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Anna Maria Barry-Jester

@annamaria.bsky.social

Public health journalist with ProPublica

12,532 Followers  |  108 Following  |  10 Posts  |  Joined: 03.05.2023  |  2.1019

Latest posts by annamaria.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Will you send our petition for a fair contract to your 5 closest friends?
actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...

29.09.2025 19:07 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Fair Contract Now for ProPublica Guild We, the workers of ProPublica, provide our readers with deeply researched, unbiased news that holds power to account. This work is more important now than ever, but our staff can’t properly contribute...

We can’t produce fearless investigative journalism without job security and a fair contract. After almost two years of bargaining, we need your help.

Show your support for @propublica.org workers by adding your name to our petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...

15.09.2025 22:00 β€” πŸ‘ 156    πŸ” 94    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 4
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Trump’s EPA Plans to Stop Collecting Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data From Most Polluters Climate experts expressed shock and dismay at the move. β€œIt would be a bit like unplugging the equipment that monitors the vital signs of a patient that is critically ill,” one said.

When I wrote, the EPA wouldn't admit it was eliminating requirements for polluters to collect and report their GHG emissions

Today the agency proudly announced the change, saying it's "cutting unnecessary red tape" and "unleashing American energy"

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

12.09.2025 18:45 β€” πŸ‘ 266    πŸ” 135    πŸ’¬ 14    πŸ“Œ 17
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Members in Chicago, Seattle, Berkeley and across the country are lunching out to show support for Just Cause protections that apply to every ProPublica Guild worker, every time.

12.08.2025 16:39 β€” πŸ‘ 61    πŸ” 22    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 3

I love working at ProPublica. I would love it more if it could guarantee us just cause protections. Go union.

12.08.2025 17:13 β€” πŸ‘ 95    πŸ” 21    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Monarez did not provide any additional information about the suspect's motives during the call. However, a briefing some CDC employees received Saturday from senior agency leaders said the gunman left a note, according to one employee who attended.
"We were told very clearly that this was targeted, directed at CDC," the employee said. "But we were also told that this was an isolated event."
There has been speculation among CDC employees that officials may have known about possible threats. When Monarez was at the CDC this week - her first week on the job - she was accompanied at all times by armed security guards, the employee said.

Monarez did not provide any additional information about the suspect's motives during the call. However, a briefing some CDC employees received Saturday from senior agency leaders said the gunman left a note, according to one employee who attended. "We were told very clearly that this was targeted, directed at CDC," the employee said. "But we were also told that this was an isolated event." There has been speculation among CDC employees that officials may have known about possible threats. When Monarez was at the CDC this week - her first week on the job - she was accompanied at all times by armed security guards, the employee said.

During Monarez's call with staff Saturday, another CDC senior leader, Daniel Jernigan, who heads the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, or NCEZID, estimated there were about 40 bullet holes in CDC buildings on campus.
He did not mean it as a complete account, but rather an indication that "it will take a bit before the buildings are 'fixed' again," said an employee who listened to the call and, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive information.
The shooting was "way worse than what was initially reported," the employee said, adding that gunfire continued for about 15 minutes and that "it's a miracle more people weren't hit."

During Monarez's call with staff Saturday, another CDC senior leader, Daniel Jernigan, who heads the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, or NCEZID, estimated there were about 40 bullet holes in CDC buildings on campus. He did not mean it as a complete account, but rather an indication that "it will take a bit before the buildings are 'fixed' again," said an employee who listened to the call and, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive information. The shooting was "way worse than what was initially reported," the employee said, adding that gunfire continued for about 15 minutes and that "it's a miracle more people weren't hit."

Feel like this needs a spotlight: employees were told that the shooting at CDC, which left an officer dead and buildings riddled with bullets, was targeted at agency, @lenasun.bsky.social, @laurenweberhp.bsky.social and @tobiaraji.bsky.social report

Years of anti-CDC rhetoric has consequences

09.08.2025 23:18 β€” πŸ‘ 1266    πŸ” 418    πŸ’¬ 18    πŸ“Œ 23
screenshot of a short bio on this man

screenshot of a short bio on this man

1/ β€œI would like the whole world to know that my son is not a criminal. He’s not a terrorist.”

That’s what the mother of Yolfran Alejandro Escobar FalcΓ³n told us. Yolfran is one of the 230+ Venezuelan men who the Trump admin. imprisoned in El Salvador.

23.07.2025 18:15 β€” πŸ‘ 271    πŸ” 97    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 3
A link to ProPublica's Tips page, explaining how to reach us securely.

A link to ProPublica's Tips page, explaining how to reach us securely.

