Missouri is fascinating. No better guide than @jeremykohler.bsky.social. The Missouri GOP "holds a supermajority in the legislature and controls every statewide office, yet voters have repeatedly used the initiative petition process to enact policies Republican leaders oppose."

Missouri Republicans Are Trying to Repeal Abortion Rights by Leaning Into Anti-Trans Sentiment

Two years after falsely linking reproductive rights to gender transition care for minors, GOP lawmakers have packaged the two issues into one amendment in an effort to strip away the right to abortion...

propublica.org

"Private schools — even those that are heavily dependent on taxpayer funding — often operate without the scrutiny public schools are subject to." @megomatz.bsky.social follows the money on private schools where 100% of students are backed by public $ - w/o the obligation of transparency + oversight

At “Quasi-Public” Private Schools, 100% of Students Get Tuition Vouchers. There’s Almost No Accountability.

Private schools — even those that are heavily dependent on taxpayer funding — often operate without the scrutiny public schools are subject to. Following the money at one Milwaukee private school reve...

propublica.org

"More than three-quarters of Michigan townships and villages have trouble finding people to fill elected or appointed offices..." "Without reform, some communities may be left with no way to collect taxes or run elections..." Important story at @bridgemi.com

Rural Michigan in crisis: Too many governments that too few want to lead - Bridge Michigan

Many of Michigan’s nearly 1,500 townships and villages are run by part-time retirees in their 80s who are begging for help. The system is frayed and, without reform, communities could falter. Lansing ...

bridgemi.com

"Did they use the federal government to do their dirty work of getting rid of tenants?" Listen to reporters @melissa-sanchez.bsky.social & Seb Rotella explain to @jlussenhop.bsky.social @propublica.org how they investigated the US government's mass raid on a Chicago apartment building last fall.

The True Story of Why Immigration Agents Raided a Chicago Apartment Building

Trump officials claimed they successfully arrested members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in a dramatic midnight raid. We uncovered a very different story.

propublica.org

You love to see it. "Virginia Beach has confirmed there are no lead water service lines in the city. "This news comes following completion of an extensive, multi-year effort to identify the material of about 135,000 water service lines serving homes and businesses throughout the city."

Virginia Beach Confirms City Has No Lead Water Service Lines

Virginia Beach residents can have even greater confidence in the safety of their drinking water.

virginiabeach.gov

Your Alma College MFA in Creative Writing faculty: spinning gold. www.alma.edu/academics/pr...

Three years after police raided the Marion County Record, Marion agreed to pay reporter Phyllis Zorn $850,000, @speppered.bsky.social reports for @niemanlab.org.

Haitians living in Springfield, Ohio are being required to wear ankle monitors and turn their passports over to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/08/14/h...

Haitians in Springfield are required to report to Ohio's ICE offices and wear ankle monitors • Ohio Capital Journal

Haitians living in Springfield, Ohio are being required to wear ankle monitors and turn their passports over to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

ohiocapitaljournal.com

(nods)

Thor Benson@thorbenson.bsky.social · 2w ago

I've seen enough. Michigan is a weird state

As U.S.-Canada relations worsen, Michigan’s Sault area has lost an estimated $62.7M due to decreased crossings. It’s bewildering, a state senator says. He recalls Canadians helping locals fix the grid after a storm: “This is our best friend in the entire world.”

As Trump’s Tariff War With Canada Drags On, This Border Community Suffers Without a Voice

Under an intensifying trade war, parts of northern Michigan are feeling the financial pain. But with a president intent on conflict and a congressman silent on the issue, these Michiganders see no sig...

propublica.org

News item from the City of Flint:

My latest story has some intrigue. FCC finally released Chairman Brendan Carr’s financial report for 2025 late Friday. The report states Paramount gave him tickets to the gala worth $12,390. But he and his wife sat in skybox seats that sold for $125,000 a piece. www.propublica.org/article/fcc-...

FCC Commissioners Face Ethics Complaints for Taking Luxury Gifts From Paramount

Citing a ProPublica report on Paramount providing luxury Kennedy Center gala tickets to FCC officials, the complaints note that commissioners accepted the gifts while the FCC was reviewing or about to...

propublica.org

GOP Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan has been virtually silent during Trump’s second term about tariffs on Canada, even as they harm his constituents on the border./ Reporting by: @annaleighclark.bsky.social

As Trump’s Tariff War With Canada Drags On, This Border Community Suffers Without a Voice

Under an intensifying trade war, parts of northern Michigan are feeling the financial pain. But with a president intent on conflict and a congressman silent on the issue, these Michiganders see no sig...

propublica.org

Still, we’re proud of this contract. It will meaningfully improve our members’ lives and help make ProPublica a better place to work. We will remain vigilant to ensure the company fully follows this contract. www.propublicaguild.org/updates/prop...

