Sign in

Alex Baumhardt

@alexbaumhardt.bsky.social
9.3K followers 2.3K following 610 posts

Journalist covering environment and education @oregoncapitalchronicle.com, part of @statesnewsroom.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Ence Morse @ence.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Elon Musk's America PAC just dropped its biggest expenditures of the cycle: $5 million, most going to back Ken Paxton. The group has now crossed $30 million in spending on the midterms, backing all sorts of Senate and House Republicans. docquery.fec.gov/pdf/204/2026...
1139
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 20h
US households are paying 62% more for drinking water than they did a decade ago – outpacing inflation, grocery prices and household incomes, according to a new study.
A bar chart showing the top 10 states with the largest increase in water bills between 2015 and 2025:

New Hampshire (177%)
Oregon (114%)
West Virginia (95%)
Indiana (89%)
Mississippi (87%)
California (83%)
Massachusetts (82%)
Michigan (81%)
Colorado (80%)
Maryland (78%)

Source: Food & Water Watch rate analysis of the 500 largest community water systems in the United States
56638
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Kashmir Hill @kashhill.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
An AI data center developer offered households in a Pennsylvania town $10,000 each to build nearby. The price was not right, reports WSJ: www.wsj.com/real-estate/...
wsj.com
Every Household in This Rural Town Receives $10,000 if a Data Center Gets Built
Many Pennsylvania residents in Hazle Township are pushing back against the data center, despite the lure of the cash payout.
1157
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Ken Schwencke @schwanksta.com · 06/10/2026
A year ago, @propublica.org told you immigration agents had detained more than 170 U.S. citizens. We’ve updated our count, and we’ve got all the receipts. The tally: At least 506 citizens detained. Sometimes held at gunpoint, handcuffed, or even deported. projects.propublica.org/american-cit...
projects.propublica.org
More Than 500 U.S. Citizens Have Been Detained, Including Handcuffed or Held at Gunpoint, in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown — ProPublica
The government doesn’t track how often immigration officers detain U.S. citizens. So ProPublica did. We’ve found more than 500 Americans who were held against their will during this Trump administrati...
261560921
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Career ending statements for any other politician.
24410
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Andrew Deck @andrewdeck.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
ChatGPT is adding the signatures of real New Yorker cartoonists to its AI-generated images. So far, I've found the signatures of more than 15 contributors. "It’s slop, and unlike the other slop that I’ve encountered, this is slop that’s pretending to be me." www.niemanlab.org/2026/10/chat...
Left: A cartoon generated by ChatGPT and signed with Emily Flake’s signature that was posted to a Reddit forum in June. Right: A real Emily Flake cartoon published in The New Yorker on August 20, 2026 and licensed via The Cartoon Bank.
8739491577
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
PBS News @pbsnews.org · 05/10/2026
A Laotian citizen deported by the United States to Eswatini under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown was released from a maximum-security prison in the African nation on Sunday after being held there for more than a year, his lawyer said. to.pbs.org/4yEEuoQ
pbs.org
Laotian man deported by U.S. to Eswatini is released after more than a year in prison
Phone Chomsavanh was among five immigrants deported to Eswatini — where he has no ties — in July 2025 in the early days of the Trump administration's secretive and highly contentious third-country dep...
56842
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
molly taft @mollytaft.com · 04/10/2026
NEW: starting jan 1, a new federal tax windfall could kick in for rural data centers around the country new research from @searchlightinst.bsky.social shows dozens of projects potentially eligible for the break — as hyperscalers battle backlash against dcs
wired.com
Rural Data Centers Are in for a Big Federal Tax Break
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,  data center projects in rural areas could be eligible for major tax benefits starting next year. Some hyperscalers do not seem eager to take the free cash.
49874
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
If you’ve relied on, learned from or appreciated any @oregoncapitalchronicle.com reporting in the last 5 years please consider donating even $5. We make it go a long way, are effectively a Capitol News wire service for outlets across Oregon and you will never see AI produced content on our site.
