WIRED

NEW: Bluesky has seen massive growth in the weeks following the US election. There are 24 million users on the social media platform.

With great engagement comes great responsibility, which means Bluesky CEO @jay.bsky.team has a lot to do. She sat down with WIRED to talk about it.

Bluesky Now Has 24 Million Users. Jay Graber Is Still Vowing to Keep It From Enshittification

At WIRED's The Big Interview event, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber discussed the booming user numbers for the Twitter rival and why giving social media users more control is a recipe for success.

SCOOP: A US Treasury threat intelligence analysis has designated DOGE staff an ‘insider threat'. An internal email reviewed by WIRED calls DOGE staff's access to federal payments systems “the single biggest insider threat risk the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has ever faced.”

A US Treasury Threat Intelligence Analysis Designates DOGE Staff as ‘Insider Threat’

An internal email reviewed by WIRED calls DOGE staff's access to federal payments systems “the single biggest insider threat risk the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has ever faced.”

SCOOP: A WIRED review of public data shows that national security adviser Mike Waltz, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, and other top officials left sensitive information exposed via Venmo—until WIRED asked about it.

Mike Waltz Left His Venmo Friends List Public

A WIRED review shows national security adviser Mike Waltz, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, and other top officials left sensitive information exposed via Venmo—until WIRED asked about it.

SCOOP: The US Treasury claimed a DOGE's Marco Elez didn’t have ‘write access,’ when he actually did. Sources tell WIRED that his ability to alter code controlling trillions in federal spending was rescinded, days after officials said it didn't exist.

The US Treasury Claimed DOGE Technologist Didn’t Have ‘Write Access’ When He Actually Did

Sources tell WIRED that the ability of DOGE's Marko Elez to alter code controlling trillions in federal spending was rescinded days after US Treasury and White House officials said it didn't exist.

NEW: Metadata from the “raw” Epstein prison video shows approximately 2 minutes and 53 seconds were removed from one of two stitched-together clips. The cut starts right at the “missing minute.”

The FBI's Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Had Nearly 3 Minutes Cut Out

Metadata from the “raw” Epstein prison video shows approximately 2 minutes and 53 seconds were removed from one of two stitched-together clips. The cut starts right at the “missing minute.”

NEW: Tulsi Gabbard, now the US director of national intelligence, used the same easily cracked password for different online accounts including a personal Gmail account and Dropbox over a period of years, leaked records reviewed by WIRED reveal.

Tulsi Gabbard Reused the Same Weak Password on Multiple Accounts for Years

Tulsi Gabbard, now the US director of national intelligence, used the same easily cracked password for different online accounts including a personal Gmail account and Dropbox over a period of years, ...

A statement from WIRED leadership.

We've removed the paywall from this guide so everyone can access it. 👇 Stay safe.

WIRED @wired.com

Just days into 2026, the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has sparked protests around the US. If you’re planning to protest, here’s how to safeguard your digital security.

How to Protest Safely in the Age of Surveillance

Law enforcement has more tools than ever to track your movements and access your communications. Here’s how to protect your privacy if you plan to protest.

BREAKING: Metadata shows the FBI’s ‘raw’ Jeffrey Epstein prison video was likely modified.

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Metadata Shows the FBI’s ‘Raw’ Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Was Likely Modified

There is no evidence the footage was deceptively manipulated, but ambiguities around how the video was processed may further fuel conspiracy theories about Epstein's death.

Yesterday, WIRED learned that Madison Square Garden was suing us for our accurate reporting.

We stand by our work. That’s why we’re removing the paywall from two of the MSG stories they don’t want you to read, making them free for everyone.

SCOOP: We've learned at least three individuals closely associated with Palantir or its cofounder Peter Thiel were involved in an online recruiting effort for DOGE late last year. Step inside the recruitment effort that helped build Elon's DOGE army:

The Recruitment Effort That Helped Build Elon Musk’s DOGE Army

At least three individuals associated with Palantir or its cofounder Peter Thiel were involved in an online recruiting effort for DOGE late last year, WIRED has learned.

A glacier partially collapsed in Switzerland, burying the village of Blatten in a huge landslide of ice, rock, and mud after residents had been evacuated.

Scientists called the collapse of the glacier “unprecedented” in the Swiss Alps.

