Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · 6d

Salvadoran President Bukele has more than one American friend. @propublica.org @tchristianmiller.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/amba...

The Trump-Appointed Diplomat Accused of Shielding El Salvador’s President From Law Enforcement

A previously undisclosed State Department report and interviews reveal accusations that U.S. Ambassador Ronald D. Johnson shielded Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele from U.S. and Salvadoran law enforc...

www.propublica.org

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · 9d

Wicked cool? You sound like the kids I grew up with!

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · 9d

So 23andMe just "updated" my ancestry to remove the fact that I used to be 20% French. Now I am 99% Irish! This is delightful news ... but it may be upsetting to my French-Canadian grandmother.

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · 14d

Spotted on the DC Metro today! @propublica.org

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Reposted by Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak

Moira Donegan @moiradonegan.bsky.social · 15d

I wrote about the Trump administration’s false claims about Tylenol, and the moral—not scientific—burdens they place on pregnant women’s bodies. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Pregnant women do not lack for judgmental, frightening and dubiously factual instructions about their health. Everywhere, they are told that they risk the health of their fetus by partaking in a series of banal everyday activities – be it jogging or having coffee or eating a certain cheese – that they are told will lead, by obscure mechanisms that are never quite explained, to impossible and devastating health outcomes for their children-to-be. The admonishments are multiple and often contradictory, but they all tend to agree on one thing: that it is always good for women to deprive themselves of joy and relief – and to suffer more – for the sake of their fetuses.

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · 15d

Journalism can still have impact! Please support your local nonprofit newsroom. @propublica.org www.propublica.org/article/pent...

Pentagon Bans Tech Vendors From Using China-Based Personnel After ProPublica Investigation

The Defense Department has tightened cybersecurity requirements for its cloud services providers. The changes come after ProPublica revealed how Microsoft’s use of China-based engineers left sensitive...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak

ProPublica @propublica.org · 19d

It's a journalist's job to ask questions of government officials, no matter which party is in power. That often means respectfully knocking on doors to get answers people deserve to know.

Tips and evidence are essential to our nonpartisan work: www.propublica.org/tips/

Screenshot of post on X from VA Secretary Doug Collins. The text reads: @ProPublica is an extreme liberal news outlet that will do anything to make the Trump Administration look bad. But this week, the far-left editors there reached a new low by sending @VernalColeman to stalk @DeptVetAffairs employees at their homes. This creepy behavior will discourage good people from coming to work at VA. @ProPublica, please do better and stop letting your hatred of the Trump Administration continue to warp your judgment.

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · 29d

So the other day I was totally outraged when a restaurant charged me $4.50 for a diet coke. But that was all fixed today when a new place charge me $6. JFC what is going on?

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Sep 8

DOGE, he said, began acting like “a bunch of people who didn’t know what they were doing, with ideas of how government should run — thinking it should work like a McDonald’s or a bank — screaming all the time.” @propublica.org www.propublica.org/article/insi...

The Untold Saga of What Happened When DOGE Stormed Social Security

DOGE has ignored urgently needed reforms and upgrades at the Social Security Administration, according to dozens of insiders and 15 hours of candid interviews with the former acting chief of the agenc...

www.propublica.org

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Sep 5

Our farm policies need help. @propublica.org @capitolnewsil.bsky.social @https://www.propublica.org/article/illinois-farming-soy-corn-flooding-subsidies-insurance

The Federal Farm Policy Trap: Why Some Farmers Are Stuck Raising Crops That No Longer Thrive

Some farmers keep growing in flood- and drought-prone fields because subsidies soften the losses, while federal programs meant to help them change course have been underfunded and mired in bureaucracy...

www.propublica.org

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Sep 2

Pretty sure this also applies to our current president and his family.
dailycaller.com/2025/09/02/z...

REPORT: Zohran Mamdani's Mother Revealed To Allegedly Have Deep Ties To Islamic Government

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's mother, film director Mira Nair, received millions from Qatar's ruling family, New York Post reported.

dailycaller.com

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Sep 2

BTW y'all if you know or work with Russ Vought, you should contact my buddy @andykroll.bsky.social....

Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Jan 28

He said the plans are a response to a “Marxist takeover” of the country; likened the moment to 1776 and 1860, when the country was at war or on the brink of it; and said the timing of Trump’s candidacy was a “gift of God.”
@propublica.org @andykroll.bsky.social

www.propublica.org/article/vide...

“Put Them in Trauma”: Inside a Key MAGA Leader’s Plans for a New Trump Agenda

Private videos reveal Trump adviser Russ Vought’s “shadow” plans for using the military on protesters, defunding the EPA and villainizing civil servants.

www.propublica.org

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Aug 27

Before most of the task force’s investigations had even launched, Terrell publicly promised “massive lawsuits” against “Jew-hating” universities, including Harvard, UCLA and dozens of others. @propublica.org @chronicle.com @katiemangan.bsky.social @peterelkind.bsky.social

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Aug 27

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-...

