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Tracy Jan

@tracyjan.bsky.social
8.8K followers 2.6K following 593 posts

Senior editor @propublica.org. Former Washington Post deputy health & science editor and race & economy reporter. Former Boston Globe national political reporter. www.propublica.org/people/tracy-jan

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Reposted by Tracy Jan
William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
In 2024 the former CEO of a defense contractor made a stunning confession to two FBI agents. He alleged that was the ringleader of a massive pay-to-play operation, bribing senators with campaign contributions in exchange for govt contracts. 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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Reposted by Tracy Jan
ProPublica @propublica.org · 10/09/2026
Sept. 21, 2020: Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Oneil Cruz is involved in a car crash in the Dominican Republic that kills three people. This is how Cruz avoided prosecution — with the help of a local fixer who would go on to become a Red Sox legend’s business partner. THREAD:
Oneil Cruz photographed in his Pittsburgh Pirates uniform. Credit: Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
IMPACT by @kqednews.kqed.org's Holly McDede: California lawmakers unanimously passed legislation to ensure that school administrators are informed about past accusations of misconduct against teachers as part of their hiring process. Next up: Awaiting signature of @governor.ca.gov
propublica.org
California Lawmakers Pass Bill to Punish Administrators Who Fail to Vet Teachers for Misconduct
The legislation resulted from a KQED-ProPublica investigation that found at least 14 educators were hired by new schools after their former employers determined they had sexually harassed students or ...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Rich’s interview with former death row inmate Jimmie Duncan has been a year and a half in the making. And what a read this is.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
U.S. District Court Judge Noël Wise wrote that the freedom to criticize our government & leaders is evidence of our democracy's strength. "That strength is diminished when members of our society — citizens & noncitizens alike — must self-censor & ‘behave’ or suffer the government’s retaliation.”
storage.courtlistener.com
Memorandum & Opinion – #108 in Stanford Daily Publishing Corporation v. Rubio (N.D. Cal., 5:25-cv-06618) – CourtListener.com
MEMORANDUM OF DECISION PURSUANT TO FED. R. CIV. P. 52(A)(1) signed by Judge Noël Wise on 8/28/2026. (akw, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 8/28/2026) (Entered: 08/28/2026)
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
@gporteous.bsky.social: "The reporters in our newsroom shouldn’t have to fear that writing a story will result in their deportation. Today’s victory means they won’t have to. The Court’s decision will enable our reporters to focus on what they do best: asking tough questions & reporting the truth."
stanforddaily.com
Stanford Daily wins free speech lawsuit against Trump admin
A federal judge found that the government’s actions against noncitizens violated the First Amendment and created a chilling effect in student newsrooms.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Proud of The Stanford Daily for challenging the Trump administration's immigration actions curtailing free speech rights of international students. We won. Thank you, @thefireorg.bsky.social! stanforddaily.com/2026/08/29/s...
stanforddaily.com
Stanford Daily wins free speech lawsuit against Trump admin
A federal judge found that the government’s actions against noncitizens violated the First Amendment and created a chilling effect in student newsrooms.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Brilliant criticism by @daniellepaquette.bsky.social! 🔥🔥🔥 www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/...
washingtonpost.com
What I learned about the American Dream from Europeans pretending to live in Ohio
The state of the American Dream looks very different from inside a role-playing event deep in the woods of Poland.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
This phenomenal @propublica.org investigation by Molly Hensley-Clancy will make your HEAD EXPLODE. And want to punch someone in the face. www.propublica.org/article/aau-...
propublica.org
This National Youth Sports Organization Is Failing to Protect Kids From Sexual Abuse
More than a decade after the Amateur Athletic Union promised to implement “historic child protection measures,” it still hasn’t done so, leaving hundreds of thousands of kids at risk. Some AAU athlete...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Join us for a free virtual @npcinstitute.bsky.social training on how to nationalize local health stories!
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Always read @richardawebster.bsky.social ! www.propublica.org/article/loui...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Read @richardawebster.bsky.social's latest investigation for @veritenews.org + @propublica.org's Local Reporting Network. LA's opposition to compensation claims include cases in which men were exonerated through DNA or blood evidence & others in which police are accused of fabricating evidence.
propublica.org
He’s Eligible for Up to $480,000 After Being Wrongly Imprisoned for 42 Years. The State Says No.
Elvis Brooks’ case was an egregious example of a wrongful conviction, civil rights attorneys said. But Louisiana’s attorney general maintains that Brooks and other exonerees are guilty — and therefore...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
His conviction was thrown out after a prosecutor admitted he had failed to turn over key fingerprint evidence. Eligible for up to $480K in state compensation, he hasn't received a cent. The Louisiana attorney general has opposed 22 of 23 compensation claims by wrongfully convicted people.
propublica.org
He’s Eligible for Up to $480,000 After Being Wrongly Imprisoned for 42 Years. The State Says No.
