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Vernal

@vernalcoleman.bsky.social
1.6K followers 88 following 23 posts

Chicago-based ProPublica Reporter covering the Midwest. Reach me at vernal.coleman@propublica.org or on Signal: vcoleman91.99

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Reposted by Vernal
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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SiriusXM Urban View @urbanviewradio.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
10 years ago today, former NFL QB Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem, explaining that he was protesting against police violence in America. #UrbanViewMornings
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Jessica Lussenhop @jlussenhop.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
What the FUCK IS GOING ON www.nytimes.com/2026/08/26/m...
nytimes.com
Tim Curry, Star of ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ Dies at 80
The actor’s gift for garish eccentricity was indelibly appropriate for the outlandish, cross-dressing mad scientist Frank-N-Furter.
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Lisa Song @lisalsong.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
"In any Idaho household not steeped in faith-healing, those two deaths would be investigated as crimes." Guess what happened to the families who belong to faith-healing sects. Absolutely outrageous story by @audreydutton.bsky.social
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Mr. Chau @srirachachau.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
If you haven't seen it, you need to watch the ep of Tales from the Crypt where Tim Curry plays a whole scary family
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Vernal @vernalcoleman.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Got frustrated by AI slop, so here’s an appreciation post for human news illustrators. Out of all the mag stories I ever wrote, this design is my favorite. My old AD tells a story about a teen local legend in one image that took me 3,000 words. If you have your own favorite, share it in the comments
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ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 26/06/2026
“Those of us in ‘low cost of living’ areas are effectively paying an annual penalty for doing this work in under-chronicled corners of the country,” says Midwest reporter Anna Clark. We deserve a contract with fair pay.
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Vernal @vernalcoleman.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
In the next few weeks there’s gonna be a distracting crush of hosannas re: Messi’s last World Cup campaign, but this sobering look at abuses within Argentina‘s youth soccer system is worth attention.
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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
NEW: For its IPO, SpaceX banned Chinese investors because of the nat’l security risks. As a private company, it took China-based investment. @justinelliott.bsky.social, @josh-kaplan.bsky.social: www.propublica.org/article/spac...
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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
holy shit????? ICE is getting rid of seven of the 11 would-be concentration camp warehouses they purchased and sec. mullin indicates new mass detention centers are not priority. huge!
nytimes.com
ICE Spent $700 Million on 7 Warehouses. Now It Wants to Get Rid of Them.
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Vernal @vernalcoleman.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Mans is out here talking cash to hide the upset over being castoff for someone younger, while “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt plays on a loop in his head.
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Awful Announcing @awfulannouncing.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Mamdani just shouted out Charles Oakley with Dolan sitting right behind him
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Vernal @vernalcoleman.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Somewhere in Europe someone who hates immigrants and diversity is steaming mad that a guy named Ruben Vargas is starring for the Switzerland national football team, and that makes me laugh.
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Sydney Brownstone @sydbrownstone.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Today, the first episode of an eight-part podcast series with @npr.org looking at what really happened to Antonio Mays Jr. is here. Listen to “We Keep Us Safe” wherever you get your podcasts: www.npr.org/2026/06/11/n...
npr.org
We Keep Us Safe: Who Killed Antonio Mays Jr.? : Embedded
EPISODE 1: When 16-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. was shot and killed inside Seattle's CHOP protest zone in 2020, protesters claimed self-defense. For years, that version of events went unchallenged. Repor...
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Anna Clark @annaleighclark.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
“‘They can do whatever they want and you have to forgive them.’” Stunning story on generational abuse, stretching across borders, by Andy Mannix + @jeremykohler.bsky.social in @propublica.org
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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Vernal @vernalcoleman.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
My latest: This Gun Shop Stayed Open Despite Repeated Violations. Then a Chicago Cop Was Killed With One of Its Guns. www.propublica.org/article/rang...
propublica.org
This Gun Shop Stayed Open Despite Repeated Violations. Then a Cop Was Killed With One of Its Guns.
The Indiana store is one of several Range USA locations that faced losing its license for breaking rules designed to deter illegal sales. Now the Trump administration is weakening penalties for failin...
