Articles
How COVID Helped Trump Win
This piece was written in partnership with The Wednesday morning, November 6, many Democrats woke up to a country they felt
they barely knew. Donald Trump, a man they reviled, was once again the
president-elect of the United States, having triumphed over Vice President
Kamala Harris.
HELP OPTOUT CONTINUE OUR WORK IN 2025
WE ARE A...
by Walker Bragman
12 min read
,
by Julia Doubleday
12 min read
Newsletter
Election Day Is (Finally) Upon Us
The OptOut Media Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and does not endorse
candidates.
Well, it’s Election Day. It’s hard to know what to say at this point about the
contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump
that has not already been said. The candidates have made their positions clear,
as have the...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
Misinformation, Fascism, and Elon Musk
The OptOut Media Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and does not endorse or
oppose candidates for public office.
We have been light on the newsletters this month—and with everything happening
so quickly, it’s easy to miss a lot in a very short time. Sadly, OptOut is a
small operation and we have been going full-steam on our original...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
Important Context Scoops, Hurricane Helene Horrors, and Israel’s Invasion of Lebanon
It's been a minute since our last newsletter. In that time, OptOut's original
reporting outfit, IMPORTANT CONTEXT, has broken some important stories.
First, there's a new far-right, dark money moms' group you should be aware of.
Restore Childhood was founded in 2021, but it's becoming a bigger player with
nearly $230,000 raised last year
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Haitian Immigrants Become Latest Right-Wing Target
The OptOut Media Foundation is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It does not
endorse any candidates or engage in political campaign activity. What follows is
an accurate accounting of the news.
Last week marked the highly anticipated presidential debate between Vice
President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Hosted by...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Misinformation Conference, Dark Money, and Gaza
Welcome back to another OptOut newsletter. This week we're jumping right in with
an important story from OptOut's own original reporting outfit, IMPORTANT
CONTEXT. The prestigious Stanford University is hosting a series of panel
discussions featuring well-known public health contrarians and COVID-19
minimizers. The panelists include...
by Walker Bragman
5 min read
Newsletter
The Democratic National Convention: A Thundering Celebration of Joy With a Gaza-Sized Asterisk
The Democratic National Convention was this week and many Democrats are fired
up. Each eight-hour night featured speakers that electrified the crowd. Rep.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in particular, had a barnstorming speech endorsing
Vice President Kamala Harris and going at Donald Trump directly, calling him a
fraud.
“We know that Donald...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
OptOut/Mother Jones Team Up, Israel Lobby Wins, The Supreme Court, and COVID’s Summer Wave
This week, OptOut's Important Context has a cross-published article with MOTHER
JONES about how a right-wing media hosts have been selling airtime to the
political influence network of Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui.
Guo, who was convicted on federal fraud charges last month, has spent years
cozying up to Trump World. For example, he has
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Problem
This piece has been updated from its original email version.
Joe Biden has been having a rough go of it lately. On Wednesday, 10 days after
telling a crowd in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania that he
"ended the pandemic," the president tested positive for COVID-19 for the the past two years.
🙏
Please join our mission to...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
The Hack of Project 2025, Elections Overseas, and Biden’s Refusal to Step Down
Welcome back to OptOut’s general newsletter. Just in case you don’t know me, I’m
Liana DeMasi, the LGBTQ+ Editor here at OptOut. (Check out my newsletter Our
co-founder and the usual writer of this newsletter is out this week, so I’m here
to bring you some of the latest.
Just last week, we started a Project 2025 explainer series on our...
by Liana DeMasi
2 min read
Originals
Opinion: Democracy For Sale
On Tuesday, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) lost his bid for reelection against
Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a pro-Israel centrist backed by the
American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the nation's most powerful Israel
lobby group, to the tune of at least $14.5 to $17,000 per primary had been framed as a test of AIPAC's...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
OptOut Stories, Alito’s Woes, and Mask Bans
We have big news from OptOut! Our official reporting newsletter, IMPORTANT
CONTEXT, has published two articles you should check out.
HELP OPTOUT KEEP GOING!
WE ARE A NONPROFIT AND RELY ON YOUR SUPPORT TO CONTINUE OUR WORK!
DONATE HERE! there's the moving profile on New York-based LGBTQIA+ legal advocate Andy
Izenson, co-founder of...
by Walker Bragman
5 min read
Newsletter
Unlikely Alliances, Gaza, and The Supreme Court
This week, Important Context, OptOut's official news outlet, published a piece
by journalist Tina Desiree-Berg about the emerging alliance between pro-Israel
Jews and America's more traditional far-right extremists, including white and
Christian nationalists. As pro-Palestine protests emerge on college campuses
across the country in...
by Walker Bragman
5 min read
Newsletter
Chris Rufo’s Big Money Support, The Gaza War, and Trump’s Deal
This week, OptOut's reporting outfit, Important Context, and The Center for
Media and Democracy took a deep dive into the money behind far-right agitator
Chris Rufo. Rufo has made a name for himself lately, credited as the driving
force behind the right's moral panic over "critical race theory" and the
"plagiarism" scandal that sunk...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
The Flint Water Crisis At 10: An Interview With Journalist Jordan Chariton
Last month, we crossed the decade anniversary of the crisis, which saw nearly
100,000 residents of Flint, Michigan, a predominantly Black city, exposed to
high concentrations of lead in the water. The crisis was brought on by what was
in essence a privatization scheme.
🙏
Please join our mission to boost independent media, challenge the...
by Walker Bragman
1 min read
Newsletter
On Student Protests and Free Speech
It began earlier this month with Columbia University. Twelve days ago, the
school's president, Minouche Shafik, testified before the GOP-led Congress about
antisemitism on campus. That very day, hundreds of students at her school began
an occupation protest against Israel's war in Gaza, demanding that Columbia
divest from Israel-tied...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
A Big Week for OptOut, New Revelations About Incarceration in America, and a Former President’s Legal Troubles
It's been a big week for OutOut! We're pleased to announce we have a new
contributor: Natalie Wood.
WANT TO KEEP THE OPTOUT NEWSLETTERS AND APP FREE?
WE ARE A NONPROFIT AND RELY ON YOUR SUPPORT TO CONTINUE OUR WORK!
DONATE HERE! up-and-coming journalist at New York University, Wood was lead author on the
investigation OptOut's...
by Walker Bragman
5 min read
Newsletter
Gaza’s Political Footprint, Labor Fights, and More
All eyes remain fixed on Gaza following the killing of seven aid workers by
Israeli forces. The workers had been driving clearly marked vehicles along a
designated route when their convoy was hit by Israeli strikes. The incident was
just the latest horror in a conflict rife with them. It further strained
relations between a politically...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Supreme Court Cases You Need to Pay Attention To
The Supreme Court is the focus of this week's newsletter. The court has taken on
a number of cases with the potential to set devastating precedents. Here are
some cases you should be following:
WANT TO KEEP THE OPTOUT NEWSLETTERS AND APP FREE?
WE ARE A NONPROFIT AND RELY ON YOUR SUPPORT TO CONTINUE OUR WORK!
DONATE HERE! V....
by Walker Bragman
5 min read
Newsletter
“Unbought” Kennedy Chooses Major Financial Backer For Running Mate
This post was originally published in Important original reporting outfit.
Last month, anti-vaccine activist and independent presidential candidate Robert
Kennedy Jr. posted an on
YouTube targeting young voters, declaring himself “the most feared and hated
candidate among the elites in Washington, D.C. because I'm not bought and I'm
not...
by Walker Bragman
3 min read
Newsletter
The COVID-19 Pandemic: Four Years In
This week marked four years since the World Health Organization declared
COVID-19 a pandemic. In that time, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has wreaked devastation
across the globe.
