May 2013 Archive

Problem Witness: A Case to Make Prosecutors Personally Accountable

Alexina Simon was picked up as a witness in a minor criminal case. Prosecutors in Queens held her over two days without a lawyer. Now, she wants to make them pay for what she says was misconduct.

Joanna Kao, P5 Resident

The sixth ProPublica P5 Resident is Joanna Kao.

Design Principles for News Apps & Graphics

How to apply classic design principles to your newfangled interactive graphics and apps.

Ex-Prosecutor Won’t be Watching 'Brooklyn DA'

Robert Reuland lost his job in the Brooklyn DA's office in an episode that might have made for a lively installment in the new CBS series. Reuland, who got in trouble for his too frank comments on Brooklyn’s rate of killings, now defends accused murderers in Brooklyn.

Why the Shareholder Rescue Never Comes

The recent vote to keep Jamie Dimon as CEO and chairman of JPMorgan shows why the corporate governance movement won't work when it comes to Big Banking.

News Applications Fellow

We’re looking for a News Applications Fellow to work with us starting this fall.

Transcript: Military Lending and Debt

As Need for New Flood Maps Rises, Congress and Obama Cut Funding

Funding to update the nation’s decades-old flood maps has been cut in half in recent years, even as extreme weather has grown more frequent.

A Prosecutor, a Wrongful Conviction and a Question of Justice

Jabbar Collins spent 16 years in prison for murder before he won his freedom, and with it a chance to take on the man who put him behind bars. Collins has accused Michael Vecchione, a senior Brooklyn prosecutor, of repeated acts of misconduct, and two federal judges indicated they think he may have a case. ProPublica examines Vecchione’s career, the allegations against him, and what strikes many as an inexplicable lack of accountability.

Six Facts Lost in the IRS Scandal

As Congress probes why the IRS flagged Tea Party applications, we offer some context on the rise of political social welfare nonprofits.

A Prolonged Stay: The Reasons Behind the Slow Pace of Executions

Opponents of the death penalty have hit upon an effective tactic: Learn who is making the lethal drugs used in executions and publicly shame them. Now, death penalty states are fighting to make the names of the drugs a state secret.

Sound, Fury and the IRS Mess

ProPublica’s job is to report the news rather than to make news ourselves, but sometimes we find an article of ours to be itself a subject of public debate. Last week was such a time, when two articles we had published back in December and January became the subject of significant attention in light of the uproar over IRS oversight of the process for granting tax exemption to so-called “social welfare” groups under section 501(c)(4).

ProPublica Wins Tobenkin Award

Podcast: ProPublica and the IRS Scandal

Congressmen to Hagel: Where Are the Missing War Records?

Unsatisfied with answers so far, leaders of the House veterans’ panel ask defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to explain why Army units can’t find field records from Iraq and Afghanistan.

How the IRS’s Nonprofit Division Got So Dysfunctional

The IRS division responsible for flagging Tea Party groups has long been an agency afterthought, beset by mismanagement and financial constraints.

The Story Behind Our Hospital Interactive

In a five-day hackathon, ProPublica and PBS Frontline team up to create an interactive story exploring six myths about hospitals and patient safety.

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