Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Aug 1

NEW: A shaky pilot, a wary instructor, an overwhelmed air-traffic controller: How three lives intersected tragically in the Jan. 29 disaster over the Potomac.

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/u...

How 3 Lives Intersected in the Final Moments of the D.C. Crash

www.nytimes.com

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Jul 30

NEW: How conservative Christians convinced the I.R.S. to grant them an exemption from a 70 year-old law, and let them endorse candidates from the pulpit.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/30/u...

How Conservative Christians Cracked a 70-Year-Old Law

www.nytimes.com

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Jul 28

Why we almost got a MAGA Instant Pot.

www.nytimes.com/video/busine...

Video: Why We Almost Got a MAGA-Branded Instant Pot

Instant Brands announced a new line of pots emblazoned with the slogan “Make America Great Again.” David Fahrenthold explains what’s behind this decision and explores the link between this brand and o...

www.nytimes.com

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Jul 28

NEW: What happened to the MAGA Instant Pot?

A tale of a private equity company -- and a beloved rice cooker -- trying and failing to navigate Washington's new rules.

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Jul 14

NEW: The V.A. was under pressure to slash its spending. Then it started to feed DOGE misleading budget cuts.

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Reposted by David Fahrenthold

David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Jul 8

NEW TONIGHT: The IRS says that churches can now endorse candidates from the pulpit, carving out an exemption to the decades-old ban on politicking by nonprofits.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/u...

I.R.S. Says Churches Can Endorse Candidates From the Pulpit

www.nytimes.com

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Jul 8

NEW TONIGHT: The IRS says that churches can now endorse candidates from the pulpit, carving out an exemption to the decades-old ban on politicking by nonprofits.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/u...

I.R.S. Says Churches Can Endorse Candidates From the Pulpit

www.nytimes.com

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · May 16

NEW: DOGE seeks to investigate another government budget watchdog, the Government Accountability Office.

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · May 13

Update: @DOGE removes 31 more incorrect claims -- and $122M in savings -- from its "Wall of Receipts" after we identified they were wrong.

The listings were wrong b/c the contracts DOGE claimed credit for killing were not dead anymore: agencies had revived them.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/u...

DOGE Removes Dozens of Resurrected Contracts From Its List of Savings

www.nytimes.com

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · May 9

NEW: Dozens of contracts killed by DOGE have now been resurrected by federal agencies.

DOGE's website still lists them as "terminated," however, inflating the group's success with $200M+ in savings that have already vanished.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/09/u...

DOGE’s Zombie Contracts: They Were Killed but Have Come Back to Life

www.nytimes.com

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Apr 28

NEW: After USDA cuts aid to food banks, one charity in WV tries to make lunch out of craisins, crackers and vegetable soup. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/u...

After Trump Aid Cuts, Food Banks Scrounge and Scrimp

In one of the country’s poorest areas, the quantity and quality of government deliveries have dropped, forcing one charity to make do with thin soup and dried cranberries.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by David Fahrenthold

The New York Times @nytimes.com · Apr 24

The chief executive of Acadia Healthcare, one of the largest providers of mental health services in the U.S., was awarded a $1.8 million bonus to respond to “unprecedented governmental inquiries” into allegations of holding psychiatric patients against their will.

Leaders of Mental Health Giant Promised Big Bonuses to Deal With Federal Investigations

Acadia Healthcare’s chief executive was awarded a $1.8 million bonus to respond to “unprecedented governmental inquiries” into allegations of holding psychiatric patients against their will.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by David Fahrenthold

The New York Times @nytimes.com · Apr 25

A charity tied to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s wife, Casey DeSantis, gave $10 million to nonprofit political committees that helped the governor defeat a ballot measure.

Why Did a Charity Tied to Casey DeSantis Suddenly Get a $10 Million Boost?

The Hope Florida Foundation quietly gave the money to two nonprofit political committees that helped Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies defeat a ballot measure.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by David Fahrenthold

The New York Times @nytimes.com · Apr 23

The executive director of the Texas State Lottery resigned abruptly on Monday in the latest fallout from the agency’s decision in 2023 to help professional bettors in Europe purchase and print millions of its tickets and guarantee themselves a $95 million jackpot win.

