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Eric Umansky

@ericumansky.bsky.social
24K followers 767 following 1.8K posts

Editor-at-Large @ProPublica. I ❤️ journalism and good trouble. Tips/ideas: eric.umansky@propublica.org and securely on Signal EricUmansky.04. More about me: www.propublica.org/people/eric-uman…

PostsRepliesMedia
Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 10h
The Plumber Who Saved 170 Souls. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/w...
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 11h
An aviation expert said FlyDubai's descent was so steep that it would have been unrecoverable after just five more seconds. So , the plumber who got in the pilot's seat saved everyone.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 20h
What a Gaza expert told Isaac Chotiner about his own family’s experience. www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...
I know that your wife and two of your kids were killed early on in the war.

Yeah. And later on, in July, 2025, my mother and my sister and her children were also killed. And when they were seeking refuge at my uncle’s house, he was killed, too, with his wife.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 20h
Among the items Israel still isn’t allowing into Gaza: Peanut butter. www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...
There are still a lot of constraints, even on food items like peanut butter. I was surprised to hear this directly from U.N. personnel, about peanut butter not being allowed into Gaza
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
cc @mayor.nyc.gov
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Love that FDNY ambles in and knows *exactly* what to do. Like, "Oh yeah, sigh, another one of these."
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
During first Trump admin, Republicans brought experts in to talk about expanding a tax loophole for "small" bizs. The experts said don't do it: “We noted that many of these ‘small’ businesses actually are not small." The Republicans did it $800 billion per decade www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/b...
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
"Nearly" doing MAJOR work here. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/u...
nytimes.com
‘Ready to Blow His Stack’: How Biden Nearly Cut Off Netanyahu Over Gaza
Brett McGurk, who was the top Middle East adviser to President Joseph R. Biden Jr., offered the first inside-the-room account of American efforts to manage the Gaza war.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
"Nearly" doing MAJOR work here. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/u...
nytimes.com
‘Ready to Blow His Stack’: How Biden Nearly Cut Off Netanyahu Over Gaza
Brett McGurk, who was the top Middle East adviser to President Joseph R. Biden Jr., offered the first inside-the-room account of American efforts to manage the Gaza war.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
“Pike was alive and loudly snoring after the attempted lethal injection and taken by ambulance from the prison.”
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
“Pike remained awake and at one point raised her head and asked prison officials if her arm was supposed to feel that way.” Sooner after: ”There was an announcement to escort media witnesses out of the area.” apnews.com/article/chri...
apnews.com
Tennessee governor halts executions after Christa Gail Pike survives lethal injection attempt
Media witnesses say Tennessee officials were unable to carry out the execution of Christa Gail Pike for a 1995 murder on Wednesday.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
She told an officer, “I can say with 100 percent confidence I was raped.” He cut it from the report. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/n...
nytimes.com
Statement Written by Police in Cornell Assault Case Omitted Her Claim She Was Raped (Gift Article)
Documents obtained by The New York Times show that the campus police at Cornell University sent a condensed statement to a prosecutor, who then declined to bring charges.
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
GATES: “.. I almost can’t believe you’re asking that.” @ezraklein.bsky.social @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/o...
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Annie Waldman @anniewaldman.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
NEW: As Trump’s White House and influencers keep touting the unproven benefits of raw milk, hundreds across the country are falling ill from outbreaks. Some people get severe indigestion. And some nearly die. Here's the story of one toddler who drank it. 🧵👇 www.propublica.org/article/cali...
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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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
ARE YOU DOUBTING THE NYT VISUAL INVESTIGATIONS TEAM??! Kinnah Horah!
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Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
You know that scene in The Godfather where Michael goes to the trattoria bathroom, retrieves a pistol, and shoots those 2 guys in the head? This is 100X better. Maybe more.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
And there is Jack Smith. At game in Maryland. PULITZER.
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Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
July 31: Susan Collins "says that by the end of August, body-worn cameras will be deployed nationwide and worn by all ICE agents in the field."
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
