Of the 6 million veterans receiving disability payments last year, about 1.5 million were designated 100 percent disabled — a nearly ninefold increase since 2021. A whole industry has popped up around getting people to 100% by @caitlingilbert.bsky.social, @reinlwapo.bsky.social & Craig Whitlock:

Thanks for sharing out story, @jimmykimmel.com! For anyone interested, here's a gift link to the piece: wapo.st/49yu548

The crossroads of music + sports + nostalgia/history puts this story -- and particularly the delightful video walkthroughs of @davesheinin.bsky.social at the piano -- kind of perfectly in my wheelhouse. Highly recommend spending time here: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Heavy rain is one of the most unpredictable and underappreciated climate threats. The Post found rising temperatures have made the atmosphere more waterlogged - providing fuel for wetter + more dangerous storms:

So @jeremybmerrill.com scraped the Kennedy Center's ticketing website daily for several months. He, @travismandrews.bsky.social & Shelly Tan found that this season's sales are the lowest since the pandemic, as the Trump effect keeps patrons away: www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...

EXCLUSIVE: After Trump took over the Kennedy Center in Feb, he vowed to make it "hot" again. So, how's it doing? @jeremybmerrill.com and I used data from the center's ticketing website to find out. Ticket sales are lowest they've been since the pandemic. www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...

The great @dtkeating.bsky.social is retiring after 25+ years as a data reporter at the Post. He published his last story today, and true to form, it was a banger. With reporting from @arianaec.bsky.social, @lmelgar.bsky.social & Jahi Chikwendiu: www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

In looking into shifting cancer rates, a Post data analysis revealed a divergence: among young adults in the Corn Belt — Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana and Kansas — cancer diagnoses are rising more rapidly than in the country as a whole.

The great Greg Manifold is leaving the Post. He's been a hugely helpful sounding board for scores of folks across the newsroom, including me, and will be sorely missed. He's also a total packrat, leading to today's old newspaper extravaganza:

The Russians are back. And Angelina Melnikova is the world all-around champion. Winning gymnastics medals just became more difficult for everybody else — including the United States. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olymp...

Unbelievable story of Afghan refugee, a highly vetted fluent English speaker who helped the US against the Taliban and now lives here with his US citizen kids, declared “illegal” and perhaps about to be shipped home by the Trump admin to his likely death

One Post reporter gave up her smartphone for a month — and slept more, finished a 672-page novel and printed out Google Maps directions.

The @washingtonpost.com won a Loeb Award for best international reporting last night for "The Money War," our 2024 series on unintended consequences of the massive rise in U.S. financial sanctions — great to celebrate with @jeffstein.bsky.social, @foianate.bsky.social, @federicacocco.bsky.social

The @wpdatateam.bsky.social used hundreds of real people's TikTok data to show how the app sucks people in and keeps them there. In 5 months, the lightest users doubled their time on TikTok (to over an hour a day!), swiped faster and opened the app more: www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/int...

Parlays have become incredibly popular, with many betting apps encouraging these high-stakes multi-leg bets. But as legs are added, the chance of winning drops faster than the growth of the potential payout - which means sportsbooks have the advantage. Explore the math and and try your own bets:

How America’s favorite sports bet is fueling sportsbook profits Parlays are becoming more popular, accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Post analysis of betting data. Bettors lose billions a year on these bets. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...

An Army vet told the VA he was paralyzed. Investigators found him at the trampoline park, just one of many fraudsters who fake injury to reap bigger financial benefits. From Craig Whitlock, Lisa Rein and @foianate.bsky.social: www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

So grateful to the news engineers, researchers, lawyers and technicians who helped guide us in the proper way to handle folks' personal data. It was a TREMENDOUS lift to deal with this much (15 million unique videos watched 50-some million times!) and to make sure no personal info was compromised

🤳EXCLUSIVE: We analyzed real data from over 800 U.S. TikTok users to reveal how the app transforms casual users into power users. Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social wapo.st/4obueib

When we hatched a crazy plan asking our TikTok audience to send us their app data, we weren't sure anyone would respond. But 1,100 people, who watched 15 million unique videos, did. Now we've published our first (but not last!) analysis of how TikTok's algorithm pulls people in and keeps them there:

Taxpayers will spend $193 billion this year to compensate 6.9 million disabled veterans on the presumption that their ability to work is impaired. Yet we found many claims are for minor afflictions like hair loss, acne + varicose veins. By Craig Whitlock, Lisa Rein & @caitlingilbert.bsky.social:

Who could've predicted.

Mike is the king of shutting down the shutdowns

It's one of the most unsettling medical puzzles of our time: Why are so many young people getting cancer? The complexity of modern life makes it hard to pinpoint - but here's what researchers suspect, by @arianaec.bsky.social, @alvarovalino.bsky.social & @dtkeating.bsky.social:

After Trump began his policing surge in DC, @abtran.bsky.social started tracking helicopter flights and found the Park Police had increased their hovering sevenfold, at hundreds of feet lower than other agencies. With @imogenpiper.bsky.social: www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

During Trump's federal law enforcement surge in DC, Park Police helicopters increased their hovering time over city neighborhoods sevenfold -- and flew hundreds of feet lower than other helicopters. From @abtran.bsky.social and @imogenpiper.bsky.social : www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

Older Americans have the highest rates of gun suicide of any age group. Not by a little — by a lot. Why? I spent months exploring this question through data, field reporting, and interviews with experts. Our story is up today on @thetrace.org www.thetrace.org/2025/09/gun-...

