Fernando Alfonso III

Judiciary Democrats Demand BOP Immediately Address Pervasive Staffing Shortages and Safety Failures Washington, D.C. (February 20, 2026)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Lucy McBath, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Sur...

Citing my reporting for @propublica.org - about how federal prisons are losing staff to ICE - House Dems are raising concerns about how that's impacing prisoners' lives and demanding BOP answer Q's as to what the agency is doing about it democrats-judiciary.house.gov/media-center...

A Fatal ICE Shooting Occurred in Texas Months Before Renee Good’s Killing

This case is insane:

ICE shot and killed a citizen last March then *hid it for a year.*

The young man they killed had no criminal history.

All we know about shooting is from internal ICE docs.

We don't know officers' names.

We don't have footage.

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/20/u...

A Fatal ICE Shooting Occurred in Texas Months Before Renee Good’s Killing

ICE shot and killed an American citizen last March but DHS involvement was only recently revealed. They again claim the victim hit a federal agent when ordered out of his vehicle near an unrelated crash. But witness statements contradict the official account. No video has emerged.

A police officer walks by a collection of balloons, teddy bears, candles, and other items at a memorial for the four people killed in the Stockton shooting in November. A headline reads: "A California City Grieves Over a Shooting at a Toddler’s Birthday Party." Photo by Philip Cheung for The New York Times

Nearly a month after four people, including three children, were killed in a shooting in Stockton, California, the police have yet to arrest a suspect. Grieving residents are asking questions about what they wish for their city, which has long suffered from gang violence, to become. trib.al/ukQneqC

Screenshot from NBC News story: In his almost 45 years as a federal judge, John Coughenour has seen it all, including high-profile criminal trials that put his own safety at risk. But this year, the 84-year-old senior district judge did something he hadn't considered for a long time: He retrieved a gun he had stored at the federal courthouse in Seattle years ago and brought it back to his home in case he needed it to defend himself. Coughenour is one of dozens of federal judges who have found themselves at the center of a political maelstrom as they have ruled against President Donald Trump or spoken up in defense of the judiciary. With Trump administration officials vilifying judges who rule against the government, a wave of violent threats and harassment has often followed.

Hell of a lede, @lawrencehurley.bsky.social
www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...

In American high schools, many teenagers are assigned few full books to read from beginning to end — often just one or two per year, according to researchers and thousands of responses to an informal reader survey by The New York Times. trib.al/gNp7kWK

Where Train Dreams Meet Reality in Texas Dallas and Houston are 250 miles apart. But if you want to take a train between them, prepare for a 23-hour odyssey that says a lot about where US passenger rail is heading.

really great piece in Bloomberg about rail travel in Texas that I'm jealous I didn't write www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Justin Britt abruptly left the NFL in 2022 with depression. How he found peace Justin Britt stepped away from the Houston Texans in 2022 with depression. Three years later, he opened up to us about how he found peace and has become an advocate for mental health.

Really touching story by @jonmalexander.bsky.social on former Texans center Justin Britt (MIZ!) and how he uses running to combat his depression and inspire others struggling with their mental health

www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texan...

I forget what I actually is but it’s Zombie brains!

A charcuterie plate renamed as “charBOOterie”

Rice krispy treats made to look like Frankenstein

Graveyard pie (pumpkin pie with cookies)

The la times design/data graphics/ features teams’ Halloween themed potluck at the office is MIND blowing.

While lawyers and big financial backers took home millions, many Texans who were charged sky-high electricity rates during the winter storm may never see a dime from Griddy Energy. bit.ly/4ohKcXR

Diane Keaton is smiling and looking to her right. She is wearing a black jacket, a white blouse, a black hat and glasses. A headline reads: "1946-2025: Diane Keaton." Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Breaking News: Diane Keaton, who played some 100 movie and TV roles and won the best-actress Oscar for “Annie Hall,” has died at 79. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/m...

Hilton workers win new contract after 40 days on strike The new contract's $20 minimum wage is a significant raise, but less than the $23 wage union leaders had wanted.

"After 40 days on the picket line, unionized workers at the Hilton Americas-Houston ended their strike after ratifying a new contract with hotel management on Friday." by Maliya Ellis, @houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com/business/art...

The Case That Broke American American Justice.

