Meet the Portland Press Herald’s summer interns

About half of all Oklahomans live within a mile of an oil and gas site. A new documentary from The Frontier and ProPublica exposes the failure of state regulators to protect residents from a massive underground pollution crisis.

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)

In 2023, we found dozens of doctors were making millions of dollars performing risky – and possibly unnecessary – vascular procedures on patients. Earlier this month, a government watchdog broadly confirmed our findings, recommending CMS take action. www.propublica.org/article/vasc...

1/ At 17 weeks pregnant, Emily Waldorf was suddenly faced with a life-threatening situation: Her baby’s foot was dipping out of her cervix. Doctors told her the longer her cervix stayed open, the higher her risk of infection. They knew how to treat her. There was one issue … 🧵

The facts: -Bezos paid $0 fed'l income tax in 2007 -He paid $0 in '11 -Btn '14-19, his wealth grew by $99 BILLION and he paid $973 million in taxes. Sounds like a lot but it's 0.98% of his wealth growth (which is his true income). www.propublica.org/article/the-...

Great reporting from @propublica.org 's @zachdespart.bsky.social @msweetharris.bsky.social and @texastribune.org www.propublica.org/article/texa...

Be sure to read @mikehixenbaugh.com's latest story: Families caring for disabled relatives face unthinkable choices as Medicaid cuts loom, via @nbcnews.com

The Meredith family was forced to abandon their Oklahoma 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 like it would go away,” the family says. W/ @readfrontier.bsky.social

Black, oily goo drove this Oklahoma family from their dream home. @propublica.org & @readfrontier.bsky.social show you what happened next. AND coming soon: A film featuring the Merediths & other Oklahomans living with the environmental impacts of oil & gas pollution. Screening in Tulsa May 20.

This week, we published a searchable database of #GrahamPlatner's deleted #Reddit posts as well as an analysis from our reporter, @joshkeefe.bsky.social. Deputy editor Stephanie McFeeters breaks down this week's top stories, which can be read for free at the link below. themainemonitor.org

Despite being shackled, this US citizen was 'not detained', according to a DHS spokesperson. Outrageous obfuscation. @nicolefoy.bsky.social for @propublica.org w @mariamelba.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/immi...

NEW: Trump’s counterterrorism strategy blueprint makes multiple mentions of Joe Biden and other political opponents of the administration while not once mentioning violence from the far right even though the FBI has repeatedly called it a top concern. By @hannahallam.bsky.social

NEW: We just launched a new podcast! It’s called “Paper Trail,” and for our first episode, we’re taking you behind the scenes of a Pulitzer finalist investigation. This is what the FDA won’t tell you about the generic drugs in your medicine cabinet. Listen now 👇

I love it when ProPublica releases its annual report. The quality of the work and the impact is stunning when you take it all in. It makes me proud to work here. Check it out!

11/ Read our story at www.propublica.org/article/kids... Reported with @mayatmiller.bsky.social @melissa-sanchez.bsky.social @mariamelba.bsky.social

A must-read thread 🧵

Framing conservation as essential for human survival, Ted Turner saw habitat restoration, stewardship and endangered species work as ways to address climate change, the loss of biodiversity and resource depletion.

So let me get this straight… What’s in: tanning beds, flavored vapes What’s out: vaccines, anti-depressants RFK Jr. clears path for minors' use of tanning beds, much to the dismay of dermatologists

The #Maine Monitor is pleased to welcome Delger Erdenesanaa to cover the #environment, explaining and investigating the most pressing #energy, water, forestry, fisheries and #pollution issues. themainemonitor.org/maine-monito...

So proud of this astonishing work led by the indefatigable @gingerthompson.bsky.social with critical research by Doris Burke, and a team at @propublica.org www.hillmanfoundation.org/hillman-priz...

The oil industry-linked event for more than 150 judges comes as a number of significant lawsuits seeking to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for climate damages are making their way through the courts.

A Pulitzer for Julie K. Brown. Richly deserved, and overdue!

AMAZING, AMAZING NEWS!! ProPublica and The Connecticut Mirror Win Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting 🎉🎉🎉

NEW: Environmental scientists said a new EPA directive could lead to weakened chemical protections, such as revised limits on how much arsenic is allowed in drinking water or the amount of lead considered acceptable in paint or soil. By @fastlerner.bsky.social

Great reporting by @randybillings.bsky.social Looks like it will be Graham Platner vs. Sen. Collins in November. www.pressherald.com/2026/04/30/j...

