Ian Gordon

“He’s an agent. No one will believe me over him.” The case of an alleged rape at the Border Patrol Academy, and the culture of silence that helped keep it from public view.

The first federal investigation into Border Patrol corruption and “excessive violence” was launched in 1930; by 1933, every single working agent had been fired.

Fast forward to today, the agency's highly sexualized workplace leads to pervasive harassment and assault, as per dozens of former agents.

weird to say but 1924 is still I think underexamined as a lodestar for some of America's worst people

Meet the veteran who chases ICE on a scooter Clifford “Buzz” Grambo patrols the streets of Baltimore to keep his neighbors safe—and make federal agents uncomfortable.

“The first time I caught up to them, I could tell that they already knew who I was. They had seen me before, so they thought they were just going to speed away. I was like, haha bitches, I got a new scooter!” @isabelaalhadeff.bsky.social had me hooked from the jump:

This is all John Roberts’ fault Trump owes his corrupt and abusive reign to one man.

🎯🎯Must read piece on how John Roberts created the conditions for Trump’s rise and has enabled his criminality at every turn by @pemalevy.bsky.social and @ariberman.bsky.social www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

The future of the border is even more dystopian than you thought Automated surveillance and AI are here to stay—whether Trump builds his wall or not.

And yes, this dystopian future is already here

Border creep The Border Patrol covers far more territory than you think—and agents enjoy wide latitude to justify stopping vehicles.

If it wasn't clear before, it should be now: Everything is a border zone to the Trump administration

“He’s an agent. No one will believe me over him.” The case of an alleged rape at the Border Patrol Academy, and the culture of silence that helped keep it from public view.

What does the Border Patrol's culture of impunity look like on the inside?

Why the Border Patrol went MAGA Agents always skewed conservative. But then their influential union fully leaned into a Trump presidency.

In many ways, you can thank the Border Patrol union and former president Brandon Judd for folks like Gregory Bovino

The Border Patrol is an engine of crisis—and has been since the beginning As the troubled law enforcement agency turns 100, meet the forgotten cowboy-congressman who pushed it into existence.

Every bit of @timothypmurphy.bsky.social's historical look at the Border Patrol's spiritual founder rings true today

No boundaries The Border Patrol has grown far bigger—and crueler—since its founding 100 years ago. Trump wants to take the gloves all the way off.

Last year, to mark the Border Patrol's 100th anniversary, we shined a light on its culture of impunity and its role in shaping the current political moment—one that echoes the anti-immigrant fever that led to its creation a century ago

"It should come as little surprise, then, that Trump and Stephen Miller, who oversees the administration’s mass-deportation campaign, have turned the U.S. Border Patrol inward, deploying its green-uniformed agents to cities and states around the country."

How right-wing superstar Riley Gaines built an anti-trans empire The swimmer tied a trans woman for fifth. The MAGA industrial complex took care of the rest.

I’ve spent a lot of the last three years investigating the rise of anti-trans politics. Often, it came back to the controversy over trans women athletes.

So I teamed up with @pablo.show to look into the leading figure on the issue: Riley Gaines.

www.motherjones.com/politics/202... 1/

Happy to take a look: igordon@motherjones.com

This story also has one of the most memorable quotes I've ever been told.

"[Robinson] said she’d recently told a friend concerned for her safety for speaking out that she has “three big dogs and a revolver” and that her address is '123 I Wish A Motherfucker Would.'"

If you're wondering, "Who is this Clay Higgins dude who voted against releasing the Epstein files?," @nlanard.bsky.social has you covered:

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

How a mercenary became a Minneapolis mall cop After the George Floyd protests, a former military contractor named Nathan Seabrook brought the war home.

I wrote about how an Iraq-war era military contractor ended up as a mall cop cracking down on a protest encampment in Minneapolis the summer after the George Floyd protests. This is the story of Nathan Seabrook and long arc of the war on terror. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Kill your darlings, but also if these are your darlings there are deeper issues to resolve

"waivered" is killing me, bill

If anyone wants to take absurdly glamorous photos of me while I talk about my most regrettable situationships I AM available

Bill Pulte is really having a week The revelations against the Trump loyalist keep piling up.

Congrats to Bill Pulte for being named this week's Washington Main Character (Non-Epstein Division)

UNC BOT approves proposed in-state tuition increase for class of 2030, now awaits UNC System approval The proposed rates will be submitted to the UNC System Office in early December and will be reviewed by the UNC Board of Governors in early 2026.

They're raising undergrad tuition at my alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

For out-of-staters, it's going up 10%—or $4,320 per year.

For in-state students, it's going up 3%—or *$211 per year.*

Kash Patel, the FBI's agent of chaos The biggest little scandal in Washington right now is how bad Patel is at being FBI director.

It's hard to overstate what a disaster Kash Patel is. See the many disturbing details here, from @vermontgmg.bsky.social, an expert on the FBI. "The longer this chaos continues," he writes, "the more likely we’re going to face a catastrophic intelligence failure." www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

In Matt Gaetz Scandal, Circumstances Left Teen Vulnerable to Exploitation

Jesus Christ: "Ultimately, between the money she made from her interactions with men and in the food services industry she was able to save up enough money to get braces."

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...

The Penny Dies at 232

"With the penny’s demise, coin enthusiasts’ worried eyes now turn toward its longtime associate, the nickel. Its purchasing power has also shrunk to nearly nothing, and it costs more than a dime to make."

Meanwhile, on X

This isn’t even the stuff they’re trying to actually stop from getting out.

someone stop adam silver, man

Then they came for the Dreamers Immigrants brought here as children were told they wouldn’t be deported. Now, they’re being targeted anyway.

@isabelaalhadeff.bsky.social has provided absolutely vital reporting on Trump’s deportation campaign. Here’s another can’t-miss story:

Wow, big London Perrantes snub

Well... at least we know where Red Panda is tonight...