@stphnfwlr.com
political reporter in ATL covering the south + future of GOP/Dem parties + ??? for @npr.org | always thinking of bourbon, biscuits and buc-ee’s newsletter: stphnfwlr.substack.com stories: https://www.npr.org/people/1219684807/stephen-fowler
On today's @npr.org Up First:
I talked with @steveinskeep.bsky.social about the results of the GA14 special election to replace MTG, the impact of Trump's endorsement in the race and notable contests he *hasn't* weighed in on yet.
www.npr.org/2026/03/11/n...
...yes
There's very little surprising about the GA14 special results tonight, including:
-Democrat Shawn Harris the top vote-getter + overperforming his 2024 margins
-Clay Fuller + Trump endorsement earning majority of GOP votes
-the race going to a runoff
ATLANTA — Democrat Shawn Harris and Trump-endorsed Republican Clay Fuller will advance to an April runoff in a race to replace former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
NEW: 23 people have died in ICE custody this fiscal year, already surpassing the number of deaths of last fiscal year.
DHS did not respond to our questions about the tally but they did respond to GA Senator questions about detention conditions. Latest: www.npr.org/2026/03/10/g...
I finally created a TikTok account over the weekend after seeing many viral (and incorrect) posts about my reporting on Epstein stories.
After a few days of lurking I... do not know if that is the place for me to do anything other than one-way posting of videos/things made elsewhere...
Today's special election to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in NWGA puts a spotlight on President Trump's endorsements, as some Republican voters say his choice isn't the most MAGA/America First.
Preview of the contest:
Voting ends Tuesday night in the district that former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene left this year after a feud with President Trump. It's unclear if his pick will win her spot. n.pr/4ltfACM
Anthropic's lawsuit against the Trump administration:
"No federal statute authorizes the actions taken here. Anthropic turns to the judiciary as a last resort to vindicate its rights and halt the Executive’s unlawful campaign of retaliation."
www.documentcloud.org/documents/27...
NPR is tracking the record number of congressional lawmakers — now more than one in eight current members — who have announced plans to retire or run for a different office in 2026.
New update from the @npr.org Congressional retirement tracker:
With Rep. Darrell Issa's announcement, we're at 68 members of Congress who don't plan to return to their seat –– 1 in 8 lawmakers.
We're tied for the most House R's retiring in a century + it's already the most Senate Rs in one cycle.
NEW @npr.org: The Justice Department has published additional Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor after an NPR investigation found dozens of pages were withheld.
But 37 pages of records are still not public.
More:
New @npr.org Politics Podcast:
Justice Department releases missing Epstein files related to Trump
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to NPR Friday that Trump has been "totally exonerated by the release of the Epstein files."
Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein. The White House and Justice Department have warned that the raw files released to the public include "untrue and sensationalist claims."
The new files do not shed any more light on how credible federal investigators viewed her claims or how they were resolved.
Still unanswered, too, is why the allegations were included in a DOJ slide presentation last year summarizing the Epstein cases.
In the newly-published documents, the woman described how Trump allegedly put her head "down to his penis" and she "bit the shit out of it."
She alleged that Trump struck her and said something to the effect of "get this little bitch the hell out of here."
Read the new pages of Epstein files related to allegations that Trump sexually abused a minor that were previously withheld:
The new files do not shed any more light onto how credible federal investigators viewed her claims or how they were resolved.
www.documentcloud.org/documents/27...
The files include 16 new pages that cover three additional FBI interview summaries with a woman who accused Trump of sexual abuse decades ago when she was a minor.
NEW @npr.org: The Justice Department has published additional Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor after an NPR investigation found dozens of pages were withheld.
But 37 pages of records are still not public.
More:
So please support your public radio and newspapers! We're the source of whatever Claude is summarizing anyway. And we do it better.
But this Claude incident highlights another problem with AI:
My story and the Post's work are carefully written and reported.
We deliberately choose what we can and can't say. Editors review our language and challenge us on facts.
AI summaries throw all that work into a copy blender.🫠
Are there concerns around using AI for targeting generally? Absolutely.
Myself and many others reported on the use of Israeli AI targeting systems during the Gaza war.
There are lots and lots of questions about whether it works, whether its legal, and so on.
www.npr.org/2023/12/14/1...
The post has reported something called the Maven Smart System was used to aid in targeting.
I have not done independent reporting on that one, so I can't say for sure.
And I certainly don't know if, or the extent to which Maven was involved with the Minab strike.
Claude then referenced project Maven, a long-running department of defense program to use AI at the Pentagon.
It noted that Maven was being used in the Iran conflict, citing DNYUZ. Not sure what that is, but I'm pretty sure its based on the Post's reporting here.
bsky.app/profile/wash...
That was based on this report from yesterday, which Claude did a reasonably good job summarizing.
In essence probably the best theory is that the U.S. or Israel (more likely U.S.) used outdated targeting information when it struck the school.
Full post:
bsky.app/profile/gbru...
OK, as the actual journalist who has been unwittingly caught up in the Claude rumor this morning (who also covers AI disinformation) let me clear this one up for the record.
To recap: Claude kind of implicated itself in the Iran school bombing citing (in part) my reporting...
NEW @npr.org: As a growing crop of young candidates challenge longtime Democratic incumbents, some are not just breaking through in the money race, but outraising their opponents altogether.
A look at generational dynamics in 12 House districts with @elenamoore.bsky.social
Stepping in as acting secretary is GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma who Trump said had "Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda." n.pr/4s2Covt
As a growing crop of young candidates challenge longtime Democratic incumbents, some are not just breaking through in the money race, but outraising their opponents altogether. n.pr/3NgKMIE