Sign in

Aaron Mendelson

@amendelson.bsky.social
1.2K followers 450 following 448 posts

journalist @thetrace.org. data + investigations. based in los angeles. priors: the center for public integrity, kpcc/laist, ucbsoj email: aaron AT aaronmendelson dot com

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 23/09/2026
Five cops in Indianapolis were just criminally charged with abusing Flock to spy on their ex-wives, their wives' ex-partners and women they met on duty. Audit was triggered by us at the @washingtonpost.com, the prosecutor said. From last month: wapo.st/4yfNHng
12652551583
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
At the @thetrace.org live event in DC this morning
032
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Was unaware of this bit of Los Angeles journalism / Cold War history www.latimes.com/california/s...
0166
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
"The shows on this new set would have entered the public domain on January 1, 2027, if it hadn’t been created" www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
rollingstone.com
Bob Dylan Announces Massive 39-Disc Box Set Chronicling 1976 Rolling Thunder Revue
Bob Dylan's 1976 leg of the Rolling Thunder Revue will be chronicled in the new box set 'The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1976 Live Recordings.'
200
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
ARCO WATCH: we are edging back towards $6 a gallon
000
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Excellent record. Their third in a row!
000
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Crazy to think Florida had a Democratic Senator as recently as 2019
000
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
This Bill Plaschke prediction from four days ago in the @latimes.com is aging terribly. Go Niners!!
111
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Helluva story by @ggarciaroberts.bsky.social about the system exploiting young Dominican baseball players. An MLB hall of famer comes off looking terribly in this one www.propublica.org/article/how-...
propublica.org
How the Dominican Baseball Factory Traps Young Players and Their Families With False Promises
Teams make handshake deals with players as young as 11 while moneylenders prey on their families. The industry is corrupt, but Major League Baseball and the players union have done little about it.
020
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
🚨🚨🚨 Tubs season is upon us 🚨🚨🚨 @mergerecords.bsky.social
100
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Impressive: The Angels' run differential is 112 runs BETTER than the West Sacramento A's, and yet they have a worse record
100
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Never good when the execs are writing things like "Always knew it was super shady" and "I cannot begin to tell you all the red flags with these deals. Just doing what I’m told"
000
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
They brought down the hammer. David Stern would be proud
000
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Good rundown from @matt-hamilton87.bsky.social on the 'behested payments' Karen Bass has been facilitating — including $2 million from Lineage that she failed to report in time lamaterial.com/p/la-karen-b...
lamaterial.com
How L.A. Politicians Deliver Millions to Pet Causes
The little-known fundraising tool that lets elected officials like Mayor Karen Bass solicit donations from corporations, unions and wealthy backers.
021
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Didn't know that the governor who legalized bike lanes in California was ... Ronald Reagan www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/u...
nytimes.com
Do D.E.I. Bike Paths Exist? The Trump Administration Says Yes.
The administration has revoked funding for bike paths, and encouraged removing some. A cycling advocate said it is playing on the idea of “that dork on a bike.”
000
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Can't help but think that the LA Superior Court could have figured out better wording for this pop-up
020
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
It’s gonna be a Dinosaur Jr fall
100
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
“This is so ridiculous, it makes you sick,” said Don Neubacher, a former supervisor at Yosemite who is now on the executive council of the nonprofit Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks www.nytimes.com/live/2026/08...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Live Updates: Proposal Would Give Part of Yosemite to a Developer
010
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
extremely good FOIA denial i just got
30959151
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Thanks to @kvprnews.bsky.social for having me on to discuss our reporting on crime guns in California www.kvpr.org/podcast/cent...
kvpr.org
Aug. 27: One Bakersfield Business Tops List Of ‘Crime Guns’ Sold In California
Guns that are used in crimes are no longer anonymous. New state data is tracking where they were sold and recovered. Central Valley cities top the list. A new reporting investigation focuses on one co...
022
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
This reporting is now available in Spanish, gracias a las @calmatters.org calmatters.org/calmatters-e...
calmatters.org
En las ciudades más grandes de California, Turner's Outdoorsman es de las principales fuentes de armas usadas en delitos
Las tiendas Turner’s Outdoorsmen se encuentran entre los principales distribuidores de armas de fuego relacionadas con delitos en Los Ángeles, Fresno, Anaheim y Long Beach, según datos estatales.
