AFP Washington desk chief. Formerly White House. Formerly formerly: Moscow, Chechnya, NYC, Rio de Janeiro, US #localnews. You say Thor, I say thaw.
Washington, DC
Joined November 2010
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Sebastian Smith retweeted
I think this is the most important chart of the 2026 election (via @sfcpoll)
Sebastian Smith retweeted
The FBI is releasing information advising the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion USD in virtual assets from cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, on or about October 29, 2026. The FBI refers to this specific North Korean malicious cyber activity as "TraderTraitor."
The FBI, together with partners at the USSS and IRS-CI, has observed TraderTraitor actors converting stolen assets primarily into Ethereum (ETH). It is expected these assets will then be further laundered by converting them using DeFi and instant swap services as they prepare them for further laundering stages.
How You Can Help:
FBI, USSS, and IRS-CI are urging private sector entities including THORNode operators, RPC node operators, instant exchanges, DeFi services, blockchain analytics firms, and other virtual asset service providers to block transactions with or derived from addresses TraderTraitor actors are using to launder these stolen assets.
A list of addresses associated with this activity is available here: fbi.gov/investigate/cyber/al…
ALT FBI public service announcement with Department of Justice seal in the background on a gold gradient.
Sebastian Smith retweeted
NEW YORK, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Truth Social, the social media platform founded by President Donald Trump, has signed up news and data provider Bloomberg and two Wall Street firms for faster access to the president’s posts, which it sells for up to $100,000 a month, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter reuters.com/business/finance…
Sebastian Smith retweeted
It was once extremely rare for grand jurors to rebuff prosecutors and turn down a request for an indictment, given that the Justice Department has traditionally sought criminal charges only in cases it expects to win. But prosecutors have become increasingly convinced they will be unable to bring any indictment that is seen as political while Trump is in office.
nytimes.com/2026/10/27/us/po…
Sebastian Smith retweeted
The controversial 2-hour delay in voting at some ballot stations in Brazil yesterday only resulted in 34,000 extra votes -- irrelevant, given Lula beat Bolsonaro by 4.43 million
Source: TSE (electoral court)
Sebastian Smith retweeted
Por enquanto Donald Trump não parabenizou e não tentou contato com Lula.
Casa Branca e Departamento de Estado aguardam manifestação do presidente -que ainda não chegou no Salao Oval para trabalhar.
Sebastian Smith retweeted
🇻🇪 Venezuela's Machado returns from exile to jubilant crowds
Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has made a surprise return home after nearly a year in exile. Her return to Caracas is a direct challenge to the US-backed interim government of Delcy Rodriguez, who has led the country under Washington's watchful eye since US forces ousted longtime leader Nicolas Maduro in January
Sebastian Smith retweeted
BREAKING Brazil's defeated presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro refuses to recognize President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's victory on Sunday.
"It is impossible to acknowledge the result," he said from Brasilia, adding that "I am going to request the annulment of these elections"
Sebastian Smith retweeted
Over the past 20 months, the Latin American left has lost seven out of seven presidential elections. Tonight, it increasingly looks as if Lula will end the right’s winning streak, in what would amount to a strategic defeat for Trump, who has systematically sought to strengthen the Bolsonaro family.
Sebastian Smith retweeted
NEW: A group of Catholic bishops prayed over President Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, 12 days before the midterm elections, at a meeting organized by an official at the Heritage Foundation.
A senior Vatican official called it “a highly inappropriate meeting and an insult to Pope Leo XIV.”
In April, Trump called the pope “terrible for Foreign Policy,” and Vice President JD Vance warned that Leo should “be careful” when he talks about theology. thelettersfromleo.com/p/past…
Sebastian Smith retweeted
Elon Musk powers past the $400 million mark in donations this cycle cnn.com/2026/10/22/politics/…
Sebastian Smith retweeted
Elon Musk threatens Democrats who want to investigate alleged corruption and his role in the US government if they win control of Congress next month.
"Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them”
tinyurl.com/yjfn3u3k
Sebastian Smith retweeted
These are not transfers from the US, but from other countries. The US is now actively sabotaging Ukrainian defense of civilians.
Breaking news: The Trump administration has not approved the transfer of interceptor missiles to Ukraine that are needed to protect the country from Russian attacks, officials said, a delay that comes as President Trump has embraced Russia in recent weeks. wapo.st/4yCb7T7
Sebastian Smith retweeted
This is the first time in the history of the U.S.-Israel relations that a U.S. president explicitly and publicly endorses a candidate in the Israeli elections
🇺🇸🇮🇱Trump endorses Netanyahu 9 days before Israel election. My report on @axios
axios.com/2026/10/18/trump-e…
Sebastian Smith retweeted
in the united states, opposition to ai isn’t fear of technology. americans haven’t suddenly become a nation of luddites.
it’s a well founded belief that those with power are not going to use ai in ways that benefit the average american.
this is not a comms problem.
it’s a trust problem.
Sebastian Smith retweeted
Meta has suddenly suspended the No Kings Instagram account in the middle of the No Kings' national day of action.
This shocking censorship comes just weeks before the midterm election.
Sebastian Smith retweeted
“I like people that like me. I just like it, I can't help. It's a character flaw. I mean, I've had a couple of people-really horrible human beings, horrible, horrible, terrible people-but I heard through the grapevine they really liked me a lot, so I like them too,” Trump said.
Sebastian Smith retweeted
Are we sleepwalking into World War III? ft.trib.al/uniZyFL
