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Charles Ornstein

@charlesornstein.bsky.social
50K followers 547 following 2.7K posts

Managing editor/local at ProPublica, past prez of AHCJ, Detroit Lions fan. Email: charles.ornstein@propublica.org. Posts are my own.

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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 9h
Want to see what it takes to open a private school in America? Take this 10-question quiz to find out just how easy it can be.
projects.propublica.org
Quiz: Where Could You Open a Private School? — ProPublica
Private school requirements vary wildly across states. Take our quiz to find out just how easy starting one can be.
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Kassie Navarro @kassien.bsky.social · 10h
Susan Collins claims that @propublica.org’s reporting about CEO Martin Kao’s bribery allegations took him at his word. That’s not true. We reviewed a trove of FBI evidence and legal records. 📽️ Here’s how we independently corroborated much of Kao’s account. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqyi...
youtube.com
We Uncovered Bribery Allegations Against Susan Collins
YouTube video by ProPublica
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Jacqueline Antonovich @jackiantonovich.bsky.social · 11h
"After measles swept through her household, the young woman wanted to get vaccinated. Her doctor said she couldn't because she had leukemia and the treatments had weakened her immune system" @bachynski.bsky.social
inquirer.com
A 20-year-old Amish woman with leukemia got measles and died in Pa.’s largest outbreak in three decades
After measles swept through her household, the young woman wanted to get vaccinated. Her doctor said she couldn't because she had leukemia and the treatments had weakened her immune system.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 10h
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to revamp America’s food system have hit their biggest hurdle yet: the White House.
wsj.com
RFK Jr.’s Push to Revamp American Food Runs Into White House Resistance
Concerns about whether Kennedy’s ideas on food are even feasible have prompted clashes within the administration, casting uncertainty over a once-potent political agenda.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 10h
“All of this led to a clear reporting question: If the hurdles to open a private school are so low, could we do it? And what would we learn along the way?”
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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Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Every election cycle, there seems to be a stolen valor plot line. @nlanard.bsky.social on the one this time: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
motherjones.com
David Flippo blamed staff for exaggerating his military record. His own hat tells a different story.
The Nevada Republican sported V-shaped emblems that signify a valor award next to a Bronze Star. Flippo never received a Bronze Star for valor.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Experience running a school wasn’t needed. No one from any of the states asked us about our backgrounds or qualifications. No one questioned what we plan to teach or how we would measure whether students are learning.
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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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Just posted this video with receipts from our investigation: We uncovered bribery allegations against Susan Collins. WATCH:
youtu.be
We Uncovered Bribery Allegations Against Susan Collins
YouTube video by ProPublica
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
“Why did it take a reporter asking you about it to have you file your reports?” “In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need ProPublica for this kind of thing.” But here we are. By @robwdavis.bsky.social
propublica.org
Oregon Housing Director Failed to Report Husband’s Related Business Interests
Andrea Bell, executive director of Oregon Housing and Community Services, filed amended state ethics paperwork after ProPublica asked about her husband’s work at a firm that’s consulted on projects re...
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The Sidney Hillman Foundation @sidneyhillman.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
hillmanfoundation.org
Sidney's Picks: ID Faith-Healing Family Lost Four Kids and Authorities Could Do Nothing
The Best of the Week's News An Idaho family that believes in faith-healing over medical care lost four children to untreated diabetes, and authorities were powerless to intervene. (ProPublica) Prosecu...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Happy day!! 🎉🎉 ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network Names Three New Partners for Its 50 State Initiative
propublica.org
ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network Names Three New Partners for Its 50 State Initiative
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
This week, the Trump admin and Alaska officials announced a ~$50 billion investment by the South Korean government into an Alaska liquefied-natural-gas pipeline. The rub: South Koreans didn’t agree to a specific dollar figure—or even to invest at all. 👀
wsj.com
South Korea Contests U.S. Claims of New $50 Billion Alaska Investment
The Trump administration asserted this week that South Korea will fund an LNG pipeline, but Seoul is disputing the status of negotiations.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Important story. Google Pushed AI Into Schools—and Even Students Say It’s Gone Too Far
wsj.com
Google Pushed AI Into Schools—and Even Students Say It’s Gone Too Far
The risks of cognitive and emotional dependence, along with falling test scores, are fueling a backlash.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Important caveats: Being sure of the clinical utility of the test is important because screening healthy people carries risks. A false positive can send someone into scans and biopsies they never needed. A false negative can create false reassurance.
wsj.com
A Cancer Test Has Investors Betting Big. But Will Insurers Pay?
