Brandon Wall

Some personal news: Happy to say I recently joined @themarshallproject.org as Audience Director. It's an important investigative newsroom focusing on criminal justice that I've been a fan of for years, and I'm SO excited to be here It's been a great start thanks to my kind and generous colleagues✨

"As US hospitals buy up a growing portion of the doctors’ offices ... patients are paying a steep cost: Routine medical care is often being billed at the much more expensive rate for hospital care, instead of the lower cost for procedures in a doctor’s office." www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

The YouTube experience is increasing friction to see videos from people you choose to subscribe to and instead serve the same 70 clips from 5 algorithm buckets ad nauseum with AI slop occasionally slipped in with the hopes that you accidentally watch enough AI slop to signal the algo you want more

We made a book! RURAL INDEXING: A COLLECTION OF AMERICAN BUILDINGS, SIGNS, AND SYMBOLS arrives from Rizzoli in March 2027. Our favorite themes and subjects from the thousands of places we've visited since 2010—450+ photos, many never published before. Preorder: linktr.ee/ruralindexingproject

70 percent of the internet was vulnerable yesterday to very bad security flaws inside a coding language. Turns out, *one volunteer* is mostly responsible for maintaining that code & helping push updates. Yesterday Ondřej Surý saved the internet. So I called him up www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...

An update from Brewster Kahle on today's outage.

Yesterday, @themarshallproject.org filed a lawsuit against ICE and CBP in federal court to force the agencies to publicly disclose all the people in their custody. Learn more here 👇 www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/20/i...

🚨 We are suing ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection in federal court to force the agencies to publicly disclose all the people in their custody. Read more: www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/20/i...

Grabbed Sunday matinee tickets to Hadestown and had no idea it was the 2,500th performance! That was incredible. They had a dedication after and donated original run costumes to the Smithsonian. I love the theater I love Broadway

On X, users have circulated nonconsenual AI videos created by Grok of a woman they think is Jane Doe. They continue to spread her name. People have praised X for staying relevant for AI and tech conversation. But it also is the main vector for a doxing. That is X. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/n...

What an unsurprising twist in the Talarico rumor saga that the right wing ecosystem was eager to gobble up and amplify www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Students from North Carolina A&T can be seen marching back to their HBCU after voting on the first day of early voting in the state. The Guilford County Board of Elections voted to remove the school’s on-campus polling site. (video via Todd Simmons) greensboro.com/news/local/g...

At ICE detention camps, dozens of immigrants are refusing to eat to draw attention to poor conditions and prolonged detentions. At least three camps have seen hunger strikes in the past three weeks. Learn more on our Instagram: www.instagram.com/p/DekaZ18lNMn/

I felt something stir in my millennial soul I haven't felt in 15 years listening to this Justice-lead title track for the first time

This game is going to be a must-buy "In a small town in the 1980s, you are the lone night shift news editor on duty when strange, violent reports begin flooding the newsroom...you must uncover the truth through old-fashioned reporting and analog technology." store.steampowered.com/app/4910010/...

White Sox will always have a place in my heart. Went to Comiskey more than Wrigley growing up in the south burbs. Try to go to a game whenever I'm back home (including the the last few miserable years) Watch them more than the Mets b/c of blackout rules! What a season, what a run. I love baseball🥺

The shooting used tactics that law enforcement agencies have discouraged for decades because of the danger they present to officers and the public. These types of shootings are increasingly familiar scenarios to immigrant rights advocates across the country www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/09/n...

White Sox in control LETS GO

"[Kalshi's] critics argue that not receiving a license from states, and thus avoiding participating in ban lists other major betting sites honor, creates a loophole for those with gambling issues." www.npr.org/2026/10/02/n...

Scoop: Podcaster Benny Johnson is being sued for defamation over his ICE ride-along videos calling protesters "terrorists." www.ms.now/news/benny-j...

obligatory "me and who?" abc7ny.com/post/nyc-may...

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider the government’s appeal in the case of Ricardo Aparecido Barbosa da Cunha, which could have major implications for the Trump administration’s deportation efforts. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/09/25/i...

