Wow. Already Pardoned by Trump, Jan. 6 Rioters Push for Compensation
Managing editor/local at ProPublica, past prez of AHCJ, Detroit Lions fan. Email: charles.ornstein@propublica.org. Posts are my own.
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Wow. Already Pardoned by Trump, Jan. 6 Rioters Push for Compensation
What a horrific story. A Troubled Man, His Chatbot and a Murder-Suicide in Old Greenwich
This sounds awful! Your Boss Doesn’t Have Time to Talk to You
In Budget Logs It Tried to Hide, White House Wrests More Control Over Spending
🤔
Months before igniting Texas’ redistricting fight, the Trump administration began testing a strategy of using the courts to force favorable political outcomes. The new voting map, signed into law today by Gov. Greg Abbott, is its latest win. With @texastribune.org
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has said again and again that the state government would work with Alaska Natives to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people. BUT…the state is refusing to release lists of Indigenous murder victims. @kylehopkinsak.bsky.social
ICE Has Fined Immigrants $6 Billion. Now It’s Coming to Collect.
COVID vaccine update: Pharmacies in these states won't give you a shot unless you have a prescription. CVS: CO, FL, GA, KY, LA , ME, NY, NC, PA, UT, VA, WV, DC Walgreens: AZ, CO, GA, IN, LA, MO, MT, NM, NY, OR, SC, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI CVS is not yet offering COVID shots at all in MA, NV, and MN.
What could go wrong? The federal government plans to hire private companies to use artificial intelligence to determine whether patients would be covered for some procedures, like certain spine surgeries or steroid injections.
Watching this: CVS Holds Off on Offering Covid Vaccines in 16 States www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/w...
NEW: Alaska publishes a quarterly list with the names of Indigenous people reported missing — but it still doesn’t issue a list for those who’ve been killed. When a local nonprofit requested that information, the state said no. By @kylehopkinsak.bsky.social of @adn.com
Alaska Vowed to Resolve Murders of Indigenous People. Now It Refuses to Provide Their Names. @kylehopkinsak.bsky.social @adn.com
ProPublica has identified at least 15 major disasters since 2016 in which officials in the most-harmed communities failed to use a federal system to send emergency alerts to residents — or waited until it was too late.
Experts and some local officials question whether Elon Musk and his company are the right pick for a major flood control project in Houston. The Boring Co. has focused on transportation tunnels, not flood mitigation. @lmcgaughy.bsky.social @chengyilun.bsky.social
The threats have changed, as have the places. But over the past decade, the same story has played out over and over. The problem isn’t that there is no way to alert residents. It’s that officials too often don’t use it. @jenniferberryhawes.bsky.social
The era of print newspapers is coming to an end: Atlanta Journal-Constitution to Quit Print Cold Turkey, via @nytimes.com
NEW: Local Officials Have a Powerful Tool to Warn Residents of Emergencies. They Don’t Always Use It. by @jenniferberryhawes.bsky.social
Rep. Wesley Hunt has spent months trying to get officials to hire Elon Musk’s The Boring Co. to build a major flood control project in Houston. The company has pitched tunnels that are far smaller than what may be needed to address the flooding issues.🤔 @lmcgaughy.bsky.social @chengyilun.bsky.social
NEW: A Texas Congressman Is Quietly Helping Elon Musk Pitch a $760M Plan to Build Tunnels Under Houston to Ease Flooding, by @lmcgaughy.bsky.social @chengyilun.bsky.social w/ Texas Newsroom @houstonchronicle.com and @texastribune.org
After the Department of Health and Human Services said Susan Monarez is no longer the CDC director, her lawyers said she did not resign and had not been fired, accusing HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of “weaponizing public health for political gain.”
The wave of CDC resignations is simply extraordinary.
Wow, wow, wow! Susan Monarez, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been pushed out of the job
The top theee stories on @propublica.org ‘s website right now are 😳!
