Sign in

Ariel Wittenberg

@arielwittenberg.bsky.social
1.5K followers 480 following 181 posts

Environmental health reporter at POLITICO. New Englander at heart. Mom. Hobbyist watercolorist. PEN Guild forever ✊🏼

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
jon christian @jonchristian.net · 30/09/2026
UPDATE: After our investigation into that company that buys struggling news sites and turns them into AI-powered content mills, it has halted publication -- at least for now futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com
That Company That Buys Struggling News Sites and Turns Them Into AI-Powered Content Mills Has Halted Publishing After a Futurism Investigation
Brown Brothers Media has halted publication at its wide-ranging AI-powered content farm empire -- for now, at least.
116257
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Washington-Baltimore News Guild @wbng.org · 19/09/2026
An attack on one outlet's ability to cover the White House is an attack on a free press for all of us. We stand with our member and every journalist targeted for doing their job.
083
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Washington-Baltimore News Guild @wbng.org · 19/09/2026
This morning, Secret Service barred our own @pen-guild.bsky.social member Cheyenne Haslett from the White House simply for doing her job. Press access cannot be weaponized against journalists for their reporting.
22316
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Joshua Eaton @joshuaeaton.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
EXCLUSIVE: When elected officials and advocates in Danbury, Connecticut, said ICE arrested a parent at a school bus stop Aug. 26, federal officials denied their accounts. I got video that appears to show such an arrest. My latest at @ctinsider.bsky.social — www.ctinsider.com/news/article...
ctinsider.com
Video appears to show ICE arrest near CT school bus stop, despite federal denials
ICE has denied it made an arrest at a school bus stop, but confirmed it made 118 arrests in Connecticut that week.
241396552
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Josh Gabbatiss @joshgabbatiss.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
NEW INVESTIGATION – this summer saw temperature records smashed around the UK. We asked NHS trusts in England and Wales how many operations they were forced to cancel due to overheating surgical theatres They provided details of 1,110 operations that were called off in the May and June heatwaves
24744
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Belated repost in honor of Labor Day. Keep fighting the good fight, folks!
011
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Very inspiring lunchtime viewing with the lawyer who also helped @pen-guild.bsky.social win our AI arbitration. Go Amos!
000
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Karen Attiah @karenattiah.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Getting my job back at the Washington Post would not have been possible if it wasn’t for me belonging to a union. @postguild.bsky.social and @wbng.org are the unions I belong to. I was able to challenge my wrongful termination because of the collective bargaining agreement / union contract!
894590901
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
SEIU Local 925 @seiu925.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
We’re not in the habit of recognizing celebrity deaths here at 925. That said, Dolly Parton is a national treasure and some folks here joke that Dolly is our Locals patron saint. After all her song “9 to 5” is our anthem. Today we remember all the love and kindness Dolly brought the world.
Tribute-style portrait of a Dolly Parton performing in a ruffled light purple blouse, arm raised and singing into a microphone, overlaid with the lyric: "You're just a step on the bossman's ladder / But you've got dreams he'll never take away."
113169544
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Huge win for Karen, the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, and journalists everywhere! Just cause, no exceptions.
061
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Chelsea Harvey @chelseaeharvey.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
This is out from behind our paywall now, so sharing again with an open link: www.eenews.net/articles/wil...
eenews.net
Wildfire scorched 900 buildings. A state calls the fire risk ‘moderate.’
Washington state will impose a fire-resistant building code in high-risk areas. Wildfire-prone areas are being excluded, some say.
013
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Excellent piece in @politico.com on the widespread and cross-party opposition to new data centers, focusing on @justinjpearson.bsky.social's work to stop Elon Musk's Collosus project from spewing unpermitted air pollutants in his Memphis neighborhood. @arielwittenberg.bsky.social 1/
politico.com
Anger Over Data Centers Is Fueling a New Political Movement
Justin Pearson, a Tennessee lawmaker, has become one of the loudest voices amid a growing national backlash against the pollution and politics of America's AI buildout.
164
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
For my POLITICO Magazine cover story this weekend, I wrote about Justin J. Pearson's Congressional campaign, and how his experience fighting xAI's pollution in his own neighborhood embodies a New Luddite movement pushing back against data centers and AI. www.politico.com/news/magazin...
020
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
"Our journalists deserve to have input in how AI is deployed, and our readers deserve accurate, accountable journalism overseen by humans."-- Me in Vanity Fair.
042
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Dan Vergano @danvergano.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Scientific American is being sold to LabX Media, publisher of Discover: group.springernature.com/gp/group/med... They've fired me and other union staff, ahead of June 26 vote ratification. My rates are suddenly more reasonable, if you need editing or reporting - Argonaut2026@gmail.com
group.springernature.com
Springer Nature to divest its consumer media businesses | Springer Nature Group | Springer Nature
Strategic divestment of consumer media portfolio enables Springer Nature to focus on its core business Transaction supports the long-term development
93961574
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Annie Waldman @anniewaldman.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
NEW: In February, I visited Raw Farm. You may have heard of it. RFK Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow are customers. It supplies raw dairy products to 500 stores nationwide. And regulators have linked it to over a dozen recalls and outbreaks that have made hundreds sick. 🧵👇
propublica.org
He Profits Off Raw Milk That’s Making People Sick. The Government Isn’t Stopping Him.
With Raw Farm, the largest raw-milk dairy in the country, Mark McAfee has capitalized on a once-fringe product that’s been thrust into the mainstream in recent years and backed by Health Secretary Rob...
23838271453
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Heard from a lot of loyal readers asking if we're OK this morning following news that @politico.com plans to kill the @eenews.bsky.social brand. There's still a lot of questions. Here's what we've told management so far:
032
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
PEN Guild @pen-guild.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Months after telling staff that the E&E News brand was not going away, POLITICO is shuttering six publications. A statement from PEN Guild's leadership: This is unacceptable.
On January 29, as we were discussing buyouts for the energy and environment teams, Joe Schatz told PEN Guild union leaders “The brands and the publications are not going away. We are looking to sharpen their missions.”


