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Lynn Dombek

@lynndom.bsky.social
11K followers 244 following 115 posts

Research editor at www.propublica.org. Formerly led research teams at FirstLookMedia, the AP and Time Inc.

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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
ProPublica @propublica.org · 09/10/2026
Susan Collins claims that our 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.
propublica.org
Watch: We Uncovered Bribery Allegations Involving Susan Collins
In late 2024, FBI investigators had enough evidence to launch a sweeping bribery probe of politicians including Sen. Susan Collins — until Trump gutted the unit in charge. ProPublica has revealed the ...
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Molly Redden @mtredden.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Sen. Collins faced Troy Jackson last night in their Maine Senate debate. On stage, Collins inaccurately described ProPublica’s story about an FBI anticorruption investigation that probed the conduct of her & her staff until Trump’s DOJ shut it down. Let’s get into the facts…
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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
If we have some kind of financial crisis, we’re going to be in deep shit www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
"The federal government is lying to you." "The government has said that ICE does not zip tie or handcuff children." "They’ve denied engaging in racial profiling" "They’ve said the government is not wrongly arresting U.S. citizens." *We found the truth* projects.propublica.org/american-cit....
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
NEW FROM PP The Trump admin keeps denying immigration agents are grabbing Americans, so we tracked it 500+ Americans detained 70+ kids, some cuffed or zip-tied 60+ held after filming 36+ held for day+ w/o access to lawyer ~12 deported (yes, deported) projects.propublica.org/american-cit....
projects.propublica.org
More Than 500 U.S. Citizens Have Been Detained, Including Handcuffed or Held at Gunpoint, in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown — ProPublica
The government doesn’t track how often immigration officers detain U.S. citizens. So ProPublica did. We’ve found more than 500 Americans who were held against their will during this Trump administrati...
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Ken Schwencke @schwanksta.com · 06/10/2026
A year ago, @propublica.org told you immigration agents had detained more than 170 U.S. citizens. We’ve updated our count, and we’ve got all the receipts. The tally: At least 506 citizens detained. Sometimes held at gunpoint, handcuffed, or even deported. projects.propublica.org/american-cit...
projects.propublica.org
More Than 500 U.S. Citizens Have Been Detained, Including Handcuffed or Held at Gunpoint, in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown — ProPublica
The government doesn’t track how often immigration officers detain U.S. citizens. So ProPublica did. We’ve found more than 500 Americans who were held against their will during this Trump administrati...
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The federal government is lying to you. And we have the receipts. projects.propublica.org/american-cit...
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
Ken Schwencke @schwanksta.com · 06/10/2026
Last time we reported the 170 number, Kristi Noem denied the administration had detained any citizens. This time, we’re releasing the full list — and a host of video evidence — along with our story.
A screenshot of a ProPublica database showing incidents of citizens being detained A screenshot of videos showing US citizens being detained with a large number 506 at the bottom
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
ProPublica @propublica.org · 06/10/2026
The government *still* isn’t tracking how often immigration agents detain U.S. citizens. We are. 500+ Americans have been handcuffed, held at gunpoint or held against their will in Trump’s second term. Our tally is almost certainly an undercount. THREAD (content warning: violence) ⬇️
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
ProPublica @propublica.org · 06/10/2026
NEW: The Trump administration keeps denying and downplaying that immigration agents have been detaining Americans. It’s wrong. We’ve found more than 500 U.S. citizens have been held against their will, including handcuffed or held at gunpoint.
projects.propublica.org
More Than 500 U.S. Citizens Have Been Detained, Including Handcuffed or Held at Gunpoint, in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown — ProPublica
The government doesn’t track how often immigration officers detain U.S. citizens. So ProPublica did. We’ve found more than 500 Americans who were held against their will during this Trump administrati...
