Aric Toler
@aric.bsky.social
Visual Investigations at The New York Times
I love r/shortguys, half of the posts are "a tall man did a crime and yet women still love him" and the other half are going through post histories of women married to short guys or short guys who say they're married to "prove" that the wife is definitely cheating.
December 23, 2025 at 9:59 PM
I love r/shortguys, half of the posts are "a tall man did a crime and yet women still love him" and the other half are going through post histories of women married to short guys or short guys who say they're married to "prove" that the wife is definitely cheating.
Just saw a farm truck with a decal of an American flag that said "You cannot cancel all of us" in a rural Kansas town of 187 people.
December 21, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Just saw a farm truck with a decal of an American flag that said "You cannot cancel all of us" in a rural Kansas town of 187 people.
Reposted by Aric Toler
Crypto casinos have become wildly popular with young people. Here's how the sites built an exploitative online marketing machine using celebrities like Drake and an army of livestreamers:
w/ @aric.bsky.social Jenny Vrentas, Leo Dominguez and
@iamrumz.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
w/ @aric.bsky.social Jenny Vrentas, Leo Dominguez and
@iamrumz.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
How Online Crypto Casinos Use Celebrities and Livestreamers to Recruit Gamblers (Gift Article)
Using exploitative marketing strategies, the illicit gambling websites have profited and lured in a young generation of gamblers.
www.nytimes.com
December 10, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Crypto casinos have become wildly popular with young people. Here's how the sites built an exploitative online marketing machine using celebrities like Drake and an army of livestreamers:
w/ @aric.bsky.social Jenny Vrentas, Leo Dominguez and
@iamrumz.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
w/ @aric.bsky.social Jenny Vrentas, Leo Dominguez and
@iamrumz.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
There's a whole longform piece you could do on just this phenomenon that we didn't have space to go into. There's a huge industry of people going into villages in India, Kenya, Philippines, etc. and gathering up tons of IDs and having guys hold up papers with casino names on them for verification.
We spoke to a Canadian man who makes money (just under $20,000 in 2025 through this fall) creating accounts on crypto casinos after purchasing photos of IDs in Kenya and India. He sells these accounts, and also uses his referral code to get a fraction of what they wager.
December 10, 2025 at 3:20 PM
There's a whole longform piece you could do on just this phenomenon that we didn't have space to go into. There's a huge industry of people going into villages in India, Kenya, Philippines, etc. and gathering up tons of IDs and having guys hold up papers with casino names on them for verification.
Reposted by Aric Toler
Great to see the New York Times picking up on my investigation from a couple of years ago at Sky news.sky.com/story/from-d... but how frustrating to see so little has changed in the time that's passed since my report.... A brilliant read from @aric.bsky.social and the NYT team also
December 10, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Great to see the New York Times picking up on my investigation from a couple of years ago at Sky news.sky.com/story/from-d... but how frustrating to see so little has changed in the time that's passed since my report.... A brilliant read from @aric.bsky.social and the NYT team also
Reposted by Aric Toler
An entire thesis about the consequences of the digital attention economy could be written based on this post alone
We first started this story after noticing streamer Vitaly Zdorovetskiy playing Stake casino games while doing his "pedophile catch" videos, where he would sometimes play on his phone *with* the alleged predators on stream.
December 10, 2025 at 3:10 PM
An entire thesis about the consequences of the digital attention economy could be written based on this post alone
Crypto casinos have become a multi-billion dollar industry. One of the ways they've grown is with an unusual marketing strategy: paying millions to internet celebrities to livestream themselves gambling for hours.
New from me, @neilbedi.bsky.social, and Jenny Vrentas.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
New from me, @neilbedi.bsky.social, and Jenny Vrentas.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
How Online Crypto Casinos Use Celebrities and Livestreamers to Recruit Gamblers
Using exploitative marketing strategies, the illicit gambling websites have profited and lured in a young generation of gamblers.
www.nytimes.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Crypto casinos have become a multi-billion dollar industry. One of the ways they've grown is with an unusual marketing strategy: paying millions to internet celebrities to livestream themselves gambling for hours.
New from me, @neilbedi.bsky.social, and Jenny Vrentas.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
New from me, @neilbedi.bsky.social, and Jenny Vrentas.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Three years ago, @michaelsheldon.bsky.social and I identified Ochur-Suge Mongush as the Russian soldier who castrated and murdered a Ukrainian POW in Pryvillia.
Mongush was apparently given a medal (the "Order of Courage") and is fighting in Ukraine again.
www.bellingcat.com/news/2022/08...
Mongush was apparently given a medal (the "Order of Courage") and is fighting in Ukraine again.
www.bellingcat.com/news/2022/08...
December 3, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Three years ago, @michaelsheldon.bsky.social and I identified Ochur-Suge Mongush as the Russian soldier who castrated and murdered a Ukrainian POW in Pryvillia.
Mongush was apparently given a medal (the "Order of Courage") and is fighting in Ukraine again.
www.bellingcat.com/news/2022/08...
