Pinned
My first big report for the new Substack is now live. It's a two-year investigation into the horrific wrongful conviction of an intellectually disabled man in Arkansas.
No paywall, so I hope you'll check it out.
Radley Balko
60K posts
Radley Balko
@radleybalko
Investigative journalist. Journalism fellow: Quattrone Center. Books: Rise of the Warrior Cop, Cadaver King and the Country Dentist. Honorary Duckmaster.
- Breaking: A member of the Breonna Taylor grand jury just filed a remarkable motion asking a judge to release the entire proceedings of the grand jury. The motion strongly suggests that Attorney General Cameron's public comments contradict what was presented to the grand jury.
- It isn’t easy for a man to rip a screaming child away from his mother. Most of us couldn’t do it. This is where “animals” comes in. Declare he isn’t really a child, she isn’t a woman. Now it’s like pulling a piglet from a sow. This has always been how states enable savagery.
- Remember when Kaepernick “disrespected the flag” by quietly taking a knee?
- GOP: He didn't do it. Trump: I did it. GOP: He didn't mean to do it. Trump: I wish I'd done it sooner. GOP: He did it for benign reasons. Trump: I did it for the worst reasons. GOP: He's sorry. Trump: I'm never sorry. GOP: He's chastened. Trump: I'm doing it again tomorrow.
- Fearmongering works: OK violent crime rate: 458 per 100K NY violent crime rate: 364 per 100K OK murder rate: 7.25 NY murder rate: 4.11 % of Oklahomans who say crime is most urgent issue: 5 % of New Yorkers: 28
- Fox News had the Indiana AG to say he’s opening a criminal investigation of the doctor in the 10 year-old abortion story. They then aired the doctor’s photo. They’re either actively trying to get her killed, or just don’t give a damn that they’re putting her in danger.
- This isn't hard. A presidential candidate with a history of bullying and thuggery leading crowds in chants to imprison his opponent is unhealthy in a democracy. A baseball crowd mocking the most powerful man on earth - who has been credibly accused of real crimes - is healthy.
- NYC is: -- 25% black -- largest black population in U.S. -- One of our most diverse cities. Whites are now a minority. -- A sanctuary city, with ~500K undocumented immigrants. It's also: -- The safest big city in America. Crime is at a 50-year low.
- A heart transplant recipient was arrested after a dispute with a neighbor over WiFi. Jail officials refused to let him take his transplant medication for two days. He’d waited 12 years for a heart. His body rejected the heart, and he died.
- For the umpteenth time: There’s a huge difference between honoring historical figures in spite of their sins (Washington, Jefferson, etc.), and honoring historical figures because of their sins (Lee, Davis, Forrest, etc.).Kayleigh McEnany: "Are we to remove from history George Washington? Are we to remove Thomas Jefferson? Are we to remove FDR?"
00:00 - So after nine years, I'm being let go by the Washington Post. This is disappointing but not surprising. In recent years, the Opinion leadership has made it increasingly difficult to do the reporting & in-depth analysis I was hired to do -- in favor of short, hot takes.