Bringing felony charges against the leader of Missouri’s biggest blue stronghold added to the resume of a MAGA warrior who had already interviewed for a position in Trump’s administration. Less than 3 weeks later, Trump tapped Bailey to help run the FBI. @jeremykohler.bsky.social
Here's a deep dive into the man Trump chose to lead his antisemitism task force that's targeting universities. It's quite a read! @propublica.org @chronicle.com @peterelkind.bsky.social @katiemangan.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/leo-...
And more: The Leader of Trump’s Assault on Higher Education Has a Troubled Legal and Financial History, by @peterelkind.bsky.social and Katherine Mangan w/ @chronicle.com
NEW: Trump’s Pick to Help Run the FBI Has a History of Prosecuting Influential Democrats “The more outrageous you are, the more you are going to attract the attention of Donald Trump.” @jeremykohler.bsky.social
5 Ways Idaho Coroners Say the State Could Fix Its Flawed System, by @audreydutton.bsky.social
Purging ‘Equity’ Programs, G.O.P. Defunded Its Own Roads, via @nytimes.com
Some Programs for Black Students Become ‘Illegal D.E.I.’ Under Trump, via @nytimes.com
Heather Honey, a 2020 election denier, has been appointed to a senior position in the Department of Homeland Security. State election officials and voting experts are concerned. @dougbockclark.bsky.social
Don't look away. She Pushed to Overturn Trump’s Loss in the 2020 Election. Now She’ll Help Oversee U.S. Election Security. @dougbockclark.bsky.social
A really important story about justice and injustice.
NEW: Lawmakers have been warned for 70 years that Idaho’s coroner system is broken, yet major reforms haven’t materialized. An anonymous survey and interviews by ProPublica reveal what coroners say would help. By @audreydutton.bsky.social
Flush with cash and soaring with hubris, Trump appointees are supersizing ICE, spending aggressively and taking an even more confrontational approach with critics and opponents, @nickmiroff.bsky.social reports.
NEW: Idaho’s Coroner System Is “Broken and a Joke.” Here Are 5 Ideas From Coroners on How to Fix It. @audreydutton.bsky.social
Florida Cops Turn Traffic Stops Into Deportations @wsj.com
This sentence is 🤯 "Although the Supreme Court says cases like theirs are unconstitutional going forward, it left the decision about what to do with those convicted long ago to the states. And Louisiana alone says they should stay behind bars." @richardawebster.bsky.social
Such awesome news!! Welcome @keribla.bsky.social @raquelrutledge.bsky.social!! 🎉🎉 ProPublica Hires Keri Blakinger and Raquel Rutledge as National Reporters
The Trump administration has been testing a strategy of using the courts as leverage to force political outcomes. In Texas, the state’s leaders and conservative activists have been willing, if not eager, collaborators. w/ @texastribune.org
NEW: The Texas Redistricting Fight Has Been the Testing Ground for the Trump Administration’s Latest Legal Strategy, w/ @texastribune.org
“All of us at CDC train for this moment, a massive outbreak. All this training and then we weren’t allowed to do anything.” Just one of the quotes/email excerpts from @amymaxmen.bsky.social investigation of CDC’s response to the Texas measles outbreak kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
This Louisiana prisoner — & 1,000+ others like him — remain in prison despite split jury convictions that SCOTUS has ruled unconstitutional. MUST READ @richardawebster.bsky.social’s latest in his series about Gov. Jeff Landry’s criminal justice rollbacks www.propublica.org/article/loui...
"Dan Gilbert and other developers have taken advantage of" tax incentive and other subsidy programs, "but the Michigan Department of Treasury is refusing to release documents that would show whether these developers are keeping the promises they made."
Scientists Strip ‘Diversity’ Language From Research to Keep Federal Grants, @wsj.com Analysis Finds
Five years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that nonunanimous jury verdicts are unconstitutional. But for this Louisiana prisoner — and hundreds of others — “tough on crime” state leaders have ensured that doesn’t change anything. @richardawebster.bsky.social @veritenews.org
Must-read story out of Louisiana. An Unconstitutional “Jim Crow Jury” Sent Him to Prison for Life. A New Law Aims to Keep Him There. @richardawebster.bsky.social @veritenews.org
Part of the great crime crackdown as Trump's federal forces take over DC: Arrests for carrying an open container of alcohol and damaging a light outside a restaurant. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/u...
