John D. Harden
@jdharden.bsky.social
Investigative data reporter | UC Berkeley lecturer
R devotee, py-curious
R devotee, py-curious
Your morning read.
How billionaires took over American politics: The concentration of wealth among the richest Americans is unlike anything in history — and so is billionaires’ influence in politics.
wapo.st/48nkqMN
How billionaires took over American politics: The concentration of wealth among the richest Americans is unlike anything in history — and so is billionaires’ influence in politics.
wapo.st/48nkqMN
November 21, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Your morning read.
How billionaires took over American politics: The concentration of wealth among the richest Americans is unlike anything in history — and so is billionaires’ influence in politics.
wapo.st/48nkqMN
How billionaires took over American politics: The concentration of wealth among the richest Americans is unlike anything in history — and so is billionaires’ influence in politics.
wapo.st/48nkqMN
Reposted by John D. Harden
The homicide rate in the US has been dropping in the past three years and is trending toward its lowest level in decades. Reporters visited five cities with major decreases to figure out why. Data analysis by @jdharden.bsky.social:
www.washingtonpost.com/nation/inter...
www.washingtonpost.com/nation/inter...
November 20, 2025 at 7:50 PM
The homicide rate in the US has been dropping in the past three years and is trending toward its lowest level in decades. Reporters visited five cities with major decreases to figure out why. Data analysis by @jdharden.bsky.social:
www.washingtonpost.com/nation/inter...
www.washingtonpost.com/nation/inter...
The deadliest roads in America: The number of pedestrians killed by vehicles in the United States has surged amid neglect and lack of investment by transportation authorities. www.washingtonpost.com/business/int...
The deadliest roads in America
The number of pedestrians killed by vehicles has increased in the U.S., with road infrastructure and inadequate safety measures among key contributing factors.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:48 PM
The deadliest roads in America: The number of pedestrians killed by vehicles in the United States has surged amid neglect and lack of investment by transportation authorities. www.washingtonpost.com/business/int...
Reposted by John D. Harden
Exclusive: The U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika, nooses and the Confederate flag as hate symbols.
The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Exclusive: The U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika, nooses and the Confederate flag as hate symbols.
The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
Reposted by John D. Harden
A reminder of our past nuclear testing: revealnews.org/article/us-v...
Atomic veterans: The legacy of watching nuclear blasts
Hundreds of thousands of American soldiers watched nuclear bomb tests during World War II and the Cold War. Some “atomic veterans” now suffer from health problems they blame on radiation exposure.
revealnews.org
October 31, 2025 at 4:27 PM
A reminder of our past nuclear testing: revealnews.org/article/us-v...
The mysterious rise of cancer among young adults in the Corn Belt wapo.st/3Le1yXo
The mysterious rise of cancer among young adults in the Corn Belt
Communities across the Corn Belt are confronting a rise in cancers among young adults — and few clear explanations.
wapo.st
October 27, 2025 at 3:01 PM
The mysterious rise of cancer among young adults in the Corn Belt wapo.st/3Le1yXo
Reposted by John D. Harden
The U.S. women's gymnastics program won just two medals at world championships this week — their fewest since 2001. What happened?
Analysis of the state of the U.S. program: wapo.st/3JuJl7s
Analysis of the state of the U.S. program: wapo.st/3JuJl7s
October 25, 2025 at 3:12 PM
The U.S. women's gymnastics program won just two medals at world championships this week — their fewest since 2001. What happened?
Analysis of the state of the U.S. program: wapo.st/3JuJl7s
Analysis of the state of the U.S. program: wapo.st/3JuJl7s
Your diet’s impact on the planet depends on where you live. Look up your city. www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
Column | Your diet’s impact on the planet depends on where you live. Look up your city.
What you eat, and where you eat it, can have a big impact on how much you’re contributing to climate change, according to a study published Monday.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Your diet’s impact on the planet depends on where you live. Look up your city. www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
Climate change is coming for D.C.’s trees, and the city won’t look the same wapo.st/43ijIxq
Climate change is coming for D.C.’s trees, and the city won’t look the same
The Post examined data that shows how the decisions being made now about what trees to plant in place of dying ones will change the city’s treescape.
wapo.st
October 20, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Climate change is coming for D.C.’s trees, and the city won’t look the same wapo.st/43ijIxq
So, @marissajae.bsky.social and I knew D.C. was changing up its canopy, but we wanted to explore what which regions of the country would be most represented in the city’s planting strategy.