WANT TO KEEP THE OPTOUT NEWSLETTERS AND APP FREE?
WE ARE A NONPROFIT AND RELY ON YOUR SUPPORT TO CONTINUE OUR WORK!
DONATE HERE! the death toll from the historic...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
COP 28: Three Months Later
When Sultan Al Jaber, dressed in his traditional white Kandora, officially
sanctioned the Loss and Damage Fund this past November in an auditorium
surrounded by hundreds of world leaders, the general feeling was that of a great
victory. The financial mechanism promises to assist countries most impacted by
climate change, and everywhere...
by Amanda Magnani
4 min read
Newsletter
The Assault on Public Health, The End of Democracy, and Gaza
Welcome back to another OptOut newsletter!
We begin with a story you probably are not aware of, but should be. Public
health agencies are sounding the alarm over rising tuberculosis (TB) cases
across the country. STATES NEWSROOM had the story.
Tuberculosis cases rise, but public health agencies say they lack the resources
to keep up ⋆...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
The Death of Navalny, Labor Struggles, and COVID Again
The big news this week was the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny
in prison in Russia. Navalny was a complicated figure. In the past, he had
expressed nationalist views, including making hateful comments about immigrants.
These remarks, which he never renounced, were the reason the human rights group
Amnesty International...
by Walker Bragman
5 min read
Newsletter
Analysis: The Age of Biden
NOTE: As a 501(c)(3) public charity, the OptOut Media Foundation does not engage
in political campaign activity and does not endorse candidates. The views
expressed here are purely those of the author.
WANT TO KEEP THE OPTOUT NEWSLETTERS AND APP FREE?
WE ARE A NONPROFIT AND RELY ON YOUR SUPPORT TO CONTINUE OUR WORK!
DONATE HERE! old...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
The Immigration Football, a Pandemic, and a Look At Our Government
We're back with another OptOut newsletter!
With the 2024 election fast approaching, the discourse over undocumented
immigration at the U.S.-Mexico has reached fever pitch. Some on the right,
echoing the racist rhetoric from GOP presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump, are
calling the influx of migrants at the border an "invasion" and a...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Long COVID Sufferers Have Their Day
Welcome back to the OptOut newsletter where we give you the highlights of the
previous week.
WANT TO KEEP THE OPTOUT NEWSLETTERS AND APP FREE?
WE ARE A NONPROFIT AND RELY ON YOUR SUPPORT TO CONTINUE OUR WORK!
DONATE HERE! we're starting with COVID-19. Although the national emergency
declaration and public health emergency have come...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
We’re Back and the World is Still a Mess
Well, we kicked off the new year. And if you thought that the promise of a new
start would lead to some happier news, think again.
So far, 2024 is off to bang-up start with a new COVID wave, a brutal U.S. backed
military campaign against an entrapped population, and an accelerating climate
crisis.
But at least we have each other! Is it...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Happy New Year From OptOut!
Well, it's that time of year again: The end.
We have to say, 2023 has been rough for the country and the world, generally.
Between accelerating climate change, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and grisly
news abroad in places like Gaza, we're ready to see what 2024 has to offer.
WANT TO KEEP THE OPTOUT NEWSLETTERS AND APP FREE?
WE ARE...
by Walker Bragman
5 min read
Newsletter
One Thing Is Clear: We Need Independent Media
We started OptOut in 2020, disillusioned with the flippancy with which
corporations, politicians, and their media mouthpieces treated organized labor,
progressive activism, and the biggest public health crisis of our time. Much of
the news being pumped out of corporate outlets simply reinforced the status quo.
And it was clear the status...
by Walker Bragman
1 min read
,
by Alex Kotch
1 min read
Newsletter
Xmas Newsletter
Warning: What follows is some bleak news coated in heavy, HEAVY cheese. But hey,
it's the holiday season!
'Twas the week before Xmas and here at OptOut, we've sorted the news for you to
check out. We've picked our top stories, the news of the day. Be warned it's not
great for your holiday.
WANT TO KEEP THE OPTOUT NEWSLETTERS AND APP...
by Walker Bragman
5 min read
Newsletter
Gaza Siege Continues, Climate Developments, and Inequality
Before we begin, we want to apologize again for last week's SNAFU with the
newsletter where an incomplete draft went out. It was a technology issue on our
end, and we hope it did not cause confusion on your end! We'd like to wish
everyone celebrating a happy Hanukkah!
Not to be a huge downer, but the Centers for Disease Control and...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
When a War Criminal Dies
WAIT!!!! Before we begin, we would like to apologize for the email you just
received. We had prepared a longer newsletter for you, but for reasons outside
our control, the final draft did not save in Ghost (our platform). What went out
was incomplete. What follows is the part of that newsletter that did save. Going
forward, we will strive
by Walker Bragman
4 min read
Newsletter
Support Independent Journalism!
Frustrating as it may be, these days, we cannot seem to escape Elon Musk. The
billionaire owner of Twitter/X, demands our attention and he's willing to burn
down one of the most important social media platforms in existence to get it.
Musk has turned a once thriving community into a haven for racism, antisemitism,
and conspiracy thinking.
by Walker Bragman
2 min read
Newsletter
Thanksgiving/The National Day of Mourning
It’s that time of year again when we Americans gather with our friends and
families to celebrate the nation’s most fraught holiday. Thanksgiving is upon
us.
WANT TO KEEP THE OPTOUT NEWSLETTERS AND APP FREE?
WE ARE A NONPROFIT AND RELY ON YOUR SUPPORT TO CONTINUE OUR WORK!
DONATE HERE! wanted to send an inclusive holiday message...
by Walker Bragman
3 min read
Newsletter
New Collaboration with Sludge
This week, Important Context and Sludge collaborated on an article about the
censure of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). On Tuesday, the House passed a GOP-led
resolution to censure its only Palestinian member over comments she made about
Israel and Gaza. While the overwhelming majority of the yea votes were
Republicans, 22 Democrats broke...
by Walker Bragman
1 min read
Newsletter
The Real Halloween Horror
It’s Halloween, this year lacks that familiar sense of whimsy.
Today, sadly, rather than focusing on the delights of supernatural horrors,
candy-fueled stomach aches, and thrills for the whole family, we are reminded
that the worst monsters are us. This Halloween, all eyes are on the horror
unfolding in Gaza.
WANT TO KEEP THE OPTOUT...
by Walker Bragman
3 min read
Newsletter
What is Happening in Gaza?
Last Saturday, the militant group Hamas launched some 500 rockets from Gaza into
southern Israel, overwhelming the country’s Iron Dome missile defense system and
hitting residential neighborhoods as well as a hospital. Militants then stormed
blockaded areas, shooting at civilians, and kidnapping men, women, children, and
the elderly. The...
by Walker Bragman
3 min read
Newsletter
Extremely Online with Taylor Lorenz
This post is from Important publication of the OptOut Media Foundation.
When we think of online culture, social media, and big tech, often the first
thing that comes to mind is “tech bros”—names like Jack Dorsey, Kevin Systrom
and Mike Krieger, and Mark Zuckerberg—who developed the platforms we all use
today.
