Kiah Collier
@KiahCollier
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journalist taking a breather. formerly @propublica , @texastribune @houstonchron etc. 📧 journalistakiah @gmail .com
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My turn to quit✌️ After 3.5 years on the
@propublica
/
@TexasTribune
investigative team, I'm taking a much-needed break to rest & regroup. I'm sad to give up such amazing teammates & am extremely proud of the impactful work we've published through some major tumult. 🧵
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This is such an honor! Props to my man for all of it.
Embrace the green. Art. Composition. Dramatically lit. First
@propublica
10/10 for
@KiahCollier
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A fun fact tucked into this story: Oil producers in the Permian Basin (including the New Mexico portion) are burning off enough natural gas to meet the entirety of Texas' residential gas needs. I did the math about 20 times because I couldn't believe it.
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ICYMI: A Silicon Valley-based lender that had sued thousands of its Latino borrowers in Texas during the pandemic after they fell behind on payments said it would stop filing suits and drop all pending cases -- but only after we started asking questions.
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We had a 3-hour staff meeting this AM and didn't get a whole lot more info than what's in here.
Laying off the entire copy desk and multimedia team + two of the best and most beloved reporters makes zero sense and will have devastating ramifications.
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The Trump Administration isn't just deporting migrant children, it's expelling them as part of a shadowy program run by a private and seemingly unqualified contractor that is imprisoning them in hotels. Such a jarring read via the great
@lomikriel
:
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"It could have been worse. The reason it was not worse is because law enforcement officials did what they do." -
@GovAbbott
two days ago
#uvalde
It is now clear that in an effort to lionize the law enforcement response after a shooting that killed 23 people, state leaders gave incredibly inaccurate information to the public about the shooting's timeline.
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Friendly reminder that this is my first week as a
@propublica
/
@TexasTribune
investigative reporter!
Please send any & all Texas-centric tips —
#coronavirus
& otherwise — to kiah DOT collier AT propublica DOT org. Or DM me.
Thanks & hope y'all are staying sane and healthy!
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Why I (we) do what I (we) do 🙂
#impact
#journalism
--
Texas-Mexico Border Town Approves Air Pollution Monitoring Following
@ProPublica
and
@TexasTribune
Investigation
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This is so disingenuous, it's not even funny. Last week's power outages were due largely to a sysyemic failure in the state's natural gas system. Natural gas performed worse than any other fuel type, including wind and solar.
#TexasBlackout
#txlege
At the height of last week’s extreme cold weather event, natural gas was providing 67% of all power generation in Texas. Without natural gas, millions more Texans would have been without heat and power.
#NatGasFacts
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Why I (we) do what we do:
They Sued Thousands of Borrowers During the Pandemic — Until We Started Asking Questions
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A week after
@EPA
guts chemical safety regulations aimed at preventing this very thing
#PortNeches
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Beyond thrilled to be joining the new
@propublica
/
@TexasTribune
investigative unit! FYI, I’ll still be probing energy/environment issues so keep the tips coming. I’m going to keep my Tribune email for as long as possible but new address will be: kiah.collier
@propublica
.org.
NEW: Meet five of the reporters on our investigative team with
@propublica
.
@KiahCollier
,
@ViannaDavila
,
@lomikriel
,
@JinATX
and
@Perla_Trevizo
are smart, authentic and fearless truth-tellers, and we are so excited to welcome them.
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GREAT
#JOURNALISMJOBS
ALERT:
The
@TexasTribune
is hiring an environment reporter, i.e. my old job. It is a wonderful place to work, financially stable and committed to
#diversity
in hiring.
APPLY! And feel free to DM me with ?s
CC
@sejorg
@metcalfURI
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Breaking/Impact!
Texas House + Senate budget negotiators stripped funding for the National Child ID Program following our investigation.
Senate's proposed budget had $1M; House's proposed budget had $4.7M. Compromise budget has zilch.
#txlege
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P.S. The Texas Legislature allocated $5.7 million on these child ID kits when a variety of orgs provide them to parents for free. We also had trouble finding a case where a kit had actually helped in a missing child investigation.