Mongush was apparently given a medal (the "Order of Courage") and is fighting in Ukraine again.
www.bellingcat.com/news/2022/08...
Alasdair kept digging and identified most of the photographs at the ending that are shown in montage before the ballroom photo is zoomed in on.
Turns out that Ronald Regan is in multiple photos.
www.reddit.com/r/StanleyKub...
Turns out that Ronald Regan is in multiple photos.
www.reddit.com/r/StanleyKub...
December 1, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Alasdair kept digging and identified most of the photographs at the ending that are shown in montage before the ballroom photo is zoomed in on.
Turns out that Ronald Regan is in multiple photos.
www.reddit.com/r/StanleyKub...
Turns out that Ronald Regan is in multiple photos.
www.reddit.com/r/StanleyKub...
Was thinking about movies with 100% penetration/familiarity with my generation, but probably four people under the age of 18 have watched (and likely under duress). Joe Dirt is the best one I could think of.
December 1, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Was thinking about movies with 100% penetration/familiarity with my generation, but probably four people under the age of 18 have watched (and likely under duress). Joe Dirt is the best one I could think of.
Watching an old Unsolved Mysteries episode and man it really fell off in the late Robert Stack seasons. There's a segment on now about a haunted toilet (it flushes on its own, and a lady heard 'conversations' emanating out of the bowl)
November 14, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Watching an old Unsolved Mysteries episode and man it really fell off in the late Robert Stack seasons. There's a segment on now about a haunted toilet (it flushes on its own, and a lady heard 'conversations' emanating out of the bowl)
For some reason I've joined like 20 subreddits for retail store employees and r/DollarGeneralWorkers is definitely the best
November 13, 2025 at 1:26 AM
For some reason I've joined like 20 subreddits for retail store employees and r/DollarGeneralWorkers is definitely the best
Is Shazam/song recognition the actual most useful, universally loved use of AI?
(I know that early Shazam didn't technically use AI, but you get the point)
(I know that early Shazam didn't technically use AI, but you get the point)
November 12, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Is Shazam/song recognition the actual most useful, universally loved use of AI?
(I know that early Shazam didn't technically use AI, but you get the point)
(I know that early Shazam didn't technically use AI, but you get the point)
We're still gathering applications for this job, if you haven't seen it and are interested.
Our VI team does a very wide range of work -- it's not all just conflict reporting (though we do plenty of that). A handful of recent stories for an idea of our range of coverage:
Our VI team does a very wide range of work -- it's not all just conflict reporting (though we do plenty of that). A handful of recent stories for an idea of our range of coverage:
November 4, 2025 at 6:31 PM
We're still gathering applications for this job, if you haven't seen it and are interested.
Our VI team does a very wide range of work -- it's not all just conflict reporting (though we do plenty of that). A handful of recent stories for an idea of our range of coverage:
Our VI team does a very wide range of work -- it's not all just conflict reporting (though we do plenty of that). A handful of recent stories for an idea of our range of coverage:
Our New York Times Visual Investigations team is hiring a reporter. It's the same job I have -- use visual investigation/OSINT/etc. skills to report on the world.
You'll need to be based in/near NYC. Pay range is ~110-130k.
www.nytco.com/careers/job-...
You'll need to be based in/near NYC. Pay range is ~110-130k.
www.nytco.com/careers/job-...
Open-Source Reporter (Video Journalist), Visual Investigations | The New York Times Company
www.nytco.com
October 8, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Our New York Times Visual Investigations team is hiring a reporter. It's the same job I have -- use visual investigation/OSINT/etc. skills to report on the world.
You'll need to be based in/near NYC. Pay range is ~110-130k.
www.nytco.com/careers/job-...
You'll need to be based in/near NYC. Pay range is ~110-130k.
www.nytco.com/careers/job-...
For years when people on 4chan/elsewhere referred to mods by calling them "jannies", I thought it was short for Janissaries, from some ancient in-joke. Janitors is way more boring.
October 1, 2025 at 2:15 PM
For years when people on 4chan/elsewhere referred to mods by calling them "jannies", I thought it was short for Janissaries, from some ancient in-joke. Janitors is way more boring.
Reposted by Aric Toler
Samuel Granados, Aaron Boxerman, and @aric.bsky.social (@nytimes.com) showed Friday the extent of Israel's razing operations in Gaza City. Using satellite analysis, they document the rapidly progressing destruction of Zeitoun and surrounding neighborhoods in Gaza's north.
Israel Is Flattening Parts of Gaza City (Gift Article)
The city had been spared from widespread demolitions during previous military operations there. This time is different.
www.nytimes.com
September 28, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Samuel Granados, Aaron Boxerman, and @aric.bsky.social (@nytimes.com) showed Friday the extent of Israel's razing operations in Gaza City. Using satellite analysis, they document the rapidly progressing destruction of Zeitoun and surrounding neighborhoods in Gaza's north.
The Utah shooter joked on Discord with his friends that his doppelganger killed Charlie Kirk when they asked him about it
From Nick Bogel-Burroughs, and contribution from me.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/u...
From Nick Bogel-Burroughs, and contribution from me.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/u...