The Leader of Trump’s Assault on Higher Education Has a Troubled Legal and Financial History

Leo Terrell’s past is at odds with Trump’s description of an “incredibly successful” attorney. Documents obtained by ProPublica and The Chronicle of Higher Education reveal a trail of legal disputes a...

www.propublica.org

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Aug 25

Ummmm….

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Aug 25

Trump signs an executive order: "If you burn a flag, you get one year in jail."

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Aug 21

A data analysis by ProPublica shows the administration has cut federal health agencies deeper than it has acknowledged. Sec. Kennedy said he would add scientists. Yet agencies have lost thousands of them. @propublica.org @anniewaldman.bsky.social
projects.propublica.org/federal-heal...,

Gutted: How Deeply Trump Has Cut Federal Health Agencies

More than 20,500 workers have left or been pushed out of federal health agencies, a ProPublica analysis found. Staffers say the cuts will leave their agencies less equipped to conduct studies, perform...

projects.propublica.org

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Reposted by Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak

ProPublica @propublica.org · Aug 20

NEW: For years, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pushed discredited theories linking vaccines to autism.

Now, scientists studying the condition fear he has preconceived notions that will harm the field and taint new funding for research.
propub.li/41JYl7o

RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That.

While touting a $50 million initiative to identify the causes of autism, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is helping lead an administration that is rolling back protections against pollution and toxic chemicals,...

propub.li

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Aug 20

This is what journalism can do. @propublica.org @heathervogell.bsky.social

ProPublica @propublica.org · Aug 16

Greystar was using rent-setting algorithms from software company RealPage, the subject of a 2022 ProPublica investigation that showed the firm was helping landlords decide prices in a way that legal experts said could result in cartel-like behavior.

By @heathervogell.bsky.social

America’s Largest Landlord Makes Deal With DOJ to Settle Price-Fixing Claims in RealPage Case

Greystar, which manages nearly 950,000 apartments, has agreed to stop using “anti-competitive” algorithms to suggest rents. ProPublica previously showed how such software lets landlords set rents in a...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak

ProPublica @propublica.org · Aug 16

Greystar was using rent-setting algorithms from software company RealPage, the subject of a 2022 ProPublica investigation that showed the firm was helping landlords decide prices in a way that legal experts said could result in cartel-like behavior.

By @heathervogell.bsky.social

America’s Largest Landlord Makes Deal With DOJ to Settle Price-Fixing Claims in RealPage Case

Greystar, which manages nearly 950,000 apartments, has agreed to stop using “anti-competitive” algorithms to suggest rents. ProPublica previously showed how such software lets landlords set rents in a...

www.propublica.org

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Aug 20

We are so excited to have @caitlinkelly.bsky.social join us! @propublica.org

Caitlin Kelly @caitlinkelly.bsky.social · Aug 18

So... some personal news: After 7+ years with the wonderful people at WIRED, next month I am going to be starting a new chapter at ProPublica. www.propublica.org/atpropublica...

Caitlin Kelly Joins ProPublica as Senior Editor

ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

www.propublica.org

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Aug 20

In a 2025 submission to the Defense Department, Microsoft didn't mention its use of employees based in China, the top cyber adversary of the U.S., to work on highly sensitive department systems, according to a copy obtained by ProPublica. @propublica.org www.propublica.org/article/micr...

Microsoft Failed to Disclose Key Details About Use of China-Based Engineers in U.S. Defense Work, Record Shows

The tech giant 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 refe...

www.propublica.org

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Aug 20

Kennedy shut down one lab that studies how parents' exposure to chemicals in the workplace may affect the chance their child has autism. And he's stripped funding from more than 50 autism-related studies. @propublica.org @fastlerner.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/rfk-...

RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That.

While touting a $50 million initiative to identify the causes of autism, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is helping lead an administration that is rolling back protections against pollution and toxic chemicals,...

www.propublica.org

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Aug 13

The recommendations mark the first time Hochul’s administration has addressed problems with the state’s guardianship system since ProPublica investigated it extensively in a series of stories last year. @propublica.org www.propublica.org/article/new-...

Governor’s Task Force Calls on New York to Bolster Funding, Oversight of Guardianships

A panel of experts tasked by Gov. Kathy Hochul to evaluate the needs of New York’s aging population has recommended that the state permanently fund and oversee guardianship services. The governor won’...

www.propublica.org

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Aug 12

In the final weeks of 2022 the agency barred a Sun Pharma factory from shipping its drugs to the U.S. Even then, regulators immediately excluded more than a dozen medications from the ban. Those drugs kept flowing to US consumers. @propublica.org www.propublica.org/article/fda-...

A Giant Indian Drugmaker Failed to Fix Safety Breaches. The FDA Let It Off the Hook Again and Again.

Documents obtained by ProPublica offer a rare glimpse into discussions between the global drugmaker Sun Pharma and the FDA, exposing how the agency tolerated substandard manufacturing for years.

www.propublica.org

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Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Aug 12

typos.....grrrrr....

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