The data pointed to the midwest and gulf coast.
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
The data pointed to the midwest and gulf coast.
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
October 20, 2025 at 5:14 PM
So, @marissajae.bsky.social and I knew D.C. was changing up its canopy, but we wanted to explore what which regions of the country would be most represented in the city’s planting strategy.
The data pointed to the midwest and gulf coast.
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
The data pointed to the midwest and gulf coast.
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
Black Unemployment Is Surging Again. This Time Is Different. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/12/b...
Black Unemployment Is Surging Again. This Time Is Different.
www.nytimes.com
October 13, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Black Unemployment Is Surging Again. This Time Is Different. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/12/b...
The pain from the government shutdown is about to hit the public wapo.st/3KNYyRq
The pain from the government shutdown is about to hit the public
Federal officials are bracing for the worst effects of the ongoing government shutdown to collide with the U.S. economy this week as missed paychecks and the absence billions of dollars of government ...
wapo.st
October 12, 2025 at 6:07 PM
The pain from the government shutdown is about to hit the public wapo.st/3KNYyRq
Reposted by John D. Harden
More than 15 million people 55 or older don’t have a spouse or biological children; nearly 2 million have no family members at all.
Who will be there for these solo agers as their lives draw to a close? How many of them will die alone?
Who will be there for these solo agers as their lives draw to a close? How many of them will die alone?
An age-old fear grows more common: ‘I’m going to die alone’
As families fracture, people are living longer and are more likely to find themselves without close relatives or friends at the end of their lives.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 12, 2025 at 2:00 AM
More than 15 million people 55 or older don’t have a spouse or biological children; nearly 2 million have no family members at all.
Who will be there for these solo agers as their lives draw to a close? How many of them will die alone?
Who will be there for these solo agers as their lives draw to a close? How many of them will die alone?
Reposted by John D. Harden
🤳EXCLUSIVE: We analyzed real data from over 800 U.S. TikTok users to reveal how the app transforms casual users into power users.
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Here’s how TikTok ‘power users’ end up scrolling 4 hours a day or more
Washington Post reporters analyzed data from over 800 TikTok users to learn how the app turns people into power users, some of whom spend hours per day scrolling.
wapo.st
October 7, 2025 at 11:14 AM
🤳EXCLUSIVE: We analyzed real data from over 800 U.S. TikTok users to reveal how the app transforms casual users into power users.
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Reposted by John D. Harden
How America’s favorite sports bet is fueling sportsbook profits
Parlays are becoming more popular, accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Post analysis of betting data. Bettors lose billions a year on these bets.
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...
Parlays are becoming more popular, accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Post analysis of betting data. Bettors lose billions a year on these bets.
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...
Americans can’t stop betting parlays. Sportbooks are cashing in.
As betting booms, parlays are accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Washington Post analysis of state data.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 9, 2025 at 2:51 PM
How America’s favorite sports bet is fueling sportsbook profits
Parlays are becoming more popular, accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Post analysis of betting data. Bettors lose billions a year on these bets.
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...
Parlays are becoming more popular, accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Post analysis of betting data. Bettors lose billions a year on these bets.
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...
Read your favorite story today: Americans can’t stop betting parlays. Sportbooks are cashing in.
via the incredible @emilygiam.bsky.social 🔥, @katiperry.bsky.social and @asteckelberg.bsky.social
Explore the math and and try your own bets.
wapo.st/4o3YxXK
via the incredible @emilygiam.bsky.social 🔥, @katiperry.bsky.social and @asteckelberg.bsky.social
Explore the math and and try your own bets.
wapo.st/4o3YxXK
Americans can’t stop betting parlays. Sportbooks are cashing in.
As betting booms, parlays are accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Washington Post analysis of state data.
wapo.st
October 9, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Read your favorite story today: Americans can’t stop betting parlays. Sportbooks are cashing in.
via the incredible @emilygiam.bsky.social 🔥, @katiperry.bsky.social and @asteckelberg.bsky.social
Explore the math and and try your own bets.
wapo.st/4o3YxXK
via the incredible @emilygiam.bsky.social 🔥, @katiperry.bsky.social and @asteckelberg.bsky.social
Explore the math and and try your own bets.
wapo.st/4o3YxXK
15 teens. 300 miles. One mighty ancestral river, running free. wapo.st/4m81PJf
By Reis Thebault, Alice Li and Melina Mara
By Reis Thebault, Alice Li and Melina Mara
August 8, 2025 at 5:01 PM
15 teens. 300 miles. One mighty ancestral river, running free. wapo.st/4m81PJf
By Reis Thebault, Alice Li and Melina Mara
By Reis Thebault, Alice Li and Melina Mara
From 2020 - 2023, youth crime in DC spiked, and we investigated why. We found a series of failures to address the very problem leaders promised to solve, finding the systems put in place to help DC's youth often fell short with dire consequences.
