Aaron Besecker

This DHS Official Oversees the Security of Federal Elections. He Wants to Ban Voting Machines. David Harvilicz, who co-founded a firm with a 2020 election denier, oversees voting machine security for the Department of Homeland Security while the Trump administration is relitigating the presiden...

NEW: David Harvilicz, who co-founded a firm with a 2020 election denier, oversees voting machine security for DHS while the Trump administration is relitigating the president’s baseless claims that the 2020 vote was stolen.

“The memo also bars reporters from requesting public records through the Freedom of Information Act…”

Remarkable

I've been saying this around the newsroom for years

Cause of fatal North Tonawanda fire deemed accidental The fire that killed Keith Grose, 63, on Oliver Street on Wednesday has been deemed accidental and was caused by "careless use of combustible materials," the North Tonawanda Fire Department said Frida...

Cause of fatal North Tonawanda fire deemed accidental; victim's identity released buffalonews.com/news/local/a...

Dark money group offers influencers $1,500 for posts attacking Chicago Democratic primary candidate Progressive House candidate Kat Abughazaleh told MS NOW the secretive campaign is “filled with false and defamatory claims.”

EXCLUSIVE: A dark money group is offering influencers $1,500 for posts attacking Chicago Democratic primary candidate @katmabu.bsky.social

www.ms.now/news/kat-abu...

Lockport man, 24, charged with raping child younger than 5 Luke E. Smeal was arrested Friday and accused of raping a child last year who he was employed to babysit in Middleport, the Niagara County Sheriff's Office said.

Lockport man, 24, charged with raping child younger than 5 he was babysitting buffalonews.com/news/local/c...

Michigan synagogue and Virginia university shootings: What we know

Michigan synagogue and Virginia university shootings: What we know https://aje.news/ms2yam

Hegseth is spending the opening moments of his press conference criticizing the news media and praising David Ellison for taking over CNN.

No word of the 4 service members who died in Iraq yesterday

Sheriff's office fleet policy places few restrictions on personal use of Erie County vehicles The Erie County Sheriff's Office's new policy makes it clear that anyone assigned such a car is free to use it for personal reasons anywhere in Erie County.

New Sheriff's Office fleet policy places few restrictions on personal use of county-owned vehicles
via @sandratan.bsky.social @buffalonews.com
buffalonews.com/news/local/g...

NT city attorney defies calls to resign after second alcohol-related arrest North Tonawanda City Attorney Edward A. Zebulske III was arrested last month by police in South Carolina for public intoxication, records show, 2½ years after he was charged with DWI following a minor...

Thorough reporting -- as usual -- from my colleague Steve Watson:

NT city attorney defies calls to resign after second alcohol-related arrest in three years buffalonews.com/news/local/a...

Critical Incident Briefing - March 5th, 2026 YouTube video by Buffalo Police Department

Here's the body-cam footage. Warning: graphic violence. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssu1...

Macy answers questions about fatal police shooting on Minnesota Avenue Interim Buffalo Police Commissioner Craig Macy talks to reporters Thursday about the fatal police shooting of Charles E. Butler, 58, at a home on Minnesota Avenue on March 5.

Within the above story, or here, you can watch the full 14-minute news conference held Thursday afternoon as police released body-cam footage. buffalonews.com/multimedia/v...

Buffalo police release body camera footage from fatal shooting of man in mental health crisis The Buffalo Police Department on Thursday released the body camera footage from the incident that ended in the death of Charles E. Butler, as well as other documents related to the case.

A man inside a locked room keeps yelling "Call the FBI."
A Buffalo police lieutenant, just before he kicks down the door: "Play time over." buffalonews.com/news/local/c...

Breaking:

Four service members have died after a U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq on Thursday while supporting Trump's war in Iran.

Rescue efforts are still underway for the remaining two crew members after an apparent mid-air accident between two KC-135 tanker aircraft.

Buffalo police release body camera footage from fatal shooting of man in mental health crisis The Buffalo Police Department on Thursday released the body camera footage from the incident that ended in the death of Charles E. Butler, as well as other documents related to the case.