Today, he told us that E&E News as we know it is gone. Energywire, Climatewire, Greenwire, E&E News PM, E&E News Daily, PowerSwitch--six publications are being killed this summer.


This is information that management should have had, and should have told us, while our colleagues were making the decision about taking  a buyout earlier this year. PEN Guild’s Labor Management Committee has questioned POLITICO monthly since January--including Jonathan Greenberger himself--about the vision for the newly combined energy and environment teams. At no point was sunsetting the E&E News publications ever mentioned--not even at our most recent meeting on Thursday, June 4. And yet somehow Semafor had the exclusive at 9:17 a.m. today. 


This is the second time management has lied to employees  in six months--the first being when John Harris said in December there would be no layoffs at the company, only to lay off some managers a month later.


Management says that none of us should be shocked, that change is part of the news business, that they did not lie and that they only finalized this new plan last week. And yet the question remains why such ground-shattering, publication-killing plans were not part of the “new vision” management announced in January? Why were our subscribers only surveyed in May? 


This is not leadership. This is unacceptable.
36734
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
👻 David Weiskopf believes in spooks 👻 @dave.bzky.team · 08/06/2026
RIP to E&E. Since 2013, E&E has been my constant companion, the morning paper delivered to my digital stoop. Truly the end of an era. My deepest thanks and appreciation to you all, E&E past and present.
semafor.com
Exclusive: Politico folds E&E News ahead of broader energy push
In September, Politico plans to launch a series of energy-focused newsletters.
66729
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
😭 Cy isn't on Bluesky to read this, but he helped so many of us @eenews.bsky.social develop into the reporters we are today. Couldn't ask for a better captain of this ship.
051
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Chelsea Harvey @chelseaeharvey.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
I worked hard on this story, it's important, & I want to share it. I'm also finding it difficult to put it out there without this context: Just as I wrapped up final edits last week, I got word that a friend vacationing in Arizona had died after overheating on a hike. www.eenews.net/articles/dea...
eenews.net
Deadly heat is coming. But funding to save lives is not.
Emergency officials are searching for loopholes to save lives as President Donald Trump slashes programs.
1385184
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Condé Union @condeunion.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
VINDICATED: Condé Nast is paying the price for its illegal attempts at busting our union. Our members won a settlement that vindicates those who “marched on the boss” in November 2025. More here… nyguild.org/post/conde-w...
NEW YORK — Unionized Condé Nast workers who were illegally fired and disciplined after taking part in a “march on the boss” in November 2025 have been vindicated as part of a substantial agreement won by The NewsGuild of New York on Wednesday. 

