Before there were servers or feeds, there were files—millions of them. In 1919, a young J. Edgar Hoover, fresh from the Library of Congress, designed an index-card system that cross-referenced names, movements, and rumors. His General Intelligence Division eventually catalogued over ten million individuals—activists, politicians, immigrants, and celebrities.
I’ve lived that quiet fear — the smile that hides obedience. When I saw it again, this time on MAGA women in a Chuck E. Cheese, I had to ask: are they okay?
Nov 12, 20252 min read
Investigations
Records-based reporting across the Central Valley. Browse by topic or date, and open each story for documents and data notes.
