Aaron Mendelson
@amendelson.bsky.social
journalist @thetrace.org. data + investigations. based in los angeles.
priors: the center for public integrity, kpcc/laist, ucbsoj
email: aaron AT aaronmendelson dot com
priors: the center for public integrity, kpcc/laist, ucbsoj
email: aaron AT aaronmendelson dot com
Finished Gravity's Rainbow (pictured here when I first cracked it open nearly a month ago).
Putting in a plug for @johnsemley3000.bsky.social's online guide, which helped me keep track of the hundreds of characters and dozens of narrative threads www.gravitysrainbowguide.com
Putting in a plug for @johnsemley3000.bsky.social's online guide, which helped me keep track of the hundreds of characters and dozens of narrative threads www.gravitysrainbowguide.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:08 AM
Finished Gravity's Rainbow (pictured here when I first cracked it open nearly a month ago).
Putting in a plug for @johnsemley3000.bsky.social's online guide, which helped me keep track of the hundreds of characters and dozens of narrative threads www.gravitysrainbowguide.com
Putting in a plug for @johnsemley3000.bsky.social's online guide, which helped me keep track of the hundreds of characters and dozens of narrative threads www.gravitysrainbowguide.com
Shootings plunging, gun sales dipping, data on ICE raid uses of force — we're tracking all this and more in my quarterly @thetrace.org data roundup, 92 Days In Gun Violence
www.thetrace.org/2026/01/shoo...
www.thetrace.org/2026/01/shoo...
January 13, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Shootings plunging, gun sales dipping, data on ICE raid uses of force — we're tracking all this and more in my quarterly @thetrace.org data roundup, 92 Days In Gun Violence
www.thetrace.org/2026/01/shoo...
www.thetrace.org/2026/01/shoo...
🚨 new dataset alert 🚨
The Gun Violence Data Hub now features data on 78k active federal firearms licensees, which we've geocoded.
Have also just added monthly data on the number of FFLs by type in each state. Check it out!
datahub.thetrace.org/dataset/fede...
The Gun Violence Data Hub now features data on 78k active federal firearms licensees, which we've geocoded.
Have also just added monthly data on the number of FFLs by type in each state. Check it out!
datahub.thetrace.org/dataset/fede...
December 11, 2025 at 6:08 PM
🚨 new dataset alert 🚨
The Gun Violence Data Hub now features data on 78k active federal firearms licensees, which we've geocoded.
Have also just added monthly data on the number of FFLs by type in each state. Check it out!
datahub.thetrace.org/dataset/fede...
The Gun Violence Data Hub now features data on 78k active federal firearms licensees, which we've geocoded.
Have also just added monthly data on the number of FFLs by type in each state. Check it out!
datahub.thetrace.org/dataset/fede...
Yerba Buena Island is a strange place
November 28, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Yerba Buena Island is a strange place
Powerful story from @taylorblatchford.bsky.social on suicide among older Washingtonians, drawing in part on Gun Violence Data Hub figures www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
November 25, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Powerful story from @taylorblatchford.bsky.social on suicide among older Washingtonians, drawing in part on Gun Violence Data Hub figures www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Can’t believe I hadn’t read this before. Harrowing stuff, compelling read. Thanks @lapubliclibrary.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Can’t believe I hadn’t read this before. Harrowing stuff, compelling read. Thanks @lapubliclibrary.bsky.social
just amazing how bad AI is sometimes
November 14, 2025 at 11:45 PM
just amazing how bad AI is sometimes
Excited to check this one out
November 8, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Excited to check this one out
What kind of sick person seeks out an edited version of Marquee Moon
November 6, 2025 at 5:10 PM
What kind of sick person seeks out an edited version of Marquee Moon
I’m in DTLA picking up an item from Roadrunner Bags, but seems like many other folks are here for the Dodger victory parade
November 3, 2025 at 4:47 PM
I’m in DTLA picking up an item from Roadrunner Bags, but seems like many other folks are here for the Dodger victory parade
1989 TIME Magazine ad about the need to address carbon in the atmosphere ... from the Mobil Corporation.
"Global temperatures seem to be increasing"
"Global temperatures seem to be increasing"
October 23, 2025 at 6:01 PM
1989 TIME Magazine ad about the need to address carbon in the atmosphere ... from the Mobil Corporation.
"Global temperatures seem to be increasing"
"Global temperatures seem to be increasing"
"Amid presidential rhetoric of 'warzones' and 'hellholes,' an important data point is being overlooked. The 80 percent of Americans who live in cities will lose far fewer of their neighbors to gun violence this year." www.thetrace.org/2025/10/gun-...