Gift links to our series are threaded.
Gift links to our series are threaded.
June 9, 2025 at 5:05 PM
From 2020 - 2023, youth crime in DC spiked, and we investigated why. We found a series of failures to address the very problem leaders promised to solve, finding the systems put in place to help DC's youth often fell short with dire consequences.
Gift links to our series are threaded.
Gift links to our series are threaded.
Reposted by John D. Harden
Some of y’all noticed I’ve been uncharacteristically offline. This is why, and I remain on leave for a few weeks to handle a PTSD relapse. CJR was dogged in its pursuit of my story. Because of what I do and who I am, I felt that I had to answer their questions honestly.
www.cjr.org/feature-2/we...
www.cjr.org/feature-2/we...
Journalists Attest to Experiences of Sexual Misconduct with Wesley Lowery
Lowery rose to prominence as a reporter and media thinker. Women in the industry say he engaged in sexual harassment and assault.
www.cjr.org
May 21, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Some of y’all noticed I’ve been uncharacteristically offline. This is why, and I remain on leave for a few weeks to handle a PTSD relapse. CJR was dogged in its pursuit of my story. Because of what I do and who I am, I felt that I had to answer their questions honestly.
www.cjr.org/feature-2/we...
www.cjr.org/feature-2/we...
Reposted by John D. Harden
A Washington Post color analysis of D.C. found shades of gray permeate neighborhoods where the White population has increased and the Black population has decreased, by @jdharden.bsky.social and @marissajae.bsky.social:
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
The house color that tells you when a neighborhood is gentrifying
A Washington Post color analysis of D.C. found shades of gray permeate neighborhoods where markers of gentrification have spiked.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 3, 2025 at 5:28 PM
A Washington Post color analysis of D.C. found shades of gray permeate neighborhoods where the White population has increased and the Black population has decreased, by @jdharden.bsky.social and @marissajae.bsky.social:
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
Reposted by John D. Harden
“Gray houses have become a symbol of this muteness, this quiet, humble, nothing-is-happening-here,” De La Torre said. “When you paint a house gray, you’re covering up its history, its memory."
@marissajae.bsky.social @jdharden.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
@marissajae.bsky.social @jdharden.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
The house color that tells you when a neighborhood is gentrifying
A Washington Post color analysis of D.C. found shades of gray permeate neighborhoods where markers of gentrification have spiked.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 2, 2025 at 2:58 PM
“Gray houses have become a symbol of this muteness, this quiet, humble, nothing-is-happening-here,” De La Torre said. “When you paint a house gray, you’re covering up its history, its memory."
@marissajae.bsky.social @jdharden.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
@marissajae.bsky.social @jdharden.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/int...
cheering, not crying.
which brings me to my next piece of ~personal news~: in a couple weeks, i'll be starting a new job as a reporter on the data journalism team at the @nytimes.com working primarily with the National desk. i'm super excited to join this new-ish team to help grow the use of data analysis in stories.
Data Journalism Team Expands | The New York Times Company
www.nytco.com
February 25, 2025 at 8:09 PM
cheering, not crying.
Reposted by John D. Harden
Kids brave commutes that can stretch over an hour on a transit system that struggles to deliver reliable service.
We modeled over 4,000 unique trips to school, tracked the live location of hundreds of buses for months and spoke to dozens of students.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...
We modeled over 4,000 unique trips to school, tracked the live location of hundreds of buses for months and spoke to dozens of students.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...
We tracked every MTA bus Baltimore students ride to school. Here’s how.
This first-of-its-kind analysis shows it’s nearly impossible for city students to get to school on time every day on public transit.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
February 18, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Kids brave commutes that can stretch over an hour on a transit system that struggles to deliver reliable service.
We modeled over 4,000 unique trips to school, tracked the live location of hundreds of buses for months and spoke to dozens of students.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...
We modeled over 4,000 unique trips to school, tracked the live location of hundreds of buses for months and spoke to dozens of students.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...