2116
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 05/10/2026
We're 5 years old today! 🎂 Whether you've been reading since 2021 or this morning, thank you for being here and supporting our work. The best birthday gift is a donation so we can keep reporting on Oregon politics and policy. buff.ly/wkWdDif
buff.ly
Donate • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregon Capital Chronicle is a nonprofit news operation that depends on people like you to support high-quality journalism that can be provided to Oregonians at no cost. By donating with a…
0166
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Sammy Roth @sammyroth.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
California's 97th lawsuit against the Trump administration in 88 weeks: a challenge to fuel economy rollbacks. www.latimes.com/environment/... via @hayleysmith.bsky.social
latimes.com
California leads lawsuit challenging Trump’s rollback of fuel economy rules
Three lawsuits filed Friday challenge the Trump administration's rollback of vehicle mileage rules as illegal, including one led by California.
0187
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Dhruv Mehrotra @dmehro.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
NEW: DHS agents tracked people observing ICE arrests, photographed them, ran their plates, pulled personal information, and added them to a Palantir database, according to newly unsealed court filings. w/ @regret.bsky.social
wired.com
ICE Has Been Dumping Protester Photos Into a Palantir Database
DHS agents not only tracked and intimidated people observing ICE activity in Maine, but stored information about them in a Palantir-built database, newly unsealed court filings say.
12529921783
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
molly taft @mollytaft.com · 02/10/2026
NEW: Amazon announced this morning that it has stopped using NDAs in its data center agreements with local officials NDAs have been a massive flashpoint in anti-data center backlash, w local and national legislation being proposed in recent weeks to stop the practice:
wired.com
Amazon Says It’s No Longer Using NDAs for Data Centers
The company announced it has stopped using secret agreements with county officials and acknowledged that community backlash is leading to data center moratoriums across the country.
24412
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 02/10/2026
A political action committee focused on electing Oregon Republicans to the statehouse is spending hundreds of thousands on a controversial canvassing company Elon Musk hired two years ago to target voters in swing districts. buff.ly/Tj7sP57
buff.ly
Oregon GOP PAC hires same group Elon Musk used to canvass across swing districts • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Blitz Canvassing is receiving thousands from Republican supporters to help canvassing efforts in Oregon's legislative swing districts.
02116
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 02/10/2026
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and state Sen. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, exchanged their fiercest swipes yet in their first televised debate, with both candidates painting the other as a political boogeyman who will further entrench the state’s deepest issues.  buff.ly/BObH3nc via @shaanthx.bsky.social
buff.ly
Donors, digs and Donald Trump: Attacks in Oregon gubernatorial debate underscore a close race • Oregon Capital Chronicle
The two candidates met for their first televised debate and quickly began taking jabs at each other’s records and comments during the event.
4151
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Elon Musk’s political PAC hired Blitz in 2024 to send canvassers out to swing districts. Canvassers said they were transported in back of U-Haul vans without seats, threatened with losing lodging if quotas unmet. @miamaldonado.bsky.social reports: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/10/01/o...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Oregon GOP PAC hires same group Elon Musk used to canvass across swing districts • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Blitz Canvassing is receiving thousands from Republican supporters to help canvassing efforts in Oregon's legislative swing districts.
02412
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Mark Carney, former UN special envoy on climate action….
1125
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
The Tyee @thetyee.ca · 01/10/2026
The West Coast oil pipeline has been designated a project of national interest, side-stepping environmental safeguards that have been in place for decades and charting a course that could irrevocably alter the Salish Sea. thetyee.ca/News/2026/10...
thetyee.ca
Carney Fast Tracks Oil Pipeline, Promises Environmental Protection | The Tyee
Announcing funding to prepare BC for oil spills is ‘a warning sign all on its own,’ UBCIC rep says.