“Our fight as a union is about more than a single contract; it is about ensuring workers’ rights to a just workplace,” said Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York. “When employers attempt to undermine our rights, we will organize, fight back, and hold them accountable. This settlement sends a forceful message: workers united in solidarity have the power to push back against bully union-busting bosses and demand their workplaces be governed by respect rather than fear.” 

Condé Nast management illegally terminated four Condé Union leaders and suspended five others for coming together to demand answers from executives at 1 World Trade Center about abrupt layoffs at multiple brands including WIRED and the consolidation at Teen Vogue. 

By abruptly, and unlawfully, firing and suspending nine employees, management violated members’ contractual Just Cause protections, as well as federal labor law to engage in protected concerted activity as workers.
 
The NewsGuild of New York immediately filed grievances related to the firings and suspensions, as well as Unfair Labor Practice charges at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Guild members at Condé Nast were also supported by NewsGuild parent union the Communications Workers of America, through a member relief fund program that provides aid to workers targeted by union busting.

Under the terms of the settlement, three of the illegally fired workers — Alma Avalle, Ben Dewey and Jasper Lo — were:

Reinstated as employees in good standing Awarded significant financial settlements totaling more than $400K
Provided letters of recommendation, with all disciplinary records expunged

The three reinstated workers subsequently chose to resign on their own terms. Jake Lahut, a fourth unlawfully fired employee, declined a lesser settlement offer from the Company. At the time of the dismissal, he was a probationary employee and not yet covered under the contract’s Just Cause provisions. He is, however, protected by federal labor law as a union member and the NewsGuild of New York has an active unfair labor practice charge on his behalf at the National Labor Relations Board. 

“We fought because we had to, because so much of an equitable future as workers and journalists depends on our combined efforts to resist inhumane treatment,” said Jasper Lo, formerly a senior fact checker at The New Yorker. “There is no reason for us to feel disempowered by companies and work in the fear that they create. Not only can we stand up for what’s right, but we can also set the tone for what is acceptable in a workplace.” 

The five illegally suspended workers were:
Awarded back pay for every day they were illegally suspended without pay
Cleared of all wrongdoing with their disciplinary records expunged