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Melissa Sanchez @melissa-sanchez.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
DHS officials have insisted children were not zip-tied during the midnight raid in Chicago. But a 16-year-old boy says he and his mom were zip-tied outside the apartment building. DHS called that an “abject lie.” www.propublica.org/article/chic...
propublica.org
Immigrants Detained in Chicago Military-Style Raid Seek Millions in Damages
New accounts from 17 men, women and children taken in a midnight raid paint a violent, terrifying portrait of the federal agents’ alleged actions. These descriptions form the basis of claims filed thi...
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Jessica Lussenhop @jlussenhop.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
🎧 It's launch day! 🚀 Our VERY FIRST EPISODE of "Paper Trail" is now live. You can listen at the link below or subscribe in all the normal podcast places: www.propublica.org/podcast/what...
propublica.org
What the FDA Won’t Tell You About Your Medications
For years, the FDA said generics are just as safe as brand-name medications. ProPublica found that this isn’t always true.
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Jessica Lussenhop @jlussenhop.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
👋Hi! I’m Jessica Lussenhop, and for the last 4 years, I served as ProPublica’s first Minnesota-based reporter. But now I’ve got big news: On May 14, ProPublica is launching a brand new podcast! It’s called “Paper Trail,” and I’ll be your host. Thread 🧵
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Duaa Eldeib @deldeib.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
This was a hard story to report. Newborns who don’t get a vitamin K shot are 81 times more likely to develop a condition where they bleed uncontrollably. But more and more families are declining the shot. And babies are dying. www.propublica.org/article/more...
propublica.org
Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth
A lifesaving injection given at birth to prevent severe bleeding has become collateral damage of the anti-vaccine movement.
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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
A good time to say that when I worked at ProPublica, we did not have a fair & transparent disciplinary system. I know because I got a negative performance review NOT written by my supervisor. The person who wrote it then avoided talking to me for months, isolating me w/ no real options. Bad stuff!
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ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 08/04/2026
“We're fighting for fair pay because people deserve to be able to afford to stay in the jobs that they love. We're fighting for protections around AI because this work is done by humans. We love this place. We believe in this work, and we are not backing down.” — Katie Campbell, video journalist
A woman wearing a "ProPublica Guild" shirt is interviewed with a microphone.
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The NewsGuild-CWA @newsguild.org · 08/04/2026
🚨 ON STRIKE 🚨 Unionized staff at ProPublica @propublicaguild.org walked off the job today. Stand with workers: DO NOT cross the picket line. That means no visiting ProPublica's website, social media or engaging with its content today.
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D. Patrick Rodgers @dpatrickrodgers.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Ten years ago today, we lost one of the best to ever do it. Jim Ridley was my boss, my editor, my mentor and my buddy. Here's a collection of some of his greatest hits. Maybe consider reading a bit of that if you find time today. Or better yet, perform a random act of kindness for someone.
nashvillescene.com
The Scene Turns 30: Jewels of Jim
Scene writers past and present remember Jim Ridley’s greatest hits
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Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
I take no pleasure in saying that I and my @propublicaguild.org colleagues are on strike. It shouldn't have come to this and i can only hope that seeing the overwhelming majority of staff walk out today opens management's eyes and convinces them we're serious about our demands.
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ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 08/04/2026
We’re on strike today! Support our fight for a fair contract by NOT visiting the @propublica.org website or engaging with ProPublica stories today. Tell ProPublica’s management you won’t cross the picket line: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
We're on strike! Don't visit propublica.org on April 8
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ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 19/03/2026
1/ Today, we overwhelmingly voted to authorize a STRIKE as we fight for a fair contract with @propublica.org.
A graphic reads “92% of participating ProPublica Guild members voted YES to authorize our bargaining committee to call for a strike.” The “92%” is very large. A ProPublica Guild logo is under the text.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
NEW: Under Trump, mental health care for vets is getting squeezed VA is bleeding shrinks & *not replacing them* One told me she's so overloaded her sessions can be *16 mins* She's had to online sessions w/ 35 vets How is that therapeutic? It's not, she said www.propublica.org/article/vete...
propublica.org
Veterans Who Depend on Mental Health Care Keep Losing Their Therapists Under Trump
Hundreds of mental health professionals have left the Department of Veterans Affairs since President Donald Trump took office, leaving staff “at a breaking point” and some veterans waiting as long as ...