What we already know about the latest ICE shooting: Agents drove into Wilber Rafael Garces Perez’s car An agent fired at Garces Perez 4 times--while he was still in the car The agents didn't give Garces Perez immediate medical attention They didn't have body-cams www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/u...
nytimes.com
Videos Reveal New Details About ICE Shooting in Austin
A video analysis finds that a federal immigration officer was standing to the side of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez’s car when the officer apparently fired through the rear passenger window. But the even...
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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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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Last year, we detailed how immigration agents profiled and grabbed one citizen not once but twice. Then, they did it *again.* Now, a federal court has ordered agents to back the eff up. www.propublica.org/article/immi...
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Mike Levin @mikelevin.org · 21/09/2026
Don Jr. took hundreds of thousands of dollars from Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch close to Putin, for his extravagant wedding in the Bahamas. Now, we're told he paid it back.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Sorry, who’s she?
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Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Updated 5:18 PM EDT, September 20, 2026 @apnews.com: "The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer rammed the man’s car then got out of his federal vehicle and opened fire at least five times, said Mike Siegel, who represents Austin’s District 7."
apnews.com
ICE agent shoots and wounds man in Austin, Texas, officials say
A local official says a federal immigration agent has shot and wounded a man in Austin, Texas. City Councilmember Mike Siegel says the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer rammed the man’s car ...
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
So the man shot by ICE says agents shot him because he didn't stop his car. Officers can't shoot someone simply b/c they're not stopping -- per the SUPREME COURT. supreme.justia.com/cases/federa...
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Nicholas Slayton @nslayton.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
The US did large scale operations against the Houthis all of 2024 and March-May 2025. Two administrations. So many strikes. Houthis not only stayed in power they have been able to make major gains
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Corey Rayburn Yung @coreyryung.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
From the official Dept of Education account on X, an endorsement of Bo French's racist tweet about Indian students at a University of Texas football game. Just awful.
A photo of a Texas football game with a largely white audience shown and the caption "Make college football great again."
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
“At a court hearing in June, government lawyers left open the possibility that parents could be prosecuted for their role in their children’s medical care.” 🎁 www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/n...
nytimes.com
NYU Langone Ends Care for Trans Youth in Deal With Justice Department (Gift Article)
The major Manhattan hospital system agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle a federal inquiry into gender-transition treatments for adolescents.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The holdout juror hired a lawyer who "specializes in defamation litigation and has represented President Trump in lawsuits against CBS News and The New York Times." Also, the lawyer wrote that his client "supports our amazing leader, President Donald J. Trump" www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/u...
nytimes.com
Holdout Juror in Lindsay Clancy Case Says He Didn’t Doubt Her Guilt
The juror, Michael P. Desronvil, defended his decision not to join other jurors in voting for Ms. Clancy’s acquittal.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
You know what still matters: Facts, and the journalists who bring 'em. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Trump says son has paid back Russian for wedding party
The president defended Donald Trump Jr.’s decision to take a large gift from Umar Kremlev, saying that such presents are “common.”
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Missed this. 🤯 www.washingtonsun.com/health-scien...
washingtonsun.com
HHS Cancels Infant Mortality, Postpartum Grants to Focus on Sperm Counts, ED
Officials at the Office of Minority Health told grantees that they’re prioritizing “root causes” of infertility and promoting exercise.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Don Jr & his wife Bettina tried to knock down our story by being all: “The Putin 💙ing Russian dude didn’t pay for our wedding party. He paid for our *afterparty*” Which, i’m pretty sure there‘s no afterparty exception Also: Bettina wrote “Night 2. One love!” www.propublica.org/article/dona...
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
uuuuuuggghh. ty.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
dammit! otoh, maybe can invoke when i forget things.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
How you can go from small-town cop to federal agent, without training or a job interview. www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
The man said he and Moore were not required to attend basic training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers in Georgia because they had policing experience. Instead, the two sat in a room together and took an online ICE training program to learn about processing paperwork for people who were arrested.