Last year I co-wrote a piece with @umairfan.bsky.social about the way cultures that valorize endurance make it much harder for people to take the threat of extreme heat as seriously as they do extreme cold. It's past time to change that. www.vox.com/climate/3597...

no you’re crying

Just got a great set of emails from the FBI.

It’s a cat silently judging you in the nighttime

Photos from 20 years ago show life inside the Astrodome after Hurricane Katrina Photos show what the Astrodome looked like 20 years ago when it was transformed into a shelter for more than 25,000 people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

I think a lot about how one of the last times the Astrodome was ever used was to hold refugees from Katrina
www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/202...

A Teen Was Suicidal. ChatGPT Was the Friend He Confided In. More people are turning to general-purpose chatbots for emotional support. At first, Adam Raine, 16, used ChatGPT for schoolwork, but then he started discussing plans to end his life.

At first, a 16-year-old used ChatGPT for schoolwork. Then he started discussing plans to end his life.

Kerry Bishe in costume as Donna and Mackenzie Davis in costume as Cameron Howe on the set of Halt and Catch Fire

Scoot McNairy and Lee Pace on the set of Halt and Catch Fire

Can folks do me a favor?

I was on Bluesky early & it was great. Mostly. I hit the eject button in January.

I came back, many colleagues are here, but still don’t know I am.

I co-created Halt and Catch Fire. I write TV & comics.

Here’s two favorite set photos.

Repost? I am in the wilderness.

Exclusive | The Onion Brought Back Its Print Edition. The Gamble Is Paying Off. Publications turn to the old-style products to appeal to nostalgic readers and stand out in a crowded digital-media landscape.

Some incredibly good news:

One year ago this week, The Onion returned to print.

In that one year, we’ve grown to the 13th largest print newspaper in the United States, just ahead of the Boston Globe, and growing fast.

In short, it’s working.

So… thank you. Thank you for helping save this thing.

US Senator Jon Ossoff has launched an investigation into the abuse of women and children in US immigration detention, citing among other reports, the WIRED story below: www.ossoff.senate.gov/wp-content/u...

Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell moved to Texas prison Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell was moved to a minimum-security prison in Bryan Friday.

NEW: Ghislaine Maxwell has been moved to a prison camp in Texas. BOP hasn't said why... but one union official offered a suggestion: "If someone is a cooperating witness, they can request a lower security level."

From me and @elissacj.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

Opinion | José Andrés: People of Good Conscience Must Stop the Starvation in Gaza

From @nytopinion.nytimes.com

“There is no excuse for the world to stand by and watch two million human beings suffer on the brink of full-blown famine,” the chef José Andrés writes about Gaza.

Elon Musk's Tesla Diner Is the Cybertruck of Restaurants Elon Musk's new Tesla Diner in Hollywood: long lines, chaotic service, disappointing food and a puzzling design with drive-in movie screens.

I reviewed the Tesla Diner, congrats to me on my new career as a food critic

‘It’s the most empathetic voice in my life’: How AI is transforming the lives of neurodivergent people AI tools like ChatGPT are helping neurodivergent users communicate more clearly and confidently — though some experts warn that overreliance could come at a cost.

‘It’s the most empathetic voice in my life’: How AI is transforming the lives of neurodivergent people reut.rs/4feiSqq

Ozzy Osbourne, Rock God Despite Himself (1948–2025) The Prince of Darkness, who gave us heavy metal as we know it, has been laid to rest.

I wrote about John “Ozzy” Osbourne—a working class lad made good, who rose from a slaughterhouse killing floor to the highest echelons of rock stardom in spite of himself, who gave us heavy metal and left a more complex legacy than many realize—for @thenation.com www.thenation.com/article/cult...

The plot against vaccines Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies have hit on a way to undermine immunization.

1/ DO NOT MISS @annamerlan.bsky.social & @kieraevebutler.bsky.social's deep dive into how RFK Jr is taking his fight against vaccines to trying to get rid of the vaccine injury court, without which there will not be new & better vaccines developed. It's diabolical www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

You 2.0: The Passion Pill - Hidden Brain Media Behavioral scientist Jon Jachimowicz looks at how to keep our passions alive, and how to channel old passions into new pursuits.

I’m turning 50 soon. After nearly 30 years in the work I‘ve been doing, I’ve been deeply struggling with burnout & all the existential questions, knowing my time is limited on this Earth.

I found this episode to be helpful for thinking through it all.

Thanks Tom