Elvis Brooks’ case was an egregious example of a wrongful conviction, civil rights attorneys said. But Louisiana’s attorney general maintains that Brooks and other exonerees are guilty — and therefore...
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Reposted by Tracy Jan
Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
The ACLU has just detailed hundreds of cases of misconduct by immig agents: -kneeling on necks 52x -Agents choking people 10x -smashing car windows 47x -ramming cars 14x -Hit people w/ car 6x Report repeatedly cites ProPublica's reporting B/c transparency takes a village--when the govt blocks it
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
State legislatures are setting aside more public money for private school vouchers, without meaningful oversight. Arkansas is so hands-off that it only requires private schools conduct fire drills, keep immunization records & have an American flag & a flagpole. Anyone is free to open a school.
propublica.org
This Private School Had Students Scrub Floors and Attack a Fellow Classmate. The State Still Funds It.
One of the few requirements for Arkansas private schools is that they have an American flag and a flagpole. But millions in state funds go to the largely unmonitored schools while complaints about saf...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Incredibly important reporting by @propublica.org's @jsmithrichards.bsky.social + @jodiscohen.bsky.social on how Arkansas taxpayers are funding private "schools" that abuse children instead of educating them.
propublica.org
This Private School Had Students Scrub Floors and Attack a Fellow Classmate. The State Still Funds It.
One of the few requirements for Arkansas private schools is that they have an American flag and a flagpole. But millions in state funds go to the largely unmonitored schools while complaints about saf...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Good for editors to dive back into deadline reporting! Don't miss @propublica.org + @kqednews.kqed.org's investigation cited by the Trump administration as it launches a national crackdown on how school districts handle accusations of sexual misconduct by teachers. www.propublica.org/article/cali...
propublica.org
He Was Fired for Sexually Harassing Students. California Allowed Him to Keep Teaching Anyway.
Math teacher Jason Agan was deemed “unfit to teach.” But the finding was never made public. This is how the state allowed him — and dozens of other educators found to have committed sexual harassment ...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
MUST READ @byelliesilverman.bsky.social's powerful story about the woman who the entire world thought it knew
notus.org
The Woman in the Photo Wanted to Be Alone. Instead, She Went Viral.
America saw what it wanted to see on the face of its newest icon. And everyone saw it wrong.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
MUST READ @richardawebster.bsky.social’s incredible coverage about Jimmie Duncan’s case for @propublica.org + @veritenews.org The former death row prisoner was recently freed by the Louisiana Supreme Court.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Neo-fascist group Patriot Front parades Confederate flag in Washington DC on Fourth of July
Hundreds of masked members of the white supremacist organization marched and chanted in the US capital
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
The always eloquent & brilliant @robingivhan.bsky.social: “I can barely tolerate the sight of red, white and blue. When combined into a maximalist display of nationalist cheerleading, the colors make my heart ache.”
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump Ruined the Fourth of July for Me
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
AmeriKKKa 250. This is the scene in DC today. July 4, 2026. How will Trump address this… Will Trump address this?
nbcwashington.com
Masked men with Confederate flags seen chanting, marching, riding Metro in DC
Masked men, some carrying white supremacist flags, were seen marching in Washington, D.C., on the Fourth of July.
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Reposted by Tracy Jan
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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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Oklahomans: Does YOUR water supply draw from a well located near an oil field wastewater injection operation? You can find out using our look up map. Just plug in your address, zip code or water system in the @propublica.org tool in this link: www.propublica.org/article/enid...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Oklahoma restricts oil field wastewater injection within a half-mile of public water wells to protect against pollution. Regulators have let companies do it anyway. @propublica.org + @readfrontier.bsky.social identified at least 114 injection wells in OK located that close to a public water well.
propublica.org
To Protect Its Drinking Water, This City Has to Appeal to the Oil Regulators That Put It at Risk
Oklahoma restricts oil field wastewater injection within a half-mile of public water wells. Regulators have let companies do it anyway. But in the city of Enid, officials are pushing back against one ...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Duncan’s prosecution “demonstrates we cannot be too careful in determining whether the death penalty should be implemented in cases such as this case because of the finality of the sentence and the impossibility of rectification,” Chief Justice John Weimer wrote in his opinion.
propublica.org
Louisiana Supreme Court Frees Death Row Prisoner, Calling Evidence Against Him “Scientifically Indefensible”
The decision affirms a lower court’s ruling nullifying Jimmie “Chris” Duncan’s 1998 first-degree murder conviction. Duncan was convicted based in part on forensic evidence that is now widely regarded ...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
“We now look back at those practices as asinine & absurd, since those who fell victim to those practices often did not survive, regardless of whether they were found guilty or innocent. The bite mark evidence . . . used in the trial against the accused has proven to be similarly specious.”