011
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
This Amazon packaging is displaying some real red flags
130
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
CalMatters @calmatters.org · 21/08/2026
In Bakersfield alone, law enforcement traced 83 guns to the store from 2023 to 2025, according to newly released data from the California Department of Justice. cal.news/45GzYZW 📸 Larry Valenzuela
Handguns on display at a gun shop in California on July 12, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
01710
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
KVPR Public Radio @kvprnews.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
In California’s biggest cities, Turner’s Outdoorsman is a top source of crime guns www.kvpr.org/local-news/2...
kvpr.org
In California’s biggest cities, Turner’s Outdoorsman is a top source of crime guns
A new report from the California Department of Justice adds to a concerning pattern documented in previous reporting by The Trace.
032
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
Jen McGowan @iamjenmcg.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
laist.com/news/crimina...
laist.com
California data links crime guns to dealers. One Turner’s Outdoorsman location stands out
Recently released data from the California Department of Justice also shows an outsize number of crime guns traced to the chain across the state.
054
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
LAist @laist.com · 20/08/2026
Over the past three years, this sporting goods store sold more than 16,000 firearms — and also appeared hundreds of times during criminal investigations as the source of guns found at crime scenes. 🔗 Find out more: vist.ly/5fg7h ✍️ Aaron Mendelson | The Trace 📸 KVPR
Turner's Outdoorsman location with text overlay about crime guns and dealers.Text about newly released data on crime guns traced to stores.Text details crime guns traced to Turner's Outdoorsman and its impact.Text urging donations to LAist to support local news.
0104
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
One Chain. 8,500 Crime Guns. Our latest sheds local light on the gun dealers linked to crime guns in their own communities — a list that includes Turner's Outdoorsman outlets across California. www.thetrace.org/2026/08/cali...
1810
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Finished @pamelacolloff.bsky.social's excellent Catch The Devil earlier — highly, highly recommend to anyone who cares about the integrity of the criminal justice system (or just loves deeply reported nonfiction)
020
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
A nice obituary of founding Los Angeles Ethics Commission director Ben Bycel, who was a friend of the family
010
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
The Trace @thetrace.org · 13/08/2026
On August 10, a masked ICE agent pointed his gun at Carolina Molina, a 36-year-old U.S. citizen, in Falls Church, Virginia. The encounter is one of at least 47 incidents in which immigration agents held bystanders, protesters, or other people at gunpoint under questionable circumstances.
2286
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
The fact the LA River bike path isn't *already* fully built out in 2026 is such a failure on the part of local government www.latimes.com/environment/...
latimes.com
The eight-mile gap in the L.A. River bike path downtown has a billion-dollar problem
Someday, you might be able to ride a bike from the western San Fernando Valley to Long Beach along the Los Angeles River. But an eight-mile gap downtown with a ballooning price tag remains.
172
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
Jennifer Mascia @jenmascia.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
New provisional CDC numbers are out: There were 42,348 gun deaths in 2025, a 5% drop from the year before and the lowest number in 6 years. It was driven almost entirely by a drop in gun homicides — while gun suicides rose to their highest level on record. My latest:
thetrace.org
CDC Data Shows Shooting Deaths Dropped, but Gun Suicides Hit a Record High
A Trace analysis of new federal data sheds light on gun violence in 2025.
033
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
mikespies.bsky.social @mikespies.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
My new story, about profiting from gun suicide: www.thetrace.org/2026/07/gun-... Published in partnership with @thetrace.org and @newyorker.com
thetrace.org
Parting Shot
Stormy Kay was born in 1961, when her parents were young newlyweds, unprepared and thrust into adulthood. Stormy’s mother cut meat at a grocery store and taught classes at a beauty school, and her fat...
22915
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
"Hours before President Trump is scheduled to headline a Tuesday evening fundraiser at his Rancho Palos Verdes golf course, authorities announced that they had arrested a heavily armed individual seen wandering the grounds" www.latimes.com/california/s...
latimes.com
Armed suspect arrested at Trump's Rancho Palos Verdes golf course in advance of president's visit
Hours before President Trump is scheduled to headline a Tuesday evening fundraiser at his Palos Verdes golf course, authorities announced that they had arrested a heavily armed individual seen wanderi...