Her signal: 408-504-8131

We take your privacy extremely seriously. You can read more about ProPublica’s approach to handling tips and sensitive communication here:

www.propublica.org/tips/

11.07.2025 15:04 β€” πŸ‘ 82    πŸ” 35    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Hundreds of layoffs are planned across the State Dept in the coming days, including much of the foreign & civil service. Do you work, or have you worked, at the agency? If so, we want to hear from you.

You can reach my reporters:

Brett Murphy on Signal at 508-523-5195

And @annamaria.bsky.social

11.07.2025 15:04 β€” πŸ‘ 322    πŸ” 143    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 4
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States Fear Critical Funding From FEMA May Be Drying Up Many states rely on the federal government for the vast majority of their emergency management funding. Now, local leaders are looking for clues about the money β€” and the future of FEMA itself.

Many states rely on the federal government for the vast majority of their emergency management funding. Now, local leaders are looking for clues about the money β€” and the future of FEMA itself. Great reporting as always by @jenniferberryhawes.bsky.social. www.propublica.org/article/fema...

27.06.2025 22:30 β€” πŸ‘ 211    πŸ” 52    πŸ’¬ 12    πŸ“Œ 4
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Trump Pledged to β€œMake America Healthy Again,” Then Cut a Program Many Tribes Rely on for Healthy Food The USDA has ended a program that dozens of tribal food banks say has helped them provide fresh, locally produced food that is important to their traditions and cultures.

Trump Pledged to β€œMake America Healthy Again,” Then Cut a Program Many Tribes Rely on for Healthy Food www.propublica.org/article/trib...

29.05.2025 12:55 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Helene’s Unheard Warnings As Hurricane Helene barreled toward Yancey County in North Carolina, communities along the Cane River in the Black Mountains were particularly vulnerable. But there were no evacuation orders, and few ...

What a powerful recounting of the tragedy of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina from @jenniferberryhawes.bsky.social + team.

With hurricane season less than 2 weeks away, are other inland communities prepared for what these storms can bring?

www.propublica.org/article/hurr...

19.05.2025 21:54 β€” πŸ‘ 143    πŸ” 50    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2

Three of our colleagues are being placed on PIPs today and @propublica.org management has refused to allow stewards in those meetings. We're not shutting up about this β€” our colleagues deserve better and we're extremely disappointed in management for denying us this basic union right.

20.05.2025 16:51 β€” πŸ‘ 73    πŸ” 46    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 6

Three colleagues are being placed on PIPs today, and
@propublica.org management has refused to allow stewards in those meetings. We're not shutting up about this β€” our colleagues deserve better and we're extremely disappointed in management for denying us this basic union right.

20.05.2025 17:14 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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How to Contact ProPublica or Send a Tip Securely β€” ProPublica Our job is to hold people and institutions accountable. To do that, we need evidence.

NEW: You can now send us your tips via SecureDrop, the most secure and anonymous way to share information or files with us electronically. Used properly, it shields your identity even from us.

Here’s how to use it: www.propublica.org/tips

31.03.2025 16:11 β€” πŸ‘ 1029    πŸ” 535    πŸ’¬ 19    πŸ“Œ 17
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Trump chooses Fox News contributor Sara Carter as next drug czar President Trump again turns to Fox News talent, nominating reporter Sara Carter as the next 'drug czar.'

β€œCarter’s selection comes as a surprise: Her background is not in drug policy, public health, or law enforcement, and she has never served in government.”

Trump chooses Fox News contributor Sara Carter as next drug czar, via @statnews.com

28.03.2025 22:55 β€” πŸ‘ 55    πŸ” 23    πŸ’¬ 18    πŸ“Œ 8
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Did You Work on a Terminated NIH Grant? ProPublica Wants to Hear From You. The National Institutes of Health is canceling grants that are seen as conflicting with the Trump administration’s priorities. We want to hear from researchers who have been affected.

@propublica.org is looking to hear from researchers who have recently lost NIH grants: www.propublica.org/getinvolved/...

28.03.2025 21:41 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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How Elon Musk’s SpaceX Secretly Allows Investment From China As a U.S. military contractor, SpaceX sees allowing Chinese ownership as fraught. But it will allow the investment if it comes through secrecy hubs like the Cayman Islands, court records say. β€œIt is c...

NEW: As a defense contractor, Elon Musk's SpaceX sees allowing Chinese ownership as fraught. But it will allow the investment if it comes through offshore secrecy hubs like the Cayman Islands, court records say.

Expert: β€œIt is certainly a policy of obfuscation." www.propublica.org/article/elon...