A second former ICE deportation officer in Philadelphia said he was also hired without a job interview. The government sent him an email with a job title and location. He had 48 hours to accept and negotiated the start date via email.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Eh why would it be worse than the Boomers, and others?
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shauna @goldengateblond.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
to celebrate Don Jr’s engagement here he is proposing to his first wife Vanessa in a mall jewelry store in exchange for a comped ring nypost.com/2004/11/12/t...
two donald trump jrs stuffed in a trench coat performatively propose to his now ex-wife vanessa in a mall jewelry storetwo donald trump jrs stuffed in a trench coat performatively propose to his now ex-wife vanessa in a mall jewelry storetwo donald trump jrs stuffed in a trench coat performatively propose to his now ex-wife vanessa in a mall jewelry storetwo donald trump jrs stuffed in a trench coat performatively propose to his now ex-wife vanessa in a mall jewelry store
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Newspaper owned by one of world's richest men goes after SNAP...which gives families of four $996/month *in order to eat.* www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/int...
Medicare, Medicaid, the Earned Income Tax Credit and SNAP were the four government programs with the highest amount of improper payments in 2025. The GAO warns about improper payments in a report every year and makes recommendations for how to better safeguard programs, but these are generally ignored. An estimated 87 percent of able-bodied adults without dependents on SNAP in 2023 were not meeting the program’s work requirements. During the Biden administration, lax enforcement of standards for ACA premium subsidies turned them into magnets for fraudsters, with potentially 6 million people improperly signed up.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
“Generosity doesn’t automatically come with an agenda. And sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift.” -Bettina Anderson, Don Jr’s wife. This is the guy who was simply generous 👇🏻 www.propublica.org/article/dona...
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Left, “calming area“ at so-called Alligator Alcatraz. Right, North Vietnamese “tiger cage.”
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Kate Klonick @klonick.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
A good chronicle of things we already know but this little tidbit was new to me. Ht @rparloff.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/u...
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The Trace @thetrace.org · 12/09/2026
Balbir Singh Sodhi, a 52-year-old Sikh from India who “radiated love everywhere he went,” was planting flowers for 9/11 victims at his Chevron station when he was killed. Sodhi was one of at least 13 people shot in the aftermath of 9/11 by people seeking revenge for the attacks.
thetrace.org
The Forgotten Hate-Fueled Shootings in the Wake of 9/11
Several shootings driven by Islamophobia were obscured in the aftermath of that day. In a new analysis by The Trace, we revisit what happened.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
God bless France. Where running a marathon involves drinking wine, eating oysters, and doing this. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/w...
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
This headline-pair says so much. 25 years later.
25 Years After Towers Fell, 2,983 Names Still Echoing

In Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan, Al Qaeda Is Finding a Refuge
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 11/09/2026
AN URGENT EXCLUSIVE: Ahmed Soliman, the 30-year-old gay man ICE expelled in April to Equatorial Guinea, a country he has no ties to, was arrested this morning and cannot be located, his attorneys say. They fear he may be in one of EG's torture prisons. prospect.org/2026/09/11/i...
prospect.org
Immigrant Trump Sent to African Hotel Prison Arrested After Speaking With Media, Lawyers Say - The American Prospect
Ahmed Soliman’s attorneys fear he may have been sent to one of Equatorial Guinea’s notorious torture prisons.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
If he “re-does“ this deal, that’s it I’m done. www.nytimes.com/athletic/758...
nytimes.com
Trump calls Luka Dončić trade one of the worst in sports history, suggests Mavericks ‘redo’ deal (Gift Article)
Trump criticized the Mavericks' decision to swap Dončić for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Awesome!
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Great! What positions you hiring — or have hired?
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The Saudis gotta be loving the president rn www.nytimes.com/2026/09/09/b...
Chart of bad news for Saudis
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Eh, Iran just captured a fancy U.S. submarine drone... www.twz.com/sea/everythi...
twz.com
Everything We Know About The U.S. Navy's Submersible Drone Iran Just Captured
Anduril's Dive-LD uncrewed underwater vehicle falling into Iranian hands is significant, but the system was designed to be risked in contested waters.
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