The Justice Department seems to be going out of its way to avoid saying that Cole Allen didn't fire any weapons at all inside the Washington Hilton — and that the officer hit was most likely hit by friendly fire. www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/is-the-jus...

Join #Maine Monitor editor Kate Cough at the Ellsworth Public Library at 2 p.m. on April 25, where she will lead a conversation following the screening of “The Librarians”. Learn more and register for the free event by clicking the link below. ellsworth.libcal.com/event/16547234

Not Making America Healthy Again: Unfounded Health Concerns Are Powering a Solar Backlash, by @annaleighclark.bsky.social

This FBI investigation of the NYT journo who wrote about Patel's girlfriend? It was overseen by FBI headquarters. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/22/u...

In a letter citing strikes that killed Iranian children in Minab and Lamerd, eleven U.S. senators questioned Defense Secretary Hegseth's decision to gut civilian protection programs and said his orders endangered U.S. troops. By @johnismay. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/20/u...

Such a good read: Molly Parker spotted the 3D printer abandoned off a country road. Finding out how it got there is a whole other story of tangled politics, tiny banks with big business deals, and the future of a town some say cannot be saved. @capitolnewsil.bsky.social

#ICYMI: We released a trove of disclosure records that detail the finances of more than 1,500 Trump appointees, including former lobbyists, industry executives and at least a dozen officials who declined to identify former clients.

An amazing group of journalists honored for their work pursuing stories in service of the common good. Especially proud of @gingerthompson.bsky.social and Doris Burke for @propublica.org www.hillmanfoundation.org/hillman-priz...

Nearly a year ago, Sebastian Gorka declared a national counterterrorism strategy “imminent.” By July, he was “on the cusp” of unveiling the plan — a phrase he repeated three months later in October. And again in January. To date, no strategy has appeared. @hannahallam.bsky.social

Great reporting from the NYTs, The Inside Story of Five Days That Remade the Supreme Court www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/u...

Join #Maine Monitor editor Kate Cough at the Ellsworth Public Library at 2 p.m. on April 25, where she will lead a conversation following the screening of “The Librarians”. Learn more and register for the free event by clicking the link below. ellsworth.libcal.com/calendar/EPL...

READ and WATCH: A Protester Threw a Snowball. Federal Agents Responded With Tear Gas and Pepper Balls. w/ @frontlinepbs.bsky.social

NEW: “We see, just, use of excessive force after use of excess force,” said Christy Lopez, who spent years investigating law enforcement misconduct at the DOJ. “In no scenario is it OK to be pepper-spraying people as you're leaving the scene.” w/ @frontlinepbs.bsky.social

Great reporting from @joelawlorph.bsky.social in the @pressherald.com on the fallout from DOGE's gutting of USAID. On the bright side: the world's loss is Maine's gain: www.pressherald.com/2026/04/16/t...

Vance disciple-splaining to the Pope.

As major news outlets including USA Today Co. and the New York Times restrict the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine from archiving their stories, journalists and advocacy groups are rallying to protect the vast collection of web pages.

Detailed reporting from @propublica.org 's @dougbockclark.bsky.social @jenafifield.bsky.social on the dismantling of our elections: “The election denial movement is now interwoven within the federal government...in ways that undermine the freedom to vote". www.propublica.org/article/trum...

A deep dive: When Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election, the institutional guardrails of American democracy held. But if faced with the same tests today, those barriers — and people who held the line — would largely be missing. @dougbockclark.bsky.social @jenafifield.bsky.social

NEW: “A Slap in the Face”: Trump’s DOJ Plans to Settle Predatory Lending Case Without Compensating Victims, by @zachdespart.bsky.social w/ @texastribune.org

Also of note: Earth would be around 65F /36C degrees hotter if it weren’t for the ocean!!! 🩵 Yeah, it’s kind of a big deal — including for climate solutions. So: THANK YOU, OCEAN. 🩵 #TeamOcean #Artemis #OceanHugger For sources: www.getitright.earth/references

If we, as reporters who investigate things for a living, couldn’t get a straight answer on where these military zones were, how did the government expect people crossing the border to do better?

With Pam Bondi’s ouster, Todd Blanche is now the interim AG. Here’s our story on him from December: Todd Blanche Shut Down Crypto Enforcement While Holding Crypto Assets