eff.org/deeplinks/2026/10/vi… A federal court in New York definitively ruled that the Office of Personnel Management violated the law when it disclosed millions of federal employee records to DOGE agents. The court will decide the remedy at a later date.

When Billionaires Try to Control the Narrative: The Elon Musk Documentary xitter.cf/i/broadcasts/1qxvveNWR…

Are the Jehovah’s Witnesses a cult? When people ask whether a group is an authoritarian cult, it helps to look at the specific ways control is actually being used. My BITE Model of Authoritarian Control® was developed to do exactly that. BITE stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional Control, and I use it alongside the Influence Continuum to help determine authoritarian control. Not every group or relationship uses every form of control. Some are universal, such as deception (Information control), indoctrinating people to distrust critics and former members, or instilling phobias to make people afraid to question or leave. And when we apply the BITE Model to the WatchTower (Jehovah’s Witnesses), we can see elements of all four: Behavior Control, Information Control, Thought Control, and Emotional Control. If there is another group you want me to break down, let me know in the comments.

I watched the documentary about Elon Musk, and there is a great deal I want to discuss, including what was left out. Join me for a livestream today, October 21, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM here: youtube.com/live/QZW7wexBZxA… where we'll explore this documentary together and discuss an incredible book I read, The Nerd Reich, as well as my interview with Gil Durán for an upcoming podcast. Despite what was left out, I believe the documentary is still a must-see, especially for anyone who cares about democracy. What questions did the documentary raise for you, and what would you most like me to discuss during the livestream?

What if teaching your children morality means questioning the Bible? Can religious stories teach us important lessons without requiring us to accept everything they say? In my talk with author Kate Cohen, we explore what she calls the “truth spectrum”: from taking scripture literally, to appreciating it as metaphor, or rejecting it altogether. Kate raises a provocative question: why search through religious texts for moral lessons, navigating teachings we may find deeply troubling, when we can simply teach our children our values directly? What happens when we separate morality from religious authority? It's a fascinating conversation about faith, critical thinking, morality, and raising children to think for themselves. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/WDwIuMyIGdE

I watched the Alex Gibney documentary yesterday, and I highly recommend it- especially when we are seeing Musk meddle mightily in the midterm elections and politics worldwide. At least $300 million to candidates who will do his, Trump's, and Putin’s bidding. He is spending the most in Texas, where his international headquarters is based… I decided to focus my Wednesday’s 2 pm Eastern Livestream on Musk, Trump, Putin, and the cult of Thiel. youtube.com/watch?v=FFTf1lzc…

Oh boy

Thank you for speaking out!!!!

This is right out of the fascist authoritarian playbook! I completely agree with Sheryl Crow, and I’m so glad celebrities like her are speaking up. Because critics like us are not "coming after you". All we want are affordable prices, kindness, compassion, and good healthcare. But a lot of rural people are being fed this message that “they’re coming to get you” and “only I can save you.” This keeps people afraid, divided, and looking to a single leader for the answer instead of thinking critically about what is actually happening. I’m glad celebrities like Sheryl are speaking up in person and online. It is especially effective to talk to the people they know and the communities where they grew up, and help bring people back to common sense. Have you seen this kind of messaging? Put your comments below. Video credit @rollingstonecountry

A Secretive Bible Cult Has Infiltrated Conservative Politics xitter.cf/i/broadcasts/1aKbdErrZ…

What do we know about the Exclusive Brethren, and why are they facing scrutiny over their political connections? Join me LIVE here youtube.com/live/HVMfRknhck0… this Friday, October 16, from 2 to 3 PM Eastern Time, as I speak with two fascinating former members of the Plymouth Brethren, also known as the Exclusive Brethren. This billion-dollar group is under scrutiny over its connections to Trump, as well as allegations of funding and meddling in elections in Australia. I wish I had known more about the Exclusive Brethren when I wrote The Cult of Trump, and I’m looking forward to exploring this topic with people who have firsthand experience. Bring your questions. This is going to be a fascinating conversation!

A public execution could actually make the problem of radicalization worse! I’ve spent 50 years studying brainwashing, mind control, and how people can be recruited into extremist movements, and I also know firsthand how profoundly a person’s identity and judgment can be manipulated. When I was recruited into the Moonies, I became so disconnected from my authentic self that I would have been willing to kill or die on command. That experience shapes how I look at the proposed public execution of US Army Major Nidal Hasan, a psychiatrist. I’m concerned that turning an execution into a public spectacle could create a martyrdom narrative for extremists, potentially helping them recruit MORE people rather than preventing future violence. I authored a chapter with Jon Atack in an Oxford University textbook on Lone Actor Terrorism and discussed Hasan. I’ve argued for decades that we need to understand how people become radicalized if we want to stop others from following the same path. Rather than simply focusing on punishment, we should explore how his experience could help prevent deceptive recruitment into destructive groups. Livestreaming a firing squad of a terrorist in a wheelchair is not a strategy for curbing violence! One can believe it is being discussed to frighten Americans as well as desensitize them to killing people they don't like. We need to understand the psychology of extremist cult online recruitment, expose the methods of mind control, and use that knowledge to protect others from being drawn into violent movements. If our goal is to prevent future terrorism, shouldn't we focus on stopping recruitment rather than creating potential martyrs? What do you think? Share your perspective in the comments. Video credit: @reuters

I wrote this in my 2018 Simon & Schuster book, The Cult of Trump. Rereleased in 2024 with foreword by George Conway!

Sage strategic advice!