Lilly Chapa

Editorial manager @ampress | Writer, editor, lizard enthusiast | TX - OK - DC - Baltimore - RVA | Opinions my own

[Sam Stein @samstein]

DHS spent today replying to individual tweets saying they left this man in a coffee shop "determined to be a warm, safe location" only for video to emerge tonight showing it was the middle of the night, cold and the coffee shop was closed.

[Ken Klippenstein @kenklippenstein]

probably the most bleak thing i've ever seen related to news media employment and that's a HIGH bar to clear
https://t.co/7nEwfei7qK

[Brian Stelter @brianstelter]

Here's the text of Sharyn Alfonsi's memo about "corporate censorship" and a "betrayal of the most basic tenet of journalism:"

News Team,

Thank you for the notes and texts.  I apologize for not reaching out earlier.

I learned on Saturday that Bari Weiss spiked our story, INSIDE CECOT, which was supposed to air tonight.  We (Ori and I) asked for a call to discuss her decision. She did not afford us that courtesy/opportunity.

Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices.  It is factually correct.   In my view, pulling it now—after every rigorous internal check has been met is not an editorial decision, it is a political one.

We requested responses to questions and/or interviews with DHS, the White House, and the State Department.   Government silence is a statement, not a VETO. Their refusal to be interviewed is a tactical maneuver designed to kill the story.

If the administration’s refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a "kill switch" for any reporting they find inconvenient.

If the standard for airing a story becomes "the government must agree to be interviewed," then the government effectively gains control over the 60 Minutes broadcast. We go from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state.

These men risked their lives to speak with us. We have a moral and professional obligation to the sources who entrusted us with their stories. Abandoning them now is a betrayal of the most basic tenet of journalism: giving voice to the voiceless.

CBS spiked the Jeffrey Wigand interview due to legal concerns, nearly destroying the credibility of this broadcast. It took years to recover from that "low point." By pulling this story to shield an administration, we are repeating that history, but for political optics rather than legal ones.

We have been promoting this story on social media for days. Our viewers are expecting it. When it fails to air without a credible explanation, the public will correctly identify this as corporate censorship. We are trading 50 years of "Gold Standard" reputation for a single week of political quiet.

I care too much about this broadcast to watch it be dismantled without a fight.

Sharyn

[Nate Silver @NateSilver538]

This is good — even if it slanders the em-dash. AI's tendency to statistically smooth out the rough edges produces extremely mid prose. https://t.co/aSx6pRefI6

[Laura N. Rodríguez Presa @LAURA_N_ROD]

Another photo from today in Little Village and Cicero:

Agents pointed guns out of their car windows at civilians and members of the media, including two Tribune photographers, as they roamed around the neighborhood.

Meanwhile, the shooter who allegedly targeted Border Patrol agents remains at large. The Department of Homeland Security did not specify which agency is investigating the attack. Bovino said on X that between five and seven shots were fired "directly" at his agents.

Photo taken by @briancassella. Read the full story: https://t.co/qMHh2m43zm

[Shannon Watts @shannonrwatts]

Every single county in Virginia shifted Blue

[Brian Stelter @brianstelter]

Arrested while covering a protest.

Shot in the face with a pepper ball.

Shoved to the ground and taken away on a stretcher. 

Journalists have repeatedly been injured and impeded while reporting on action by masked ICE agents in recent days.

[Tom Lappas @tomlappas]

ICE has made Richmond International Airport a deportation flight hub. Our @Report4America community vitality reporter Dina Weinstein observed two such flights and spent a week on this story. Give it a read.

[Andrew @Dub__A]

For the past month, I’ve been working on a project to map out and document the work of one of the most prolific storefront sign painters in the US - this is Detroit’s Ron Signs

[Samuel B. Parker @SamuelParkerRTD]

I asked @RPS_Schools for 2024-2025 reports of asbestos contamination from students and teachers at Redd Elementary, and any invoices related to asbestos treatment.

RPS officials quoted me $627 for disclosing those records — despite their critical implications for public health.

[Luca Powell @luca_a_powell]

ICE arrested a legal permanent resident last Friday outside of the Henrico County courthouse.

Arman Momand is a 19-year-old Virginia high-school student here on a special visa from Afghanistan – his father worked for the US Army, his lawyer said.

https://t.co/kj45OZ5jbB

[Sammy Obeid @SammyObeid]

The only reason anyone kills journalists is because they’re telling the truth

[أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif @AnasAlSharif0]

This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice. First, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.

Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabalia refugee camp. My hope was that Allah would extend my life so I could return with my family and loved ones to our original town of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal). But Allah’s will came first, and His decree is final. I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification—so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half.