Buffalo police knocked on the man’s door for about two minutes before a lieutenant decided to kick his door down. “Listen, play time over,” he said before the kick. buffalonews.com/news/local/c...

Critical Incident Briefing - March 5th, 2026 YouTube video by Buffalo Police Department

Here's the body-cam footage: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssu1...

Buffalo police release body camera footage from fatal shooting of man in mental health crisis The Buffalo Police Department on Thursday released the body camera footage from the incident that ended in the death of Charles E. Butler, as well as other documents related to the case.

Buffalo police release body camera footage from last week's fatal shooting of man in mental health crisis buffalonews.com/news/local/c...

The Scale of Billionaires’ Campaign Donations is Overwhelming U.S. Politics

The New York Times published an extraordinary study of the role of billionaires in politics earlier this week, that naturally got lost in everything that is going on, including in Iran.
Here is a gift link to the article, and a few select quotes:
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/u...

Q: A new report says that a military investigation has found that the US struck the school in Iran. As commander in chief, do you take responsibility?

TRUMP: For what?

Q: A strike on the school in Iran

TRUMP: I don't know about it

Woman shot by Buffalo police pleads guilty to attempted assault on Donovan Drive Cynthia L. Gilbert, 38, was shot in the shoulder in September after she stabbed a man in the head. She is scheduled to be sentenced in April.

Woman shot by Buffalo police in September pleads guilty to attempted assault on Donovan Drive buffalonews.com/news/local/c...

Trial for Tops killer to be in Buffalo: Interests of victims 'outweigh' move to Rochester, judge says A federal judge denied Payton Gendron's request to move his death penalty trial to Rochester. Instead, the judge said that Gendron, whose racist attack killed 10 people at the Jefferson Avenue Tops su...

Federal trial for racist mass shooter to be in Buffalo: Interests of victims 'outweigh' move to Rochester, judge says buffalonews.com/news/local/c...

The White House’s Financial Disclosures for Top Officials Are Incomplete Border Czar Tom Homan’s financial disclosure has not been finalized by the federal ethics office.

We don't have a complete picture of senior Trump administration officials’ personal finances — and there’s no telling when we will.

Inside the government's tortured ethics process that's leaving the public in the dark.

— w/ @annackramer.bsky.social of @notus.com www.notus.org/trump-white-...

Fashion Outlets is at the edge of a cliff. Here's how it got there Fashion Outlets owner Macerich is facing a $76.8M balloon payment on the mall due in October. But with the mall assessed at about $82M less than it was in 2010 when the loan was issued, it's a big cha...

Outlet malls don't have the same edge they once had over traditional enclosed shopping centers, but they foreclose at about half the rate.

buffalonews.com/news/local/b...

Great quotes in military history.

@atrupar.com

Officer charged with murder previously accused of using badge for 'personal vengeance' The Buffalo News recently obtained more than 180 pages of Lance Woods' disciplinary records through a Freedom of Information Law request of the Buffalo Police Department. Woods was arrested last month...

I found an odd 2011 case when I FOILed for Lance Woods' disciplinary records.

buffalonews.com/news/local/c...

📸: Joed Viera

Buffalo mayor says to expect tax increases for several years Mayor Sean Ryan and the Common Council are walking into a difficult budget season, and city taxpayers should brace for significant increases.

With budget season ramping up, Buffalo officials warn that tax increases are coming

via @justinsondel.bsky.social/@buffalonews.com

buffalonews.com/news/local/g...

Country Joe McDonald, anti-war singer who electrified Woodstock, dies at 84 Country Joe and the Fish's best-known song, "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag," captured the growing anti-war sentiment of the Vietnam era.

Country Joe and the Fish's best-known song, "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag," captured the growing anti-war sentiment of the Vietnam era. n.pr/4b7Vs5H

Some private practice lawyers are making more than $300K in taxpayer money to represent low-income defendants Which local, private practice lawyers received the most public money for representing low-income defendants charged with crimes? We take a look at who, why and what's next.

More stemming from the county comptroller's audit of the Assigned Counsel Program

via @sandratan.bsky.social
buffalonews.com/news/local/a...