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My latest with
@JinATX
and
@ViannaDavila
:
“Power Companies Get Exactly What They Want”: How Texas Repeatedly Failed to Protect Its Power Grid Against Extreme Weather
#TexasPowerOutages
#TexasFreeze
#txlege
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Frozen wind turbines are NOT the main problem here, not even close
CC:
@MillerForTexas
, other GOP leaders +
#txoil
and gas industry
#TexasFreeze
#texaspoweroutage
Wind has been producing ~1.5 GW less than ERCOT expected for a winter peak event, solar ~1 GW more than expected, & nuclear running 100%. Meanwhile, >30 GW of fossil plants, mostly natural gas, went down. So of course the narrative is -- frozen wind turbines! 🤦♂️
#RollingBlackouts
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Go ahead and add one more accused felon to
@KenPaxtonTX
's list of associates. My latest:
#txlege
#kenpaxton
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I cannot overstate how much time, effort & heartache goes into producing stories like this. Please donate to
@propublica
&
@TexasTribune
if you value this kind of work!
I'll be shopping around for my next gig as I recharge so don't hesitate to holler if you're hiring. DMs open.
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My latest with
@renLarson_
and
@Perla_Trevizo
:
The Loan Company That Sued Thousands of Low-Income Latinos During the Pandemic
#oportun
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JUST IN: Senate Finance Committee has officially approved boosting public education funding by $9 billion. Includes $2.7 billion for property tax relief.
#txlege
#txed
At Senate Finance hearing,
@SenLarryTaylor
says his committee work group wants to spend a total of $9 billion on public education:
- $4 billion for teacher pay
- $2.3B for school finance
- $2.7B for property tax relief
#txlege
#txed
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"Texas ranks last in the country for access to mental health services. In April, Texas
@GovAbbott
cut $211 million in mental health program funding."
And he says mental health is the main driver behind these mass shootings, not lax gun control laws.
#uvalde
Uvalde’s only pediatrician shares the horror of treating school shooting victims. -
@TODAYshow
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Texans Recovering From
#COVID19
Needed Oxygen. Then the Power Went Out.
Via
@Mike_Hixenbaugh
and the incomparable
@Perla_Trevizo
#texaspoweroutage
#TexasBlackout
#txlege
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While other states fighting
#coronavirus
enforce widespread closures,
#Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott goes with a patchwork system. Public health experts say that can be problematic.
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My first story for
@ProPublica
as a staffer!: Meet the Pastors Holding In-Person Services During
#Coronavirus
#texas
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The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is exploring all legal options to hold accountable the company that has caused the fires and pollution in Deer Park.
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New: Why has Texas suddenly decided to immediately sue industrial polluters?
#DeerParkFire
#ITCFire
#KMCOFire
#txlege
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My last story, with
@dankeemahill
, revealed how
@teainfo
Commissioner Mike Morath has let underperforming charter schools expand and serve more students while excoriating Houston ISD for the same issue.
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So not at all? Cool.
The Media is just as corrupt as the Election itself!
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The man behind the kits, former
#NFL
player Kenny Hansmire, has such a notable history that we did a sidebar. With the fabulous
@LChurchilll
:
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@propublica
@TexasTribune
Dear Elon,
This thread was scheduled to post tomorrow. We can share the blame.
Best,
Kiah
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For those who are like, 'You work for ProPublica though, right?' Yeah but the Tribune raises money to fund our unit and two of our team members are Tribune employees. Also I worked for the Trib for 5 years before this and loved it.
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I should have tweeted this on Saturday but better late than never:
The 👏🏻 Data 👏🏻 Are 👏🏻 Not 👏🏻 Mixed
#TribFest19
.
@TedCruz
says the “the data are mix” regarding climate change. He says the climate movement is dangerous because it has become an “emotional primal scream.”
@chrislhayes
: How much time have you spent with climate scientists?
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JUST IN: The great
@rossramsey
has declared Bush heir
@PierceBush
toast in GOP primary for
#TX22
. Story TK.
#Texas2020
#SuperTuesday
#txlege
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.
@RossRamsey
: "It requires politicians to go against their instincts to tell people what they want to hear — and to instead tell them what’s good for them..."
#txlege
#coronavirus
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During the infamous electric outage in Feb. 2021,
@JinATX
@ViannaDavila
and I published a quick-turn investigation about the outsize influence of TX power companies. (At least 1 of us didn't have power + none of us had water.) It won an
@IRE_NICAR
award.
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Excellent story by
@Bova_Gus
: Inside the Fight to Save Texas’ Pristine Southern Coast From the Natural Gas Industry
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No, frozen wind turbines aren't the main culprit for Texas' power outages
via
@TexasTribune
#texaspoweroutage
#TexasPowerGrid
#txoil
#TXEnergy
#txlege
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In August 2020,
@renLarson_
& I exposed a lender that had sued thousands of low-income Latino clients who had fallen behind on payments during the pandemic. The company dropped the lawsuits after we started asking ?s. Then
@CFPB
launched an investigation.