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
ProPublica @propublica.org · 04/10/2026
Of all the politicians Navatek’s CEO courted, Susan Collins was its most important patron. The senator’s office steered federal contracts worth millions toward the company while her campaign was pumping its CEO and his network for donations. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqyiFFB7Kjg
youtube.com
We Uncovered Bribery Allegations Against Susan Collins
YouTube video by ProPublica
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Lynn Dombek @lynndom.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Forget the Shushing. Librarians Have a Whole Lot to Say. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Librarians Discuss the Challenges and Triumphs of Running a Library Today
We asked dozens of them about America’s libraries — what they provide, what they need to survive. Here’s what they told us.
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
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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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
ProPublica @propublica.org · 02/10/2026
NEW: We’re reporters, not teachers. We have no business running a private school. But to show you just how easy it is to start one, we decided to test the process ourselves.
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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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
Malachy Browne @malachy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
NEW: U.S. Central Command will hold a conference on reducing civilian harm at its Tampa HQ this month. It follows multiple U.S. strikes that killed hundreds of civilians in Iran this year and in Yemen in 2025. W/ @johnismay.bsky.social @trbrtc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/u...
nytimes.com
Military Leaders Will Examine Ways to Limit Civilian Deaths in War (Gift Article)
U.S. Central Command will hold a daylong conference at its Tampa headquarters after seven months of war in Iran.
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
ProPublica @propublica.org · 01/10/2026
NEW on “Paper Trail”: Under Trump 2.0, the White House has often ignored Congress to carry out its agenda. Entire agencies, like USAID, have been gutted. ICE has grown explosively. Behind it all is one man: Russell Vought. 🎧 Listen to our latest episode:
propublica.org
Who’s the Shadow President?
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 30/09/2026
ProPublica-Texas Tribune reporter Zach Despart will take questions live from the r/politics Reddit community about his investigations on GOP senate candidate Ken Paxton. Join the conversation today at 2 p.m. CT: www.reddit.com/r/politics/c...
Reddit AMA: Ken Paxton's U.S. Senate bid. Ask reporter Zach Despart anything in r/politics. Our reporting shows that the Texas attorney general may have violated federal ethics and state election laws. Image: A bearded man wearing a green plaid shirt smiles as he holds up a sheet of paper that reads: AMA re: Ken Paxton. His U.S. Senate bid. Sept. 30, 2 p.m. CT. r/politics
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Lisa Song @lisalsong.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The proposed rule is from OMB, the office run by Russell Vought -- who has a history of opposing government efforts to expand access to voting.
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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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Lynn Dombek @lynndom.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
As a basketball fan myself, appreciate people following the women’s game. Jack Smith Testifies, a Senator’s Accusation of Perjury Falters www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/u...
nytimes.com
Jack Smith Defends Trump Charges as Senator’s Perjury Claim Falters
A Republican eager to prove the former special counsel was dishonest appeared to instead demonstrate his own confusion over basic facts.
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
ProPublica @propublica.org · 29/09/2026
According to several people involved, the Trump administration initially floated an idea that would have virtually shut down mail voting: requiring all ballots to be delivered exclusively through certified mail.
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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Joe Lawlor @joelawlorph.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Deeper dive into the topic of rural maternity wards closing in Maine and across the nation. Great photos by @pressherald.com Brianna Soukup @nationalpress.bsky.social www.pressherald.com?p=7728790&uu...
pressherald.com
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
ProPublica @propublica.org · 26/09/2026
NEW: ProPublica’s Jake Pearson lost $10,000 mimicking the betting patterns of a problem gambler on DraftKings to test the company’s “responsible gaming” safeguards. One week in, he was invited to become a VIP — and faced little pushback as he spiraled.
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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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
ProPublica @propublica.org · 26/09/2026
In response to our reporting, Susan Collins has mustered a defense that is full of incorrect and misleading claims. We’ve reviewed FBI evidence, examined thousands of pages of records and interviewed dozens of people. Here are the receipts.
propublica.org
ProPublica Debunks Susan Collins’ Claims About FBI Anti-Corruption Probe
ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until President Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series o...