But millennial Washington...
by Walker Bragman
4 min read
Newsletter
Pessimism With a Strong Economy, Labor Rising, and the 2024 Election
By traditional metrics, the U.S. economy is doing rather well. Job up, wage growth has outpace inflation, and labor organizing is sweeping the nation. But Joe Biden
is struggling to translate those trends into political support—at least for now.
The president’s approval rating is more than 13 points, which is a precarious position for any
by Walker Bragman
4 min read
Newsletter
Commentary: 9/11 Left Us All Damaged
Last Monday marked a grim anniversary. Twenty-two years earlier nearly 3,000
Americans lost their lives in the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil in
American history.
The events of September 11, 2001, changed the course of U.S. history, marking
the beginning of a new era for the nation—one defined by widespread mistrust,
military...
by Walker Bragman
4 min read
Newsletter
Big News About Coming Changes!
OptOut is ending the summer season with big news! We will soon be doing a full
launch of a our own reporting outfit. Important OptOut co-founder
Walker Bragman's newsletter, will serve as the foundation for this new venture,
which we hope to expand later.
The transition, which will take place in the near future, is a natural one...
Newsletter
Trump's Indictments: A Step Forward Amid Uncertainty
It was the mug shot felt around the world. Donald Trump, the former president of
the United States, looked dower staring into the camera lens at the Fulton
County, Georgia, Sheriff's Office this week. The former president and current
GOP presidential frontrunner currently faces 13 pending criminal charges in the
state related to election...
by Walker Bragman
5 min read
Newsletter
About That New Country Song
A new song is making waves across online spaces. “Rich Men North of Richmond,” a
seemingly working class anthem by a previously unknown artist named Oliver
Anthony, has been blasted out by right-wing pundits on repeat for the past week
and worked its way into the zeitgeist.
Become an OptOut song, played on a single guitar, starts out...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
Big Story Coming Tomorrow & Top Picks For Last Week
We have big news this week! We have an important story coming out tomorrow in
partnership with OptOut member outlet The New Republic by our own Alex Kotch, an
award-winning money-in-politics reporter and co-founder of OptOut.
I don’t want to spoil too much now, but the article highlights a problem that
has flown under the radar for too...
by Walker Bragman
3 min read
Newsletter
An Interview With 2024 Democratic Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson
Walker Bragman interviewed Williamson about her views on public health.
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of interviewing 2024 Democratic
presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson for OptOut. In a 24-minute interview,
we spoke about public health.
Become an OptOut is someone I have known for a couple years now and have come...
by Walker Bragman
3 min read
Newsletter
The Barbie Meltdown and More Hate
Last week marked the release of a film so dark and politically-charged, only
those with a strong constitution should even attempt to watch it.
We’re talking, of course, about Barbie. Were you expecting something else?
Yes, Barbie, a movie drenched in pink and based on a doll made for children. The
film, which stars Margot Robbie and...
by Walker Bragman
4 min read
Newsletter
End of Twitter, Green Oceans, and Labor Rising
Last week was rough for Elon Musk, who announced over the weekend that Twitter
still had negative cash flow and had lost 50 percent of its ad revenue since he
took over.
For Musk, who has spent his tenure at Twitter firing necessary employees,
demanding “extremely hardcore” work from those who remain, and cozying up to and
amplifying far
by Walker Bragman
3 min read
Newsletter
Technology Woes, New Strategy on Wildfires, and Israeli Occupation
Last week, we saw the launch of yet another Twitter clone. This one came from
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta (formerly Facebook), and is Instagram compatible! It’s a
gift nobody asked for.
Thanks to Elon Musk’s antics, which have included cozying up to far right voices
and conspiracy theorists, Twitter has undeniably lost some of its...
by Walker Bragman
3 min read
Newsletter
Happy Independence Day to the Unenthusiastic
OptOut would like to wish everyone a happy 4th of July–especially for those who
do not feel particularly patriotic.
Don't feel bad if you're feeling more blue than tri-colored today. We get it. We
see you. The nation is in deep crisis and, if we're being honest with ourselves,
there is no guarantee of recovery.
The effects of...
by Walker Bragman
8 min read
Newsletter
The Implosion Heard Round the World
Last Sunday, OceanGate, the private company that offers expensive deep sea tours
for wealthy patrons, lost contact with its Titan submersible on an expedition to
see the wreck of The Titanic, a ship once deemed "unsinkable."
The Titan, which was uncertified as a deep sea vehicle that ran off of an XBox
controller, was constructed with...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Happy Juneteenth From OptOut
OptOut wishes you all a reflective Juneteenth.
Today, we commemorate the anniversary of General Order No. 3 by General Gordon
Granger of the Union Army, declaring that all enslaved people in Texas were
free, and the broader end of slavery in America.
Last year, we noted that while the "the 'peculiar institution' upon which the
U.S. was...
by Walker Bragman
5 min read
Newsletter
Trump Charged, Voting Rights Preserved, and Medicaid Purged
Last week, for the first time in U.S. history, federal charges were announced
against a former President of the United States. Donald Trump became the first
U.S. President, former or current, to face federal prosecution.
The 37 charges stem from a federal probe into Donald Trump's decision to retain
and store dozens of classified...
by Walker Bragman
8 min read
Newsletter
Remembering Black Wall Street, A New Pipeline, and Strikes
This week marked the 102nd anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre of May 31,
1921, in which white mobs shot up and burned down buildings in the Greenwood
District of Tulsa, the location of the so-called "Black Wall Street."
Greenwood had been home to one of the most prosperous Black communities in the
country. Former African slaves of...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
Cuts for the Poor, Misinformation, and the 2024 Race
This week, President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy announced that they had
reached a deal to raise the debt ceiling. The agreement, as many have noted, is
bound to please neither side. For Democrats, it more avoids drastic cuts the GOP
demanded in favor of freezing non-defense discretionary spending at current
levels. Still,...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
Florida's Anti-LGBTQIA+ Discrimination, OptOut Has Big News, and The Debt Ceiling Becomes a Debacle
This was a big week for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is poised to announce his
2024 candidacy for president.
For months, DeSantis has been priming the pump, antagonizing liberals and
serving up red meat to Republican base voters, no matter how unconstitutional or
cruel the policies.
This week, for example, NEW REPUBLIC reported on...
by Walker Bragman
8 min read
Newsletter
CNN's Disastrous Trump Town Hall, Starbucks Union Woes, and Title 42
Last week, cable news giant CNN hosted a town hall with former President Donald
J. Trump. The twice-impeached, had not been on the network since 2016 and criticized it throughout his
presidency. In the interim period, he’d taken such notable actions as inciting
an insurrection at the Capitol, refusing to accept the results of an election...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
A Week Of Violence
This week began with the killing of Jordan Neely, an unhoused 30-year-old Black
man known for dancing like Michael Jackson, on a New York City subway. Neely had
a history of mental health issues and on a particularly difficult day, had an
outburst—perhaps a mental breakdown—about his circumstances. Rather than help
from his fellow...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Silence of the Left, Long COVID, and More
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at week, President Joe Biden signed Republican legislation to end the COVID-19
emergency declaration.
The move meant a number of significant and impactful changes for...
by Walker Bragman
8 min read
Newsletter
Beyond Trump: Pandemic Medicaid Coverage Ends 🗞 Abortion Pill Banned 🗞 Clarence Thomas' Corruption
All eyes were on former President Trump last week as he surrendered to
authorities in Manhattan for his arraignment. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34
felony charges of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment
to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the final days of the 2016 campaign.