I entrust you with Palestine—the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust you with its people, with its wronged and innocent children who never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace. Their pure bodies were crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls.

I urge you not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you. Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland. I entrust you to take care of my family. I entrust you with my beloved daughter Sham, the light of my eyes, whom I never got the chance to watch grow up as I had dreamed.

I entrust you with my dear son Salah, whom I had wished to support and accompany through life until he grew strong enough to carry my burden and continue the mission.

I entrust you with my beloved mother, whose blessed prayers brought me to where I am, whose supplications were my fortress and whose light guided my path. I pray that Allah grants her strength and rewards her on my behalf with the best of rewards.

I also entrust you with my lifelong companion, my beloved wife, Umm Salah (Bayan), from whom the war separated me for many long days and months. Yet she remained faithful to our bond, steadfast as the trunk of an olive tree that does not bend—patient, trusting in Allah, and carrying the responsibility in my absence with all her strength and faith.

I urge you to stand by them, to be their support after Allah Almighty. If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles. I testify before Allah that I am content with His decree, certain of meeting Him, and assured that what is with Allah is better and everlasting.

O Allah, accept me among the martyrs, forgive my past and future sins, and make my blood a light that illuminates the path of freedom for my people and my family. Forgive me if I have fallen short, and pray for me with mercy, for I kept my promise and never changed or betrayed it.

Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.

Anas Jamal Al-Sharif
06.04.2025

This is what our beloved Anas requested to be published upon his martyrdom.

[Committee to Protect Journalists @pressfreedom]

Today's killing of four journalists in #Gaza includes Anas Al-Sharif one of Al Jazeera’s best-known reporters and one of several whom Israel had previously alleged were members of Hamas without providing evidence. Most recently, Al-Sharif had reported on the starvation that he and his colleagues were experiencing because of Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient food aid into Gaza.

#NotATarget

https://t.co/3wDEGmVlYa

[shain 📚 @shainreads]

Fighting against AI——by making my em dashes even longer.

[David Folkenflik @davidfolkenflik]

Corporation for Public Broadcasting calls it a day after US Senate appropriators include no CPB funding for next fiscal year - will all but close on Sept 30

Official statement: https://t.co/GDeQz6EH6y

[Brian Stelter @brianstelter]

Suing the WSJ, defunding PBS, winning a payout from Paramount: Bit by bit, Trump's attacks "undermine the First Amendment by making the media and others more cautious in covering Trump, his administration and other federal and state politicians," @URichmond prof Carl Tobias says

[Jason Kint @jason_kint]

Super good visuals showing what are now vulnerable public TV and Radio stations and how much they largely serve rural communities and fill “news deserts.” Nothing good will come of this removal of funding.

[Brian Stelter @brianstelter]

Full statement from NPR CEO Katherine Maher about the rescission package >>>

"In the early hours of the morning on July 17, the Senate narrowly passed H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025 51 to 48. The bill now moves back to the House for another vote on the current, amended version, giving Congress one more opportunity to protect the local, independent public radio stations by rejecting this rescission.

Nearly 3-in-4 Americans say they rely on their public radio stations for alerts and news for their public safety. In fact, while the Senate voted on the floor yesterday, a 7.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Alaska, prompting three coastal stations to start broadcasting live tsunami warnings, urging their communities to head to high ground. When the tsunami sirens started to blare, the voice message in the warning instructed community members to tune in to local radio.

Even in the face of evacuation warnings, staff at KUCB, a station located in Unalaska, in the Aleutian Islands, remained at the station at sea level to get emergency messages on the air in coordination with public safety officials. KUCB is the only radio station serving Unalaska and the surrounding area – there are no alternatives, commercial or otherwise. The station provided up-to-date information to the Unalaska community throughout the entire evacuation and all-clear procedure.

This emergency response work cannot be replaced by FEMA, which lacks the capacity and resources to maintain a permanent emergency presence in every town and community across the nation. This work has always been delivered in partnership with local stations, because it requires a dedicated, daily presence — and the type of relationship with the local community that saw KUCB staff members remain in harm’s way in order to ensure their neighbors had access to potentially life-saving information.

Public radio is a lifeline, connecting rural communities to the rest of the nation, and providing life-saving emergency broadcasting and weather alerts. It cannot be replaced, so it is essential that its funding be sustained. We call on the House of Representatives to reject this elimination of public media funding, which directly harms their communities and constituents, and could very well place lives at risk."

[David Folkenflik @davidfolkenflik]

How public broadcasting funding cuts would impact one rural Indiana station

My story for NPR's Morning Edition https://t.co/ZIpMvfE6an