James Doubek
@jamesdoubek.bsky.social
Editor/Reporter at NPR. Interested in history and other things.
"A recent Gallup Poll found that 71% of Americans somewhat or strongly opposed construction of data centers in their communities." www.npr.org/2026/06/10/n...
The theory taking the rich by storm: China funds data center haters
Tech millionaires claim China is behind a wave of local opposition to U.S. data centers, while providing little direct evidence.
npr.org
Really sad to see @ngreenfieldboyce.bsky.social leaving NPR today. She's one of a kind and has filled our air with so much joy. She's a class act all the way. "That's the news business." www.npr.org/2026/05/27/n...
Got to write about dinosaurs again: www.npr.org/2026/05/14/n...
Researchers unearth Southeast Asia's largest dinosaur
They're calling it the "last titan" of Thailand. The sauropod — an herbivore with a long neck and tail — comes from the late Early Cretaceous period, some 100 to 120 million years ago.
npr.org
"Since Meta began construction on the data center in Louisiana, residents have complained that their water is 'brown' or 'like rust' and smells like 'disinfectant.'" www.npr.org/2026/04/20/g...
Data centers are expensive, unpopular — and could be a tipping point in the midterms
Anger over the data center boom has spilled into politics with voters unseating local politicians who support them. It's become an issue hard to ignore in the midterm elections.
npr.org
"When you can buy your way out of any mistake, when you can fire anyone who disagrees with you, when your social circle consists entirely of people who need something from you, the basic mechanism by which humans learn that other people are real goes dark." www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
What I Learned About Billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s Private Retreat
For the richest men on Earth, everything is free and nothing matters.
theatlantic.com
Some Wikipedia editor is not happy with Peter Magyar, who has defeated Viktor Orban:
Voters in a Missouri town have ousted two council members who supported tax breaks for an AI data center: www.kcur.org/politics-ele...
After these Independence councilmembers supported an AI data center, voters ousted them
Two of the five city councilmembers who supported major tax breaks for an AI data center were on the ballot Tuesday. Both were ousted in their respective elections by a large margin.
kcur.org
"A debate has emerged over what to do with El Helicoide, an imposing prison in the center of the Caracas that was initially meant to be a futuristic shopping mall, but was left unfinished." www.npr.org/2026/03/20/n...
From mall to torture site: Venezuela debates El Helicoide prison's future
Once a futuristic shopping mall, El Helicoide became one of Venezuela's most feared prisons. Now, as the country changes, so does its fate — erase it, rebuild it, or remember what happened inside.
npr.org
This is @npr.org ❤️ So proud to work for a news organization (WITH NO PAYWALLS!) that is not gutting our Middle East coverage, but expanding it. 📻 🌍 🎧
Journalists love to say something is "interesting" because that's the only word you can use if you're not allowed to publicly express opinions.
Every ad on the DC Metro system is for a government contractor, either something to do with cybersecurity or the military. Every single ad I see.
All the emails I constantly get to rate my experience inspired my latest article: www.npr.org/2026/02/26/n...
Every business wants your review. What's with the feedback frenzy?
Customers want to read reviews and businesses need reviews to attract customers. But the constant demand for reviews could be creating a feedback backlash, experts say.
npr.org
If any PR people follow me here, I am a GENERAL ASSIGNMENT reporter. Every time I write about something I immediately get a bunch of emails related to that topic. Chances are I'll be covering something else next time!
I wrote about tariffs, oh joy: What Trump's many tariff tools and sticky prices mean for consumers www.npr.org/2026/02/25/n...
Trump's many tariff tools mean consumer prices won't go down, analysts say
The Supreme Court struck down President Trump's signature tariffs. But the president has other tariff tools, and consumers shouldn't expect cheaper prices anytime soon, economists say.
npr.org
"Increasingly, the Trump administration is attempting to criminalize the actions of people tracking and observing its immigration officers." www.npr.org/2026/02/18/n...
