Alex Shultz

defector.comMark Teixeira Is Sleepwalking Into Congress | DefectorDuring his 14-year MLB career, Mark Teixeira’s average Wins Above Replacement (WAR) was a respectable 4.4. As a political candidate, Teixeira’s WAR—yes, there’s a platform that measures this sort of t...

48m

I wrote about Mark Teixeira, former New York Yankee and longtime resident of Greenwich, Connecticut, who's running for office in Texas as a "Retired Texas Ranger" (gift link 🎁)

29m

Entourage cameo! Also Teixeira doesn't live in the Texas district he hopes to represent

20m

The sports of it all aside: If he wins, Teixeira will become one of the wealthiest members of Congress. He hasn't committed to a blind trust (his campaign ignored my q's about this) and he has endless conflicts of interest defector.com/mark-teixeir...

Alex Shultz reposted

bjkeefe

@bjkeefe.bsky.social

45m

Many ballplayers are unlikable outside the lines. @alexshultz.bsky.social takes a long look at one of the worst. (I actually used to like this guy!) gift link: defector.com/mark-teixeir...

48m

I wrote about Mark Teixeira, former New York Yankee and longtime resident of Greenwich, Connecticut, who's running for office in Texas as a "Retired Texas Ranger" (gift link 🎁)

46m

Inspiring stuff here defector.com/mark-teixeir...

hardresetmedia.comAnthropic Co-Founder Tom Brown Made More Donations to Conservative CausesBrown is a Marsha Blackburn fan—and, it seems, supports local GOP candidates in Texas. Plus: we asked a tech billionaire if he regrets backing Ramaswamy.

22h

I found more donations from Tom Brown, including an under-the-radar one: $25k to a group that backs GOP candidates in local Texas races

Alex Shultz@alexshultz.bsky.social

Looked into recent FEC filings and wouldn't you know it, Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown started cutting checks to Republicans right around the time he became Dario Amodei's White House whisperer

hardresetmedia.comAnthropic’s Billionaire Co-Founder Completes Conservative RebrandTom Brown isn’t just Dario Amodei’s White House whisperer—he’s also a newfound donor to Republican causes.

19h

also found a funny anti-Prop. 40 (California wealth tax) donation from a billionaire who's registered to vote in Montana and lists his address in Florida www.hardresetmedia.com/p/anthropic-...

Alex Shultz reposted

hardresetmedia.comAnthropic’s Billionaire Co-Founder Completes Conservative RebrandTom Brown isn’t just Dario Amodei’s White House whisperer—he’s also a newfound donor to Republican causes.

Replying to @alexshultz.bsky.social

Prior to the last handful of months, Brown's donations were few and far between. In 2016, he gave $35 to...Bernie Sanders lol

Alex Shultz reposted

hardresetmedia.comAnthropic’s Billionaire Co-Founder Completes Conservative RebrandTom Brown isn’t just Dario Amodei’s White House whisperer—he’s also a newfound donor to Republican causes.

Looked into recent FEC filings and wouldn't you know it, Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown started cutting checks to Republicans right around the time he became Dario Amodei's White House whisperer

hardresetmedia.comAnthropic’s Billionaire Co-Founder Completes Conservative RebrandTom Brown isn’t just Dario Amodei’s White House whisperer—he’s also a newfound donor to Republican causes.

Looked into recent FEC filings and wouldn't you know it, Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown started cutting checks to Republicans right around the time he became Dario Amodei's White House whisperer

hardresetmedia.comAnthropic’s Billionaire Co-Founder Completes Conservative RebrandTom Brown isn’t just Dario Amodei’s White House whisperer—he’s also a newfound donor to Republican causes.

Prior to the last handful of months, Brown's donations were few and far between. In 2016, he gave $35 to...Bernie Sanders lol

Common Ground PA, the joint fundraising committee for John Fetterman & Dave McCormick, reported $261k in contributions from July-Sept. $94k to Fetterman's principal campaign committee; $89k to McCormick committee. Among the donors: billionaire James Tisch (Jessica Tisch's dad).

photo in here of the OpenAI engineer (allegedly!) checking on the listening device he secretly installed is an all-timer sfstandard.com/2026/10/13/o...

hardresetmedia.comJeff Bezos Is Starting to Sound Like a PoliticianFrom CNBC to a panel in Paris to a recent Fox News interview, Bezos has ironed out a stump speech about AI, housing costs, and hamburgers.

Lots of interesting/annoying quotes from Jeff Bezos's Fox News interview this week, but more notably: in 4 public appearances/interviews this year, he's delivering the same talking points (like almost verbatim). I studied the tape/transcripts so you don't have to. Something weird going on here!

did you know the plow was invented 6,000 years ago and we all got wealthier as a result? Jeff Bezos would love to talk to you about it

Jeff Bezos keeps telling the same Raising Cane's story too. Gave the same slop to CNBC and Fox News five months apart www.hardresetmedia.com/p/jeff-bezos...