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TX lawmakers this year also pulled millions in state funding from an ineffective child safety program after
@JinATX
& I revealed they had been duped by a serial grifter
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If this isn't a David-and-Goliath story, I don't know what is:
Texas judge approves historic settlement agreement in Formosa Plastics case
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Have been waiting for a
@TexasMonthly
story on the historic oil boom in West Texas: The Permian Basin Is Booming With Oil. But at What Cost to West Texans?
#txoil
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I found some air monitoring reports buried on the website of the company that owns the
#PortNeches
chemical plant that exploded in November. They are... interesting. The story:
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3-way Democratic primary race for
#TX10
seat — currently held by Republican
@RepMcCaul
, who is *not* retiring — is tight in early returns.
@SiegelForTexas
— 44%
@priteshgandhimd
— 31%
@Shannon4Texas
— 25%
#Texas2020
#SuperTuesday
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Later that year,
@mayatmiller
& I revealed that a little-known plant on the TX-MX border was spewing toxic air pollution, leading to elevated cancer risk. Local activists & leaders mobilized before the story even published & the
@EPA
made changes.
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ICYMI —> Why has Texas suddenly decided to immediately sue industrial polluters? via
@TexasTribune
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But first make sure you're in a place where you can cry 💔 Amazing work
@eklib
.
If you read one story today, make it this one by the
@eklib
about the amazing Miranda Michel, who was told her twin sons wouldn’t survive. Texas law made her give birth anyway. via
@TexasTribune
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This A.M., the Senate Natural Resources Committee considered a bill that would allow
@TCEQ
to beef up staffing for the expedition of industrial air permits and the ONLY witness was a petrochemical lobbyist. This is in the wake of the
#deerparkfire
. Kind of strange.
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Port Neches plant rocked by multiple explosions was declared high priority violator by
@EPA
#PortNeches
#EPA
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At Senate Finance hearing,
@SenLarryTaylor
says his committee work group wants to spend a total of $9 billion on public education:
- $4 billion for teacher pay
- $2.3B for school finance
- $2.7B for property tax relief
#txlege
#txed
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I would never bet against Texas' desire to avoid federal regulation at all costs, especially when there are reforms
#txlege
can make to the current system to (perhaps partly) address the problem without pissing off too many interested parties.
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My latest: Can the “masters of the flood” help Texas protect its coast from hurricanes? via
@TexasTribune
#txlege
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In other states, electric and gas are typically regulated by the same entity. In Texas, it's two different ones:
@PUCTX
and
@txrrc
. Some experts I've talked to say that's a big problem.
Hancock asks: are there things that could have been done differently?
Walker: better coordination between electric and gas. We started doing it in real time. Should have been done before.
I'll say again: we need a senior level energy person coordinating agencies in Texas.
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Awesome get by
@NaveenaSivam
on the consulting firm behind
#ITCFire
/
#DeerPark
cleanup —> Katrina, the BP spill, now Houston: This consulting firm keeps coming under fire | Grist
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Just got off a press call with major fossil fuel industry groups —
@APIenergy
,
@oilpipes
, etc. — and they all said they're adequately prepared for
#coronavirus
response and don't foresee any disruptions to energy delivery or supply chains
#txoil
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.
@NaveenaSivam
& I spent a year investigating how Texas has given a hand up to financially distressed
#coal
companies as they face millions of dollars in mandated mine cleanup costs. We zeroed in on 3 mines across the state in our 3-part series.
Part 1:
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When you look at the org chart,
@ERCOT_ISO
(and your local power utility!) is at the bottom, the Public Utility Commission is in the middle and the Texas Legislature is at the top. The governor's office of course has equal authority to state lawmakers but doesn't make policy...
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My latest: Ahead of explosion, Port Neches plant reported an increase of rogue emissions of explosive gas
#PortNeches
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THREAD: As a former longtime energy reporter, many people have asked me this week who they should be most mad at for this devastating power and humanitarian crisis. I can't answer that for you, but I can tell you that...
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Returns are slow in coming in the Dem races I'm following (
#TX02
,
#TX10
,
#TX31
). Nothing has changed in
#TX10
and
#TX31
and there are NO returns listed for
#TX02
, where 3 Dems are duking it out:
@ElisaCardnell
,
@SimaforTX
,
@travisolsen2020
.
#Texas2020
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I'll be following a bunch of 🔥 U.S. House races tonight, including the GOP primary for Texas' 22nd District. Politicos/pundits: Feel free to tell me now what it means for the Bush family's political future if
@PierceBush
doesn't make the runoff.
