Category: Investigative
Chainsaws, Chaos, and Javier Milei: How IMF Meddling and Hubris Fueled Argentina’s Reality TV Presidency
Flashback to a Pivotal Moment in Global Politics
It was a crisp evening in December 2021 when Donald Trump stepped onto a gilded stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida. The former president — reduced to a kingmaker, still without access…
APIII Militia Infiltrator Warns of Danger to 2024 Elections; Leaks Show Targeting Journalists
After two years of actively participating in militia, 'the infiltrator' is dropping 13 gigabytes of 'internal, secretive communications,' says "APIII and other paramilitary groups provided the muscle" for voter intimidation. A new set of leaks from inside the Telegram chats of the American Patriots Three Percent militia group (AP3 or APIII) reveal a sprawling network buzzing with activity.
‘Mobile Field Force’ Policing Model Funded for Milwaukee Republican National Convention
The 2024 Republican National Convention starts on Monday, July 15, and will run for four days. This report covers the latest Milwaukee developments and a quick historical rundown about the huge security setups at previous conventions and special events.
Interview: Breaking Down the Mahdi Ali Case
The brutal 2010 triple murders at the Seward Market shocked the community, and police concluded the killer was fifteen-year-old Mahdi Ali. A new Unicorn Riot investigation raises 27 different issues with that investigation and the murder trial. We circled back with our contributor to break down the major elements people should know about this contentious case.
🦄 Investigative, Police, Tech
Cobwebs Spy Software Locks Onto Protesters: Israeli Social Media Mining Contract with Homeland Security Revealed
An Israeli spy software tech firm licenses web surveillance tools to law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The software contract shows new details about this sensitive technology DHS has used to spy on activists during the last several years.
Target, ‘Junk Science’ and Unreliable Testimonies: The Contentious Conviction of 15-Year-Old Mahdi Ali
Minneapolis, MN — Overlooked details have emerged casting serious doubt on Mahdi Hassan Ali’s conviction for a 2010 triple murder, as well as the integrity of the investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
“I was the perfect scapegoat.”…
Imminent ‘Cleanups’ Scheduled Under Philadelphia ‘State of Emergency’ Kensington Operations
Unicorn Riot has obtained a schedule for "cleanup" operations due in the next 72 hours in the Kensington neighborhood, one element in new mayor Cherelle Parker's plan to dramatically change local conditions through state action.
Sextortion Coms: Inside a Vile Child Exploitation Cult Run by Nazi-Linked Teens
On Jan. 6, Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, attempting to thwart the peaceful transition of power. One of those insurrectionists, Riley Williams, stole Nancy Pelosi’s laptop. But she was also part of an international, abusive extortion network.
How Target Funded a ‘Tough On Crime’ Prosecutor’s Office, Driving Black Youth Incarceration in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN — Target Corp. pioneered the Community Prosecution Program in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) more than two decades ago during the era of mass incarceration. As part of a broad anti-crime campaign that employed new advanced technology and reshaped the criminal justice…
FBI Bookstore Spying in Chicago Eyes Abortion Rights, Cop City, Anti-Development Activists
Chicago, IL – The owner-workers of Pilsen Community Books acknowledge that their store is “very cute.” A vintage typewriter holds a signboard featuring a quote that’s both intellectually stimulating and heart-warming. A repurposed mid-century card catalog cabinet holds a collection of vintage mass market paperbacks.…
🦄 Eco, Investigative, Labor, Tech
‘Like the Doors of Hell Were Open’: East Palestine Train Disaster Casts Toxic Cloud Over Future of OH/PA Region
Vinyl Chloride & Byproducts like Phosgene Risk Damaging Wide Area
Harris County Jail Crisis in Houston, Texas Kills Dozens
The Harris County Jail is the third-largest jail in the U.S. and the largest jail in Texas. Located in Houston, it also confines the most people with mental illness in the state. Despite its complicated history, the public is largely unaware of the myriad issues at the jail. This report covers how the massive backlog of felony cases and pretrial detention contribute to the deaths of dozens of detainees amid overcrowding, medical crises, and a lack of mental health services.
‘Task Force Butler’ Veterans Share Skills to Track Far-Right Groups
Unicorn Riot chatted with Kristofer Goldsmith, the founder of a nonprofit called the “Task Force Butler Institute” which is recruiting U.S. military veterans to monitor fascists and far-right hardliner movements around the country. Last year he and the group worked on tracking Patriot Front neo-nazis…
🦄 Investigative, Police, Tech
Criminal Intel Files Show Facial Recognition, Warrantless Surveillance in Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN – Documents obtained via a series of public records requests from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) provide rare insight into police intelligence gathering. The documents include case numbers in which facial recognition was used, details about systems that gain access to vehicle…
Police use Private Database to ID & Racially Profile Roma in US
A Unicorn Riot investigation has uncovered dossier records from a privately curated database of Romani people in the United States, and a web of training programs; many of these have been canceled due to pressure from activists and concerned citizens.
Unicorn Riot found a pattern…
More Details Tying Elected Officials to the $250 Million Federal Food Aid Scandal – But Will They Be Protected From Investigation?
Minneapolis, MN – Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman’s wife owned and operated a food site tied to the massive food for children scandal. Osman has been a key ally at city hall to Mayor Jacob Frey who has recently come under fire after three…
All We Know About Mayor Frey’s Connections to the $250 Million Food Aid Scandal
Minneapolis, MN – Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has several connections to the Feeding Our Future food scandal, with his senior policy aide among the primary players named in recent indictments.
On Monday federal charges were announced against the 49th defendant allegedly involved in stealing nearly…
Patriot Front Nazis Who Destroyed Arthur Ashe Mural Identified
Richmond, VA – New evidence identifies two men behind the racially-motivated vandalism of a mural portraying Black tennis legend Arthur Ashe last October.
Previously unpublished photos and videos, leaked from inside the neo-nazi organization Patriot Front, show members of the group destroying several paintings in…
Patriot Front Members Exposed in Parking Lot Clusterf*ck
Fort Washington, MD – On Dec. 4, 2021 around 250 members of the neo-nazi group Patriot Front marched through Washington, D.C. wearing white masks. With aesthetics echoing the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi Germany, they stopped to rally by the Capitol as their leader Thomas…
Eugenics, Border Wars & Population Control: The Tanton Network
Nearly everything Americans hear about the U.S.-Mexico border is wrong, and it’s very likely because of one relatively small but extremely well-funded and influential group of American racists.
On July 5, 2022, a group of officials in Texas held a curious press conference. It consisted…