According to reporting by Rolling...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
Trump Indicted 🗞 Historic Israeli Protests 🗞 Starbucks Busted for Union-Busting
A current or former U.S. president had never faced criminal charges until this
week. While Trump's indictment is big news, it's not the only thing you should
know. For example, Israel is seeing unprecedented protests again the far-right
government's attempted power grab, and Starbucks' CEO was grilled before
Congress over the company's...
Newsletter
Criminal Charges for Trump, Calls for a New Civil Rights Bill, and a Big Week at OptOut
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at eyes were on Donald Trump this week as the former president faced the
possibility of arrest and criminal charges related to hush money he paid porn
actress Stormy...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
20 Years After the Iraq Invasion 🗞 Fire The Fed 🗞 Trump's in Trouble
Welcome back to OptOut's weekend news roundup! Today we'll look at independent
journalism about the 20-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Fed's
blunders surrounding bank regulation and the SVB failure, Trump's legal troubles
ramping up, and lots more.
First, some updates about the OptOut network.
WHAT'S NEW AT...
Newsletter
Bank Failures, COVID Crisis, and Hope For Yemen
The big news this week was the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the
second-largest bank failure in U.S. history and the largest since the 2008
Subprime Mortgage Crisis.
On Wednesday, the bank, which held approximately $175 billion in customer
deposits, announced that it needed $2 billion to shore up its balance sheet in
the wake of
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Nieman Lab Digs OptOut 🗞 Who's Fighting Student Debt Relief? 🗞 Politico Aids Railroad Lobby
Did you see the OptOut News Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab? As we near the one-year anniversary of our
iOS app launch, OptOut is getting major recognition. The well known journalism
analysts at Nieman Lab reviewed our innovative independent news aggregation app
and interviewed Alex Kotch (me), the co-founder and executive director of...
Newsletter
SNAP Benefits, Environmental Protests, and Police Shootings
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at weeks ago, OptOut and the Important newsletter
published a a new scientist group behind an 80-page blueprint for a congressional inquiry
into the government's...
by Walker Bragman
8 min read
Newsletter
Derailmentgate 🗞 The Times' Anti-Trans Crusade 🗞 Big Tech Myths
OptOut is holding it first-ever public event next month! On Feb. 27, we are
hosting a 2023 kickoff party and fundraiser in Gowanus, Brooklyn. We hope to
meet you there! Please you're planning to come, and share this with anyone who'd be interested!
OptOut News 2023 Kickoff and Fundraiser
Help the OptOut Media Foundation kick off its...
Newsletter
Black History Month 🗞 News From Africa 🗞 Where Did Our Attention Spans Go?
OptOut is holding it first-ever public event next month! On Feb. 27, we are
hosting a 2023 kickoff party and fundraiser in Gowanus, Brooklyn. We hope to
meet you there! Please you're planning to come, and share this with anyone who'd be interested!
🎉 Save the Date: OptOut News Party/Fundraiser in Brooklyn! 🍾
Come to our 2023 kickoff...
Newsletter
🗞 Union Membership Declines as Big Tech Lays Off Thousands
This weekly edition of the OptOut News newsletter is a day late—apologies!—but
we've got an interesting roundup of independent news coverage from the last week
for you. In addition to one of OptOut's first original reports, I've chosen
stories about U.S. labor participation, the fight for abortion rights, the state
of COVID-19 three years
Newsletter
Fifteenth Time's a Charm 🗞 Anti-Trust Victory 🗞 State Abortion Ban Struck Down
Happy 2023! This is going to be a big year for OptOut and our numerous
independent news outlets. I'll send out another email next week outlining our
exciting plans for this year.
As the co-founder and executive director of the OptOut Media Foundation, I want
to thank everyone involved in our operation: our team of two dozen...
Newsletter
Elon Musk's Twitter Purge, COVID's Continued Surge, and Energized Labor
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at Musk managed to claw his way into the news again this week, suspending a
number of high-profile journalists while yucking it up with fringe right-wing
accounts like...
by Walker Bragman
9 min read
Newsletter
Introducing New OptOut Original Content and Perks!
Since launching this newsletter in August 2020, we have sent you over 200
editions, all completely free to the public. During that time, we've built a
network of nearly 180 financially independent, trustworthy news outlets, and
we've delivered their important work to you via our newsletters—which now
include separate Climate, LGBTQ+, and...
Newsletter
A Week of Labor Rights and Protest ✊
This is the general newsletter of OptOut News, a free news aggregation app for
exclusively independent media that's available for Find out more about the app at Over Profit. The OptOut Media Foundation recently launched its
end-of-year fundraising We need to raise
$50,000 in individual contributions by the end of 2022 so we can...
Newsletter
Facebook Is Replacing Its Human News Editors with AI
Facebook, the gigantic social media platform/misinformation superspreader, is
removing the human element from its News tab.
Recent reports reveal that Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, is axing its
human news favor of artificial intelligence. Facebook, especially, is becoming a fossil
in the rapidly evolving world of social media,
Newsletter
Another Transphobic NYT Article • The Predictable Crypto Scandal • Labor Strikes Back
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Find out more about the app at Over Profit. The OptOut Media Foundation recently launched its
end-of-year fundraising We need to raise
$50,000 in individual contributions by the end of 2022 so we can continue
advocating for
by Liana DeMasi
8 min read
Newsletter
World’s Richest Man Ruins Twitter • No Red Wave • UN Climate Conference, Week 1
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Find out more about the app at depends on your support to run our free app, send this newsletter, and a
lot more. We've raised nearly $9,000 since we announced our end-of-year
fundraising goal, but we have a long way to go.
by Walker Bragman
10 min read
Newsletter
Pre-Election Special • Corporate Media Failures • Cuba & Brazil
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Find out more about the app at depends on your support to run our free app, send this newsletter, and a
lot more. We've raised $8,400 since we announced our end-of-year fundraising
goal, but we have a long way to go. Can...
LGBTQ+
🗳️ Election Preview ✊ Fighting Conversion Therapy 🎃 Scary Movies!
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Find out more about the app at depends on your support to run our free app, send this newsletter, and a
lot more. We've raised over $7,000 since we announced our end-of-year
fundraising goal, but we have a long way to go....
Climate
Fighting Climate Destruction • Jackson Water Crisis • Climate Activist Xiye Bastida
This is the newsletter of OptOut Climate, a program of the OptOut Media
Foundation led by Cristian Salazar. OptOut maintains a free news aggregation app
for exclusively independent media that's available for for Find out more about the app at depends on your support to run our free app, send this newsletter, and a
lot more. We've raised...
by Cristian Salazar
10 min read
Newsletter
Antisemitism on the Rise • Unionizing Trader Joe's • A $28 Meal at Taco Bell
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Find out more about the app at depends on your support to run our free app, send this newsletter, and a
lot more. We've raised nearly $6,000 since we announced our end-of-year
fundraising goal, but we have a long way to go.
by Walker Bragman
9 min read
Newsletter
Battle For Congress Shapes Up • Railway Strike Still Looms • Keeping the Mail Going in Ukraine
I’m Cristian Salazar, OptOut’s Editor, and I’ve written your weekly
news roundup for today.