26.03.2025 12:37 β€” πŸ‘ 329    πŸ” 126    πŸ’¬ 8    πŸ“Œ 3
Trump Halted an Agent Orange Cleanup. That Puts Hundreds of Thousands at Risk for Poisoning. Diplomats in Vietnam warned Washington that halting USAID’s efforts to clean up the massive deposit of postwar pesticides would be a catastrophe for public health and relations with a key strategic pa...

addressing Agent Orange is more akin to restitution than charity because the U.S. brought the deadly substance there in the first place

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

17.03.2025 12:40 β€” πŸ‘ 34    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 0
A black mobile billboard truck parked near the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau headquarters in D.C. On the side of the truck, a LED screen reads: Are (were) you a government worker? ProPublica journalists want to hear from you. Signal: 917-512-0201. propublica.org/tips.

A black mobile billboard truck parked near the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau headquarters in D.C. On the side of the truck, a LED screen reads: Are (were) you a government worker? ProPublica journalists want to hear from you. Signal: 917-512-0201. propublica.org/tips.

πŸ“£ D.C., our truck is back.

Today at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, fired workers were given just 15 minutes to pack up their desks. As always, we're here to listen and meet people where they are.

πŸ‘‰ Reach out at propublica.org/tips or on Signal at 917-512-0201.

06.03.2025 19:22 β€” πŸ‘ 4606    πŸ” 1475    πŸ’¬ 84    πŸ“Œ 50
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Overall, the bureau identified 72 activities that are life-saving. To date, none of these have been approved and no payments have been released, according to Enrich's memo. Then nearly all of them were terminated on Feb 27th.

02.03.2025 23:39 β€” πŸ‘ 782    πŸ” 207    πŸ’¬ 14    πŸ“Œ 15
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Then, on Feb 26, Secretary of State Marco Rubio terminated 5,000 USAID programs all at once, including care for malaria, TB and HIV. Shortly after political appointees told Enrich that they'd made some mistakes. "There is an acknowledgement some may have been sent out in error."

02.03.2025 23:39 β€” πŸ‘ 591    πŸ” 140    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 11

In the weeks that followed, USAID received conflicting information on a near daily basis about whether waivers could continue and how. On Feb 24, political leadership said to deprioritize programs for mpox, polio, and Ebola, noting waivers for that work would not be approved.

02.03.2025 23:39 β€” πŸ‘ 483    πŸ” 80    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 3
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Then senior officials were told to start terminating some programs, including ones that had been flagged as life-saving.

02.03.2025 23:39 β€” πŸ‘ 524    πŸ” 90    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 4

Nonprofits made clear to USAID staff that without payment, they couldn't continue their life-saving work. On Feb 7, senior officials acknowledged that all of USAID's payment systems had been shut off by DOGE, so funds couldn't go out.

02.03.2025 23:39 β€” πŸ‘ 570    πŸ” 107    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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The Trump Administration Said These Aid Programs Saved Lives. It Canceled Them Anyway. The axing of some 10,000 programs has consigned untold numbers of children and refugees to death, officials say. Documents and interviews reveal that the State Department appears to have made the cuts...

One early request was for the response to an Ebola outbreak in Uganda. Those programs got temporary permission to continue, but USAID has not been paying its bills, stranding programs. (More on that w/ my colleague Brett Murphy: www.propublica.org/article/trum...

02.03.2025 23:39 β€” πŸ‘ 648    πŸ” 159    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 1
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Starting Jan 29, staff scrambled to request life-saving waivers after all foreign aid was paused. Enrich sent an email on Jan 31st to three political appointees about waivers, but didn't get a response until Feb. 4, when one said to be "draconian" in what they approved.

02.03.2025 23:39 β€” πŸ‘ 725    πŸ” 101    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1

This is the first time we are hearing from senior leadership at USAID in this way, how political appointees impeded staff from continuing life-saving programs, and who did it.

02.03.2025 23:39 β€” πŸ‘ 1178    πŸ” 165    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 1
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NEW: USAID's acting asst administrator, Nick Enrich, has been placed on leave after sharing a memo detailing how political appointees have "wholly prevented" staff from continuing life saving aid.

02.03.2025 23:39 β€” πŸ‘ 7728    πŸ” 3384    πŸ’¬ 156    πŸ“Œ 236
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The Trump Administration Said These Aid Programs Saved Lives. It Canceled Them Anyway. The axing of some 10,000 programs has consigned untold numbers of children and refugees to death, officials say. Documents and interviews reveal that the State Department appears to have made the cuts...

In February, one nonprofit got waivers for its programs supporting refugees in war-torn regions.

On Wednesday, the waivers were terminated.

In Somalia alone, its clinics served 1,200 patients/day.

On Thursday, all those clinics closed.

@propublica.org by @annamaria.bsky.social & Brett Murphy

01.03.2025 21:22 β€” πŸ‘ 504    πŸ” 208    πŸ’¬ 14    πŸ“Œ 9

@annamaria is following 19 prominent accounts