The Trump administration is increasingly trying to criminalize observing ICE
ICE officers often tell people tracking and watching them that they are breaking federal law in doing so, but legal experts say the vast majority of observers are exercising their constitutional right...
npr.org
"What emerges is a portrait of Interlochen as an institution that celebrated openness, but that in accepting Epstein's financial support became unwittingly associated with his crimes." www.npr.org/2026/02/19/n...
How Epstein and Maxwell used an elite Midwest arts school to prey on girls
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell lavished money on the Interlochen Center for the Arts to gain access, documents show — even funding an on-campus lodge they stayed in. In the process, two teenage...
npr.org
150 Years Ago in Photos: A Look Back at 1876 - A collection of images showing events and sights from around the world in 1876—the year the United States celebrated its 100th anniversary with the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...
Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis was shot in the leg during the incident. Another Venezuelan man was also accused of attacking an immigration officer.
DHS says immigration agents appear to have lied about shooting in Minnesota
Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis was shot in the leg during the incident. Another Venezuelan man was also accused of attacking an immigration officer.
n.pr
hello minnesota and beyond! thank you for your kind messages. it is very weird to be the news when you cover the news. i love this beautiful state and journalism, and i am hopeful for better days. but we will be forever changed bc of the last two months.
Meet Minnesota Bathrobe Lady Sam Stroozas of MPR News | Minnesota Public Radio
Earlier this week, an unexpected and fast-moving incident unfolded in St. Paul, Minnesota involving both federal and local law enforcement. As crowds gathered and questions mounted, one of our MPR New...
mpr.org
I did not know that Sideshow Bob's last name is Terwilliger and that he's named after a dangerous stretch of Portland highway: www.npr.org/2026/02/12/n...
The 800th 'The Simpsons' episode is set in Philadelphia. But Portland is in its DNA
As The Simpsons celebrates a landmark episode, a tour of creator Matt Groening's hometown reveals the real-world Portland landmarks behind characters like Ned Flanders and Sideshow Bob.
npr.org
The immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota is ending, said Tom Homan, the border czar for President Donald Trump. “I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude,” Homan said.
Border czar Tom Homan: Immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota coming to an end
Homan addressed reporters Thursday morning at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, the base for the ongoing federal immigration operation in Minnesota.
mprnews.org
A Brief History of Children Today Are Growing Up Too Fast 🧵
"Le said that she submitted her resignation, but ultimately chose to stay at the U.S. Attorney’s Office because no one could be found to replace her." www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
ICE attorney to judge: ‘This job sucks’
A federal judge admonished DHS for repeatedly defying court orders to release detainees, as government lawyers described widespread noncompliance during Minnesota’s immigration crackdown.
mprnews.org
Texas police are investigating a student walkout to protest ICE. Police "did not respond to requests for comment on what criminal violation the anti-ICE protest organizers may have committed that would warrant a police investigation." www.marfapublicradio.org/news/2026-02...
After anti-ICE school walkout, Midland ISD police seek to identify organizers
Hours after Midland High School students participated in a national anti-ICE protest movement last week, Midland ISD’s police department shared a social media post asking for tips on who shared fliers...
marfapublicradio.org
"Someone who brought so much simple joy to my neighborhood for almost 20 years had been whisked away before my eyes. ... That corner will never be the same." www.npr.org/2026/01/29/n...
Reporter's Notebook: He was my fruit vendor for years. I saw immigration agents take him
NPR's Adrian Florido had been buying fruit from the same fruit-cart vendor in his Los Angeles neighborhood for years. On Tuesday, Florido was there when federal immigration agents whisked him away.
npr.org
BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.
Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting
The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...
propublica.org
This seems like a big deal that isn't being talked about: www.arlnow.com/2026/01/27/u...
Unsafe E. coli levels recorded near Arlington after massive sewage spill in Potomac | ARLnow.com
Tests of water samples from the Potomac River are reporting dangerously high levels of E. coli following a rupture in a sewage pipe upstream from Arlington. The Potomac Riverkeeper Network recorded ba...
arlnow.com
“Footage shows Mr. Pretti was holding a phone, not a gun, when the agents took him to the ground and shot him.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
Videos Show Moments in Which Agents Killed a Man in Minneapolis
nytimes.com
