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Al Shaw

@shaw.al
17K followers 725 following 315 posts

developer / reporter / map maker at ProPublica • dm me on signal: ashaw.01 • also at: @a_l@mastodon.social • he/him 🔗 shaw.al

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Reposted by Al Shaw
Earthling Maps @earthlingmaps.com · 28/09/2026
Earthling Maps v2 is live! There's a ton of user interface updates and long-awaited features ready to use. We're especially excited about clipping a part of the world to a geography. Dig into all that, and the importance of map projections, in our latest post: www.earthlingmaps.com/updates/un-v...
earthlingmaps.com
Earthling Maps | The UN votes for Equal Earth and so can you
Choosing map projections for accuracy, and Earthling Maps v2
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Moira Donegan @moiradonegan.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
ProPublica got the literal check Collins was bribed with.
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 17/09/2026
Apple should take a page out of the sneaker company handbook. Just like you can get a Gel-Kayano 33 or a Gel-Kayano 14 new in 2026, you should be able to get an iPhone 18 or an iPhone 5 today.
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 15/09/2026
In every AppleTV show, the computers are beige boxes with green text on black screens and permanently live on desks. Really makes u think
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 15/09/2026
AI is less the nuclear bomb of the internet and more the invasive English ivy, black mustard and scotch broom of the internet... endlessly reseeding itself, snuffing out native species and increasing wildfire risk.
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 29/08/2026
missing January, 2022 when this toot would have been funny
Screenshot of wikipedia saying, "ChatGPT is a generative AI chatbot developed by OpenAI. Originally released on November 30, 2022"
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Floodlight @floodlightnews.org · 27/08/2026
NEW: Thermal drone footage shows the Microsoft-backed DataOne AI data center in Vineland, NJ is running dozens of gas generators. None of them have permits. A Floodlight visual investigation with @us.theguardian.com:
floodlightnews.org
One of East Coast’s largest data centers accused of ‘violating federal law’
Thermal drone footage shows DataOne — the Microsoft-backed AI data center in Vineland — is powering its operations with dozens of unpermitted generators
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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton supported so many important causes, among them donating a million dollars to COVID vaccine research early in the pandemic, which saved millions of lives. She will always be remembered as a champion of the people.
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Washington-Baltimore News Guild @wbng.org · 24/08/2026
VICTORY: The Guild @postguild.bsky.social wins reinstatement for @washingtonpost.com columnist @karenattiah.bsky.social in wrongful termination arbitration, underscoring the protections collective bargaining agreements provide workers against retaliatory discipline ✊ wbng.org/news/karen-a...
wbng.org
The Guild wins reinstatement for Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah in wrongful termination arbitration
F
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Reposted by Al Shaw
ProPublica @propublica.org · 18/08/2026
On Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 4 p.m. ET, join ProPublica’s Mark Olalde and environment journalists @scribeguy.bsky.social, Tony Briscoe and @halleparker.bsky.social to discuss the unprecedented rollback of the Clean Air Act and what it means for public health in urban and rural communities nationwide.
events.propublica.org
Clean Air Act: Dismantling One of the Country’s Bedrock Environmental Laws
Join us for a discussion about the rollback of the Clean Air Act and what it means for public health in communities across America.
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Reposted by Al Shaw
404 Media @404media.co · 17/08/2026
SCOOP: 404 Media placed a tracking device in a shipment of rare books to see which AI company was buying it. What did we find? It ended up at an Amazon facility where Amazon scans and destroys books. Yes. This is literally the logo outside the Amazon warehouse door. Read now:
404media.co
We Tracked a Shipment of Rare Books. It Ended at an Amazon AI Training Facility
We placed a tracking device in a shipment of rare books to see which AI company was buying it, and found an Amazon facility where Amazon scans and destroys books.
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Grist @grist.org · 14/08/2026
The EPA’s data on cancer risk from air pollution has gone dark
dlvr.it
The EPA’s data on cancer risk from air pollution has gone dark
For decades, communities have relied on the agency's cancer risk estimates to hold polluters accountable. This year, it's missing.
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 12/08/2026
🎵 It's a total eclipse of the R-160 🎵
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 31/07/2026
Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Robert Simmon @rsimmon.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
This is a fantastic essay. Read it If you have any interest in satellite imagery. “Who to Trust, Google or the Russian MoD? In 2015, that was a rhetorical question. Not anymore.” By @henkvaness.bsky.social
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 27/07/2026
Congress appropriated billions of dollars for new transit projects. Why is the Trump administration spending none of it? Why are even transit projects in red states going unfounded? New reporting in @nytimes.com (gift link): www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/u...
New capital investment grants signed by administration
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Defector @defector.com · 17/07/2026
"Some matches required planning an entire day in advance: finding a screen, securing electricity, arranging an internet connection, and deciding where it would be safest to gather."
defector.com
What It's Like To Watch The World Cup From Gaza | Defector
The original version of this article was published in The Nation on July 13. When I first heard the 2026 World Cup was about to begin, I barely paid attention. This was partially because of the…
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Justin Case @punchnazisitsokay.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Corey Johnson @coreygjohnson.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Please see my latest: Brendan Carr and his wife sat in CEO David Ellison's private skybox at the Kennedy Center months after voting for Paramount's merger. Such seats sold for $125,000 a seat. Carr has accepted $63,000 in tickets from CBS or its parent since 2017 www.propublica.org/article/para...
propublica.org
FCC Officials Took Pricey Gifts From Paramount as the Company Needed Approval for Billion-Dollar Deals
Accepting tickets to the Kennedy Center honors gala compromised the commissioners’ impartiality, ethics experts told ProPublica. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has been gifted at least $63,000 worth of ticket...
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 15/07/2026
Lotta smoke heading into NYC tonight
HRRR-CONUS run of surface smoke @ July 16, 2026 at 1am showing swath of smoke running from northern Michigan and Ontario down through NY, eastern PA and NYC.
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Reposted by Al Shaw
ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 15/07/2026
Reporter Lisa Song says that it “just doesn’t make sense” for ProPublica management to require a rigid RTO policy. Our members work long hours and need a flexible RTO policy to do their best work.
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Matt DeLong @mattdelong.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Not great! www.startribune.com/boundary-wat...
Star Tribune live blog headline: 