Final out of the Cubs season comes as the clock strikes midnight in Chicago, the calendar turns over to October, and they promptly turn back into a pumpkin. can't wait till next year

This is amazing, he is the Chicago GOAT. Tamale Guy forever

"Pushing the stone off its foundations does more than destroy a physical building; it erases the only tangible record of who owned what." www.thekeymagazine.com/p/south-leba...

On Tuesday, a judge ordered Texas to add air conditioning to all state lockups by the end of 2029, the Texas Tribune reports. In 2017, we reported extensively on the danger facing incarcerated people in hot climates and no air-conditioning: www.themarshallproject.org/2017/10/11/c...

Obviously not a grassroots venue, but seeing Kendrick Lamar on Pitchfork's smaller Blue side stage in 2012 a few months before Good Kid MAAD City came out and put him at firm stadium status was a transcendent experience

I've heard of this mythic tabletop game, good luck to them. "They have been playing four to five hours a week; at that rate, they estimate it could take 20 years to complete, six times longer than the North Africa campaign lasted in real life." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/w...

The Trump administration in May quietly altered an obscure prison policy that could give the Department of Justice more power to punish the president’s enemies and reward his allies. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/09/18/b...

I liked this one

Ah man, what sad news. animatedtext was such a tumblr/twitter staple for years and years, and really helped define a certain online-ness of the 2010s. RIP Cat www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/a...

I've been reading Only Plane In The Sky for the first time over the last few days and it's left me a weepy emotional wreck at least 40% of the time. It might be the only 5/5 "can't put down" book I can't bring myself to recommend (though you should read it)

A beautiful story from @mcjesse.bsky.social that had me laughing and crying at the same time: "My father will always struggle with his harrowing memories as a first responder. His only positive one got us talking again." www.vulture.com/article/a-fu...

"But perhaps even more remarkable than the profusion of accolades and awards was Ms. Parton’s unstinting generosity of spirit — her commitment, born of deep religious convictions and an immense heart, to seeing the humanity in all people." www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/a...

UPDATE: After this story published, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee made public her order appointing an independent monitor to oversee conditions for children in immigration detention, noting numerous violations by ICE and CBP under the Trump administration. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/08/18/p...

BREAKING: A federal judge has ordered an independent monitor to oversee detention of children at the family facility in Dilley, TX storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

What an incredible photo, fly beluga whale fly!

Shedd Aquarium has taken in 4 more rescued beluga whales from a shuttered Canadian marine park. blockclubchi.co/4xGyLxI

U.S. prisons are notorious for bad food — from bland, low-nutrient dishes to straight-up moldy meals. We teamed up with "The Pitt" fan account @nocontextthepitt to talk about the impacts of meager food behind bars. See the 18-slide post: www.instagram.com/p/DbI835iESPt/

📢 JOB ALERT: @blockclubchi.bsky.social is teaming w/ @thetrace.org to hire a reporter focused on gun violence in Chicago. By combining the Trace's expertise + BC's neighborhood approach, this reporter will be positioned to land stories that drive change. Apply: blockclubchicago.org/the-trace-is...

This is an interesting setup and obviously an important reporting gig: "The staff writer in this role, which is funded by The Trace but based in Block Club’s newsroom, will cover gun violence, public safety and justice in Chicago." blockclubchicago.org/the-trace-is...

Roguelike Deckbuilder

I have a million (complimentary) thoughts about the Odyssey after finally seeing it, among them that while I think Ludwig Göransson's score is amazing, it is probably going to undeservedly win an Oscar and rob Ludwig Göransson for his brilliant work on Mandalorian and Grogu

A shocking and important story from @themarshallproject.org, @chicago.suntimes.com, and @wbez.org about the Joliet Treatment Center

Exciting cinephile news: LA's legendary Cinerama Dome and the former Arclight Theater is getting restored and reopened next year It "will retain 35mm capabilities to showcase archival film prints and house several premium format screens, including 70mm auditoriums" variety.com/2026/film/ne...

Congratulations to whomever beat me to grabbing that random decent seat to the 3am showing of The Odyssey in 70mm that suddenly appeared on Fandango for one glorious, fleeting moment 😤