propublica.org
Louisiana Supreme Court Frees Death Row Prisoner, Calling Evidence Against Him “Scientifically Indefensible”
The decision affirms a lower court’s ruling nullifying Jimmie “Chris” Duncan’s 1998 first-degree murder conviction. Duncan was convicted based in part on forensic evidence that is now widely regarded ...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
In overturning Duncan's death row conviction, the chief justice of LA's Supreme Court compared the bite mark evidence used to prosecute him to “trial by water” tests used by witch-hunters in the 17th c. If they floated, they were considered witches. Those who “passed” by sinking often drowned.
propublica.org
Louisiana Supreme Court Frees Death Row Prisoner, Calling Evidence Against Him “Scientifically Indefensible”
The decision affirms a lower court’s ruling nullifying Jimmie “Chris” Duncan’s 1998 first-degree murder conviction. Duncan was convicted based in part on forensic evidence that is now widely regarded ...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Read @richardawebster.bsky.social's incredible investigation into the reliability of the key forensic evidence used to convict Duncan.
propublica.org
He Was Convicted Based on Allegedly Fabricated Bite Mark Analysis. Louisiana Wants to Execute Him Anyway.
Nine prisoners have walked free after evidence presented by members of a forensics team turned out to be wrong — yet one man still awaits execution based on their testimony.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Jimmie “Chris” Duncan is officially FREE following his 1998 murder conviction based in part on forensic evidence that is now widely regarded as junk science. Today's Louisiana Supreme Court decision follows a 2025 @propublica.org + @veritenews.org investigation by @richardawebster.bsky.social
propublica.org
Louisiana Supreme Court Frees Death Row Prisoner, Calling Evidence Against Him “Scientifically Indefensible”
The decision affirms a lower court’s ruling nullifying Jimmie “Chris” Duncan’s 1998 first-degree murder conviction. Duncan was convicted based in part on forensic evidence that is now widely regarded ...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Wonderful meeting so many local reporters + editors at #IRE26. I enjoyed hearing about your work & potential project ideas at @propublica.org's Local Reporting Network breakfast and look forward to reading your proposals soon. Our next DEADLINE is July 27! www.propublica.org/atpropublica...
propublica.org
Deadline Approaching for ProPublica’s 50 State Initiative — Fall 2026 Cohort
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Diabetes researchers ejected from conference after criticizing White House By @carolynyjohnson.bsky.social
washingtonpost.com
Diabetes researchers ejected from conference after criticizing White House
The scientists, including the editor of a leading journal, were handing out copies of an editorial criticizing the Trump administration’s handling of biomedical research.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
@kqednews.kqed.org reporter Holly McDede has been investigating teacher misconduct in California as a @propublica.org Local Reporting Network fellow. This is how she was able to obtain hundreds of misconduct complaints for insight into a teacher disciplinary system that's shrouded in secrecy.
propublica.org
I Got Access to Hundreds of Teacher Misconduct Complaints in California — and You Can Too
In her five years of investigating teacher misconduct in California schools, reporter Holly McDede learned an important lesson: What seems to be secret isn't always so — sometimes you just need to kno...
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Reposted by Tracy Jan
Jessica Lussenhop @jlussenhop.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
When my co-reporter Andy Mannix and I investigated a tip last year about child sexual abuse in an Old Apostolic Lutheran Church community in Minnesota, we had to ask — was this just an isolated incident? Today, Andy and @jeremykohler.bsky.social have some answers: www.propublica.org/article/old-...
propublica.org
In This Church, Child Sexual Abuse Has Gone Unchecked for So Long That It Spans Generations
The church's culture of forgiving and forgetting sins has absolved abusers and silenced victims across the country.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
About half of all Oklahomans live within a mile of an oil and gas site. A new documentary from @readfrontier.bsky.social + @propublica.org exposes the failure of state regulators to protect residents from a massive underground pollution crisis. Based on reporting by @nickbowlin.bsky.social
propublica.org
Toxic Ground: Inside Oklahoma’s Massive Oil Field Wastewater Crisis
Watch how a legacy of oil drilling and regulatory failure destroyed one Oklahoma family’s dream home and contaminated another family’s drinking water.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
And..... the film is out! WATCH here.
propublica.org
Toxic Ground: Inside Oklahoma’s Massive Oil Field Wastewater Crisis
Watch how a legacy of oil drilling and regulatory failure destroyed one Oklahoma family’s dream home and contaminated another family’s drinking water.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
@propublica.org journalism is a public service. We don’t have an owner or a corporate parent. We don’t rely on any gov't $. We are 100% independent. Our reporters chase down evidence of wrongdoing & expose what’s happening behind the scenes so that the facts can lead to real change. Support us!
give.propublica.org
Donate to ProPublica
Donate today to support ProPublica's singular mission: to produce deep-dive, well-researched, nonpartisan journalism that spurs real-world change.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
“Pro life.” Except when it comes to the life of the mother. MUST READ this @propublica.org dive into how Arkansas’ abortion ban — not best practices or medical training — guided these doctors’ choices.