This paragraph is haunting. How DOGE Left Mohammad Halimi’s Life in Tatters www.propublica.org/article/doge...
“Europe, particularly Western Europe, finds itself adrift, an aging continent slowly losing economic, military and diplomatic clout.”
Stern words from the conservative WSJ editorial board: “The real offender here is a President who seems to think he can use the powers of his office to run vendettas. We said this was one of the risks of a second Trump term, and it’s turning out to be worse than we imagined.”
Despite locals’ health concerns, the Memphis Chamber of Commerce has gone to unusual lengths to promote Elon Musk’s xAI data center, including sending a mailer with inaccurate information. @wendicthomas.bsky.social
ICYMI: The real-life consequences of DOGE. How DOGE Left Mohammad Halimi’s Life in Tatters
Good to see former student @andreagalliano.bsky.social asking tough questions. Bad to see the Louisville mayor’s spokesperson lambast him for doing so.
The world doesn’t need zombie spiders, thank you. Zombie Spiders Are Freaking People Out. ‘Maybe Don’t Tell the Kids.’
Do you work at the Office of Management and Budget? Do you know someone who does? Are you a current or former federal worker with information that you can share about Russell Vought? If the answer to any of these is "yes," please contact @andykroll.bsky.social www.propublica.org/tips/
Unfortunately, Bluesky is unavailable in Mississippi right now, due to a new state law that requires age verification for all users. While intended for child safety, we think this law poses broader challenges & creates significant barriers that limit free speech & harm smaller platforms like ours.
ProPublica showing up strong with 15 finalist nods! 🎉🎉 Congrats to my talented colleagues!! Congratulations to the finalists in the 2025 Online Journalism Awards
After reading through the descriptions of the autism-related research projects that were cut, I was struck by how complicated the science is — especially when compared to the simple (and debunked) theory that vaccines cause autism. www.propublica.org/article/rfk-...
In the face of intense public opposition, the Memphis Chamber of Commerce has gone to unusual lengths to promote Elon Musk’s xAI facility: sending out a mailer, for the first time in recent memory, that includes misleading facts. @wendicthomas.bsky.social @mlk50.com
So great to be working again with @wendicthomas.bsky.social! Inside the Memphis Chamber of Commerce’s Push for Elon Musk’s xAI Data Center @mlk50.com
On the left: Nate Cavanagh, a 28-year-old DOGE staffer and college dropout. On the right: Mohammad Halimi, a 53-year-old exiled Afghan scholar. This is the story of how DOGE targeted Halimi on social media. Then the Taliban took his family. 🧵
The dangerous consequences of misinformation: How DOGE Left Mohammad Halimi’s Life in Tatters
Horrific story. DOGE targeted him on social media. Then the Taliban took his family.
Though RFK Jr. said he would add scientists to the HHS workforce, agencies have lost thousands of them, along with colleagues who those scientists depended on to dispatch checks, fix computers and order lab supplies, enabling them to do their jobs. Super important work by @propublica.org colleagues.
The shadow docket is proving to be a winning ground for the Trump administration: Supreme Court Lets Trump Administration Cut N.I.H. Grants for Disfavored Research
The Trump administration has refused to say how many workers have been lost. My @propublica.org colleagues did the analysis & here, in unprecedented detail, is what they found: In total, 20,500+ workers — 18% of the Department of Health and Human Services’ workforce — have left or been pushed out.
We dug deep to answer this important question: How Many Federal Health Workers Have RFK Jr. and the Trump Administration Cut? @bxroberts.org @anniewaldman.bsky.social @pratheekrebala.bsky.social
My latest on the Health Sec who promised to figure out what causes autism and the autism research that's been stopped along the way www.propublica.org/article/rfk-...
Oh. My. Gosh. This is wild.
