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Anna Clark

@annaleighclark.bsky.social
26K followers 3.5K following 774 posts

@Propublica.org journalist in Detroit, exploring Michigan and the Midwest Author: "The Poisoned City: Flint's Water and the American Urban Tragedy” Teacher: Alma College MFA program in creative writing www.annaclark.net

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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
“We’re reporters, not teachers. We were able to start private schools anyway.” Stunning story by an incredible team at @propublica.org, @arktimes.bsky.social, @mtnstspotlight.bsky.social and @theassemblync.bsky.social
propublica.org
Almost Anyone Can Start a Private School. We Put This to the Test.
Our reporting has shown how easily people — some with questionable backgrounds — have founded their own private schools in barns, strip malls and other places. That led us to an experiment: If the hur...
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Hayley Harding @hayleyharding.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
More than 64,000 ballots have already been returned in the Nov. 3 election here in Michigan, per the state's dashboard. That's just shy of 1% of all registered voters in the state more than a month out.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 30/09/2026
NEW: California is teeming with black-market dairies, propped up by consumer demand fueled by misinformation. With evidence against one raw goat milk farm, regulators could have sought punitive action. But that’s not what happened.
propublica.org
A Girl Nearly Died After Drinking Raw Milk. The State Did Little to Punish the Unlicensed Farmer Who Sold It.
California is teeming with black-market dairies, propped up by consumer demand fueled by misinformation. With evidence against one raw goat milk farm, regulators could have sought punitive action. But...
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Molly Redden @mtredden.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Former Navatek executives, meanwhile, looked back with awe at how far their money went. “It was eye-opening for me, frankly,” said one. “‘Oh my God, all of it is for sale. It’s all for sale.’” READ MORE: www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...
propublica.org
The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way
After the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...
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Molly Redden @mtredden.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Collins’ office “vigorously” denied Kao’s bribery allegations, calling them “outlandish” The anti-corruption agents on the case were pushed out in Trump’s purge of the FBI. An FBI spokesman defended their ouster and said the bureau “ultimately found nothing” implicating Collins.
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Molly Redden @mtredden.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
ProPublica is revealing the existence of the case for the first time. These are the kinds of corruption claims Trump’s DOJ ignores. So we did our own investigation—knocking on doors as far away as Hawaii, looking at thousands of records that got the FBI to take Kao seriously
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Molly Redden @mtredden.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
“You’ve seen me deliver.” That’s what Collins told Kao, he said, as her staff pressured him to up his donations. Kao wound up giving the Collins super PAC $150,000 in late 2019. Weeks later, according to an email, Collins’ office agreed to support $32m in new Navatek projects.
A photocopy of a hand-written check made out to 1820 PAC, the Susan Collins super PAC, for $150,000.
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Molly Redden @mtredden.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The contractor, Martin Kao, claimed he bribed Collins with campaign money for her help securing gov contracts for his boat-building company, Navatek. Kao routed $190k to Collins at a low point in her 2020 reelection effort. Collins steered almost $40 mil in contracts to Navatek.
Sen. Susan Collins smiles at the camera as she christens a boat in a warehouse in front of reporters and University of Maine engineers.
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Molly Redden @mtredden.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Exclusive: In late 2024, FBI agents were looking at Sen. Susan Collins’ role in a massive illegal bribery scheme alleged by a former federal contractor. Then Trump gutted the FBI and DOJ, leaving no one to carry on the investigation – it’s dead. 🧵
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Oof. Very grateful for life and writing.
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functional moron @fiveburger.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
michigan fans will be like “i don’t know why everyone is so mad, this is exactly like that thing that happened a quarter of a century ago that i still remember because it made me so mad”
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 03/09/2026
NEW: Over the “strongest possible” objections of a federal prosecutor handling the case, Trump DOJ officials quashed plans to bring civil rights charges against an ICE agent accused of shooting a Venezuelan immigrant and then lying about it.
propublica.org
Trump’s DOJ Blocked Serious ICE Shooting Charge Over Federal Prosecutor’s “Strongest Possible” Objections
A prosecutor planned to file civil rights charges — similar to those brought against the officers who killed George Floyd — against an ICE agent. In an email we exclusively obtained, he reveals that T...
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