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
This is how Trump's short-staffing of VA mental health is hurting *vets*: -They keep losing therapists -Their calls for therapy get ignored -Their therapy is cut in half www.propublica.org/article/vete... By @vernalcoleman.bsky.social @tophersanders.bsky.social @joelanderson.bsky.social and me
propublica.org
Veterans Who Depend on Mental Health Care Keep Losing Their Therapists Under Trump
Hundreds of mental health professionals have left the Department of Veterans Affairs since President Donald Trump took office, leaving staff “at a breaking point” and some veterans waiting as long as ...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
An extraordinary new series by @gingerthompson.bsky.social w/ Doris Burke: Sick in a Hospital Town Read part one: The Business of Care As Phoebe Memorial Grew, the Health of Albany, Georgia, Declined
projects.propublica.org
Sick in a Hospital Town, Part 1: The Business of Care
Welcome to Albany, Georgia, where one hospital dominates the political and economic landscape. The story of Phoebe Putney Memorial is the story of American health care.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 29/11/2025
📽️ WATCH: Our reporting has shown that recent policy changes at the VA are having an impact on working conditions and on patient care, but we need your help to understand the full picture. If you recently left the VA, here’s how you can reach us: propub.li/4oz9bWL
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Vernal @vernalcoleman.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
@seattletimes-rss.bsky.social Found this in a secondhand bookstore in Mexico City. Extremely belated congratulations on some very fine work.
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Nicole Foy @nicolefoy.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Citizens, crying kids, pregnant women, people who aren't the target...it doesn't seem to matter who's inside the car when immigration officers want to make an arrest. They smash the window anyway @mckenziefunk.com & I tracked these arrests all over the U.S. projects.propublica.org/trump-ice-sm...
projects.propublica.org
Bloodied Faces, Sobbing Children: Immigration Officers Smash Car Windows to Speed Up Arrests
We’ve documented nearly 50 incidents of immigration officers shattering car windows to make arrests — a tactic experts say was rarely used before Trump took office. ICE claims its officers use a “mini...
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Vernal @vernalcoleman.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
media.tenor.com
a woman is smiling in front of a sign that says smarter than celebrity
ALT: a woman is smiling in front of a sign that says smarter than celebrity
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
Trump admin says everything is hunky-dory at the VA. But we found that the number of doctors at VA has dropped each month since Trump took office. Nurses are way down too We got the records. www.propublica.org/article/vete... by @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social @vernalcoleman.bsky.social and me.
After six years of adding medical staff, the VA this year is down more than 600 doctors and about 1,900 nurses. The number of doctors on staff has declined each month since President Donald Trump took office. The agency also lost twice as many nurses as it hired between January and June, records viewed by ProPublica show.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
NEW: Doctors and Nurses Reject VA Jobs Under Trump, by @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social @ericumansky.bsky.social @vernalcoleman.bsky.social
propublica.org
Veterans’ Care at Risk Under Trump as Hundreds of Doctors and Nurses Reject Working at VA Hospitals
Amid concerns about the stability of the agency, records show nearly 40% of the doctors offered jobs at the VA from January through March of this year turned them down — quadruple the rate of rejectio...
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Vernal @vernalcoleman.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Update
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 19/06/2025
ProPublica obtained records showing how a DOGE software engineer with no health care or government experience created an AI model to identify contracts to kill at the VA. @bxroberts.org‬ takes us through what we learned when we asked experts to review the model’s underlying instructions and code ⤵️
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Ernie Smith @ernie.tedium.co · 12/06/2025
That ProPublica story leading to some real impact in Congress. Another great one by @vernalcoleman.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/doge...
propublica.org
Senators Demand Transparency on Canceled Veterans Affairs Contracts
Following a ProPublica investigation into how DOGE had developed an error-prone AI tool to determine which VA contracts should be killed, a trio of lawmakers said the Trump administration continues to...