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The source code for the new Department for Government Efficiency’s “official US government website” points to X as its primary source of authority while sharing links to the site sends users to x.com.

DOGE’s Website Is Just One Big Twitter Ad

The source code for the new Department for Government Efficiency’s “official US government website” points to X as its primary source of authority while sharing links to the site sends users to x.com.

Guess who showed up to defend Tesla? The Proud Boys, armed militias, and at one event in Idaho, and a guy dressed as Hitler.

More on the "Tesla Takedown" protests here:

The Proud Boys and Militias Come to Tesla’s Defense

After weeks of “Tesla Takedown” protests, the Proud Boys and other far-right extremist groups are showing up to back Elon Musk's beleaguered car company.

SCOOP: Business leaders are paying as much as $5,000,000 to meet one-on-one with President Donald Trump at his Florida compound, sources tell WIRED, while others are paying $1,000,000 apiece to dine with him in a group setting.

People Are Paying Millions to Dine With Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago

Business leaders are paying as much as $5,000,000 to meet one-on-one with the president at his Florida compound, sources tell WIRED, while others are paying $1,000,000 apiece to dine with him in a…

Amazingly, reaction times using screens while driving are worse than being drunk or high—no wonder 90 percent of drivers hate using touchscreens in cars.

Finally the auto industry is coming to its senses. Real buttons are sooooooo back baby!

Rejoice! Carmakers Are Embracing Physical Buttons Again

Amazingly, reaction times using screens while driving are worse than being drunk or high—no wonder 90 percent of drivers hate using touchscreens in cars. Finally the auto industry is coming to its sen...

A 12-foot statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein frolicking and holding hands appeared on the National Mall in Washington, DC on Tuesday, September 23.

A plaque under the statue states that it has been erected “In Honor of Friendship Month."

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A United States Senate investigation has identified more than 500 credible reports of human rights abuses in US immigration detention since January, including alarming allegations of mistreatment of pregnant women and children.

Senate Probe Uncovers Allegations of Widespread Abuse in ICE Custody

Led by US senator Jon Ossoff, the investigation cites hundreds of reports since January, including accounts of miscarriages, child neglect, and sexual abuse at ICE detention centers in dozens of state...

yep! unpaywalled:

How to Protest Safely in the Age of Surveillance

Law enforcement has more tools than ever to track your movements and access your communications. Here’s how to protect your privacy if you plan to protest.

NEW: DOGE is trying to gift itself a building worth $500 million, court filings show. It's the culmination of a dramatic battle between DOGE and the United States Institute of Peace, a Congressionally funded think tank. www.wired.com/story/doge-t...

DOGE Is Trying to Gift Itself a $500 Million Building, Court Filings Show

The documents reveal a DOGE affiliate is attempting to transfer the headquarters of an independent think tank, the United States Institute of Peace, to the government at no cost.

SCOOP: The "Appeal To Heaven" flag, a popular symbol for Christian nationalists that was waved by January 6 rioters, was raised over the Small Business Administration headquarters last week.

Far-Right ‘Appeal to Heaven’ Flag Seen at Jan. 6 Riot Flown Above Government Agency in DC

The "Appeal To Heaven" flag, a popular symbol for Christian nationalists that was waved by January 6 rioters, was raised over the Small Business Administration headquarters last week.

BREAKING: DOGE is starting to put together a team to migrate the SSA's computer systems entirely off one of its oldest programming languages in a matter of months, potentially putting the integrity of the system—and the benefits on which tens of millions of Americans rely—at risk.

DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Codebase In Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse

Social Security systems contain tens of millions of lines of code written in COBOL, an archaic programming language. Safely rewriting that code would take years—DOGE wants it done in months.

It feels like no one should have to say this, and yet we are in a situation where it needs to be said, very loudly and clearly, before it’s too late to do anything about it: The United States is not a startup. If you run it like one, it will break.

🔗 www.wired.com/story/the-us...

We stand by our reporting.

So read it here:

The Social Security Administration Is Gutting Regional Staff and Shifting All Public Communications to X

The SSA’s shift to Elon Musk’s X comes as the agency plans to cut its regional office workforce by roughly 90 percent, WIRED has learned.

Tina Smith @smith.senate.gov

So maybe this isn’t real, or it WAS real until a grownup found out about DOGE’s latest.