Efforts are afoot to cut polling sites and reduce the number of early voting locations in a Texas county, amid growing concern about GOP efforts to limit voting access ahead of next year’s midterm elections. @fortworthreport.bsky.social
Don’t look away: Texas’ Tarrant County, Home to Fort Worth, Cuts Over 100 Polling Sites as Trump Attacks Mail-In Voting Nationally, by @fortworthreport.bsky.social
Interesting.
Microsoft is required to regularly provide U.S. officials with its plan for keeping government data safe from hacking. Yet a copy of Microsoft’s security plan obtained by ProPublica makes no reference to the company’s China-based operations. @reneedudley.bsky.social w/ Doris Burke
“Few measurements reflect the luster of a political party’s brand more clearly than the choice by voters to identify with it...And fewer and fewer Americans are choosing to be Democrats.” @nytimes.com
Erin McCanlies spent almost two decades at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health studying how parents’ exposure to chemicals affects the chance that they will have a child with autism. This spring, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. eliminated her entire division.
Important: RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That. By @fastlerner.bsky.social
White House restores spending database it sought to keep secret
Is CO2 Truly a Pollutant? The @wsj.com Breaks Down the Debate
In 2019, commercial hotels like the Marriott pledged not to work with ICE to detain immigrants. Now, about 6 years later, reporting shows they are holding people pre-deportation. Such important reporting from @oliverlaughland.bsky.social + @skirchy.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
How did an Anchorage man come to be gifted a motorcycle from Vladimir Putin?
The men were struggling to sleep or leave their homes. Wilmer broke into tears telling me that he had a panic attack the first time he walked down a busy commercial street. In many cases, the celebration was bittersweet. The men were home but they were scarred. www.propublica.org/article/ceco...
Stunning photo essay: What I Witnessed as I Photographed the Disappearances and the Homecomings of My Countrymen
NEW: Trump’s Rollback of Rules for Mental Health Coverage Could Lead More Americans to Go Without Care @mayatmiller.bsky.social @jeremykohler.bsky.social
The Trump administration is undermining — or has stopped collecting — key, once-nonpartisan data that kept the public informed about the state of the nation.
In his first term, President Trump framed mental health as a national crisis, His second administration has paused rules to hold insurers accountable for unlawfully denying coverage. Read this story by @mayatmiller.bsky.social @jeremykohler.bsky.social
So depressing. Dozens of rural newspapers shut down in latest disappearance of local journalism
The U.S. Forest Service has fought decades of efforts to better protect its crews — sending them into smoke without masks or warnings about the risks. via @hannahdreier.bsky.social
An L.A. high school senior was walking his dog. Then immigration agents grabbed him
What will become of Publishers Clearing House? A Disabled Veteran Was Getting Publishers Clearing House Prize Money. Then the Company Went Bust.
SpaceX Gets Billions From the Government. It Gives Little to Nothing Back in Taxes.
BREAKING: The D.C. Circuit, in a 2-1 ruling, has lifted Judge Amy Berman Jackson's injunction blocking the dismantling of the CFPB. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Hooray! Welcome @ryanlittle.bsky.social @kevinuhrm.bsky.social! So glad you're here! ProPublica Hires Ryan Little and Kevin Uhrmacher as Deputy Editors
At least seven states limit the costs oil and gas companies can pass on to the people they lease drilling rights from. Here’s how North Dakota differs when it comes to protecting the interests of mineral owners. @northdakotamonitor.com
Part 3 of our series with @northdakotamonitor.com: Some States Restrict the Oil Industry From Taking Mineral Owners’ Earnings. Not North Dakota.
NEW: Lawmaker Calls for Explanation of Inconsistent Forest Service Staffing Data After ProPublica Article
Irene Gilbert is a 76-year-old retired state employee on a mission, fighting energy projects like large wind farms in Oregon’s rural communities. Renewable energy advocates and lawmakers treat activists like her as gadflies who should be stopped.
New reporting from @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social, who got hold of internal standards for chatbot behavior at Meta.
The onerous process Oregon put in place in the 1970s to stymie nuclear plants is now being used to stall wind and solar projects, and one 76-year-old has filed more challenges to green energy proposals than anyone in the state.