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 11/06/2025
NEW: Following a ProPublica investigation into how DOGE had developed an error-prone AI tool to determine which VA contracts should be killed, a trio of lawmakers said the Trump administration continues to “stonewall” their requests for details. By @bxroberts.org & @vernalcoleman.bsky.social
propublica.org
Senators Demand Transparency on Canceled Veterans Affairs Contracts
Following a ProPublica investigation into how DOGE had developed an error-prone AI tool to determine which VA contracts should be killed, a trio of lawmakers said the Trump administration continues to...
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 08/06/2025
“I think that mistakes were made,” said Sahil Lavingia, who worked at DOGE for nearly two months, about the AI tool he developed. “I’m sure mistakes were made. Mistakes are always made.” By @bxroberts.org and @vernalcoleman.bsky.social
propublica.org
Inside the AI Prompts DOGE Used to “Munch” Contracts Related to Veterans’ Health
Experts who reviewed the code for ProPublica found numerous and troubling flaws in the system, providing a disturbing glimpse into how the Trump administration is allowing artificial intelligence to g...
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Brandon Roberts @bxroberts.org · 06/06/2025
THREAD: An ex-DOGE engineer with no government or medical experience used AI to identify which Veterans Affairs contracts to kill, labeling them as “MUNCHABLE.” @vernalcoleman.bsky.social @ericumansky.bsky.social and I got the code. Here’s what it tells us 1/
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
Many of the federal workers being forced out by Trump are Black women who spent decades building a career of government service, only to see those careers shattered in a sudden purge. By @davidmcswane.bsky.social
propublica.org
Dismissed by DEI: Trump’s Purge Made Black Women With Stable Federal Jobs an “Easy Target”
The president’s attack on diversity efforts has derailed the government careers of highly educated civil servants — even though the jobs some lost were not directly involved with any DEI programs.
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Ken Schwencke @schwanksta.com · 06/06/2025
And because @bxroberts.org knows his way around an LLM, he talked to experts and the person who wrote the prompts (!) and broke down all of the issues piece-by-piece with @vernalcoleman.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/insi...
propublica.org
Inside the AI Prompts DOGE Used to “Munch” Contracts Related to Veterans’ Health
Experts who reviewed the code for ProPublica found numerous and troubling flaws in the system, providing a disturbing glimpse into how the Trump administration is allowing artificial intelligence to g...
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Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
And for anyone who wants to dig into just how flawed this AI tool was in concept and execution, @bxroberts.org and @vernalcoleman.bsky.social talked to a bunch of experts to drill down on the code itself:
propublica.org
Inside the AI Prompts DOGE Used to “Munch” Contracts Related to Veterans’ Health
Experts who reviewed the code for ProPublica found numerous and troubling flaws in the system, providing a disturbing glimpse into how the Trump administration is allowing artificial intelligence to g...
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Vernal @vernalcoleman.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
Latest from me, @bxroberts.org and @ericumansky.bsky.social
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Vernal @vernalcoleman.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Thanks to my old North Carolina colleague @barryyeoman.com for highlighting this great work from @propublica.org and several others.
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Vernal @vernalcoleman.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Reach out anytime.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
On Tuesday, @vernalcoleman.bsky.social and I revealed that VA officials across the country have been warning that DOGE and the admin's cuts are hurting veterans' care. Today, a half-dozen Congress members, mostly vets, demanded accountability. www.propublica.org/article/vete...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
“There are real-life dangerous impacts for veterans,” said @deluzio.house.gov. NEW: Democratic Lawmakers Blast Trump Administration’s VA Cuts After ProPublica Investigation @vernalcoleman.bsky.social @ericumansky.bsky.social
propublica.org
Democratic Lawmakers Blast Trump Administration’s VA Cuts After ProPublica Investigation
The lawmakers also accused Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins of stonewalling their efforts to learn more about agency cuts and their effects. “There are real-life dangerous impacts for veterans,...
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