ProPublica Guild Ratifies First Contract — ProPublica Guild

Members of the ProPublica Guild, which represents more than 150 workers across the nonprofit investigative newsroom, overwhelmingly voted to ratify our first contract on Friday, exactly three years si...

propublicaguild.org

It's a big day. 💙🌟

ProPublica Guild@propublicaguild.org · 3w ago

🚨 WE HAVE A DEAL! After three years, in a major step forward for our members, we have ratified our first contract with @propublica.org’s management. We deeply appreciate everyone who supported us along the way. Here are some of our big wins👇

I drove up to Sault Ste. Marie, in Michigan's far north, and walked nearly three miles across a grand old bridge at the "hinge" of the Great Lakes to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

JUST POSTED: A deep investigation by The NYT of shortcuts taken to get President Trump his Qatari-donated plane in time for POTUS to show it off during 250th anniversary events-compromises that leave the plane more vulnerable to potential threats (Free link) www.nytimes.com/2026/07/25/u...

Inside the Rushed Effort to Get Trump His New Air Force One

A New York Times investigation found that President Trump’s push to speed delivery of the aircraft led to ballooning costs and trade-offs in safety features.

nytimes.com

This morning in Windsor, Canada is having an all-Canadian ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Gordie Howe International Bridge (scheduled to open Monday). A joint binational celebration was canceled after Trump hit Canada w/ an additional 50% tariffs, saying Canada discriminates against American goods.

Gordie Howe Bridge live updates: Opening times set for vehicles, pedestrians

Canadian officials are scheduled to gather Friday to celebrate the long-awaited July 27 opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

detroitnews.com

I’ve reported at length about abuses of foreign farmworkers who come to the U.S. on H-2A visas: stolen wages, guns pointed in their faces. One woman I met was kidnapped, raped and nearly killed. I wanted to know: How do I tell if the produce I buy is part of the problem? 👇

“.. the Trump administration decided to remove four service members killed this past weekend from the list .. because their deaths occurred after President Trump declared a cease-fire ..” @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/07/23/u...

"Trump claims... Canada discriminates against American autos, alcohol and cheese" "[B]ut his argument rests in large part on retaliatory actions taken by Canada after the U.S. president imposed tariffs on Canada under the pretext that it should do more to stop fentanyl" - apnews.com/article/trum...

Trump imposes 50% tariffs on Canadian goods, citing disputes over autos, alcohol and cheese

President Donald Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods, declaring that Canada has unfairly discriminated against American autos, alcohol and dairy products.

apnews.com

The Trump administration sought the phone records of several New York Times journalists and their relatives — including one reporter’s mother — in its effort to unmask the confidential sources. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/b...

This is an incredible story. Writing, visuals, shoe-leather reporting, public stakes, and stunning large-scale absurdity — it’s got it all.

ProPublica@propublica.org · last mo.

NEW: On Alaska’s Adak Island, it costs more than $340,000 per year to provide hundreds of buildings — all but a few of them empty — with internet access no one uses. The money being wasted is yours. With @adn.com

Saturday! Live and in person! Part of the Detroit Lit Summer Writers' Institute. See you there?

Landing a Book Deal: Navigating the Query Process

A panel about the practical insight into the query process, the challenges, and the possibilities that shape today's literary landscape.

eventbrite.com

ICE officer who shot Colombian man in Maine has history of threatening behavior and mental illness, family and court documents say.

AP Exclusive: ICE officer in Maine shooting has history of violent behavior, family and records say

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine this week is an Army veteran who has struggled with serious mental health issues since early childhood, according to close relatives who spoke to The Associated Press.

bit.ly

One Michigan-based company that launched last year to encourage churches to tap into public funds refers to these programs in its promotional videos as “God’s new gold mine.”

Public Money Is Fueling an Explosion of Private Schools. States Often Don’t Care How They’re Run.

As private schools proliferate, states are choosing a hands-off approach to regulating them. The backgrounds of school founders — sometimes with criminal histories — often don’t matter

propublica.org

A great book that may be of particular interest these days ... By @bethgardiner.bsky.social - @uchicagopress.bsky.social

Choked

Nothing is as elemental, as essential to human life, as the air we breathe. Yet around the world, in rich countries and poor ones, it is quietly poisoning us.  Air pollution prematurely kills seven mi...

press.uchicago.edu

NEW: The FBI has explored using AI to assess the validity of signatures on tens of thousands of mail-in ballots seized from Fulton County, Georgia, another push in the Trump administration’s continued reinvestigation of the 2020 vote.

FBI Has Looked at Using Questionable AI Tech to Review Signatures on Seized Mail-In Ballots

As part of President Trump’s continued push to discredit the results of the 2020 election, his administration has considered using AI technology to scrutinize tens of thousands of ballots seized in Fu...

propublica.org

With a huge surge of public money, new private schools are opening fast - without meaningful oversight. Even this Arkansas school - where the founder hit a kid, urged other kids to do the same, and stayed involved in the school's administration from JAIL - is still supported by taxpayer dollars.

This Private School Had Students Scrub Floors and Attack a Fellow Classmate. The State Still Funds It.

One of the few requirements for Arkansas private schools is that they have an American flag and a flagpole. But millions in state funds go to the largely unmonitored schools while complaints about saf...

propublica.org

Let's talk about how to talk to people. Interviewing people who have a meaningful vantage on the story you're writing brings potency, power, and revelation to your work. This'll be a fun one. Virtual. Via @shipmanagency.bsky.social. Join us! www.theshipmanagency.com/classes/craf...