DNR: Fires could burn 'until we have snow'

Post: 

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Sarah Strommen said officials "expect to be at these fires for quite some time."

"We are not seeing relief in the weather ... and we are dry across the state," Strommen said.

DNR Forestry Division Director Patty Thielen said Minnesota could see fires throughout the summer "until we have snow."
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 10/07/2026
Putting this up against the live tracker of where the Tour de France is right now and hoo boy
Screenshot: left, current location of the Tour de France peloton, right: screenshot of Reuters climate monitor showing today's high of 96F, 17.1F above normal in the same location.
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Rachel Holliday Smith @rachelholliday.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
if you want to fight back against these forces in your personal media diet, try as much as you can to visit, share and support your favorite and beloved publishers DIRECTLY (sign up for a newsletter, visit their homepage, etc.) and financially support them if you can
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Evan Simko-Bednarski @simko-bednarski.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
"The UCI banned ice socks ahead of the start of the race on the logic that they illegally alter a rider's aero profile. You can't be aerodynamic if you're dead, so every team in the race is flouting the ban"
defector.com
The Tour de France's Infernal Present Portends Its Impossible Future | Defector
SAINT-GAUDENS, France — On Monday morning, the Tour de France’s media-wranglers sent us all a text announcing something genuinely shocking for such a French organization: They had banned smoking. The ...
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Mica Rosenberg @micarosenberg.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
In a first-of-its-kind analysis, my colleague @jeffernsthausen.bsky.social and I found that young people living in the U.S. who entered as unaccompanied minors, like Elder, are being detained and deported at about 3x the rate as during the final years of the first Trump presidency 2/
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 02/07/2026
Happy Birthday, America. Once again, the OPM FOIA portal is down.
Error message on the OPM FOIA portal:  Something went wrong while processing your action. Please contact admin@ains.com for assistance if the problem persists.
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Reposted by Al Shaw
The New York Groove @nygroove.nyc · 02/07/2026
"But since Gotti’s done, we haven't had a dead body. It's a little boring, to be honest. I always look for the body. What do I look for now? Dead fish?" nygroove.nyc/guardian-of-...
nygroove.nyc
11 Questions with the 'Guardian of Jamaica Bay'
90-year-old Don Riepe has been watching over the city's wildest places for decades, and has some wild stories too
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 02/07/2026
House Democratic subcommittee report outlines web of alleged corruption, wire fraud and pay-to-play schemes
theguardian.com
Trump hijacked US’s 250 anniversary to serve ‘political ideology and pet projects’, congressional report says
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Reposted by Al Shaw
ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 01/07/2026
Ruth Talbot works on the news apps team at ProPublica: “I work with absolutely incredible, driven, dedicated, talented people here, who I trust to get their work done wherever works best for them.” Support our fight for an RTO policy that preserves flexibility: www.propublicaguild.org
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Ken Schwencke @schwanksta.com · 01/07/2026
🚨 We analyzed the Supreme Court’s decisions over the past 20 years and found that for the first time, the court issued more consequential rulings on its “shadow docket” (unsigned orders often decided without arguments) than the traditional merits docket. www.propublica.org/article/supr...
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 30/06/2026
A seniority-based layoff system is the cornerstone of most union contracts and it ensures the company can't use layoffs as a shortcut around Just Cause, but @propublica.org management still isn't agreeing to this basic protection. Support us 👇
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Donald Trump came one vote away from getting the Supreme Court to say that the 14th Amendment does not guarantee birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented and temporary immigrants, a view held only by fringe far-right nativists until VERY recently. This is shocking. I am stunned.
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 30/06/2026
Even though injection wells are banned within a half-mile of public water wells in Oklahoma, we found 114 of them across the state, within public water districts more than 300k people rely on.
Screenshot of an interactive map of Oklahoma titled, "Does your Oklahoma water system has oil field wastewater wells near public drinking water wells." The map shows the outlines of public water systems and a search box to enter an address, ZIP code or name of a water system in the state.
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 28/06/2026