“The unpaid suspensions added another layer of egregious, illegal retaliation to this situation—and it was particularly insulting that Conde Nast never specifically articulated to any of us what they alleged that we did wrong or why we were singled out”, said Lily Newman, Senior Writer at Wired. “It is heartening that this settlement removes the discipline from my and my colleagues’ records and furnishes backpay.”
421977
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
This was so hard won and I’m incredibly proud to be part of a team that held the line for 1.5 years in defense of our contract and good journalism. We did not yield until we won #NewsNotSlop for our readers.
2184
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Twist to this story (which I wrote): As of Wednesday, the data center at issue here is now being used entirely by Anthropic for Claude. www.eenews.net/articles/ant...
eenews.net
Anthropic moves into Musk’s Memphis data center
Colossus 1, owned by xAI, has been slammed by environmentalists for skirting clean air rules and the company's water reuse commitments.
15237
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
This article is making the rounds but its from a year ago--when HHS announced layoffs of some 15,000 staff. I don't know the up to date info about the cruise ship inspectors, but a significant number of CDC experts (like worker safety & food inspectors) have been reinstated.
112
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Now in POLITICO www.politico.com/news/2026/05...
politico.com
XAI sidelines major water reuse project as IPO looms
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company abruptly stopped work on a water reuse facility meant to alleviate strain on the Memphis-area water supply. Nobody’s saying why.
001
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
We won the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting @chicagotribune.com! Our entire newsroom covered Midway Blitz with everything we had. I’ve never been prouder of the Tribune or its commitment to the truth. It’s an honor to be part of this team.
612631626
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
xAI has abruptly stopped work on a water reuse facility aimed at reducing a Memphis-area data center's strain on the local drinking water source. The move comes as SpaceX preps to launch the biggest IPO in history. My latest with @mirandawrites.bsky.social www.eenews.net/articles/xai...
eenews.net
XAI sidelines major water reuse project as IPO looms
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company abruptly stopped work on a water reuse facility meant to alleviate strain on the Memphis-area water supply
177
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
The Trump administration hasn't released more than $400 million to help Americans pay energy costs. The LIHEAP funds could be used to dull the impact of Iran War-related price shocks on low income households. My latest for @eenews.bsky.social subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
subscriber.politicopro.com
E&E News: Trump holds back federal aid for Americans’ energy bills
The administration has not released more than $400 million that Congress appropriated to help low-income Americans pay their rising utility bills.
120
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Worth noting that RFK jr had a podcast before he ran for president in which he platformed conspiracy theories about the origins of viruses, including Lyme, HIV and more www.eenews.net/articles/bio...
eenews.net
‘Bioweapons’ and cover-ups: The untruths behind RFK Jr.’s disease claims
Kennedy has spread misinformation about the deadliest and most debilitating diseases of the modern era.
030
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 08/04/2026
Our DC members are out in full force! Today we’re striking to demand a fair contract, including layoff protections, AI guardrails, fair pay and a clear disciplinary process. Join us: www.gofundme.com/f/support-pr...
Two ProPublica employees holding up blue and yellow signs that read "ProPublica workers on strike for a fair contract." One employee also holds a white and red megaphone to his mouth.ProPublica workers on strike, standing on the street and holding up signs.A line of ProPublica workers chanting and holding up blue and yellow signs that read: ProPublica workers on strike for a fair contract.Eight ProPublica workers can be seen in the background of this photo, holding up strike signs. In the foreground is a cluster of orange and yellow flowers surrounded by a black gate.
15119
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
I love my job. I believe in ProPublica's mission. I have so much work to do today on a story that should publish soon. But today, I'm on strike with my colleagues at the @propublicaguild.org. Hoping we get over the finish line SOON on our very first contract -- and a fair one.
Selfie of Anna in front of a window, wearing a ProPublica Guild T-shirt.
524351
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
PEN Guild @pen-guild.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Standing in solidarity with these fabulous journalists. Our readers deserve news, not slop!
0157
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
ICYMI: One of OSHA's only tools to protect workers from heat expires *tomorrow,* and the agency won't say whether it will renew it. @repcasar.bsky.social and other Congressional Dems have pushed for answers. My latest for @eenews.bsky.social www.eenews.net/articles/exp...
eenews.net
Expiration nears for Biden workplace heat-protection program
The Trump administration is silent on its plans. Democrats urged renewal and warned about workers "risking their health and their lives."
010
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Eric Michael Garcia @ericmgarcia.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
But two former museum employees who left amid the changes told POLITICO they believed the US Holocaust Memorial Museum was altering its content preemptively, so as to not draw unwanted negative attention from the Trump administration. www.politico.com/news/2026/04...
politico.com