An FDA panel backed Grail’s Galleri test. But the Medicare money the business depends on is far from guaranteed.
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Jennifer Smith Richards @jsmithrichards.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I've been a reporter for a long time and this might be the strangest thing I've ever done. We've been reporting on privatization of schools this year and found that just about anyone can open a private school in most states. So we asked, Could reporters do it?
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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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Is this the future of education in America? This quiz is eye opening! Look at my answers and where they wouldn’t matter. Take Our Quiz to Find Out Where You Can Open Your Private School projects.propublica.org/private-scho....
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Tampa Bay Times @tampabaytimes.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Faith-based voucher schools can reject students with disabilities in Florida| Column
tampabay.com
Faith-based voucher schools can reject students with disabilities in Florida| Column
ProPublica recently published an exposé on the rejection students with disabilities face from publicly funded voucher schools.
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Jodi Cohen @jodiscohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
It started with a question: If it was so easy to start a private school in some states — and even access public money — could we as @propublica reporters do it? Find out what @jenniferberryhawes.bsky.social, @jsmithrichards.bsky.social and I learned: www.propublica.org/article/prop...
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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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Just three months after the Texas State Board of Education raised concerns about Alpha School’s AI learning platform, Education Commissioner Mike Morath was in talks about using the tool in public schools. Great public records reporting by Lexi Churchill!
propublica.org
Texas’ Education Board Raised Questions About an AI Learning Tool. The State Then Helped Pilot It in Public Schools.
Just three months after the Texas State Board of Education raised concerns about Alpha School’s AI learning platform, Education Commissioner Mike Morath was in talks about using the tool in public sch...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
SCOOP: Her Agency Distributes Billions for Housing Projects. Her Husband’s Company Helped Develop Some of Them. By @robwdavis.bsky.social w/ @opb.org @oregonian.com
propublica.org
Oregon Housing Director Failed to Report Husband’s Related Business Interests
Andrea Bell, executive director of Oregon Housing and Community Services, filed amended state ethics paperwork after ProPublica asked about her husband’s work at a firm that’s consulted on projects re...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
You can’t open a school without merch, so we created ProPublica Academy pencils. They’re the best. Buy a set today and read the story too!
rayguncustom.com
*PRE-SALE* ProPublica Academy Pencils - Ships Late-October
*PRE-SALE* - shipping will begin in late-OctoberThis year, a team of ProPublica reporters has been documenting how the American education landscape is shifting dramatically as states use public money ...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Such a fun quiz. It’s Easy to Start a Private School. Take Our Quiz to Find Out Where You Can Open Yours. @zisiga.bsky.social @jsmithrichards.bsky.social @jodiscohen.bsky.social @jenniferberryhawes.bsky.social
projects.propublica.org
It’s Easy to Start a Private School. Take Our Quiz to Find Out Where You Can Open Yours. — ProPublica
Private school requirements vary wildly across states. Take our quiz to find out just how easy starting one can be.
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Dan Hirschman @asociologist.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Big sigh. Cornell edited its faq after the NYT story about the CUPD omitting details from the victim statement: “Any mention of sharing “all investigatory information” with the district attorney had been removed from the page.” www.wskg.org/regional-new...
wskg.org
Cornell quietly edits FAQ page about fraternity sexual assault allegations amid public backlash
On Wednesday, the university removed a sentence stating that campus police “shared all investigatory information with the Tompkins County District Attorney's Office.”
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Timothy McBride @mcbridetd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Patient Dies by Suicide After ‘Insurance Issue’ Delayed Medicine for Lung Disease Flare-Ups kffhealthnews.org/health-indus...
kffhealthnews.org
Patient Dies by Suicide After ‘Insurance Issue’ Delayed Medicine for Lung Disease Flare-Ups - KFF Health News
Hours after experiencing a flare-up related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Kenney Blewett of Kyle, Texas, died by suicide in June. A medication his doctor prescribed days earlier to ease hi...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
If anyone can open a private school, why not us? We started our own private schools. In Arkansas, all it took was $45 and an American flag. Welcome to our Curiosity Academies!
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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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
NEW: We’re Reporters, Not Teachers. We Were Able to Start Private Schools Anyway. With our pals at @mtnstspotlight.bsky.social @arktimes.bsky.social @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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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Just three months after the Texas State Board of Education raised concerns about Alpha School’s AI learning platform, Education Commissioner Mike Morath was in talks about using the tool in public schools. w/ @texastribune.org
propublica.org
Texas’ Education Board Raised Questions About an AI Learning Tool. The State Then Helped Pilot It in Public Schools.
