@michaelwhudson
Pulitzer-sharing journo + author current gig: head of investigations @GuardianUS prior gigs: @ICIJorg (Panama Papers, etc.), Associated Press, Center for Public Integrity, Wall Street Journal, Roanoke (Va.) Times linktr.ee/michaelwhudson
From January 2020 to December 2025, data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis shows, the average price of beef steaks soared from $7.65 a pound to $12.51 a pound – an increase of just over 63%, while the general rate of inflation rose roughly 25% over that period. 2/
From @thefern.org and the Guardian:
‘Big Four’ meatpackers under fire as beef prices soar
McDonald’s and other food industry players accuse the big beef packers of collusion and price-gouging. The packers deny these allegations.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i... 1/
"a growing number of small investors may be at risk in the months and the years to come – thanks to a push by the financial industry, federal lawmakers and the Trump administration to loosen protections for small investors."
ICYMI: great reporting by @susanantilla.bsky.social, one of the best financial reporters in the business
Trump says everyday Americans deserve a chance to buy higher-risk ‘alternative’ investments. Critics say this could lead to big losses for small investors
oh right should probably also promo the actual thing I wrote for my job about this www.amediaoperator.com/news/new-yor...
LETTERS FROM LOVE — With Special Guest Darcey Steinke!
open.substack.com/pub/elizabet...
RFK Jr said during his Senate confirmation hearings that his trip to Samoa in 2019 ahead of a devastating measles outbreak had “nothing to do with vaccines." Documents obtained by @us.theguardian.com and @apnews.com undermine that testimony. Details here, by me and @aliswenson.bsky.social ⬇️
In 2023 @enirenberg.bsky.social & I wrote about RFK Jr's role in the deadly measles outbreak in Samoa (time.com/6289037/robe...)
Turns out, Samoa was a trial run for the horrific, deadly anti-vaxx activism he's now inflicting worlwide 😔
Thx to @bymichellersmith.com & colleagues for their reporting
The documents have prompted concerns from at least one US senator that RFK lied to Congress over the visit. Samoan officials later said his trip bolstered the credibility of anti-vaccine activists ahead of the measles outbreak that sickened 1000s and killed 83 people, mostly children under age five.
The Guardian and the AP: Newly revealed emails undermine RFK Jr testimony about 2019 Samoa trip ahead of measles outbreak
Kennedy later said the purpose of his trip had nothing to do with vaccines. US embassy and UN staff at the time said otherwise, emails show www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Video shows ICE leaving behind an infant and broken glass after arresting a man with no criminal history.
“There was a car seat in the back... There were broken glass shards all over it... There was just this tiny peanut of a baby. He was crying.”
My latest: www.pressherald.com/2026/01/28/i...
Five of the six cases were charged as assault on a federal officer.
One of the cases was charged as theft of government property, after a man towed an ICE vehicle during an immigration arrest.
Federal prosecutors have lost yet another immigration protest related trial in the Central District of California. This is the sixth trial that’s ended in an acquittal. By my count, they have yet to secure a guilty verdict from a jury.
Feds had charged Isaias Lopez w/ assault on a federal officer.
Tuesday morning:
New CBS boss promises “huge emphasis on scoops.”
Tuesday evening:
CBS Evening News anchor interviews his mom.
www.yahoo.com/entertainmen...
Journalists, please remember that repeating obviously false statements is not balance or fairness. It is actively participating in deception.
White House accuses reporter of lying for accurately reporting that Trump called Greenland 'Iceland'
US court allows ICE to arrest and pepper-spray peaceful protesters in Minnesota
The headline writers at The Guardian are having quite a night.
If you want to know what American mainstream media should be reporting, read the Guardian. @theguardian.com
It feels especially good to pay them because it’s optional! Since they don’t have a paywall.
The Guardian has become the US paper of record. I really need to start paying them.
US court allows ICE to arrest and pepper-spray peaceful protestors in Minnesota
Appeals Court Stays Restrictions on Federal Tactics in Minnesota The Eighth Circuit granted the Trump administration’s request to block, at least for now, a lower court’s injunction limiting how federal agents interact with protesters in the state.
One court decision, two different headlines.
Guardian on the left, NY Times on the right. Which one more directly conveys information and the stakes to the reader?
Why did CBS delete this promo and cancel this from airing in full?
"I've arrested dozens upon dozens of human traffickers, human smugglers, child molesters, you name it. I've never dragged a suspect one-handed across a street," Eric Balliet told
@wcconews.bsky.social
Guardian dollar-store investigation sparks Congressional inquiry
Lawmakers demand answers on overcharges/price disparities at Dollar General and Family Dollar -- questioning questioning ‘how seriously’ the two national chains prioritize ethics and affordability www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025... /1
MY LATEST: Dollar General will pay at least $15 million to settle claims that it overcharged shoppers at many of its 20,000 stores. Earlier, @jocelynzuck.bsky.social and I reported that the chain failed 4,300+ price-accuracy inspections over four years. @theguardian.com @michaelwhudson.bsky.social
Our @us.theguardian.com investigation of widespread overcharging by Dollar General and Family Dollar has caught the attention of 30 members of Congress, who have written to the CEOs requesting documents and demanding answers. @jocelynzuck.bsky.social @michaelwhudson.bsky.social @budzinski.house.gov
For more of the Guardian's reporting on the high cost of living, see the home page of our series, The price we pay: www.theguardian.com/us-news/seri... More stories to come in the coming weeks and months.
“Corporations cannot be allowed to screw over consumers without accountability,” said Public Citizen's Joshua Miller. “. . . The last thing people need is to be walking into stores that are advertised as being affordable only for them to get the switcheroo.” /10
The demand for info from the dollar-store chains comes amid what lawmakers describe as an American affordability crisis driven by stagnant household incomes and rising consumer prices, including a surge in grocery costs. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025... /9
Family Dollar told the Guardian “we take customer trust seriously and are committed to ensuring pricing accuracy across our stores”. Dollar General said it was “committed to providing customers with accurate prices on items purchased in our stores”. /8
