Azi Paybarah

As the world’s oldest democracy celebrated its 250th anniversary, two men outside the White House encouraged people to take pictures in front of their sign that declared, “Trump for King.” At first I thought it was the kind of subversive trolling I’d seen performed by The Daily Show correspondents, and content creators like The Good Liars (who were filming a few blocks away).

By 9 a.m. the temperature was 90℉. Part 1 of a series on the Great American State Fair, and the celebration of the country’s 250th birthday. On Friday morning I made my second trip to the Great American State Fair in downtown Washington, D.C. Few people would design an outdoor experience in the middle of summer in downtown D.C. without providing a lot of protection from the sun and heat.

Here are some stories to read while the coals in your barbecue are heating up: SCOOP: Nearly two dozen websites that pretended to be local news outlets were abruptly taken off-line this week after I found the person responsible for them and sent him an email. • The websites include names like SoHo Weekly, LA Advertiser, California Sun, Daily Times Herald (in Illinois), Ontario Citizen, Toronto Sentinel, plus a bunch more in Australia and New Zealand.

Hungary’s parliament building sits along the Danube River. / via Azi Paybarah The longtime leader of Europe’s far-right movement, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, was voted out of office last month. His replacement, Peter Magyar, is still a few days away from being sworn in, creating a brief interim period where change is imminent, but not immediately at hand. Which is why, before starting my new job, I decided to visit.

March 23, 2026: President Donald Trump speaking to reporters in Palm Beach, Florida.

March 23, 2026: President Donald Trump speaking to reporters in Palm Beach, Florida.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs, New York Times: “Are you concerned that your threat to bomb power plants and bridges amount to war crimes?” President Donald Trump: “No, not at all. No, no I’m not.” Jeff Bezos. The Washington Post. Larry Ellison. CNN, CBS, and TikTok. Mark Zuckerberg Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Elon Musk. X. You know the story. Get fact-based reporting that you can trust.

Benny Johnson / Screenshot via YouTube Thank you for your patience as I work out the publishing schedule to bring you more independent, fact-based reporting. Jeff Bezos. The Washington Post. Larry Ellison. CNN, CBS, and TikTok. Mark Zuckerberg Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Elon Musk. X. You know the story. Get fact-based reporting that you can trust.

It has been a few days since the last newsletter. Thank you for your patience and look out for more independent, fact-based reporting soon. Jeff Bezos —> The Washington Post. Larry Ellison —> CNN, CBS, and TikTok. Mark Zuckerberg —> Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Elon Musk —> X. They’re all billionaires. They have their media and tech platforms. And they’re all aligned with President Donald Trump. Be your own Bold Name who —> independent, fact-based reporting.

Sid Rosenberg via Facebook Larry Ellison owns CNN, CBS, and has a stake in TikTok. Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post and slashed the newsroom. Mark Zuckerberg owns Facebook, Instagram, and stopped working with fact-checkers. Elon Musk owns X and uses it to spread conspiracies. They’re all billionaires and they’re all allies of President Donald Trump. Readers like you can protect independent, fact-based reporting. Consider a paid subscription and share this newsletter with someone you know.