Just three months after the Texas State Board of Education raised concerns about Alpha School’s AI learning platform, Education Commissioner Mike Morath was in talks about using the tool in public sch...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
NEW: Texas’ Education Board Raised Questions About an AI Learning Tool. The State Then Helped Pilot It in Public Schools. by Lexi Churchill w/ @texastribune.org
propublica.org
Texas’ Education Board Raised Questions About an AI Learning Tool. The State Then Helped Pilot It in Public Schools.
Just three months after the Texas State Board of Education raised concerns about Alpha School’s AI learning platform, Education Commissioner Mike Morath was in talks about using the tool in public sch...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
"The parents told officers that they hadn’t taken the four children who died to the doctor because of their religion, the Followers of Christ, which considers the use of modern medicine a sinful lapse of faith in God."
propublica.org
Four Kids in One Faith-Healing Family Died. Authorities Could Do Nothing.
An exemption in Idaho law shields faith-healing parents from criminal prosecution for conduct that otherwise would be charged as neglect. It also keeps police and social workers from stepping in to pr...
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 01/10/2026
NEW: Emma Joyce died at 3 years old. The next year, her sister Ava Joan died. Then their brother died from the same complication of untreated diabetes that killed Ava Joan. Later, a fourth sibling died. Their parents believed in prayer, not medicine.
propublica.org
Four Kids in One Faith-Healing Family Died. Authorities Could Do Nothing.
An exemption in Idaho law shields faith-healing parents from criminal prosecution for conduct that otherwise would be charged as neglect. It also keeps police and social workers from stepping in to pr...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
NEW episode of our Paper Trail podcast just dropped: Who’s the Shadow President?
propublica.org
Who’s the Shadow President?
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
One of the most wrenching stories I have read: Four Kids in One Faith-Healing Family Died. Authorities Could Do Nothing. @audreydutton.bsky.social
propublica.org
Four Kids in One Faith-Healing Family Died. Authorities Could Do Nothing.
An exemption in Idaho law shields faith-healing parents from criminal prosecution for conduct that otherwise would be charged as neglect. It also keeps police and social workers from stepping in to pr...
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Reposted by Charles Ornstein
404 Media @404media.co · 30/09/2026
BREAKING: The Trump administration is using a grant program from the 1980s to force cities around the US to funnel their ongoing collection of Flock, Axon, and other ALPR data into large federal surveillance centers that fall under the White House’s jurisdiction, 404 Media has learned
404media.co
How Cities Are Forced to Funnel License Plate Data to a Massive Federal Surveillance Program
How the federal government built a massive database of license plate reader data through an anti-drug trafficking program.
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Ian Gordon @idgordon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
To speed up mass deportations, the Trump administration didn't just launch raids—it stripped $200M+ from nonprofit legal aid groups, bringing them to the brink of collapse. Here’s how immigrant legal defense barely survived the campaign to kneecap them:
motherjones.com
First Trump came for immigrants. Then he came for their lawyers.
How legal aid groups survived the administration's attacks—barely.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Wow. Inside Alpha School’s ‘Bootcamp’: Heart Monitors, Unpaid Labor & Many, Many Tweets @the74.bsky.social
the74million.org
Inside Alpha School’s ‘Bootcamp’: Heart Monitors, Unpaid Labor & Many, Many Tweets
Students at the AI-powered private school are chronicling grueling tests of composure, endurance and grit.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
NEW: A Girl Nearly Died After Drinking Raw Milk. The State Did Little to Punish the Unlicensed Farmer Who Sold It. By @anniewaldman.bsky.social
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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Ken Schwencke @schwanksta.com · 28/09/2026
ICYMI: @propublica.org has a Chrome and Firefox plugin that allows you to grab your data from FanDuel and DraftKings. If you use it, you can upload your data to us to help us to continue investigating how these sites induce people to keep betting. projects.propublica.org/sports-betti...
projects.propublica.org
Help ProPublica Report on Sports Betting by Sending Us Your App Data
If you’ve bet on sports with FanDuel or DraftKings, you can help ProPublica understand how these apps respond to their users’ betting behavior. Use our browser extension to download your betting histo...