Among recent donors to John Fetterman's joint fundraising committee (Fetterman Victory Fund): —Billionaire John Catsimatidis, who famously threatened to move his grocery stores out of NYC after Zohran won —The son and grandson of Stanley Chera, Trump's friend who died in 2020

Alex Shultz reposted

Hard Reset

@hardresetmedia.com

"That 2000s-era FWD: FWD: RE: INSPIRING chain letter sounds oddly familiar" Jeff Bezos Is Starting to Sound Like a Politician... Read more from @alexshultz.bsky.social www.hardresetmedia.com/p/jeff-bezos...

Alex Shultz reposted

Prem Thakker ツ

@premthakker.bsky.social

My gosh. Mike Huckabee's top aide: —Covered up an embassy report on Israeli killings of 9 Americans —Fabricated Orwellian reports on Israeli settler violence & the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" to make it sound good for Israel —Questioned staff on whether they were “pro-Israel” or “pro-Hamas”

ms.nowA private company invited Gov. Wes Moore to a Baltimore event. Trump had him removed as a speaker.The president asked Anduril Industries to remove Maryland Gov. Moore from the speaking program at an event celebrating a defense tech investment in a working-class community.

"Donald Trump will not let me speak at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Palmer Luckey's weapons manufacturer" is not a very moving or effective rallying cry, I gotta say

I see Wes Moore did not take the W that Trump handed him and instead recorded a video touting his deal with Anduril

Governor Wes Moore@govwesmoore.bsky.social

$3.7 BILLION in investment. 14,000 jobs. Welcome to Baltimore County, Anduril!

hardresetmedia.comOpenAI and Anthropic Want to Have Their Beef Tallow and Eat It TooAt a MAHA summit, HHS Secretary RFK Jr. raved about what AI can do for healthcare. We asked tech companies whether they agree with him—and got nothing back.

also sorry but if you'll allow me some light dunking: why is MS Now calling Anduril a "private company" in that headline like it's a mom-and-pop shop???

Alex Shultz reposted

Hard Reset

@hardresetmedia.com

Alex Shultz explores the uneasy relationship between Big AI and MAHA—and why tech companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are staying quiet. Read more: www.hardresetmedia.com/p/openai-and...

the signs were there... love is dead...

Alex Shultz@alexshultz.bsky.social

Musk's attorney asks him who Shivon Zilis is. Musk's response: “Shivon was uh…my chief of staff. And uh, yeah. Uh, yeah.”

During the Musk v. Altman trial, Shivon Zilis said her relationship with Musk began after "kind of like, a one-off at the offset." She was asked if her relationship with Musk was important to her. She replied "sure." hardresetmedia.com/p/musk-v-altman-shivon-zilis-testimony

"I didn't realize that this Xi dinner included significant other" is going to remain with me for a very, very long time

the signs were there... love is dead...

Alex Shultz@alexshultz.bsky.social

Musk's attorney asks him who Shivon Zilis is. Musk's response: “Shivon was uh…my chief of staff. And uh, yeah. Uh, yeah.”

recalling some other warning signs from the Musk v. Altman trial www.hardresetmedia.com/p/musk-v-alt...

Eric Schmitt has branded himself the Sports Guy Senator, even has "Diehard #STLCards fan" in his X bio, but confuses the Atlanta Hawks and the Iowa Hawkeyes here

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

🤡 Schmitt beclowns himself 🤡 Schmitt concocted an elaborate conspiracy theory that Smith traveled to Atl for a Hawks game and to collude with Fani Willis, & flashed his "evidence" before accusing Smith of perjury. There's just one problem -- his facts were totally wrong. Here's the whole sequence:

his pinned post is from the congressional baseball game lol

hardresetmedia.comNew Rob Bonta Betrays Old Rob Bonta to Appease 3 Subpar PoliticiansSurrendering to Paramount on behalf of Gavin Newsom, Karen Bass, and Xavier Becerra is an unfathomable blunder.

The toothless Paramount settlement was reportedly pushed by Newsom, Bass, and Becerra. Which makes Rob Bonta look even worse! Newsom has negative approvals; Bass is going to lose in Nov; Becerra barely beat a weak slate of primary candidates. Bonta failed to use his leverage and political capital.

propublica.orgThe FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the WayAfter the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...

This is the most thorough investigative piece I've read in a very long time. Irrefutable evidence and unbelievably strong sourcing. Prior to a decade or so ago, would've been an automatic career-ended for Sen. Collins. Now...hard to say. But is well worth a read.