1110465
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 01/10/2026
The family of Renee Good filed a pair of lawsuits against the federal government and top Trump administration officials Thursday morning, seeking compensation and a trial to determine the liability of several federal officials in Good’s killing.
minnesotareformer.com
Family of Renee Good sues federal government, Trump officials over killing • Minnesota Reformer
The family of Renee Good filed a pair of lawsuits against the federal government and top Trump administration officials Thursday morning, seeking compensation and a trial to determine the liability of...
16421
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 30/09/2026
A committee of Democratic and Republican lawmakers is meeting to discuss the costs and benefits of Oregon joining a West Coast carbon market buff.ly/EHArItN
buff.ly
Oregon Republicans revisit cap and invest proposal seven years after they walked out over it • Oregon Capital Chronicle
A committee of Democratic and Republican lawmakers is meeting to discuss the costs and benefits of Oregon joining a West Coast carbon market.
071
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Among metrics of success for the private-public partnership in the agreement was the number of trained Nvidia AI ambassadors eventually on Oregon college campuses. But this spring Nvidia paused the program before minting any ambassadors in Oregon. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/10/01/n...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Nvidia program on pause year into deal with Oregon to get AI education in schools, colleges • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Computer chip company Nvidia paused its AI ambassador program that, in an agreement with Oregon, was meant to promote AI lessons in schools, college campuses.
084
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Semafor @semafor.com · 30/09/2026
Visitors to the US are on track to drop by almost two million year-on-year. “We’re the only major country in the world losing visitation,” the head of the US Travel Association said. “It’s mind-boggling.” www.semafor.com/article/09/2...
62631431118
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Three ads released so far feature stylized imagery of Trump and include “Paid for by the U.S. Government” disclosures. One is nearly identical to a 2024 Trump campaign ad. Some $2 million in ads have aired on cable and broadcast stations over the past week. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/30/r...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Trump TV ads paid for with $20M in Homeland Security funds, Dems find • Oregon Capital Chronicle
President Donald Trump is tapping $20 million in Homeland Security funding to pay for TV ads that heavily feature him ahead of the midterm elections, Democrats said Tuesday as the promos critics call ...
0147
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Murphy Woodhouse @murphywoodhouse.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The full release is worth reading www.karuk.us/posts/newsom...
karuk.us
Press Releases - NEWSOM VETOES BENEFICIAL FIRE CAPACITY ACT (AB 1891), MAKING CALIFORNIA LESS FIRE RESILIENT
Tribes and Nongovernmental Organizations will Continue to Fight for Sustainable Funding to Support and Grow the Beneficial fire Workforce; Only Then Will California Be on the Path to Wildfire Resilien...
1126
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Will Craft @wcraft.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
BREAKING: Records obtained through a FOIA lawsuit shows that despite record number of pregnant women are in detention, ICE has lost count of the number of miscarriages. A Deleted Data/Immigration/Guardian investigations collab
theguardian.com
Revealed: ICE lost count of miscarriages, while detaining a record number of pregnant women
ICE says it has no updated information on the number of miscarriages after 3 October 2025. Lawmakers, advocates and immigration attorneys have raised alarms that pregnant detainees are not receiving b...
1468294
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
“The law essentially ends the hemp industry,” said Seth Crawford, the co-owner of Oregon CBD Seeds, an Independence-based company that supplies 75% of the hemp seed grown in the country. @miamaldonado.bsky.social reports: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/29/n...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
New federal law puts an end to the hemp industry, Oregon businesses say • Oregon Capital Chronicle
A new federal law will ban the sale most hemp-derived products by end of the year.
097
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Will Craft @wcraft.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This story was a big collaboration between graphics, data, photo, and immigration. A story with bylines across 4 desks, which I think shows the seriousness with which The Guardian takes covering this
011032
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Lisa Fung @lisafung.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
‘Placing a board over CNN and CBS but making it a cat’s-paw of management, as Ellison proposes, doesn’t look like much of a solution.’ Via @hiltzikm.bsky.social www.latimes.com/business/sto...
latimes.com
Commentary: Think an 'independent' editorial board will protect CNN from political meddling? Think again.