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Timothy McBride @mcbridetd.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Montana among states instituting Medicaid work requirements early www.npr.org/2026/09/29/n...
npr.org
Montana among states instituting Medicaid work requirements early
In most states, people with Medicaid coverage will have to prove they're working, volunteering or studying, starting Jan. 1. But Montana is starting that early, and it's sowing confusion and anxiety.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Americans Are About to Lose Access to Cheap Gray-Market Prescriptions From Canada
wsj.com
Americans Are About to Lose Access to Cheap Gray-Market Prescriptions From Canada
Millions who use online pharmacies from Canada and other countries could get cut off in October.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
“A Massive Power Grab”: White House Proposal Threatens Funding That Helps Disabled Americans Vote @lisalsong.bsky.social
propublica.org
This White House Plan Threatens Funding That Helps Disabled Americans Vote
A new rule from the Office of Management and Budget would prohibit anyone from using federal grant money for voter registration drives. It’s part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to restr...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The Trump administration floated an idea that would have virtually shut down mail voting: requiring all ballots to be delivered exclusively through certified mail, ProPublica has learned. by @jenafifield.bsky.social @peterelkind.bsky.social
propublica.org
The Untold Origins of Trump’s Plan to Sharply Restrict Mail-In Voting
ProPublica’s reporting reveals for the first time the extent of the White House’s role in trying to dictate how mail-in ballots are processed, spurring behind-the-scenes drama that played out for near...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
MAJOR NEW SCOOP: The Untold Origins of Trump’s Plan to Sharply Restrict Mail-In Voting, by @jenafifield.bsky.social @peterelkind.bsky.social
propublica.org
The Untold Origins of Trump’s Plan to Sharply Restrict Mail-In Voting
ProPublica’s reporting reveals for the first time the extent of the White House’s role in trying to dictate how mail-in ballots are processed, spurring behind-the-scenes drama that played out for near...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Arizona Lawmaker Proposes More Federal Support for English Fluency Services @azluminaria.org
propublica.org
Arizona Lawmaker Proposes More Federal Support for English Fluency Services
Three new bills would fund literacy classes, dual-language programs and training for teachers of students learning English in the state, in hopes of remedying gaps highlighted by Arizona Luminaria and...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
NEW: Two Years After Hurricane Helene, People Are Still Allowed to Live in Harm’s Way, by @renlarson.bsky.social @theassemblync.bsky.social
propublica.org
Two Years After Hurricane Helene, People Are Still Allowed to Live in Harm’s Way
The aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and the floods in Texas’ Hill Country expose weaknesses in federal and state policies that allow people to live in dangerous areas where homes could...
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 27/09/2026
The Trump administration plans to sharply scale back fuel-efficiency rules for new cars and light trucks, gutting one of the government’s most significant efforts to reduce gasoline consumption and speed the transition to electric vehicles in the U.S.
nyti.ms
Trump Administration Plans to Gut Clean Car Rules
New fuel-economy standards, which President Trump said he finalized Saturday, would kill a federal effort to speed the transition to electric vehicles.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
“I came away from my betting mania with an overarching takeaway: that the “responsible gaming” prompts that were served to me were no match for the product design pushing me to do more gambling.”
propublica.org
I Deliberately Bet Like a Problem Gambler. DraftKings Made Me a VIP.
Amid growing public health concerns, operators like DraftKings have touted “responsible gaming” tools and prompts. But as I went off the deep end, I found they were no match for the incentives and pro...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
“I blew $1,800 in one night by chasing my losses with bigger bets, a classic sign of problem gambling. The next day, DraftKings invited me to audition for its VIP program.” By Jake Pearson, graphics by Chris Alcantara
propublica.org
I Deliberately Bet Like a Problem Gambler. DraftKings Made Me a VIP.
Amid growing public health concerns, operators like DraftKings have touted “responsible gaming” tools and prompts. But as I went off the deep end, I found they were no match for the incentives and pro...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Must read: I Deliberately Bet Like a Problem Gambler. DraftKings Made Me a VIP.
propublica.org
I Deliberately Bet Like a Problem Gambler. DraftKings Made Me a VIP.
Amid growing public health concerns, operators like DraftKings have touted “responsible gaming” tools and prompts. But as I went off the deep end, I found they were no match for the incentives and pro...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
We're in the middle of ProPublica's fall member drive. If you value the work we do, please consider making a donation: give.propublica.org/campaign/842...
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Aliyya Swaby @aliyyaswaby.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
ICYMI @paigepfleger.bsky.social and I found that some of Tennessee's existing prisons, run by businessman Jason Crews, failed to report abuse and other serious incidents to the state as required. www.propublica.org/article/wayn...
propublica.org
He Suffered Abuse in a Private Youth Jail. The Company Never Reported It.
Tennessee’s highest-security youth prisons are operated by a single private company. Former staff say they felt pressure to hide abuse and other serious incidents from the state and to handle medical ...
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