As you probably know, I work for a non-profit newsroom that investigates abuses of power with the intention of bringing about real change. We published our annual report last week, which highlights some of that change. See the Impact section for more.

ProPublica

ProPublica's 2024 Annual Report

ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

In a push for "efficiency", DOGE has led to the Social Security website frequently crashing, blocking access to much-needed benefits. #Democracy

Ben Werdmuller

Social Security’s website keeps crashing, as DOGE demands cuts to IT staff

[Lisa Rein, Hannah Natanson and Elizabeth Dwoskin at The Washington Post] More "efficiency" from DOGE: "Retirees and disabled people are facing c...

Trans people are targeted, their rights stripped: some murmurings Students deported for protesting: some angst People shipped against a judge's orders to a prison in El Salvador with no possibility of being retrieved: a few people saying this is bad The stock market goes down: everyone is angry

“Everyone has just been copying each other’s features in walled gardens, but now innovation will become decentralized around human connection.” #Fediverse

Ben Werdmuller

Facing the Looming Threat of A.I., Publishers Turn to Decentralized Platforms

[John Markoff in The New York Times] A lovely piece about Mike McCue, who, through Flipboard, Surf, and his general activities through the communi...

At the time of writing this story feels under-reported in the US press. #Democracy

Ben Werdmuller

Hundreds of international students wake up to an email asking them to self deport for campus activism

[Lubna Kably in The Times of India] Worrying stuff being reported by the Times of India (and, at the time of writing, under-reported in the domest...

If you know anything about building software, you know that this is an absurd idea. #Democracy

Ben Werdmuller

DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Code Base in Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse

[Makena Kelly at WIRED] If you know anything about building software, you know that this is an absurd idea: "The so-called Department of Governme...

We're looking for a Texas-based reporter to join our joint investigative newsroom with the Texas Tribune. You would be working with both @npub1qmg7...s6k5 and @npub1gdte...6rfp to investigate abuses of power and trust in the public interest. #journalism

ProPublica

<p style="margin-bottom: 1em;">ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. With...

So if Section 230 gets repealed (ugh), my understanding is: 1. You can post anything you want on your own website and are personally liable for it. 2. If you host comments (syndicated or otherwise) you could be liable for what's said in those. So the answer might be an #indieweb style interconnected blogosphere (yes, I said blogosphere) and more peer to peer style interfaces for #activitypub etc.

So far this year @npub1qmg7...s6k5 has reported on who's working for #DOGE, the impacts of cuts on agencies like #USAID, and a lot more. Reporting on abuses of power matters more than ever before. This is the last day of our spring member drive you can give as a member. As always, I would love the #fediverse to be represented in our member base. It matters. If you have the means, please consider joining as a member through a gift of any amount:

ProPublica

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Divide I've noticed: people who have never experienced systemic oppression in their own or their family's lives are treating this like business as usual. Those who have family memories of camps, unjust incarceration, or are part of vulnerable communities, are freaking out. Listen to the latter.