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Reposted by Tracy Jan
ProPublica @propublica.org · 27/05/2026
NEW: Three U.S. senators have called for an overhaul of federal agents’ use of tear gas and pepper spray, citing a ProPublica investigation that found at least 79 children were hurt by these chemicals during Trump’s immigration crackdown.
propublica.org
U.S. Lawmakers Demand Reforms to Immigration Officers’ Use of Tear Gas and Pepper Spray
A ProPublica investigation found that scores of children were hurt by these chemicals during President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Lawmakers say the findings show more restrictions are neede...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
IMPACT: Within days of @propublica.org + @kqednews.kqed.org's investigation on how a California teacher fired for sexual harassment & deemed "unfit to teach" was allowed to keep teaching at 2 more schools, Redwood City has replaced Jason Agan & launched a 3rd party review of its hiring practices.
propublica.org
California Teacher Previously Fired for Sexual Harassment Is No Longer in the Classroom After New Complaints
A KQED-ProPublica report revealed how Redwood City teacher Jason Agan was allowed to keep his credentials despite being deemed “unfit to teach.” Now he’s been replaced by a substitute for the remainde...
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Reposted by Tracy Jan
Jessica Lussenhop @jlussenhop.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
CALIFORNIA! ProPublica is hiring a SENIOR EDITOR to head up our 6th regional bureau. Apply here: job-boards.greenhouse.io/propublica/j...
job-boards.greenhouse.io
Senior Editor, California
California, United States
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
As Louisiana lawmakers weigh spending more on prisons & less on education, @propublica.org + @veritenews.org show how Gov. Landry's tough-on-crime policies have changed the prison population & budget since he took office 2 yrs ago By @richardawebster.bsky.social + @charles-maldonado.bsky.social
propublica.org
Louisiana’s Tough-on-Crime Policies Stand to Cost Taxpayers Millions More for Years to Come
The governor’s office has dismissed experts’ concerns that his criminal justice rollbacks could swell the prison population and plunge the state into financial disaster. We analyzed how his policies h...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
When the Boarmans’ water turned toxic, state oil regulators delayed key tests that could find a source of contamination. The OCC didn’t tell the couple for over a month that tests showed their drinking water was contaminated with high levels of barium. www.propublica.org/article/okla...
propublica.org
Salty, Oily Drinking Water Left Sores in Their Mouths. Oklahoma Refused to Find Out Why.
State regulators discovered strong signs of oil pollution, including high levels of salt and toxic metals, in one family’s drinking water. But for two years, they repeatedly delayed basic tests to fin...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Here is @nickbowlin.bsky.social + @propublica.org filmmaker Katie Campbell’s story about the Meredith family www.propublica.org/article/okla...
propublica.org
Oily Sludge Is Flooding Their Dream Home. Oklahoma Regulators Say They Can’t Help.
The Merediths were forced to abandon their house after it filled with black goo, reaching gas concentrations at explosive levels. Despite evidence of oil and gas pollution, the state “wanted to act li...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Mitch & Kara Meredith and Chris & Tammy Boarman are demanding accountability from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the state’s oil and gas regulators, after oilfield pollution destroyed their home and contaminated their drinking water.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
“Toxic Ground” will be available to the public for free on YouTube in early June!
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
It’s happening! Tulsa screening of “Toxic Ground,” a @propublica.org + @readfrontier.bsky.social documentary, tonight! Featuring the Meredith family and other Oklahomans impacted by oil and gas pollution. www.propublica.org/article/okla...
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
I got to know @tab-delete.bsky.social as journalism director on The Stanford Daily board when Theo was a freshman investigating university president Marc Tessier-Lavigne for allegations of data manipulation in research that the famed neuroscientist oversaw. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/b...
nytimes.com
The Secret Elite One Freshman Discovered at Stanford
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
@vanessahua.bsky.social was my features editor at The Stanford Daily and we've been friends ever since. LOVED ALL her previous novels and collection of short stories. Brought "Coyoteland" with me to Tulsa. www.kqed.org/arts/1398924...
kqed.org
Review: Vanessa Hua’s ‘Coyoteland’ and the Territorial East Bay | KQED
Set in the East Bay hills, Vanessa Hua’s new novel finds animals — and humans — engaged in turf war.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Sad to be out of town & missing BOTH @tab-delete.bsky.social's DC book party for the release of his first book, "How To Rule The World," as well as @vanessahua.bsky.social's Baltimore reading for her third novel, "Coyoteland," TONIGHT. Theo & Vanessa are Stanford Daily alumni, decades apart.
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