thousands of federal employees was illegal. But he stopped short of ordering the government to reinstate them, predicting the Supreme Court would overturn it.

A judge ruled the firing of thousands of federal employees was illegal. But he stopped short of ordering the government to reinstate them, predicting the Supreme Court would overturn it.

Page One in Indy:

The tariff/trade war “consequences for US farmers could be catastrophic in the coming years.”

Trump calls for the firing of Lisa Monaco, Microsoft president of global affairs Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo brought up Monaco's position at Microsoft during her show. The appointment happened in July.

Sept. 4: Microsoft CEO says “We are so grateful to the president, first lady and the entire administration for making it a national priority to prepare the next generation to harness AI's power.”

Sept. 26: ⤵️

www.cnbc.com/2025/09/26/t...

Trump Fired a U.S. Attorney Who Insisted on Following a Court Order

Six hrs after advising Border Patrol chief to comply with a court order requiring "reasonable suspicion" for stops, acting US Atty in Sacramento is fired & escorted from office.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/u...

As federal funds wane, NPR ruefully clashes with CPB NPR asked a federal judge to block CPB from awarding a $57.9 million grant to a new consortium of public media institutions to operate the satellite that connects the public radio system.

As federal funds wane, NPR ruefully clashes with CPB

My story for NPR:

www.npr.org/2025/09/27/n...

Trump's TikTok deal payment criticized as 'shakedown scheme' by experts The U.S. government will collect a multibillion-dollar fee from the American investors who will take over TikTok. Some experts call the fee and other deals like it "extortion."

NEW: The Trump admin asking TikTok investors for a multibillion-dollar payment to US is the latest extractive “fee for service” from WH.

"These are shakedown schemes…I'd even call it extortion…Privately, CEOs are horrified."

www.npr.org/2025/09/26/g...
w/ @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social

Opinion | Eric Adams, Donald Trump and the Case That Broke American Justice

If you want to understand this Trump administration's rampant corruption ... you have to go back to Eric Adams, and how they made the case against him disappear.

I got a bunch of new details on this deep dive for @nytimes.com ...

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/o...

Trump's TikTok deal payment criticized as 'shakedown scheme' by experts The U.S. government will collect a multibillion-dollar fee from the American investors who will take over TikTok. Some experts call the fee and other deals like it "extortion."

Trump’s TikTok deal terms called a ‘shakedown ’ by experts

By @bobbyallyn.bsky.social and me for NPR

www.npr.org/2025/09/26/g...

The Fourth Estate in a Time of Crisis Connecticut Law Review’s annual symposium. Keynote Speaker: David Folkenflik, NPR News, Media Correspondent

Excited to announce our Connecticut Law Review Symposium on Oct 17: The Fourth Estate in a Time of Crisis.

Keynote speaker - David Folkenflik, NPR Media Correspondent @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social

Panelists include many distinguished media law scholars

events.uconn.edu/law-school/e...

America’s assault on free speech Alan and Lionel discuss Charlie Kirk, and Trump’s NYT lawsuit with David Folkenflik

🎧: NPR’s @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social joins Media Confidential with @arusbridger.bsky.social and @lionelbarber.bsky.social to discuss Donald Trump’s $15bn lawsuit against the New York Times.

"How will we know what we don't hear?"
David Folkenflik, NPR reporter, on a free press and the First Amendment.

WHYY WHYY connects you to your community and the world by delivering reliable information and worthwhile entertainment.

Friends in Philly and beyond:

Joining WHYY's Studio2 hosts this hour with Eugene Volokh of
@volokhc.bsky.social to talk about the Disney, CBS, the FCC, and what free speech means right now....

tune in or stream! whyy.org or 90.9 FM in Philly

Pentagon chief and former Fox & Friends Weekend star Pete Hegseth says reporters have to sign pledges not to report or even gather any information not authorized for release - even if it's unclassified.

My chat with NPR's Scott Detrow coming up on All Things Considered 5.06p

Some local NPR station officials say their applications have been received and processed promptly. Many, however, argue that they will need more help from the network. A tracker set up by a public radio consultant has identified 332 layoffs in public media since July 18, when the Republican-led Congress, at President Trump's urging, defunded public media.

interestingly, this passage is from the very story you cite, which inspired your post:

NPR to trim $5 million this year as public radio stations struggle to pay bills NPR plans to make trims totaling more than $5 million over the course of the coming fiscal year to bring its annual budget into balance. Meanwhile, local stations are asking for more help.

NPR to trim $5 million as some public radio stations struggle to pay bills

My story for NPR

NPR cuts $5 million as public radio stations struggle to pay bills

www.npr.org/2025/09/17/n...

Trump files $15 billion defamation lawsuit against 'New York Times' President Trump filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and four of its journalists, accusing them of harming his business and personal reputation.

DJT v NYT

When the president takes on an examplar of the press

My chat on NPR w Ari Shapiro at 4.35p/6.35p

My earlier story:

www.npr.org/2025/09/16/n...

Trump files $15 billion defamation lawsuit against 'New York Times' President Trump filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and four of its journalists, accusing them of harming his business and personal reputation.

Trump files a $15B defamation suit against the NYT, expanding his full-court press against the press

My story for NPR:

www.npr.org/2025/09/16/n...

NEWS: President Trump files latest defamation suit against NYT

I'll join NPR's Michel Martin live to break it down -
7.38a ET on Morning Edition

CBS shifts to appease the right under new owner CBS' new owner, David Ellison, has taken concrete steps to address the concerns of the news division's sharpest critics — particularly President Trump and his allies.

New CBS owner Ellison takes steps to appease Trump and WH regulators as he eyes bid for Warner Bros. Discovery - including CNN

My story for NPR

www.npr.org/2025/09/12/n...

NPR's next news chief built an international career at CNN NPR has promoted Thomas Evans, its editorial review chief, to lead the newsroom through a period of change, following Congress' decision to end federal funding of public media.

News: NPR appoints new editor in chief:

NPR's newsroom will be led by Tommy Evans, a new managing editor for the network who's a veteran CNN foreign news executive

My story for NPR

www.npr.org/2025/09/11/n...

News: Officials at Utah Valley University confirm "a visiting speaker" was shot at during event featuring conservative activist Charlie Kirk, NPR reports

A video shows him holding a microphone, sitting under a tent. After shot rings out, Kirk grabbed his neck and appears to fall out of his chair.

About to join MSNBC's Kay Tur to talk about the Lachlan era for the Murdoch media empire - and what's ahead for Fox, the WSJ and more.

Tune in - also with @mckaycoppins.bsky.social