The 'independent' oversight board Paramount says will protect CNN from its owner's political interference will be utterly toothless.
1105
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Maanvi Singh @maanvisingh.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
What is ICE up to now? The agency is now anywhere and everywhere, embedded in all corners of everyday life. Here's our latest interactive piece on ICE 2.0 – w/ @wcraft.bsky.social Andrew Witherspoon & Julius Motal
theguardian.com
Gone in 90 seconds: an ‘invisibilized’ ICE is arresting more people than ever
After public backlash, the Trump administration changed its tactics from ‘siege’ to ‘soft feet’. Now, ICE is everywhere
68459
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
A new data center campus could soon be coming to federal land near Hermiston in eastern Oregon via @oregoncapitalchronicle.com oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/28/d...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Data centers proposed on federal land in eastern Oregon, western states • Oregon Capital Chronicle
A data center proposed on BLM land near Hermiston would be the first on federal public land in Oregon, one of dozen proposed in six western states.
0158
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A Republican county commissioner who helped usher in two decades of Google data center development in The Dalles is running campaign ads painting his Dem opponent for an Oregon House seat as an underhanded supporter of corporate tax breaks for data centers. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/25/d...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Data centers take center stage, spur mudslinging, in competitive Gorge-based Oregon House race • Oregon Capital Chronicle
A county commissioner who ushered in Google data center development in The Dalles accuses his opponent of championing data center tax breaks.
0136
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Quentin Young @quentinyoung.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Government investigators released a report that found the Department of Homeland Security wasted more than $20 million in federal funding in its rapid expansion of immigration detention, including warehouse purchases strongly opposed in numerous U.S. communities. By @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social
coloradonewsline.com
Millions of dollars of waste found in Trump administration push for immigration detention | Colorado Newsline
The Trump administration wasted more than $20 million in its rapid expansion of immigration detention, a new report says.
097
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 24/09/2026
Dozens of delegates left the room in support of Palestine as the Israeli prime minister walked to the podium on Thursday. Other delegates clapped and chanted 'Am Yisrael Chai' or 'the people of Israel live' in support of the prime minister.
youtu.be
UN delegates walk out as Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to address general assembly
YouTube video by Guardian News
95716
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
ProPublica @propublica.org · 23/09/2026
NEW: ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series of incorrect and misleading claims.
propublica.org
ProPublica Debunks Susan Collins’ Claims About FBI Anti-Corruption Probe
ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until President Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series o...
9928631193
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 23/09/2026
Oregon’s second largest investor-owned electric utility could soon directly assign the costs of new energy projects and infrastructure needed for data centers to data center operators. buff.ly/okb6kd0
buff.ly
Pacific Power to charge new Oregon data centers for all costs associated with growing energy need • Oregon Capital Chronicle
The Citizens’ Utility Board said Pacific Power's agreement is “the strongest from a for-profit electric utility” under Oregon’s POWER Act.
0209
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Reuters @reuters.com · 22/09/2026
CNN, CBS News oversight board will be 'toothless,' experts warn reut.rs/4hsmQNI
reut.rs
CNN, CBS News oversight board will be 'toothless,' experts warn
David Ellison is set to take control of two of the biggest news organizations in the US after his Paramount Skydance completes its takeover of Warner Bros Discovery , giving him wide influence ​over the news media landscape. But experts warn his promise of editorial independence for CNN and CBS News is a hollow one.
54515
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Carolyn Copeland @carolyncopes.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Finally, some news that can offer some hope for the future of journalism. (At least if the outlets are based in California) www.niemanlab.org/2026/08/cali...
niemanlab.org
California legislature passes a major local news funding bill: “If you hire more people, you get more money”
"If you lay people off, you get less money. If you don't employ anyone, you don't get anything."