#Texas2020
#SuperTuesday
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Cool news for all us
@BigBendNPS
fans:
@USPS
is issuing a Big Bend-themed stamp in January. Now if we can only find a reason to use it.
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Why can 18-year-olds in Texas buy AR-15s but not handguns? The federal government. But also Texas government. Allow me to explain.
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!!!
Environmental Reporting category finalists:
@AP
,
@Publici
,
@Newsy
and
@TexasTribune
, “Blowout: Inside America’s Energy Gamble”;
@wvgazettemail
(West Virginia), “The New Power Brokers: West Virginia’s Natural Gas Industry”; and
@NatGeo
, “Planet or Plastic?”
#ScrippsHowardAwards
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Ridiculous
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It’s actually federal law that explicitly says 18 year olds can buy long guns (i.e. AR-15s) but not handguns. If it were up to Texas, 18-year-olds would be able to buy both. Because that’s what state law says.
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This
Presidential debate commission: Please - do what we do in Wisconsin Broadcasters Association candidate debates: use a kill switch on microphones for debaters who go over their time or fail to follow the rules. It works. The viewers appreciate it.
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Thank you,
@Longreads
!
"In this three-part series,
@grist
and
@TexasTribune
examine the controversial legacy that coal mining companies are leaving behind in the Lone Star State—and how
#Texas
is helping them save millions of dollars in the process."
@KiahCollier
@NaveenaSivam
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We wrote this story a few days ago, which is like a few years in
#coronavirus
time. Why is
@GovAbbott
still leaving it to locals to make the tough calls, particularly when he has repeatedly called them incompetent in recent years?
via
@politico
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Watching an already fragile pillar of democracy being desecrated like this is just devastating. My prayers go out to all the diligent ballot counters who are plugging away (no matter how slowly 😉) and scared for their safety.
A video viewed millions of times on Twitter falsely claims to show an Atlanta poll worker crumpling up an absentee ballot. An election official says the worker did no such thing — and now is in hiding after the false accusation led to online harassment.
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Hill Country Landowners Say Kinder Morgan Is Lowballing Them. Special Courts Are Agreeing. via
@KUT
/
@MoseBuchele
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Via the incomparable
@Perla_Trevizo
!
New: This election once again showed the need for more distinct voices in newsrooms. ProPublica and Texas Tribune reporter Perla Trevizo explains why newsrooms must comprise and engage the communities they cover — and not just before an election.
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That bitter-but-mostly-sweet feeling when a government agency reverses course on a controversial policy before you even publish. On to the next thing...
#investigativejournalism
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A phenomenal read by
@LiseDigger
👏🏻 I would have finished it in one sitting if life hadn't gotten in the way.
The hopeful ending was appreciated after feeling such intense fury throughout. (Also in general).
Believe women.
#codeofsilence
#metoo
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@TCEQ
@CaresItc
Texas Attorney General
@KenPaxtonTX
on lawsuit against
@CaresItc
: “ITC has a history of environmental violations, and this latest incident is especially disturbing and frightening. No company can be allowed to disrupt lives and put public health and safety at risk.”
#txlege
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Today, a father who lives close to
@TPC_Group
's
#PortNeches
facility told
@TCEQ
commissioners that his baby daughter started vomiting shortly after they left the house during last month's mandatory evacuation, ordered after 2nd plant explosion.
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ATTN pregnant ladies, parents with young kids who need vaccines + check-ups, people who need surgery or other in-person medical care unrelated to
#coronavirus
: Have your doctors canceled or shortened appointments? If so, please email me: kcollier
@texastribune
.org
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Cancer cluster identified in Houston neighborhood near Union Pacific railyard’s creosote contamination via
@houstonchron
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Or my wedding 🥲
There will be no rain before or during the ACL Music Festival.
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My latest:
#Coronavirus
Put Her Out of Work, Then Debt Collectors Froze Her Savings Account
#COVID19
#Debt
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@mizzousundevil
@KendraWrites
@TaliaBuford
@lisalsong
@HirokoTabuchi
@Zhirji28
@yessfun
@JasmineLBrown
@PopovichN
@LFFriedman
@amywestervelt
@Perla_Trevizo
Totally. Off the top of my head:
@NaveenaSivam
@amalykinz
@zoeschlanger
@DaLyahJ
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But federal law trumps state law. That's U.S. government 101. In general, feds set a floor or minimum and states are free to go above it (i.e. impose greater restrictions) but not below it.
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