"Since the 1970s, Idaho’s criminal and civil laws have allowed parents who belong to Followers of Christ and the state’s other faith-healing sects to pray rather than seek medical care as their children die." Another stunning story by @audreydutton.bsky.social, at @propublica.org
propublica.org
These Children’s Deaths Were Preventable. Their Parents Prayed Instead of Seeking Medical Care.
For decades, Idaho laws have allowed parents who belong to the Followers of Christ and other faith-healing sects to pray rather than seek medical care. Since 2015, at least 15 children have died of tr...
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Joe Sonka 😐 @joesonka.lpm.org · 25/08/2026
Nonstop Dolly on WFPK Louisville, for those inclined
lpm.org
LPM Music
Louisville Public Media (LPM) is an independent, community supported not-for-profit corporation serving our community with three distinct public radio stations and an investigative unit: 89.3 WFPL New...
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
A Canadian official said the U.S. wanted Canada to roll back a program "known as 'Buy Canadian,' which prioritizes using domestic products and suppliers for public-sector projects — similar to a policy the United States implements to favor its own industries." 🎁 via @nytimes.com
nytimes.com
How U.S.-Canada Tariff Negotiations Turned Into an All-Out Trade War (Gift Article)
Detailed accounts of the final hours of the negotiations show that, while the United States offered Canada what it said was the best deal of any country, what Canada had to give up in exchange was see...
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
A headline for lovers of journalism history. Via @wsj.com
wsj.com
Opinion | Trump to Ford Motor: Drop Dead
A 50% tariff on autos and parts from Canada would punish U.S. companies.
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Seems like a day to re-up our story on where things stand for two cities with the same name, sitting across an increasingly fraught U.S. / Canada border ….
propublica.org
As Trump’s Tariff War With Canada Drags On, This Border Community Suffers Without a Voice
Under an intensifying trade war, parts of northern Michigan are feeling the financial pain. But with a president intent on conflict and a congressman silent on the issue, these Michiganders see no sig...
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Missouri is fascinating. No better guide than @jeremykohler.bsky.social. The Missouri GOP "holds a supermajority in the legislature and controls every statewide office, yet voters have repeatedly used the initiative petition process to enact policies Republican leaders oppose."
propublica.org
Missouri Republicans Are Trying to Repeal Abortion Rights by Leaning Into Anti-Trans Sentiment
Two years after falsely linking reproductive rights to gender transition care for minors, GOP lawmakers have packaged the two issues into one amendment in an effort to strip away the right to abortion...
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
"Private schools — even those that are heavily dependent on taxpayer funding — often operate without the scrutiny public schools are subject to." @megomatz.bsky.social follows the money on private schools where 100% of students are backed by public $ - w/o the obligation of transparency + oversight
propublica.org
At “Quasi-Public” Private Schools, 100% of Students Get Tuition Vouchers. There’s Almost No Accountability.
Private schools — even those that are heavily dependent on taxpayer funding — often operate without the scrutiny public schools are subject to. Following the money at one Milwaukee private school reve...
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
"More than three-quarters of Michigan townships and villages have trouble finding people to fill elected or appointed offices..." "Without reform, some communities may be left with no way to collect taxes or run elections..." Important story at @bridgemi.com
bridgemi.com
Rural Michigan in crisis: Too many governments that too few want to lead - Bridge Michigan
Many of Michigan’s nearly 1,500 townships and villages are run by part-time retirees in their 80s who are begging for help. The system is frayed and, without reform, communities could falter. Lansing ...
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Cengiz Yar @cengizyar.com · 20/08/2026
"Did they use the federal government to do their dirty work of getting rid of tenants?" Listen to reporters @melissa-sanchez.bsky.social & Seb Rotella explain to @jlussenhop.bsky.social @propublica.org how they investigated the US government's mass raid on a Chicago apartment building last fall.
propublica.org
The True Story of Why Immigration Agents Raided a Chicago Apartment Building
Trump officials claimed they successfully arrested members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in a dramatic midnight raid. We uncovered a very different story.
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
You love to see it. "Virginia Beach has confirmed there are no lead water service lines in the city. "This news comes following completion of an extensive, multi-year effort to identify the material of about 135,000 water service lines serving homes and businesses throughout the city."
virginiabeach.gov
Virginia Beach Confirms City Has No Lead Water Service Lines
Virginia Beach residents can have even greater confidence in the safety of their drinking water.
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Your Alma College MFA in Creative Writing faculty: spinning gold. www.alma.edu/academics/pr...
Smiling writers/teachers in the golden hour. From L to R: Jim Daniels, S. Kirk Walsh, Donald Quist, Matthew Gavin Frank, Benjamin Garcia, Anna Clark, Shonda Buchanan, Leslie Contreras Schwartz, Sophfronia Scott.