A month before the pivotal midterm elections, the fight over the control of the
U.S. Congress is shaping up as Democrats and Republicans attempt to determine
the narrative over abortion rights, the results of the 2020 election, and the
state of...
by Cristian Salazar
9 min read
Newsletter
Pandemic Update • Hurricane Fallout • Dark Money
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at probably didn’t hear about it, but the New York Times reported nearly 14,000
U.S. COVID deaths last month. To put that number in context, that is roughly the
high...
by Walker Bragman
9 min read
Newsletter
Human Rights Backsliding • Meet the BIPOC Press • Indigenous Resistance
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at United States had a federally-guaranteed right to legal abortion for half a
century when the Supreme Court struck down the legal precedent that guaranteed
the right.
by Walker Bragman
11 min read
,
by Alex Kotch
11 min read
Newsletter
Rightwing Governors Ship Migrants to the Northeast, Echoing 1960s Segregationists
✊
People Over Profit. The OptOut Media Foundation recently launched its
end-of-year fundraising We need to raise
$50,000 in individual contributions by the end of 2022 so we can continue
advocating for independent news organizations and challenging the dominant
corporate media. Please consider helping us hit our target by making...
by Walker Bragman
8 min read
Newsletter
Scientology's Secret Immigrant Workforce • Anti-Trans Witch Hunts • Brazil on Fire
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at Over Profit. The OptOut Media Foundation launched its end-of-year
fundraising campaign week. We need to raise $50,000 in individual contributions by the end of
2022...
Newsletter
SPECIAL LABOR DAY EDITION: Workers Around the World Stand Up
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at Labor Day! Today's edition of the OptOut general newsletter focuses
entirely on news about workers and organized labor. Numerous outlets in our
independent media...
Newsletter
Finally, Student Debt Relief • Anti-LGBTQ+ Fascism • Education Justice in NOLA
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at was some good news for student borrowers last week. After months of delay
due to his own wavering support for the idea, President Biden announced his plan
to cancel...
by Walker Bragman
9 min read
Newsletter
Inflation Reduction Act is Law • Florida Guv Tramples on Basic Rights • Liz Cheney, Liberal Hero
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at was a big week for Democrats and a historic week for the country. President
Joe Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act, a major climate, health
care, and...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
Small Towns Work to Protect Abortion Rights • Storing Nuclear Secrets at Your Golf Club • Announcing OptOut Climate!
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at newsletter will take you through independent reporting and analysis on
abortion rights, Trump's legal woes, LGBTQ+ issues, U.S. media, and more. But
first, we have a
Newsletter
Dems Fail to Cap Insulin Price • 'Fascist Circus' in Texas • A Fake Climate Group
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at eventful week! The Senate passed a major spending bill. President Biden
has finally tested negative for COVID-19 after a tumultuous journey through
Paxlovid and...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
NYT Blames Workers for Inflation • A Climate Deal • Labor Solidarity
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at newsletter is a little different. I'm going to criticize The New York
Times on its portrayal of inflation and then round up some coverage of climate
and labor issues
Newsletter
Another Health Emergency • 187 Minutes of Treason • Manchin's Toxic Corruption
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at the OptOut app for OptOut app for a week! As the Biden administration continues its push to force normalcy on
a nation still in the throes of the deadly pandemic,...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
📲 Android App! • Roe Woes • Dems Want Biden Alternative
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more
about the app at week we launched the OptOut app for for everyone's patience. The approval process took much longer than
expected, but we were eventually able to get past the faulty...
Newsletter
Corporate Media Takes Big Oil's Money • SCOTUS' Awful Term • Musk Won't Buy Twitter
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. The Android version will
be out as soon as possible. Find out more about the app at the OptOut iOS and help us take on the corporate media!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Newsletter
Roe Is Gone • Dems Do Nothing • Pride!
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. Find out more about the
app at optout.news don't have to tell you this, but last week was an absolutely horrible week.
The biggest news wasn't more revelations about Trump's coup attempt. It wasn't
the...
Newsletter
Juneteenth and the Fight for Equality
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. Find out more about the
app at Sunday was Juneteenth, a newly recognized national holiday commemorating
the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday celebrates the anniversary
of General Order No. 3
by Walker Bragman
5 min read
Newsletter
The Gun Epidemic • Who's Bankrolling White Nationalism? • Covid Surges
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. Find out more about the
app at week the OptOut network covered essential news about guns, climate, the
Covid wave, extremism, and other issues, which we've rounded up for you below.
👕 ICMYI: We've got...
,
by Walker Bragman
9 min read
Newsletter
Dem Voters Reject Centrism • Big Money Media • Contraception is Next
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. Find out more about the
app at weekend we return to our usual Sunday slot for your independent news
roundup. Today's newsletter focuses on several important topics including
extremism, primary election...
Newsletter
Understanding Buffalo: Rightwing Terror and ‘The Great Replacement’
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. Find out more about the
app at is a special newsletter focused on the white nationalism behind the recent
massacre in Buffalo and additional racist phenomena in the United States.
-------------------------
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
The End of Roe? • Green Economy Transition • Fake Populists
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. Find out more about the
app at BIG NEWS! 🎉
Last week OptOut welcomed States Newsroom, a nonprofit charity that employs more
than 130 full-time editors, reporters, and support staff in 26 states across...
by Walker Bragman
9 min read
Newsletter
Standing with Workers on May Day
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. Find out more about the
app at May Day, everyone! On International Workers Day, as today is also referred
to, we are devoting this entire newsletter to labor coverage from the OptOut
news network.
All of...
Newsletter
Biden's Hollow Climate Pledge • Amazon Labor Union Pushes Forward • Anti-LGBTQ Violence
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. Find out more about the
app at optout.news week's independent news roundup features content about climate, labor,
anti-LGBTQ hate, and lots more. But first, let's welcome a new outlet to the
OptOut...
Newsletter
Twerking for Labor Rights • Ukrainians Return Home • The Importance of Bison
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. Find out more about the
app at optout.news take our short audience edition of OptOut's weekly news roundups covers labor progress, the
Christian right, juvenile justice, the history of oil in Russia, and...
Newsletter
New IPCC Report • Corporate Media's Love of War • Big SCOTUS News
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. Find out more about the
app at optout.news take our short audience people are asking us: Are you making an Android app? When will it be ready?
YES. We are putting the finishing touches on the Android...
Newsletter
Trans Bodies, Trans Choices • Ivermectin Grifters Owned • Zizek Debates Ideology
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. Find out more about the
app at optout.news take our short audience in part to an OptOut feature from The Rational National today, our iOS
app is currently at number the Magazines & Newspapers category on...
Newsletter
Amazon's Monopolism • Climate Transparency • Dark Pharma Money in Politics
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a free news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's available for iPhone and iPad. Find out more about the
app at optout.news take our short audience a week… A U.S. secretary of state has died, a Supreme Court justice is
facing scandal, the violence in Ukraine and Yemen continues, and...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Dark Money's Influence on School Safety • Medicaid Purge • Anti-Trans Hate Machine
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's currently in beta testing for iOS (download it Find out
more about the app at week's newsletter is a little shorter than usual because we are busy
getting ready to launch this app for iOS! Stay tuned!
It’s been quite a week on the brink of...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
A Progressive Response to Ukraine • Texas Elections • Do Police Stop Crime?
This is the newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's currently in beta testing for iOS (download it Find out
more about the app at week's roundup of media content from OptOut's independent, trustworthy news
network includes stories about the war in Ukraine, the Texas primary elections,
police...
Newsletter
Workers Fight Back, Critical Energy Theory, and the 'Don't Say Gay' Bill
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's currently in beta testing for iOS (download it Find out
more about the app at week's newsletter introduces a new OptOut network outlet and focuses on
labor, climate, and misinformation, among other BOLTS!
Bolts a brand-new...