October 23, 2025 at 5:25 PM
"Amid presidential rhetoric of 'warzones' and 'hellholes,' an important data point is being overlooked. The 80 percent of Americans who live in cities will lose far fewer of their neighbors to gun violence this year." www.thetrace.org/2025/10/gun-...
Today, we're debuting a new feature on @thetrace.org called 92 Days in Gun Violence. It's a quarterly update. The big finding thru Q3 is that have been fewer shooting deaths in 2025 than any year in a decade.
Plus more on gun sales, our work, and recent research:
www.thetrace.org/2025/10/shoo...
Plus more on gun sales, our work, and recent research:
www.thetrace.org/2025/10/shoo...
October 10, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Today, we're debuting a new feature on @thetrace.org called 92 Days in Gun Violence. It's a quarterly update. The big finding thru Q3 is that have been fewer shooting deaths in 2025 than any year in a decade.
Plus more on gun sales, our work, and recent research:
www.thetrace.org/2025/10/shoo...
Plus more on gun sales, our work, and recent research:
www.thetrace.org/2025/10/shoo...
At different times, gay activists and a far-right group both had plans to take over Alpine County, California (1970 population: 484 people) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_...
October 9, 2025 at 10:09 PM
At different times, gay activists and a far-right group both had plans to take over Alpine County, California (1970 population: 484 people) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_...
Real sign of the times with these two CDC website banners:
- praising the Trump Administration's work to end "the Democrat-led government shutdown"
- noting site is "being modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders"
- praising the Trump Administration's work to end "the Democrat-led government shutdown"
- noting site is "being modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders"
October 1, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Real sign of the times with these two CDC website banners:
- praising the Trump Administration's work to end "the Democrat-led government shutdown"
- noting site is "being modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders"
- praising the Trump Administration's work to end "the Democrat-led government shutdown"
- noting site is "being modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders"
well that's not very nice
September 25, 2025 at 6:57 PM
well that's not very nice
I wrote about the genesis of this story in the Gun Violence Data Hub newsletter last week
mailchi.mp/thetrace/dat...
mailchi.mp/thetrace/dat...
September 22, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I wrote about the genesis of this story in the Gun Violence Data Hub newsletter last week
mailchi.mp/thetrace/dat...
mailchi.mp/thetrace/dat...
We've posted the data behind this story — on the alarming prevalence of gun suicides among older Americans — on the Gun Violence Data Hub.
That includes county- and state-level data that journalists can use to investigate how this issue affects their communities
datahub.thetrace.org/dataset/gun-...
That includes county- and state-level data that journalists can use to investigate how this issue affects their communities
datahub.thetrace.org/dataset/gun-...
September 19, 2025 at 4:26 PM
We've posted the data behind this story — on the alarming prevalence of gun suicides among older Americans — on the Gun Violence Data Hub.
That includes county- and state-level data that journalists can use to investigate how this issue affects their communities
datahub.thetrace.org/dataset/gun-...
That includes county- and state-level data that journalists can use to investigate how this issue affects their communities
datahub.thetrace.org/dataset/gun-...
This is an issue that hits white men much harder than other demographics
September 18, 2025 at 6:43 PM
This is an issue that hits white men much harder than other demographics
I first came across these high rates while preparing data for the Gun Violence Data Hub.
To report the story out, we got access to detailed public health data that helped us pinpoint exactly where this crisis was playing out — in some of America's most rural counties, many in the West.
To report the story out, we got access to detailed public health data that helped us pinpoint exactly where this crisis was playing out — in some of America's most rural counties, many in the West.
September 18, 2025 at 4:12 PM
I first came across these high rates while preparing data for the Gun Violence Data Hub.
To report the story out, we got access to detailed public health data that helped us pinpoint exactly where this crisis was playing out — in some of America's most rural counties, many in the West.
To report the story out, we got access to detailed public health data that helped us pinpoint exactly where this crisis was playing out — in some of America's most rural counties, many in the West.
Just finished the Seth Harp book — gripping, gruesome stuff
September 12, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Just finished the Seth Harp book — gripping, gruesome stuff
I have completed the puzzle of the Eisenhower Boyhood Home
September 2, 2025 at 5:29 AM
I have completed the puzzle of the Eisenhower Boyhood Home
Yours truly penned this week's edition of the Gun Violence Data Hub newsletter. You can subscribe to that here if you don't get it already www.thetrace.org/newsletter/?...
August 8, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Yours truly penned this week's edition of the Gun Violence Data Hub newsletter. You can subscribe to that here if you don't get it already www.thetrace.org/newsletter/?...