011
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
Jenn @jennburrill.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Thankful for the collective journalism people like @amendelson.bsky.social are doing sharing data like this set on immigration shootings Sharing is caring 😊
143
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
I don't post every time we update the Gun Violence Data Hub — but we've added some significant data recently. Check it out, find your next story: datahub.thetrace.org/data-library...
043
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Feels great when a gov't agency has to admit they were wrong, and they *do* have the public records you asked for
010
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
The latest 92 Days In Gun Violence — @thetrace.org's quarterly data update — is live. In this edition: Shootings down, gun sales increasing for first time in years www.thetrace.org/2026/07/shoo...
034
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Since when do the parking lots at Burbank fill up? Don't recall seeing this before
200
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
The LAPD regularly pulls over innocent people because its license plate readers incorrectly flags their cars as stolen. Info comes as the LAPD has decided to not renew its Flock contract www.404media.co/lapd-regular...
404media.co
LAPD Regularly Pulled Over Innocent People Because License Plate Readers Flagged Their Cars As Stolen
The Los Angeles Police Department let its Flock contract expire over the weekend in part because it was regularly "investigating" and surveilling innocent people.
12489169
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Alex Padilla and Katie Porter said WHAT??? Great reporting project here from @lamaterial.com lamaterial.com/p/la-politic...
lamaterial.com
We Found L.A. Politicians’ Yelp Reviews
Then built an interactive map of the 100+ ratings.
020
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Colombia has the third-most Spanish speakers of any country, with 50.1 million. The number two nation is the United States, with 62.4 million Spanish speakers. simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
simple.wikipedia.org
List of countries by Spanish-speaking population - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
021
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Here at the biggest sporting event of the night: Sparks-Storm
110
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
"Come on, America. We’re about to turn 250. We may not have a great history of cranking out international soccer players, but lawyers? Lawyers are what we do." www.wsj.com/sports/socce...
wsj.com
Let Folarin Balogun Play! Calling America’s Other National Team: Lawyers
There’s no chance of appeal to get the USMNT’s suspended star back on the pitch versus Belgium. Or is there?
000
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
"When uninsured patients arrive at hospitals in Florida with gunshot wounds, on average they spend significantly fewer days in the hospital — in some cases half the time — than those with health insurance" www.thetrace.org/2026/06/gun-...
thetrace.org
Florida Hospitals Act Fast To Discharge Gun Victims — Especially If They’re Not Insured
A new investigation by The Trace and KFF Health News examines what happens to the insured and the uninsured who are shot and admitted to a hospital for treatment in Florida.
052
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
Free Law Project ⚖ @free.law · 26/06/2026
The federal judiciary just announced that its raising PACER fees to pay to modernize the system. They are estimating about $125,000,000 per year to do the work. That number is simply unmoored from reality. It's enough money to pay over 600 people $200k salaries! 1/3 www.uscourts.gov/data-news/ju...
uscourts.gov
Judiciary Approves Funding for Case Management and Public Access Modernization
To fund the accelerated initiative to modernize and strengthen the security of its case management and public access system, the Judiciary is implementing a modest temporary increase in fees for elect...
1417679
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
"Federal courts have now ruled on more than 3,000 challenges to gun laws since the Supreme Court’s landmark 2022 Bruen decision expanded the right to bear arms, according to a database maintained by The Trace." www.thetrace.org/2026/06/brue...
thetrace.org
3,300 Challenges to Gun Laws Have Flooded the Courts Since SCOTUS Expanded the Right to Bear Arms
The number of cases disputing the Second Amendment since SCOTUS expanded gun rights has reached a new milestone, according to The Trace's database.
000
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
This bill would be a disaster for transparency in California. Difficult to overstate how bad it would be for journalism, and for the public's ability to understand the work of government calmatters.org/politics/202...
calmatters.org
California could become the ‘most secretive’ state under new public records bill
Want government records? You might have to pay more, wait longer or even fight the court to obtain them under a proposed new measure.
013
Reposted by Aaron Mendelson
The Trace @thetrace.org · 25/06/2026
The Supreme Court struck down Hawaii’s ban on carrying guns at businesses and other publicly accessible private property without the owner’s express permission. @bychipbrownlee.com breaks down the decision:
thetrace.org
Supreme Court Says States Can’t Ban Guns at Public-Facing Businesses
Restaurants, gyms, and other public-facing businesses will now be required to tell customers if guns aren’t allowed.
032
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
thank you AI for clearing that up
010