Newsletter
Over-Policing, the Cost of Being Poor, and Working-Class Candidates
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's currently in beta testing for iOS (download it Find out
more about the app at to your generous donations and a grant from the Puffin Foundation,
OptOut's full news curation team began selecting content to highlight in our
beta app this
Newsletter
Women's Rights, Local News, Remembering Jake Varghese
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's currently in beta testing for iOS (download it Find out
more about the app at IN POWER, JAKE begin this edition with some very sad news: Jake Varghese, a talented
developer, gifted policy wonk, and passionate activist, passed away in...
Newsletter
Frontline Workers, Local Media's Struggles, and Climate Urgency
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's currently in beta testing for iOS (download it Find out
more about the app at is thrilled to announce that our soft launch on the Apple App Store is
just around the corner! We're putting the finishing touches on the first...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Wirecutter Union Wins, AOC Meets Chomsky, and Jacqueline Keeler on Native Issues
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's currently in beta testing for iOS (download it Find out
more about the app at could really use your help in spreading the word about OptOut as we prepare
for launch. We'd be grateful if you can forward this to your friends and...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Press Freedom Threatened, Covid Disinfo From the 'Left,' and Web3
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's currently in beta testing for iOS (download it Find out
more about the app at could really use your help in spreading the word about OptOut as we prepare
for launch. We'd be grateful if you can forward this to your friends and...
Newsletter
Attacks on Climate Divestment, Sitting Ducks for a Pandemic & Roe in Danger
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's currently in beta testing for iOS (download it Find out
more about the app at could really use your help in spreading the word about OptOut as we prepare
for launch. We'd be grateful if you can forward this to your friends and...
Newsletter
Climate Blunders, Local Gerrymandering, and Big Conservative Funder Bankrolls White Nationalists
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's currently in beta testing (sign up Find out
more about the app at could really use your help in spreading the word about OptOut as we prepare
for launch. We'd be grateful if you can forward this to your friends and family
and share it...
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
Racist Immigration Policy, Indigenous Climate Action, and Bari Weiss' Rightwing 'University'
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's currently in beta testing (sign up Find out
more about the app at could really use your help in spreading the word about OptOut as we prepare
for launch. We'd be grateful if you can forward this to your friends and family
and share it...
Newsletter
📺 A Worker-Owned Streaming Service 🗞️ Corporate Media Corruption 💪 the Strike Wave
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's currently in beta testing. By subscribing to this
newsletter, you'll have a chance to be a beta tester in the second round. Find
out more about the app at could really use your help in spreading the word about OptOut as we prepare
for...
Newsletter
Dems Keep Stumbling, Indigenous People's Day & Taking on the Bosses
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's under development. We'll be launching the beta version
of the app for iPhone and iPad very soon! By subscribing to this newsletter,
you'll have a chance to be a beta tester. Find out more about the app at
optout.news could really use...
by Walker Bragman
8 min read
Newsletter
Corporate Dems Block Biden's Agenda, the Media's Climate Narratives, & Pfizer Funds QAnon Candidates
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's under development. We'll be launching the beta version
of the app for iPhone and iPad very soon! By subscribing to this newsletter,
you'll have a chance to be a beta tester. Find out more about the app at
optout.news could really use...
Newsletter
The American Health Care Debacle, Corporate Democrats' Corruption, and Haitian Migration
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's under development. We plan to launch a beta version of
the app for iPhone this fall and the full iPhone app in January. By subscribing
to this newsletter, you'll have a chance to be a beta tester! Find out more
about the app at...
Newsletter
The War on Trans People & Other News from OptOut
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's under development. We plan to launch a beta version of
the app for iPhone this fall and the full iPhone app in January. By subscribing
to this newsletter, you'll have a chance to be a beta tester! Find out more
about the app at...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Extremism and U.S. Imperialism
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's under development. Thanks for subscribing! We plan to
launch a beta version of the app for iPhone this fall and the full iPhone app in
January. By subscribing to this newsletter, you'll have a chance to be a beta
tester! Find out more...
Newsletter
Labor Day Picks!
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's under development. Thanks for subscribing! We plan to
launch a beta version of the app for iPhone this fall and the full iPhone app in
January. By subscribing to this newsletter, you'll have a chance to be a beta
tester! Find out more...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Horse Meds Mania, Afghanistan, and Corporate Media Consolidation
Hey there, OptersOut.
Another doozy of a week! There's a lot to cover today. This edition of Weekend
Picks will update you on corporate media consolidation, welcome Defector of the
OptOut family, dissect the horse dewormer craze, and round up 100% independent
media content about Covid-19, Afghanistan, and other topics of the...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Climate, Covid, and The Forever Wars
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's under development. Thanks for subscribing! We plan to
launch a beta version of the app for iPhone in September and the full iPhone app
in January. By subscribing to this newsletter, you'll have a chance to be a beta
tester! Find out...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Climate catastrophe, bye bye Cuomo, and NYT union busters
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's under development. Thanks for subscribing! We plan to
launch a beta version of the app for iPhone in September and the full iPhone app
in January. By subscribing to this newsletter, you'll have a chance to be a beta
tester! Find out...
Newsletter
🎉 Weekend Picks: We're 1! 🎂
This is the weekly newsletter of OptOut, a news aggregation app for exclusively
independent media that's under development. Thanks for subscribing! We plan to
launch a beta version of the app for iPhone in September and the full iPhone app
in January. By subscribing to this newsletter, you'll have a chance to be a beta
tester! Find out...
,
by Walker Bragman
13 min read
Newsletter
Our Picks: Poultry Workers' Plight, Critical Race Theory, and Vaccine Apartheid
Greetings, OptersOut!
Last week was a doozy. Democrats have done the unthinkable and allowed the
eviction moratorium to expire in a rush to take recess. Rep. Cori Bush and the
Squad are leading a protest at the steps of the Capitol, but their colleagues
appear to have given up on protecting Americans. Also coming up is the August...
by Walker Bragman
6 min read
Newsletter
Help Us Launch the OptOut App!
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Billionaires in Space, Labor Fights, and Honoring Michael Brooks
Happy Sunday, OptersOut!
We have some exciting news to share with you, followed by our weekly roundup of
news coverage from OptOut's growing network of financially independent news
outlets. Let's get right to it!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
This week the OptOut Media Foundation reached a major milestone. We got our
first foundation grant! The...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: the Climate Crisis, Union Busting & Nina Turner
Hey, OptersOut!
Hope everyone is doing ok and not melting in the crazy heat wave. Between the
record heat and the biblical flooding in Europe, climate change is even more
terrifying than before.
On that topic, while conservative Democrat Joe Manchin tries to strip climate
provisions out the budget, President Joe Biden is supporting the...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: The OptOut Family Is Growing
Hey there, OptersOut!
I hope everyone has been well these past two weeks. Apologies for skipping last
weekend's newsletter; Walker and I were both out of town and needed a weekend
off.
A lot is happening in the U.S. and around the world, and our independent news
roundup below features content about anti-trust developments and...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Rest in Peace, Mike Gravel
We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel on
Saturday. Gravel was a champion for justice, and his presence on this Earth will
be sorely missed.
Sen. Gravel was unshakably optimistic. He never stopped believing in our better
nature as a nation—despite mountains of evidence to the contrary—and he...
by Walker Bragman
11 min read
,
by Alex Kotch
11 min read
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Billionaires, Climate, and Bipartisan Attacks on Ilhan Omar
Hiya, OptersOut!
I hope everyone had a good week. I spent most of it sick (not Covid!), and
thankfully I'm almost back to normal now.