Lots of good times at The Big A, but I'll never forget putting $2 on Red Hot Tweet (cc: @jacquilough.bsky.social )
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Patrick Sauer @pjsauer.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
The last run for the Queens roses is today at 5:44pm post. THE BIG A IS DEAD LONG LIVE THE BIG A enjoy my last ride below if you please…
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Defector @defector.com · 26/06/2026
Would you eat this guy? What if he were God, or a baby?
defector.com
Would You Eat This Guy? What If He Were God, Or A Baby? | Defector
Imagine you are seated at a table. A guy sits across from you. He is vaguely humanoid, with a long torso and two arms raised in fist-like clubs. His full name is Edible Agent, but we will call him…
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Reposted by Al Shaw
ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 24/06/2026
ProPublica events manager Rocio Ortega has taken on Uber Eats and DoorDash deliveries to make ends meet. This shouldn’t be any of our workers’ financial reality. We need a contract that guarantees all our members fair pay: www.propublicaguild.org
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Andrea Suozzo @andreasuozzo.com · 24/06/2026
May is a big tax deadline month for nonprofit orgs, so we just posted 163k new 990 filings to Nonprofit Explorer. Have at it, nerds (complimentary)! projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/
projects.propublica.org
Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica
Since 2013, the IRS has released data culled from millions of nonprofit tax filings. Use this database to find organizations and see details like their executive compensation, revenue and expenses, as...
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Steven Romalewski @sromalewski.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Solid support for Rep. Espaillat in NY13 in upper Manhattan and the Bronx portion of the district, but not strong enough. We'll have to do a separate turnout map for this district (number of votes per ED).
NY13 June 2026 95pct
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Steven Romalewski @sromalewski.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Wow - NY7 unofficial results below.
NY7 June 2026 90pct scanners
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 24/06/2026
Shout out to the @hellgatenyc.com election night livestream for reporting live from a citibike between the two Jessicas' HQ parties
Nick Pinto reports from a Citibike on the Hell Gate livestream
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Daily News Union @nydnunion.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
This looks like an endorsement, but its not -- the wood of the Daily News should not be for sale! Our staff was mortified to wake up to a front page covered by a deceptive political ad for two days straight. Shame on Heath Freeman and Alden for selling our good name for a buck.
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Climate.us @climate.us · 23/06/2026
Climate.us is live. Built by members of the team behind Climate.gov, this new independent nonprofit website keeps trusted climate information easy to find, easy to use, and harder to erase. #ClimateForUs #ClimateUS
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ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 23/06/2026
“I have heard from our managers at ProPublica that they don’t intend to replace us with AI. And that’s great. But we’re gonna need that in writing.” This is why we’re fighting for protections against artificial intelligence:
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ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 22/06/2026
It’s been three years since we formed our union. We still don’t have a contract. Over the next few weeks, you’ll be hearing from us — the workers of @propublica.org — on why this contract is so important and the issues about which we care deeply.
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michael h keller @mhkeller.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
We did a massive data-collection-and-joining effort combined with statistical modeling to estimate that about 200 to 400 pedestrians are dying each year who otherwise would have survived if vehicles were about the same size as they were around 20 years ago. Cumulatively, that's thousands of deaths.
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Al Shaw @shaw.al · 18/06/2026
Ok, but has anyone made a shirt with the orange seats and then in blue it says bing bong? I would buy that.
thecityreporter.nyc
Straphanger Nostalgia: NYC Transit Museum Hosts ‘Ode to the Orange Seats’
The New York Transit Museum’s “Ode to the Orange Seats” will eulogize the soon-to-be retired sunset-colored bucket subway seats of yore.
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Reposted by Al Shaw
Hell Gate *subscribe today!* @hellgatenyc.com · 11/06/2026
"To fully appreciate the scope of the Knicks' comeback, New Yorkers cannot forget the miasma that awaited the team before they even took the floor, thanks to their billionaire owner and his coterie of vulgar vampiric quarter-zips, who nearly doomed everything." hellgatenyc.com/knicks-overc...
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