journalist at ProPublica | adjunct at NYU | on Signal: 508.523.5195 | [email protected]

Joined July 2011
Brett Murphy retweeted
This is one of the most astonishing stories I've ever read.
"The Defector" - a 5,500-word espionage tale in today's WSJ that I can guarantee is worth your time. I spent months speaking to one of the deadliest saboteurs in recent military history, a Russian officer who helped Kyiv kill hundreds of his fellow troops wsj.com/world/russian-defect…
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Brett Murphy retweeted
New: Sources from three countries confirm that the Trump Administration has advocated Viktor Orbán for UN Secretary-General. The US has encouraged Orbán to enter the race, even bringing him the initial idea of a joint U.S.-Russia-China candidacy. WSJ: wsj.com/opinion/viktor-orban…
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Brett Murphy retweeted
“the student has no family and lives in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities. After the agents released him, the student walked to school, crying and in pain. His teacher saw him and dialed 911” latimes.com/politics/story/2…
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Brett Murphy retweeted
NEW: Trump’s mega Venezuelan oil deal, signed by Hegseth and Rubio, benefits an unknown group of investors and was intentionally crafted to keep the next U.S. president or future leaders of Venezuela from undoing it. @propublica saw the secret contract: propublica.org/article/trump…
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Brett Murphy retweeted
SCOOP: Julio Herrera Velutini, a Venezuelan billionaire, really wanted a pardon. He got it not long after his daughter hired Alina Habba, a lawyer close to Trump, in a deal worth more than $50 million. Habba was also working at DOJ at the time. nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/po…
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Brett Murphy retweeted
NEW: Lindsay Graham and Jim Clyburn were under FBI investigation for bribery. Then Trump dismantled the DOJ & FBI public corruption units. The investigation died. We unearthed it:
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Brett Murphy retweeted
To be clear: Some facts are neither in dispute nor unclear. Our photographer was clearly marked as Press. She was clearly beaten. These are not partisan or risible statements, but indisputable. We urge a thorough investigation and accountability.
The Prime Minister’s Office: The facts surrounding the confrontation near Abu Falah, during which Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was allegedly assaulted, remain unclear and are under investigation. Israel unequivocally condemns violence against anyone—Jews, Arabs, Christians or journalists. Those responsible will be held accountable. But serious questions remain. Reports indicate some 200 Arabs and far-left activists confronted approximately 40 Israeli youths. Footage shows masked individuals on both sides hurling objects, amid reports of fireworks fired at Jewish youths. Other footage appears to show Levine knocked down and immediately helped to her feet by the same unidentified individual. The investigation must establish the facts, including who initiated the violence. We will not allow disputed incidents to be exploited to demonize the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria. The facts must determine the conclusions. Not the headlines.
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Brett Murphy retweeted
It’s been three years since my profile of Kamala Harris in @NYTmag. This was before the candidate switch. The bad debate. Reported before Oct 7 and its aftermath. Still, and maybe because of that, it functions as a time capsule of the Biden-era Democratic Party, and the series of poor choices it made that helped Trump win again. It also takes on new relevance at Harris considers another presidential run in 2028. Here’s a link if you’ve never read: nytimes.com/2023/10/10/magaz…
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Brett Murphy retweeted
Spent a few weeks earlier this year roaming a Hollywood almost entirely reoriented around the production of “microdramas,” which are kind of like soap operas except they’re short and completely demented and optimized for your phone. Started as one kind of sad story and ended as another, differently sad kind of story. You can read it now in @NYTmag nytimes.com/2026/10/06/magaz…
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Brett Murphy retweeted
Hours before Krist Noem left her job as D.H.S. secretary, her agency bought 5 planes from a donor at a big markup, records show. They were supposed to fly deportees but have largely sat idle -- a striking symbol of gov. waste under President Trump. nytimes.com/2026/10/04/us/po…
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Brett Murphy retweeted
After spending more than 23 years and $1.7 trillion in Iraq, the U.S. closes its last major military base there today. The U.S. exit leaves a country where well-armed militias are only tightening their grip as America’s open-ended war with Iran is pulling Iraq deeper into conflict wsj.com/world/middle-east/ir…
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Brett Murphy retweeted
NEW: I posed as a problem gambler on DraftKings to test the company’s “responsible gaming” safeguards. Spoiler Alert: They invited me into the VIP program after just one week. Here’s how I yeeted $20K+ ripping riskier and risker bets 🧵
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Brett Murphy retweeted
This week, ProPublica revealed that a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin bankrolled Donald Trump Jr.’s Bahamas wedding festivities. Join our reporters on Sept. 23 for a behind-the-scenes conversation. 🗓️ RSVP: events.propublica.org/don-jr…
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“Kao told the FBI that the lawmakers, lobbyists and Navatek brass understood these donations were bribes and that the payments were essential to the entire scheme. … ‘I’m not red or blue, I’m green,’ he would tell congressional staffers.” propublica.org/article/fbi-s…
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Brett Murphy retweeted
Exclusive: In late 2024, FBI agents were looking at Sen. Susan Collins’ role in a massive illegal bribery scheme alleged by a former federal contractor. Then Trump gutted the FBI and DOJ, leaving no one to carry on the investigation – it’s dead. 🧵
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In the Pentagon Papers case, the Supreme Court ruled that it is legal to publish top-secret info and that the free press has a responsibility to do so to prevent the government from deceiving the public, especially during wartime.
Publishing highly classified assessments from the Secretary’s orders book is a crime. It’s a betrayal of the force. And much of what they’re publishing is inaccurate. Of course, we demand candid military advice. Non-concurs are standard. The Secretary sees them constantly. That’s how you run a real military. We are in great shape around the world. This story isn’t about readiness. It’s TDS and PDS — they hate President Trump and Secretary Hegseth more than they love America.
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
While leaking classified material is illegal for government employees, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) that the First Amendment protects the press's right to publish classified information of public interest. nytimes.com/2016/06/30/ins…
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