For today's newsletter, I've picked several topics and multiple pieces of
content for each topic.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BILLIONAIRES
The...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Remembering Tulsa, Climate, Labor, and the Media
Hey there, OptersOut!
This week we formalized our standards for participating outlets, which you can
read here Our mission is to create a
media ecosystem where people can find the news they need and know that it's
fully independent, accurate, and free of conflicts of interest. Trust in media
is at an all-time low in the U.S., and we...
,
by Walker Bragman
10 min read
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Attacks on Workers and Palestinians
Hiya, OptersOut!
I hope everyone is having a relaxing holiday weekend.
If you didn't see last week's all of your contributions are
tax-deductible. Whether you're signed up for this newsletter with a monthly or
yearly donation or you want to give us a different, one-time amount via these
services you'll be able to claim a
charitable tax...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Biden's performance, more atrocities in Gaza, and the new podcast oligopoly
Hey there, OptersOut!
We hope you’ve had a good week. Today we'll start with some housekeeping and
then discuss the week's news, followed by a roundup of content from our
exclusively independent OptOut media network.
YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS NEWSLETTER ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE.
Good news: Our legal advisers have determined that your...
,
by Walker Bragman
9 min read
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Corporate Media's Distortion of Israel-Palestine
Greetings, OptersOut!
OptOut co-founders Alex and Walker here! In OptOut news, we had our first
meeting with a potential grantor this week, and we've contacted dozens more. We
need to raise a significant amount of money to launch our forthcoming app and
hire staff for the long term, so if you'd like to help us out now with a
tax-deductib
,
by Walker Bragman
7 min read
Newsletter
OptOut Picks: Mother's Day Edition!
Happy Mother's Day, OptersOut!
Today we're going to highlight content about mothers as well as some more news
produced by or about women.
Progress on our app new
website, and the OptOut Media Foundation continues. Your donations are paying
for fundraising consulting as we contact foundations about potential grants. You
gotta spend money
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: May Day, Biden's First 100 Days, and Anti-Trans Hysteria
Happy Belated May Day, OptersOut!
Since yesterday was May Day, this week's roundup will get into labor news, as
well as Biden's first 100 days as president, anti-trans bigotry, and other news
from the OptOut network. But first, an OptOut update.
Since last week when we rolled out
this new website and got approved as a 501(c)(3)...
Newsletter
Big News from OptOut!
Greetings, OptersOut!
I am thrilled to tell you about not one but two great things that happened this
week.
First, the OptOut Media Foundation has been approved as a 501(c)(3) public
charity!
This way we can raise money through tax-deductible donations, and we'll have a
better chance of landing grants from foundations. Our EIN is...
Newsletter
OptOut Picks: Corporate Power, Monarchs, and Socialist Sex Ed
Greetings, OptersOut!
Sorry for the late email. We spent a lot of the weekend working on our new
website, and it’s almost ready for prime time.
If you’re thinking of upgrading to a paid subscription or want to alter your
current subscription, please hang on a little while until we get the new site up
and running. If you have a pressing...
Newsletter
Sunday Picks: Both-Sidesing Crises, Bessemer, and Actual Cancel Culture
Hey there, OptersOut!
We’ve got some Sunday content for you from our exclusively independent
participating outlets.
First, some updates.
* The app is in “alpha” phase, the pre-beta phase when we share the app with
select people outside of our development team to get feedback and improve
things as we prepare to get on the app...
Newsletter
Sunday Picks: Anti-Trans Bigots, Labor Fights, and Covid Fails
Hey there, OptersOut!
I’ve got a lot of other OptOut work to do today and the weather is great in
Brooklyn, so let’s get right into our weekly roundup of content from the
excellent independent outlets participating in our forthcoming anti-corporate
media app.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Labor Fights, Voting Wars, and Star Trek
Greetings, OptersOut!
We’ll begin with an essay from Walker and then get into OptOut participants’
work.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another week in paradise. Or maybe not. Despite everyone’s seemingly optimistic
posture about COVID-19 vaccines, there’s probably a whole lot of...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: The United States of Oligarchy
Dear OptersOut,
Apologies for the delay. Substack was down for several hours today. But I wanted
to make sure you got your OptOut links for the week. I’ll jump right into it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS
SLUDGE: POWERFUL REPS RELY ON CORPORATE PACS TO PAY THEIR COMMITTEE...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Hasty Reopening, Media Woes
Greetings, OptersOut!
It’s been an eventful week. We hit the one-year anniversary of the World Health
Organization declaring Covid-19 a pandemic. Biden signed an extremely belated
$1.9 trillion relief bill that will, among other things, significantly reduce
child poverty, supply states with desperately needed funds, and beef up...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Corporate Dems & Biden's Bombs
Hello again, OptersOut!
It’s been quite a week. Biden is on the verge of signing his first major piece
of legislation more than 40 days into his presidency. The Senate recently passed
a $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill. The good news is that the bill contains
much-needed funds for the states, needy Americans, and vaccinations.
If you...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Fight For $15?
Greetings, OptersOut!
Welcome to the newsletter of OptOut, the forthcoming news app for exclusively
independent media.
The Biden administration quickly caved on its promise of $2,000 checks, and now
it’s not going to “fight for $15.” This week’s newsletter starts with some
reporting and analysis of the minimum wage situation and then...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Criminal Injustice, Forever Wars, and Medicare For All
Happy Sunday, OptersOut!
Welp, the Senate decided to endorse future fascist insurrections and a Trump
2024 nomination if he wants it. I’ll be honest, between my own reporting on the
far right and everything else that’s going on in the U.S. and the world, I’ve
had to step back a bit from the constant stream of news and social media. We...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Stand With Workers
Dear OptersOut!
We’re busy working on our nonprofit application, so today’s news roundup is
going to be a little shorter than normal. First, a quick update: We secured pro
bono legal assistance from Lawyers for a joint project of
the Cyrus R. Vance Center International Justice and the Press Freedom Defense advising us and have connected...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Hasty Reopenings, Mega-Pharmacies, and Health Care For Dreamers
Hello again, OptersOut!
Well, 2021 certainly seems to be off to an exciting start. This week, a bunch of
people on the Reddit forum r/WallStreetBets took on Wall Street by buying up
stocks of troubled companies that hedge funds were betting against, driving up
their values and ensuring those hedge funds took heavy losses.
In response,...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Biden's First Days
Hey there, OptersOut!
This week we’re happy to welcome The American Prospect and The Real News Network
as OptOut partners!
Biden’s presidency has begun, and there’s still lots to grapple with in terms of
the insurrection and the Trump administration’s legacy of rightwing extremism,
gutted federal agencies, and a black hole where...
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Rightwing Extremism, Big Tech, and Labor
Hey there, OptersOut,
We’re excited to announce that The Majority Report and The Bitchuation Room have
joined the ranks of OptOut partners! The Majority Report, hosted by Sam Seder
and Emma Vigeland, and Francesca Fiorentini’s The Bitchuation Room are both
video and podcast outlets that examine politics from a progressive perspective.
Be
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: The Insurrection
Hey, OptersOut.
Happy New Year! What a wild start to 2021. To give ourselves a little break, we
took two weeks off from this newsletter, but development of the OptOut app
continues to go really well. Here are some recent screenshots.
This is the “Headlines” feed, where OptOut editors handpick news items we think
you should check out....
Newsletter
Weekend Picks: Greedy senators, Facebook fumbles, and our new podcast
Hello again, OptersOut!