21 Sept

we'll know just how toothless this part is depending on which journalist publishes the "exclusive" details. I certainly have a name in mind!

Alex Shultz@alexshultz.bsky.social

the "independent editorial board" for CNN and CBS is even funnier. Means absolutely nothing

21 Sept

Looking forward to Paramount upholding their end of the bargain by releasing 30 sequels to "Melania"

George Pearkes@peark.es

I'm sure there's more detail to come under the hood but TLDR $PSKY bought off California by promising to release at least 30 films per year in theaters, and without California the other holdouts didn't see a way forward.

21 Sept

the "independent editorial board" for CNN and CBS is even funnier. Means absolutely nothing

hardresetmedia.comDario Amodei Anoints Himself U.S. Secretary of State and Ambassador to ChinaThe Anthropic CEO swears he’s not agitating for an AI Cold War. The problem is that he’s agitating for an AI Cold War.

Wrote about Dario Amodei, a self-admitted "China hawk" who's inflaming tensions with the world's other superpower right before a Trump-Xi summit that will presumably feature lots of AI talk

if you really, truly think your technology could destroy the world, then you should not go out of your way to antagonize the other country building out said technology

cnn.comExclusive: US military had close call after using AI for false intelligence report, sources say | CNN PoliticsThe episode shows the risks of using this new, relatively poorly understood technology in the middle of the Iran war

speaking of how AI could cause a catastrophic event...I wonder which LLM almost started a war with China

Alex Shultz reposted

Wrote about Dario Amodei, a self-admitted "China hawk" who's inflaming tensions with the world's other superpower right before a Trump-Xi summit that will presumably feature lots of AI talk

Wrote about Dario Amodei, a self-admitted "China hawk" who's inflaming tensions with the world's other superpower right before a Trump-Xi summit that will presumably feature lots of AI talk

After moonlighting as a diplomat and suggesting the U.S. should tighten the screws on China's AI industry, Amodei tried to tell CBS that "all of this is above my pay grade.” Too little, too late! The response from China's foreign ministry spokesperson + state-run media has been universally negative

17 Sept

Famously, billionaires can only match one donation, and it has to be to a nameless organization. They cannot match a second donation. It's not allowed.

Eli Valley@elivalley.bsky.social

Oh it's coming

politico.comMitch McConnell expected to return to Senate this weekThe former GOP leader has not voted in person since being hospitalized in June.

When Dianne Feinstein briefly returned to the Senate in 2023, she was unable to answer basic questions and needed significant assistance to cast key votes. Her staff physically shielded her from reporters. I expect McConnell's staff will do the same, despite it being obvious that he can't do his job

x.comCSPAN (@cspan) on XSen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY @SenMcConnell) returns to the Senate to vote for the first time since June 11.

10-min clip of McConnell and two handlers standing near him from this evening. A handful of Democratic senators gave him a pretty chummy welcome back: Adam Schiff Jack Reed (who gives him a salute and a hug) Richard Blumenthal Dick Durbin Tina Smith

sfgate.comFeinstein's office says she was 'preoccupied' after viral slip-upSen. Dianne Feinstein began reading off a speech Thursday, despite her colleague Sen. Patty Murray telling her to “just say aye.”

16 Sept

again, same thing happened to Dianne Feinstein in 2023. She was supposed to vote on a bill, didn't know what was going on, was implored by others to just say "aye." Afterwards, her staff told me she was "preoccupied." I'm doubtful McConnell's handlers will even bother making up an excuse.

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social

JUST NOW: A confused, clearly not-there McConnell votes “AYE” after almost voting NO with Dems but getting *corrected* by handlers around him

Alex Shultz reposted

x.comCSPAN (@cspan) on XSen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY @SenMcConnell) returns to the Senate to vote for the first time since June 11.

Replying to @alexshultz.bsky.social

politico.comMitch McConnell expected to return to Senate this weekThe former GOP leader has not voted in person since being hospitalized in June.

if history repeats itself, GOP leaders will realize they can't compel McConnell to resign and that his staff is going to (barely) cover up his poor health to keep their own jobs. So then those leaders will invent procedural reasons for why McConnell must stick around www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/u...

hardresetmedia.comThe AI Industry and Its Allies Aren’t Serious About Slowing DownTrying to make sense of competing interests, legitimate worries, and hubristic predictions related to AI superintelligence.

McConnell's staff writing statements for him, setting stakes as low as possible for his return

Alex Shultz reposted

Hard Reset

@hardresetmedia.com

11 Sept

AI’s biggest voices are talking about the end of humanity. Alex Shultz asks: are they actually serious about doing anything about it? Read more: www.hardresetmedia.com/p/the-ai-ind...