Texas Lottery Director Resigns Amid Scrutiny of Rigged 2023 Draw

Investigators are looking into how bettors were allowed to guarantee themselves a $95 million jackpot win, as state leaders question whether the lottery should go on.

www.nytimes.com

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Apr 22

I'm still looking for this document, too! If you know how to find Office of Personnel Management RFP ##47QFEA24K0008, let me know!

My offer of a free NYT coffee mug still stands!

(Here's the backstory: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/u...)

DOGE Is Far Short of Its Goal, and Still Overstating Its Progress

Elon Musk now says his group will produce only 15 percent of the savings it promised. But even that estimate is inflated with errors and guesswork.

www.nytimes.com

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Apr 22

NEW: @schumer.senate.gov asks for the biggest "receipt" that's missing from DOGE's "Wall of Receipts" -- a $318M claim posted without documentation.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/u...

Schumer Asks for Documents That Prove a Claim on DOGE’s Website

Elon Musk’s group says it saved $318 million by canceling a “request for proposal” from the Office of Personnel Management but did not release the request itself.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by David Fahrenthold

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · Apr 18

Exclusive: Immigrants falsely labeled dead by the Social Security Administration are showing up at field offices with documents proving they are alive, leading staff to reinstate nearly three dozen people over the past week, according to records obtained by The Post.

Immigrants prove they are alive, forcing Social Security to undo death label

The immigrants who have requested a reversal and been reinstated in Social Security databases include a Haitian asylum seeker and a minor child.

www.washingtonpost.com

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Apr 14

This is going to be an interesting experiment. I've got this request up now on X, BlueSky and LinkedIN, and we'll see which produces the mystery doc first.

If that doesn't work, I'm doing an investigative TikTok dance, which frankly we're all going to regret.

David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Apr 14

A DOGE MYSTERY!
I'm trying to find OPM request for proposal #47QFEA24K0008.

DOGE says they saved $318,310,328 by cancelling it. But OPM won't release this doc, and it's not listed in govt databases.

Free @nytimes coffee mug to anyone with a copy! I'm at [email protected]

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Reposted by David Fahrenthold

The New York Times @nytimes.com · Apr 13

Elon Musk now admits his Department of Government Efficiency will produce only 15% of the savings it promised. But even that estimate is inflated with errors and guesswork. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/u...

Elon Musk is looking toward the camera. He is wearing a black shirt. A headline reads: "DOGE Is Far Short of Its Goal, and Still Overstating Its Progress." Photo by Eric Lee/The New York Times

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Apr 14

A DOGE MYSTERY!
I'm trying to find OPM request for proposal #47QFEA24K0008.

DOGE says they saved $318,310,328 by cancelling it. But OPM won't release this doc, and it's not listed in govt databases.

Free @nytimes coffee mug to anyone with a copy! I'm at [email protected]

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Reposted by David Fahrenthold

The Upshot @upshot.nytimes.com · Apr 13

DOGE Is Far Short of Its Goal, and Still Overstating Its Progress

Via our colleagues @fahrenthold.bsky.social and @jsvine.com

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/u...

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Apr 13

By the way, there's a mystery in here that I may ask your help in solving -- about a document that DOGE says proves $318M in savings, but that they won't show us. You may have a copy! More on that soon.

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Apr 13

NEW: DOGE is falling far short of its goals — and still drastically over-stating its success. Here’s why:

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/u...

DOGE Is Far Short of Its Goal, and Still Overstating Its Progress

Elon Musk now says his group will produce only 15 percent of the savings it promised. But even that estimate is inflated with errors and guesswork.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by David Fahrenthold

The New York Times @nytimes.com · Apr 8

The IRS has agreed to share information with ICE to help locate people for deportation, court records show, a fundamental change in how the tax collector uses its tightly regulated records. nyti.ms/3XQ9vWk

Three people walking into the ICE Processing Center. The text reads: "IRS Agrees to Share Migrants' Tax Information With ICE." Photo by Michael Ciaglo for The New York Times.

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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · Mar 20

NEW: DOGE deletes more than 100 entries from its list of cancelled leases.

Suggests it is losing some of the internal battles over what offices to axe.

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/u...

On Its Website, DOGE Deletes More Than 100 Government Leases It Said Were Canceled

Elon Musk’s cost-cutting group dropped its total purported savings from eliminating federal office space after losing some battles within the Trump administration.

www.nytimes.com

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