It’s been a rough few weeks, and we hope you’re all holding up. With stimulus
negotiations still underway after months of no relief, it may not seem as though
there is light at the end of this tunnel. But we must not allow ourselves to
fall into despair or cynicism. We can come through by working together...
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Dec. 12, 2020)
Hello, OptersOut!
Another week of desperate coup attempts and rapidly rising COVID-19 deaths is
coming to a close. I hope that these news roundups of content from our more than
80 media partners help you process these wild times we’re hurtling through.
Independent news outlets like the ones below really help me, both as a
journalist and...
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Dec. 6, 2020)
Hey, OptersOut!
Welcome, new folks, and thank you so much to everyone who became a paying
subscriber since Giving Tuesday. We’re a small, scrappy group of volunteers, and
every $5 makes a difference. Your contributions are helping us pay for initial
fees like nonprofit incorporation, web hosting, and software building services.
If you...
Newsletter
Help the OptOut Team on Giving Tuesday!
Dear OptersOut,
I hope everyone was able to have a good Native American Heritage Day weekend! I
have finally returned to New York from the North Carolina mountains, where I saw
my family for the first time in 18 months. I’m grateful for them and for my
health, and I know so many people in the U.S. are struggling, whether
financially,...
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Nov. 21, 2020)
Dear OptersOut,
Welcome back to our weekly news roundup from our independent media If this is your first
OptOut newsletter, we’re a forthcoming nonprofit news aggregation app for
exclusively independent media. We’ll be launching the beta version of the app in
March, and in the meantime, we’re choosing some of the best articles,...
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Nov. 15, 2020)
Greetings, OptersOut!
Hello from the mountains of western North Carolina, where I’m spending a few
weeks hiking, cooking, working, and remembering what it’s like to be able to see
stars in the sky.
Despite intermittent bouts of rage tweeting, an addiction I’m working on, I’ve
been able to step back a bit from the toxic world of social...
Newsletter
OptOut of the Corporate Media Tonight!
Hello there, OptersOut!
Finally, after a 114-year election season, it’s Election Day. That could mean
you’re deciding which cable news giant you’ll turn to for the results and
painful “both-sides” political analysis.
Well, I’ve got some good news for you. You don’t have to watch CNN, MSNBC, or
any of these other corporate channels!...
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Nov. 1, 2020)
Greetings, OptersOut!
We’re sure the election has you all distracted or anxious or hyperventilating
into paper bags...but here are our picks for this week-in-review roundup,
exclusively from our OptOut partner news outlets.
If you enjoy the content, please consider subscribing or donating to them. As
independent sites, podcasts, and...
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Oct. 25, 2020)
Dear OptersOut,
I hope everyone had a very normal week during this very normal time. I kid, but
here’s another edition of our weekly news roundup to help you sort through the
never-ending dumpster fire that our world is these days.
First, we have some new independent media partners!
* Pollen Nation
a
Native-led magazine...
Newsletter
How We're Using Your Donations
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Oct. 17, 2020)
Greetings, OptersOut!
As you know, our nonprofit news app for exclusively independent media is still
in development. But here’s your week in review—our selection of content from our
partners we felt you should see! If you enjoy the content, please consider
subscribing or donating to these outlets and individuals. As independent...
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Oct. 10, 2020)
Hi there, OptersOut!
Another slow news week, huh?
As a white militia plotted to kidnap the governor of Michigan and Donald Trump
tweeted through the early days of his COVID-19 infection while high on steroids,
our more than 70 independent media partners put out some great stories,
podcasts, and videos as always.
The loose theme of this
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Oct. 3, 2020)
Dear Supporters,
This week’s been a long year. Republican super-spreader events are taking up a
lot of the media, and for good reason. But if you’d like a respite from the
cascade of GOP politicos who are testing positive for COVID-19 after
congregating without masks at the presidential debate, Amy Coney Barrett’s
nomination event, and...
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Sep. 27, 2020)
Greetings, OptersOut!
It’s time for our round-up of the best content of the week from our more than 70
media partners. But first, we want to share a Twitter thread with you about the
changing media landscape.
Many independent writers, including some recently laid off from newsrooms
plagued by budget cuts or recently ravaged by private...
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Sep. 19, 2020)
Dear Supporters,
It’s Saturday afternoon, and that means it’s time for some weekly highlights
from OptOut’s media partners!
OptOut is a forthcoming nonprofit news aggregator app for 100% independent
media. Development is underway; we’re a totally volunteer operation so far, but
we’ll need money for hosting, marketing, and hiring. Please
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Sep. 12, 2020)
Greetings, OptersOut!
Let’s start with some updates on our forthcoming nonprofit news app for 100%
independent media.
The development is moving forward. The terrific volunteers at the Progressive
Coders Network have done a
lot of work on the backend—the content ingestion and admin system for the app.
The user experience design is nearly
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks: Special 'Law and Order' Edition
Dear Supporters,
Another week has gone by. It’s been a tough one in the U.S., with increasing
fascism and white nationalism from the White House, law enforcement, and their
vigilante allies. I’m going to skip the usual intro and updates and get right
into our news roundup, which will mostly focus on these issues.
Thank you as always for
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Aug. 29, 2020)
Hey there, OptersOut!
As journalists, we know that our industry is in crisis. A handful of corporate
media giants dominate the news and inundate us with the banal and the salacious.
Our forthcoming OptOut app will challenge society’s dependance on the corporate
news business. We will curate news picks for you throughout the day and offer
Newsletter
Monday News!
Hello, OptersOut! Today we’re adding a news roundup for you that you’ll get
every Monday afternoon with five news and opinion items from the weekend and
today. When we launch the app, you’ll have a constantly updated feed of content,
but until then, we’ll hit you with several roundups per week.
First, I spoke with Indiegraf about this a
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Aug. 22, 2020)
Greetings, OptersOut!
I’m Walker Bragman, co-founder of OptOut.
First, welcome to our new partners this week!
* QAnon Anonymous podcast where hosts Jake, Julian, and Travis chop and screw the wildest
conspiracy theories of the post-truth era.
* Staying Home with Josh Fox
filmmaker Josh Fox,
an OptOut adviser, chats with...
Newsletter
OptOut's Weekend Picks (Aug. 15, 2020)
Dear Supporters,
It’s been a great week for new media partnerships! Since last week, we’ve added
12 great new partners to the OptOut fam. Word about our forthcoming nonprofit
news app for 100% independent media is spreading, and news websites, podcasts,
and YouTubers are taking note.
Here are our latest additions:
* Belly of the...
Newsletter
Weekend picks from OptOut
Dear Supporters,
Since promoting our user Thursday we’ve had 266 respondents! Thank you to those who took the five
minutes to answer our questions—your answers will help us design a user
experience to meet your needs. If you haven’t filled it out yet, please do, and
share widely!
Take the survey Yesterday we hit a landmark: 50 media...
Newsletter
It's Time For That User Survey!
What a week so far!
Since publishing our first Substack newsletter on Monday, we’ve gotten over
4,200 views and hundreds of new subscribers, including 67 paid supporters. We’ve
raised nearly $3,000 in immediate revenue, which will help us pay for our logo,
nonprofit incorporation fees, marketing, web hosting, and other initial costs.
We
Newsletter
A nonprofit news app that's 100% free of corporate media narratives.
Welcome to OptOut, a forthcoming nonprofit news app where you can completely
bypass the corporate media and read, listen to, and watch exclusively
independent content.
To those who subscribed to this newsletter via the OptOut launch thank you for your
interest in our project! If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do; you can...