September 14, 2025 at 12:58 AM
The Utah shooter joked on Discord with his friends that his doppelganger killed Charlie Kirk when they asked him about it
From Nick Bogel-Burroughs, and contribution from me.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/u...
From Nick Bogel-Burroughs, and contribution from me.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/u...
On the Utah shooter's meme bullet casings, and how the extremely-online shooter is now commonplace.
From @sheeraf.bsky.social, Richard Fausset, and me.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/u...
From @sheeraf.bsky.social, Richard Fausset, and me.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/u...
The Police Found Messages After Kirk’s Killing. What They Mean Is Unclear.
www.nytimes.com
September 13, 2025 at 12:56 PM
On the Utah shooter's meme bullet casings, and how the extremely-online shooter is now commonplace.
From @sheeraf.bsky.social, Richard Fausset, and me.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/u...
From @sheeraf.bsky.social, Richard Fausset, and me.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/u...
On the manhunt
@robinsteinnyt.bsky.social
has been monitoring police scanner chatter, and it's - as usual with these events - insane. It included chatter about police searching for a man with a prosthetic arm in a hospital
(This was also a plot thread in Twin Peaks)
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/u...
@robinsteinnyt.bsky.social
has been monitoring police scanner chatter, and it's - as usual with these events - insane. It included chatter about police searching for a man with a prosthetic arm in a hospital
(This was also a plot thread in Twin Peaks)
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/u...
September 12, 2025 at 3:05 AM
On the manhunt
@robinsteinnyt.bsky.social
has been monitoring police scanner chatter, and it's - as usual with these events - insane. It included chatter about police searching for a man with a prosthetic arm in a hospital
(This was also a plot thread in Twin Peaks)
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/u...
@robinsteinnyt.bsky.social
has been monitoring police scanner chatter, and it's - as usual with these events - insane. It included chatter about police searching for a man with a prosthetic arm in a hospital
(This was also a plot thread in Twin Peaks)
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/u...
New contribution to this piece from
@malachy.bsky.social
and myself: the Epstein novelty check photo was indeed taken at Mar-a-Lago.
nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...
The palm trees in the background are near a small hut by a tennis court (taken down in ~2005-6).
Compare with a 1997 photo here:
@malachy.bsky.social
and myself: the Epstein novelty check photo was indeed taken at Mar-a-Lago.
nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...
The palm trees in the background are near a small hut by a tennis court (taken down in ~2005-6).
Compare with a 1997 photo here:
September 9, 2025 at 11:54 PM
New contribution to this piece from
@malachy.bsky.social
and myself: the Epstein novelty check photo was indeed taken at Mar-a-Lago.
nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...
The palm trees in the background are near a small hut by a tennis court (taken down in ~2005-6).
Compare with a 1997 photo here:
@malachy.bsky.social
and myself: the Epstein novelty check photo was indeed taken at Mar-a-Lago.
nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...
The palm trees in the background are near a small hut by a tennis court (taken down in ~2005-6).
Compare with a 1997 photo here:
New contribution to this piece from
@malachybrowne
and myself: the Epstein novelty check photo was indeed taken at Mar-a-Lago.
nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...
The palm trees in the background are near a small hut by a tennis court (taken down in ~2005-6).
Compare with a 1997 photo here:
@malachybrowne
and myself: the Epstein novelty check photo was indeed taken at Mar-a-Lago.
nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...
The palm trees in the background are near a small hut by a tennis court (taken down in ~2005-6).
Compare with a 1997 photo here:
September 9, 2025 at 11:53 PM
New contribution to this piece from
@malachybrowne
and myself: the Epstein novelty check photo was indeed taken at Mar-a-Lago.
nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...
The palm trees in the background are near a small hut by a tennis court (taken down in ~2005-6).
Compare with a 1997 photo here:
@malachybrowne
and myself: the Epstein novelty check photo was indeed taken at Mar-a-Lago.
nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...
The palm trees in the background are near a small hut by a tennis court (taken down in ~2005-6).
Compare with a 1997 photo here:
New video piece on the Israeli double-tap strike on Nasser Hospital that killed six journalists.
From @ckoettl.bsky.social, @sanjanamv.bsky.social, and Natalie Reneau
www.nytimes.com/video/world/...
From @ckoettl.bsky.social, @sanjanamv.bsky.social, and Natalie Reneau
www.nytimes.com/video/world/...
Video: Videos Contradict Israel’s Rationale for Deadly Hospital Attack
The strikes on Nasser Hospital in Gaza killed at least 20 people. A Times visual analysis calls into question what the Israeli military was initially targeting there, and why its troops attacked a sec...
www.nytimes.com
August 31, 2025 at 5:25 PM
New video piece on the Israeli double-tap strike on Nasser Hospital that killed six journalists.
From @ckoettl.bsky.social, @sanjanamv.bsky.social, and Natalie Reneau
www.nytimes.com/video/world/...
From @ckoettl.bsky.social, @sanjanamv.bsky.social, and Natalie Reneau
www.nytimes.com/video/world/...