‘Proactively fall in line:’ Holocaust Memorial Museum quietly changed content after Trump returned to office
Two former employees said they believed the museum was altering its content preemptively to avoid unwanted negative attention from the Trump administration.
46933
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Corbin Hiar @corbinhiar.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Lots of E&E News greats are walking out the door today. A true tragedy.
21415
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
PEN Guild @pen-guild.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
And yet, @politico.com management still hasn’t met our main demand: Articulating the vision that allegedly precipitated these buyouts. We warned management when they announced this move that we would lose talented colleagues if they didn’t explain their reasons for doing this. 4/4
042
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
PEN Guild @pen-guild.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Buyouts from @politico.com represent: 21 percent of the newly-unified energy team, including 25 percent of @eenews.bsky.social 33 percent of Magazine And more from the central editing desk, data, visuals, graphics and interactives teams. 3/4
112
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
PEN Guild @pen-guild.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
The losses are particularly stark on the @eenews.bsky.social POLITICO Pro #Energy teams, whose remaining staff will still collectively produce six profitable publications daily despite the losses. 2/4
122
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
PEN Guild @pen-guild.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
At least 19 of our @eenews.bsky.social Politico Pro colleagues have decided to take the buyout and leave us this week. It's no small amount. Not everyone was offered a buyout @politico.com 1/4
1610
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
NYT Tech Guild @nytguildtech.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Today, NYT celebrates their successes from the past year, but we are witnessing a major failure of leadership: @nytimes.com mgmt is denying one of our members, Rich Quan, permission to continue working remote, even as a certified caregiver for his 96-year-old father, who suffers from Alzheimer's.
The State of The Times: Heartless. Red banner with NYT Tech Guild logo
111454
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Trump wants more data centers to generate their own power. But living next to tech industry gas turbines has made this VA neighborhood "unbearable" due to noise. One resident is taking sleeping pills, another can't walk his dog. My latest for @eenews.bsky.social www.eenews.net/articles/one...
eenews.net
One obstacle for Trump’s AI power pledge: The neighbors
Getting data centers to generate their own electricity may ease one obstacle to public acceptance of data centers. But it creates new hurdles.
153
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Erin Cunningham @erinmcunningham.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
As the laid off Middle East News Editor, I concur. Management eliminated the positions of every single staff correspondent and bureau chief in the Middle East.
11779902179
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
“If this can happen here, what’s to stop data centers like this happening outside the gates of Gettysburg or the entrance to Yellowstone?” My latest data center piece for @eenews.bsky.social www.eenews.net/articles/it-...
eenews.net
It could be the biggest US data center — next to a Civil War battlefield
A Virginia court heard arguments Tuesday over the Digital Gateway project that would border Manassas National Battlefield Park.
011
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Readers deserve journalism that lives up to our ethical standards regardless of how it is created. And journalists deserve to have a say in how new technology impacts our work.
001
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
The NewsGuild-CWA @newsguild.org · 20/02/2026
NEW: After years of bargaining, unionized editorial staff at Fortune have won their first contract for both digital and print employees with @nyguild.bsky.social! The deal lifts wages 11% for the life of the deal, provides job security protections and more. newsguild.org/staff-at-for...
newsguild.org
Staff at Fortune magazine win historic three-year contract with NY Guild | The NewsGuild - TNG-CWA
Staff at Fortune have won their first contract for both digital and print employees, a deal that lifts wages a total of 11% for the life of the deal
03918
Ariel Wittenberg @arielwittenberg.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
This rollback is especially notable as more coal plants are staying online past previous retirement dates to power data centers and AI. www.eenews.net/articles/tru...
eenews.net
Trump spares power plants from mercury emissions clampdown
The rollback is the latest salvo in the president's multipronged push to boost the coal industry.
198
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
Julie K. Brown @jkbjournalist.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Never in a million years did I ever fathom when I resurrected the Epstein story in 2018 that it would lead to first arrest of a British Royal in four centuries. Not since King Charles I was arrested in 1647. open.substack.com/pub/jkbjourn...
open.substack.com
Prince Andrew's Arrest
Across the pond in Britain, justice and accountability is a serious matter
1897335257773
Reposted by Ariel Wittenberg
The NewsGuild-CWA @newsguild.org · 17/02/2026
When FBI agents raided the home of Post journalist Hannah Natanson last month, they seized her devices and refused to return them. To help journalists protect themselves, we are sponsoring a digital security training with @freedom.press. Join us Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. ET newsguild.org/newsguild-ho...
newsguild.org
NewsGuild-sponsored digital security training on Feb. 26 | The NewsGuild - TNG-CWA
Join us on Thursday, February 26, 2026, for a digital security training with the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
02920