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Portland Press Herald @pressherald.com · 24/09/2026
Will a weekend nor’easter be enough to bust the drought? Keith Carson explores
pressherald.com
Will a weekend nor’easter be enough to bust the drought? Keith Carson explores
All of Maine is in at least a moderate drought, with some coastal areas in severe drought. How much rain will it take to make dry conditions better?
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
ProPublica @propublica.org · 23/09/2026
NEW: ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series of incorrect and misleading claims.
propublica.org
ProPublica Debunks Susan Collins’ Claims About FBI Anti-Corruption Probe
ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until President Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series o...
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Lynn Dombek @lynndom.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
www.propublica.org/article/debu...
propublica.org
ProPublica Debunks Susan Collins’ Claims About FBI Anti-Corruption Probe
ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until President Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series o...
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
ProPublica @propublica.org · 23/09/2026
Vought holds one of the most powerful jobs in D.C., and he’s used his position to wage a quiet war to change the shape of the entire U.S. government. Here's what you should know about Trump’s shadow president. (Published Oct. 2025)
propublica.org
What You Should Know About Russ Vought, Trump’s Shadow President
Vought is the architect of President Trump’s broader plan to fire civil servants, freeze government programs and dismantle entire agencies. Here are some key things to know about the D.C. insider who ...
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
ProPublica @propublica.org · 23/09/2026
Have Your SNAP Benefits Ever Been Stolen? Help ProPublica Investigate. We need your help to report on EBT theft. Please share our flyer or this link with others in your community who’ve found their SNAP benefits disappeared: propub.li/3TH6xoa
Flyer titled "Were your SNAP benefits stolen?" Text reads: Have your SNAP benefits ever gone missing? You may have been a victim of EBT theft. ProPublica, an investigative newsroom, is reporting on the widespread issue of electronic benefit transfer theft. We want to know: How did this affect you? Did you report the issue and, if so, was anything done? What questions do you have about EBT theft? Share your experience. Fill out the form at propublica dot org slash ebt theft. Email reporters at safety net at propublica dot org. Background illustration shows a hand and a shadow hand below it reaching for a green grocery bag labeled SNAP.
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Lynn Dombek @lynndom.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Smart interview by @mainepublic.org 's @stevemistler.bsky.social with @mtredden.bsky.social on @propublica.org investigation into FBI's anti-corruption squad. www.mainepublic.org/politics/202...
mainepublic.org
ProPublica reporter shares key takeaways from investigative story involving Susan Collins
A new investigation is out today from the news site ProPublica about an ex-defense contractor’s allegations that he won millions in federal contracts by bankrolling the campaigns of powerful politicia...
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Reposted by Lynn Dombek
Josh Kaplan @josh-kaplan.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Blockbuster story about Susan Collins — a shocking, detailed window into the dark side of money in politics.
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Lynn Dombek @lynndom.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A careful and exacting reporting team at @propublica uncovered new details on this FBI investigation. 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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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
NYT has now independently corroborated all the major allegations against Susan Collins in the ProPublica report, including that investigators were prepared to move against her and then Trump intervened to shut it down. This put Trump in a position of exceptional and extortionate leverage over her.
nytimes.com
F.B.I. Shut Down Inquiry Into Top Ally of Senator Susan Collins
The inquiry was closed last year because senior bureau officials questioned the veracity of a campaign donor’s account, according to current and former officials.
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Matthew Gertz @mattgertz.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Rough day for Susan Collins in the local Maine press, where ProPublica's bombshell story is the lead story.