(Other Alma MFA faculty, not pictured: Karen Bender, Dhonielle Clayton)
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Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard @niemanfoundation.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Three years after police raided the Marion County Record, Marion agreed to pay reporter Phyllis Zorn $850,000, @speppered.bsky.social reports for @niemanlab.org.
niemanlab.org
Remember that raid on a small-town Kansas newspaper? The city has agreed to pay one reporter $850,000
On August 11, 2023, local law enforcement seized electronics and reporting materials from the Marion County Record in a raid that provoked a national outcry over the blatant press freedom violation in small-town Kansas. The raid led to multiple federal lawsuits against the county government, pub…
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Ohio Capital Journal @ohiocapitaljournal.com · 14/08/2026
Haitians living in Springfield, Ohio are being required to wear ankle monitors and turn their passports over to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/08/14/h...
ohiocapitaljournal.com
Haitians in Springfield are required to report to Ohio's ICE offices and wear ankle monitors • Ohio Capital Journal
Haitians living in Springfield, Ohio are being required to wear ankle monitors and turn their passports over to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
(nods)
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 01/08/2026
As U.S.-Canada relations worsen, Michigan’s Sault area has lost an estimated $62.7M due to decreased crossings. It’s bewildering, a state senator says. He recalls Canadians helping locals fix the grid after a storm: “This is our best friend in the entire world.”
propublica.org
As Trump’s Tariff War With Canada Drags On, This Border Community Suffers Without a Voice
Under an intensifying trade war, parts of northern Michigan are feeling the financial pain. But with a president intent on conflict and a congressman silent on the issue, these Michiganders see no sig...
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
News item from the City of Flint:
Screenshot from an emailed press release from the city of Flint. It reads: 