0239
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Met with 36 journalists in NYC this week to talk about climate change and economic trends and as depressing as that reality is, what takes the cake was learning that McClatchy, right after recent mass layoffs at the Miami Herald, posted positions for influencers at pay exceeding most reporters.
23316
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The overlords at McClatchy should be ashamed they slashed half the Statesman’s staff to instead deliver the public AI produced slop like this.
020
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Heather Vogell @heathervogell.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
What do Papa Johns, Putin & a Dutch ship company have in common? One man: Tom Dans, chair of the US Arctic Research Commission. The role is typically held by science/public policy experts. That’s not Dans. We dug into how he could be leveraging the role for his own interests 🧵
17488257
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Asia Fields @asiafields.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
From @noellecrombie.bsky.social: Stephenie went through another sweep, this time after testifying against a suspected serial killer. She got the sweep notice Monday, spent Tuesday at the courthouse and was overwhelmed Wednesday. Portland took her RV Thursday. www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
oregonlive.com
She testified against a suspected serial killer. 2 days later, Portland impounded her RV and all she owned
Stephenie Turner testified before a grand jury about her missing friend Elizabeth Gibson, who authorities say was killed by Jesse Calhoun in 2022. Two days later, the city impounded her motorhome and ...
02715
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Jason Kint @kint.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Eye popping. Court just unsealed Summary Judgment motions in New York Times v OpenAI / Microsoft. Easy to see why the AI companies had so many redactions (pink). Their own people wrote the lede for NYT, the "largest theft of labor in human history"... "more and more substitutive..." /1
4253892351
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Heather Vogell @heathervogell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
NEW: Trump’s pick for a tiny federal agency that advises Congress and the president on Arctic research policy is a MAGA venture capitalist with no science background. The job put him on a global stage, where he’s pushed for closer ties with Russia. www.propublica.org/article/thom...
propublica.org
How a MAGA Influencer With Ties to Russia Became Trump’s Arctic Adviser
As head of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, Thomas Dans has backed a takeover of Greenland and other items on President Donald Trump’s list. But it’s not always clear where the administration’s ag...
8257140
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Since becoming president again, Trump has promised: -$5000 stimulus checks via "DOGE dividend" -$2000 stimulus checks via "tariff dividend" -$1000+ checks via "savings" from expiring ACA subsidies -$5000 "dividend" if Rs win midterms No checks have been issued www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-magi...
46579493380
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Roughly 100 people showed up at the Oregon Capitol Tuesday calling for a 3-year pause on new data center development in the state. Among them was Gov. Tina Kotek, who expressed support, but stopped short of endorsing the length, breadth of pause desired. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/08/g...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Gov. Kotek pauses data centers on state land. Capitol demonstrators want her to go further. • Oregon Capital Chronicle
A coalition of environmental, farm and social advocacy groups want Kotek to issue a multi-year moratorium on data centers in Oregon.
3445
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Notably, it's become clear that Oregon economic agencies, legislative researchers, electeds have far more analysis to undertake to be able to speak authoritatively on the matter of taxation and data centers in Oregon, and instead all of them are relying on @rogoway.bsky.social reporting instead.
193
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Mike Rogoway @rogoway.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Kotek: “I support a moratorium until we make sure that any data center development is done on our terms.”
1174
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
From Kotek: “Today, I'm taking the next step by directing state agencies to immediately stop work on any state owned land transaction connected to a new data center. Not just here in Salem, but everywhere in Oregon where the state owns the land.”
04911
Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek joins a coalition of groups outside the State Capitol asking for a moratorium on data centers right now. Earlier today she announced a pause on data center approvals for state lands and buildings, is expected to announce further step here today. @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
04019
Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 08/09/2026
Big Tech wants to build a data center in your city. Is it worth it? minnesotareformer.com/2026/09/08/b...
minnesotareformer.com
Big Tech wants to build a data center in your city. Is it worth it? • Minnesota Reformer
The Dakota County assessor expects the Meta project to have a total tax bill of $2.6 million in 2028.
42713