Screengrab from WNTWScreengrab from Maine PublicScreengrab from Portland Press HeraldScreengrab from Bangor Daily News
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Dr. Heather Hinam 🍁 🇨🇦 @secondnaturemb.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Sunrise song. You'll want the volume up for this one, but not too high. Every coyote within a half kilometre radius decided to make themselves known this morning while I was enjoying the sunrise from the kayak. A truly magical moment. #mammals 🌿
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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
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
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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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
NEW: In ‘24, the FBI sought to launch a sweeping bribery probe that could ensnare top lawmakers, including Sen. Susan Collins. Then Trump eviscerated the FBI & DOJ public corruption teams. ProPublica unearthed the investigation and you can read it 👇 www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 22/09/2026
11/ Even Navatek’s executives were surprised at how far their money went in D.C. “It was eye-opening for me, frankly. ‘Oh my God, all of it is for sale. It’s all for sale,’” former executive Eric Schiff said.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 22/09/2026
Sen. Susan Collins helped steer millions in federal defense contracts to Navatek, whose CEO illegally funneled thousands of dollars to her campaign. The FBI sought to launch a probe and was eyeing Collins and other lawmakers. Then Trump gutted the unit in charge. THREAD 🧵
Martin Kao, CEO of defense contractor Navatek, poses next to Sen. Susan Collins for a photo. Collins is holding a model of a boat in her hands. Behind them is a large sign with the Navatek logo.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 22/09/2026
NEW: In late 2024, FBI investigators had enough evidence to launch a sweeping bribery probe that could ensnare top lawmakers, including Sen. Susan Collins. Then Trump was reelected and eviscerated the FBI and DOJ teams handling public corruption probes.
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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ProPublica @propublica.org · 21/09/2026
Trump’s Arctic adviser has a social feed filled with foreign news accounts, sometimes from outlets sympathetic to Putin. In May, he reposted a video of Putin taken by Russian state media, an action a policy expert later called “super-loaded.”
propublica.org
How a MAGA Influencer With Ties to Russia Became Trump’s Arctic Adviser
As head of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, Thomas Dans has backed a takeover of Greenland and other items on President Donald Trump’s list. But it’s not always clear where the administration’s ag...
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Scott Nover @scottnover.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
BREAKING: TV pool will not be providing coverage of presidential events until further notice b/c of CNN's ban, pool chair and FOX News Washington Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton said. It's effectively a boycott by the fellow members — ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX: www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 20/09/2026
The Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration’s recent efforts to impose new rules on mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 midterms. Use our guide to catch up on what happened and what you need to know if you plan to vote by mail 👇
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Ambassador Ken Fairfax (ret) @portlandken.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The accounting is in: In Oregon there are 111 data centers. The TOTAL number of people employed at data centers is just 2,630, or 0.1% of the labor force. Those 100 data centers consumer 23% of all electricity used in Oregon. Meanwhile, electricity rates skyrocket as more centers are built.
opb.org
Oregon data centers by the numbers: 111 facilities consume nearly one-quarter of state’s power, according to new report
A first-of-its-kind report details the footprint of the controversial facilities.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 18/09/2026
NEW: Sports reporting is shrinking. But at ProPublica, we’re diving in. We won’t cover the games, but we’ll be keeping score — of which powerful people are winning, of who’s being hurt and of which systems can be held accountable.
propublica.org
Why ProPublica Is Leaning Into Sports Investigations
Sports is a wealthy, powerful industry. We’ll cover the system instead of the games. We’ll ask who’s responsible for some of its biggest problems and who’s preventing them from being fixed.
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The Bee Guy @thebeeguy.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
#theBeeAt3 Basic bee facts every day at 3pm. 39. Bumblebees have four wings. The two back wings are smaller and are usually attached to the bigger front wings by a row of hooks. This can sometimes lead to the mistaken impression that they only have two wings. #bees #bumblebees #nature #science
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 15/09/2026
NEW on “Paper Trail”: You may have heard that President Trump did not attend his eldest son’s wedding. But you know who did? A Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin. And he didn’t just attend the wedding — he bankrolled it. 🎧 Listen to how we found out:
propublica.org
The Russian Benefactor Who Funded Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 15/09/2026
NEW: Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, has launched an investigation into Donald Trump Jr.’s relationship with a Russian oligarch who paid for much of the president’s son’s Bahamas wedding earlier this year.
propublica.org
Top Oversight Dem Opens Investigation of Donald Trump Jr.’s Russian Oligarch-Funded Wedding
Rep. Robert Garcia said the revelations that Umar Kremlev had bankrolled the wedding raise “serious national security and public corruption concerns” and requested the president’s son provide financia...
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