"City of Flint Completes Historic Lead Service Line Replacement Effort 

"FLINT, Mich. — The City of Flint has completed the replacement of the final active lead service line identified through a federal settlement agreement marking the successful completion of one of the largest infrastructure projects in the city's history.

"With the completion of this final replacement, there are no active lead service lines remaining in the City of Flint."
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Corey Johnson @coreygjohnson.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
My latest story has some intrigue. FCC finally released Chairman Brendan Carr’s financial report for 2025 late Friday. The report states Paramount gave him tickets to the gala worth $12,390. But he and his wife sat in skybox seats that sold for $125,000 a piece. www.propublica.org/article/fcc-...
propublica.org
FCC Commissioners Face Ethics Complaints for Taking Luxury Gifts From Paramount
Citing a ProPublica report on Paramount providing luxury Kennedy Center gala tickets to FCC officials, the complaints note that commissioners accepted the gifts while the FCC was reviewing or about to...
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Megan O'Matz @megomatz.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
GOP Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan has been virtually silent during Trump’s second term about tariffs on Canada, even as they harm his constituents on the border./ Reporting by: @annaleighclark.bsky.social
propublica.org
As Trump’s Tariff War With Canada Drags On, This Border Community Suffers Without a Voice
Under an intensifying trade war, parts of northern Michigan are feeling the financial pain. But with a president intent on conflict and a congressman silent on the issue, these Michiganders see no sig...
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ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 31/07/2026
Still, we’re proud of this contract. It will meaningfully improve our members’ lives and help make ProPublica a better place to work. We will remain vigilant to ensure the company fully follows this contract. www.propublicaguild.org/updates/prop...
propublicaguild.org
ProPublica Guild Ratifies First Contract — ProPublica Guild
Members of the ProPublica Guild, which represents more than 150 workers across the nonprofit investigative newsroom, overwhelmingly voted to ratify our first contract on Friday, exactly three years si...
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
It's a big day. 💙🌟
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I drove up to Sault Ste. Marie, in Michigan's far north, and walked nearly three miles across a grand old bridge at the "hinge" of the Great Lakes to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
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Eric Lipton NYT @ericlipton.nytimes.com · 25/07/2026
JUST POSTED: A deep investigation by The NYT of shortcuts taken to get President Trump his Qatari-donated plane in time for POTUS to show it off during 250th anniversary events-compromises that leave the plane more vulnerable to potential threats (Free link) www.nytimes.com/2026/07/25/u...
nytimes.com
Inside the Rushed Effort to Get Trump His New Air Force One
A New York Times investigation found that President Trump’s push to speed delivery of the aircraft led to ballooning costs and trade-offs in safety features.
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
This morning in Windsor, Canada is having an all-Canadian ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Gordie Howe International Bridge (scheduled to open Monday). A joint binational celebration was canceled after Trump hit Canada w/ an additional 50% tariffs, saying Canada discriminates against American goods.
detroitnews.com
Gordie Howe Bridge live updates: Opening times set for vehicles, pedestrians
Canadian officials are scheduled to gather Friday to celebrate the long-awaited July 27 opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
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Max Blau @maxblau.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
I’ve reported at length about abuses of foreign farmworkers who come to the U.S. on H-2A visas: stolen wages, guns pointed in their faces. One woman I met was kidnapped, raped and nearly killed. I wanted to know: How do I tell if the produce I buy is part of the problem? 👇
Blueberries beginning to ripen in a field in Georgia. Credit: Zaydee Sanchez for ProPublica.A trove of passports that federal prosecutors say had been confiscated illegally from farmworkers by labor contractors. Obtained by ProPublica.
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
“.. the Trump administration decided to remove four service members killed this past weekend from the list .. because their deaths occurred after President Trump declared a cease-fire ..” @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/07/23/u...
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Nolan Hicks @ndhapple.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
"Trump claims... Canada discriminates against American autos, alcohol and cheese" "[B]ut his argument rests in large part on retaliatory actions taken by Canada after the U.S. president imposed tariffs on Canada under the pretext that it should do more to stop fentanyl" - apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com
Trump imposes 50% tariffs on Canadian goods, citing disputes over autos, alcohol and cheese
President Donald Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods, declaring that Canada has unfairly discriminated against American autos, alcohol and dairy products.
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Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
The Trump administration sought the phone records of several New York Times journalists and their relatives — including one reporter’s mother — in its effort to unmask the confidential sources. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/b...
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
This is an incredible story. Writing, visuals, shoe-leather reporting, public stakes, and stunning large-scale absurdity — it’s got it all.
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Saturday! Live and in person! Part of the Detroit Lit Summer Writers' Institute. See you there?
eventbrite.com
Landing a Book Deal: Navigating the Query Process
A panel about the practical insight into the query process, the challenges, and the possibilities that shape today's literary landscape.
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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 17/07/2026
ICE officer who shot Colombian man in Maine has history of threatening behavior and mental illness, family and court documents say.
bit.ly
AP Exclusive: ICE officer in Maine shooting has history of violent behavior, family and records say
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine this week is an Army veteran who has struggled with serious mental health issues since early childhood, according to close relatives who spoke to The Associated Press.
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
One Michigan-based company that launched last year to encourage churches to tap into public funds refers to these programs in its promotional videos as “God’s new gold mine.”
propublica.org
Public Money Is Fueling an Explosion of Private Schools. States Often Don’t Care How They’re Run.
As private schools proliferate, states are choosing a hands-off approach to regulating them. The backgrounds of school founders — sometimes with criminal histories — often don’t matter
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
A great book that may be of particular interest these days ... By @bethgardiner.bsky.social - @uchicagopress.bsky.social
press.uchicago.edu
Choked
Nothing is as elemental, as essential to human life, as the air we breathe. Yet around the world, in rich countries and poor ones, it is quietly poisoning us.  Air pollution prematurely kills seven mi...
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 15/07/2026
NEW: The FBI has explored using AI to assess the validity of signatures on tens of thousands of mail-in ballots seized from Fulton County, Georgia, another push in the Trump administration’s continued reinvestigation of the 2020 vote.
propublica.org
FBI Has Looked at Using Questionable AI Tech to Review Signatures on Seized Mail-In Ballots
As part of President Trump’s continued push to discredit the results of the 2020 election, his administration has considered using AI technology to scrutinize tens of thousands of ballots seized in Fu...
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
With a huge surge of public money, new private schools are opening fast - without meaningful oversight. Even this Arkansas school - where the founder hit a kid, urged other kids to do the same, and stayed involved in the school's administration from JAIL - is still supported by taxpayer dollars.
propublica.org
This Private School Had Students Scrub Floors and Attack a Fellow Classmate. The State Still Funds It.
One of the few requirements for Arkansas private schools is that they have an American flag and a flagpole. But millions in state funds go to the largely unmonitored schools while complaints about saf...
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Let's talk about how to talk to people. Interviewing people who have a meaningful vantage on the story you're writing brings potency, power, and revelation to your work. This'll be a fun one. Virtual. Via @shipmanagency.bsky.social. Join us! www.theshipmanagency.com/classes/craf...
Screenshot for an upcoming craft seminar: "The Art of the Interview," with Anna Clark. It is one session (virtual), Sunday, July 26, 2:30-4pm ET, and it costs $95
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
"On July 1, 2025, the CDC scaled back its Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, or FoodNet, to only include tracking for salmonella and E. coli. "Tracking for other foodborne illnesses became optional."
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
"... we’re looking forward to the Sadie Ann getting young folks out on the water and finding out how much interest there is in lake science."
wpr.org
UW-Superior’s new floating classroom is (almost) set to sail toward its Great Lakes home
The Sadie Ann — a 65-foot vessel described as a floating classroom — will be used for both research and instruction.
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Dustin Volz @dustinvolz.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
The Trump administration issued subpoenas on Friday to several journalists for The New York Times, after the news outlet reported this week on security concerns involving President Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/b...
nytimes.com
Times Journalists Subpoenaed as Trump Escalates Pressure on Media
The Justice Department is seeking to compel testimony from reporters who wrote about the new Air Force One. The Times called the move a “brazen act.”
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