Gerrymander Invitational is back for 2025!!!! www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...

SCOOP BREAKING: CDC director being ousted weeks into job. Me @ddiamond @LaurenWeberHP www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Students! It's already that time again ... the Post is seeking interns for summer '26. We have a slot on @wpdatateam.bsky.social for a savvy data reporter who wants to tackle everything from breaking news to major projects. Applications here: www.washingtonpost.com/pr/2024/wash...

Trump calls DC “the most unsafe place anywhere,” but 78% of residents feel safe in their neighborhoods and only 17% support the federal takeover per @washingtonpost.com @scharschool.bsky.social poll. @joeheim.bsky.social @sfcpoll.bsky.social @emgusk.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

Congress has provided rent-free housing for precisely two federal civilian officials, the elected President and VP. Now the experienced grifter serving as DHS Sec’y has fired the Commandant of the Coast Guard and moved into her home, without reimbursing taxpayers. wapo.st/4mike5W

ICE Documents Reveal Plan to Double Immigrant Detention Space This Year By @douglasmac.bsky.social, N. Kirkpatrick, and Lydia Sidhom Billions will be spent to reach more than 107,000 beds, including in mega-facilities, tents and at least two new family detention centers. Gift link!

We got ICE documents revealing their initial plans to expand detention centers across the US. From @douglasmac.bsky.social, N Kirkpatrick & the data team's Lydia Sidhom: www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

Earlier this year, a team at the @washingtonpost.com investigated the issue of youth crime in DC. Here's the real story, from Lauren Lumpkin: www.washingtonpost.com/video/nation...

Last week, Trump described crime in D.C. as “out of control,” with young “thugs” ... “randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens.” The reality: Violent crime in D.C. has been on the decline since 2023. By @jdharden.bsky.social, @oliviacgeorge.bsky.social & Jenny Gathright:

The right-wing internet couldn't stop talking about Epstein after Bondi said there was no client list... until the admin accused Obama of planning "essentially a years-long coup" against Trump. Immediately, attention flipped. my latest, w/ Cleve Wootson: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

D.C.’s economic picture is getting darker: Amid signs of a broader economic slowdown, unemployment is up, spending is slowing and signs of strain are emerging across key sectors that once helped prop up the national capital region. By @federicacocco.bsky.social & @oliviacgeorge.bsky.social:

Happy FEC filing day, everyone. In the first half of the year, Elon Musk put another $45 million into his America PAC. docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/form...

Flipping the script and becoming the subject of the story in telling @ddiamond.bsky.social about my last year, when a dumb parenting injury (stubbed toe) escalated into ... uh, something else: www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

At a time when the Trump administration has taken a hands-off approach to regulating digital currencies, The Post identified nearly 70 nominees and officials who held cryptocurrency or have invested in crypto or blockchain companies By @ence.bsky.social, @cqzakrz.bsky.social & Arfa Momin:

244 statues is a lot of statues!! Maybe DC gets this instead of a football stadium? @bonnieberkowitz.bsky.social @hannahdormido.bsky.social @katiperry.bsky.social

The @washingtonpost.com assigned around 20 staffers to this account of the Texas flood, with one jawdropping anecdote after another One thing that becomes clear: The extraordinary courage of camp counselors, who evacuated their girls as older adults floundered and stalled Free link wapo.st/44N1cNI

Trump’s vow to shrink the federal government appears to rely, at least in part, on top officials doing multiple -- sometimes completely unrelated -- jobs simultaneously. By @azipaybarah.bsky.social @kevinschaul.bsky.social and @alvarovalino.bsky.social: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

I spy one of our team intern's first bylines ... Hannah Bensen with a quick turn on the rise of flood deaths in the U.S.: www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

How have the @nationals.com been so bad?! @emilygiam.bsky.social & @andrewgolden.bsky.social delve into the team's terrible drafts. Since 2012, all the team's drafted position players combined have an oWAR of 1. (you read that right: ONE) www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Super exciting news for community journalism; there's no one better to support + lead this AI work than @paigemoody.bsky.social and Jake: www.hackshackers.com/hacks-hacker...

👀 We've got the ~distributions~ on Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill." Upshot: It takes a lot of money from the lowest 10% of earners and gives a bunch to the top 10%. Expressed in 2 ways here: - Dollar amounts - % of household resources (more in thread) www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Warning: absolutely do not read/watch this story unless you're in a place where you can cry openly. Video journalist Drea Cornejo & the whole team have worked for months to do this project justice: www.washingtonpost.com/health/inter...

DC's juvenile justice agency has unraveled. Among the signs: the waiting time for children to transfer to a rehab program saw a nearly fivefold increase - from 13 days in 2018 to 62 in 2024. Some teens wait 6+ months for treatment. By @ndungca.bsky.social, @jdharden.bsky.social & Keith Alexander: