Ben Protess
Fellow
Featured Story
Introducing ProPublica’s DNA Backlog Tracker: Five Labs, Five Backlogs
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - June 9, 2009 7:50 am EDT
"One of the biggest problems facing the criminal justice system today is the substantial backlog of unanalyzed DNA samples."
--A 2003 Bush administration statement about the "President's DNA initiative," a five-year plan to, among other goals, eliminate backlogs of untested evidence.
In 2003, the Bush administration declared war on the DNA backlog.
Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that the U.S. Justice Department planned to spend about a billion dollars to eliminate it. The effort, the Justice … more…
Read MoreDNA Tracker: Crime Labs and Their DNA Backlog
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - June 9, 2009 7:50 am EDT
Illinois Crime Lab Botched Count of State’s DNA Backlog
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - May 19, 2009 1:17 pm EDT
Struggling Homeowners, Tell Us Your Story
by Alexandra Andrews and Ben Protess, ProPublica - May 15, 2009 3:21 pm EDT
Treasury Boasts of Mortgage Plan’s Progress, But Gives Little Info
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - May 14, 2009 4:44 pm EDT
Justice Denied: Debbie Shaw’s Story
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - May 5, 2009 12:26 pm EDT
Delayed Justice: Kellie Greene’s Story
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - May 5, 2009 11:50 am EDT
The DNA Debacle: How the Federal Government Botched the DNA Backlog Crisis
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - May 5, 2009 7:40 am EDT
Obama Housing Plan Broadens to 2nd Mortgages
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - April 28, 2009 4:12 pm EDT
Mortgage Mod Update: Readers Help Us Report
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - April 24, 2009 3:50 pm EDT
Big Banks Ramp Up Mortgage Mod Program
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - April 22, 2009 3:44 pm EDT
Loan Modification Update
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - April 21, 2009 2:09 pm EDT
Help Us Report on Obama’s Mortgage Mod Program
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - April 17, 2009 3:14 pm EDT
Help Us Report on Obama’s Mortgage Mod Program
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - April 17, 2009 2:29 pm EDT
Secretary Salazar: The Everyman of Obama’s Cabinet
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - April 9, 2009 4:49 pm EDT
Everything You Want to Know About Blago’s Indictment
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - April 3, 2009 12:49 pm EDT
Report: LA Rape Evidence Backlog Booms to 12,000 Cases
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - March 31, 2009 5:52 pm EDT
Burris Punts on Promise
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - March 27, 2009 3:09 pm EDT
Stop the Clock: Treasury Releases Bailout Contract
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - March 26, 2009 1:35 pm EDT
Has Burris, The Immovable Object, Won?
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - March 6, 2009 10:59 am EDT
New Promise We’re Tracking: Burris Explains It All
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - March 2, 2009 3:40 pm EDT
Ill. Gov. Looks to Bump Burris With Special Election
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - February 27, 2009 10:57 am EDT
Keeping Tabs on Burris’ Tale: A New Timeline
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - February 23, 2009 3:26 pm EDT
New Questions About Crucial Burris Testimony
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - February 21, 2009 8:52 am EDT
More Omissions in Burris’ Story
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - February 20, 2009 11:10 am EDT
Government-Funded Study Calls for Overhaul of Nation’s Crime Labs
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - February 18, 2009 4:25 pm EDT
Burris’ Evolving Story on Blago Ties: A Timeline
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - February 17, 2009 3:42 pm EDT
Burris’ $1.5 Million Pal
by Ben Protess, ProPublica, and Steve Mills, Chicago Tribune - February 9, 2009 10:05 am EDT
Details on $20 Million TARP Contract Still Secret
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - February 6, 2009 4:25 pm EDT
More Loopholes to Obama’s New Exec Pay Limits
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - February 6, 2009 10:16 am EDT
Blago’s Last Day
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - January 30, 2009 11:35 am EDT
Blago, Gov No More
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - January 29, 2009 6:36 pm EDT
You Don’t Know Burris
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - January 16, 2009 3:22 pm EDT
Burris Ties to Blago Show Close Relationship
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - January 15, 2009 5:34 pm EDT
Senate Dems Cave, Burris to be Seated
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - January 12, 2009 4:46 pm EDT
Durbin: We Need That Signature, Burris!
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - January 9, 2009 5:53 pm EDT
Court Ruling Further Muddies Burris’ Quest for Senate Seat
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - January 9, 2009 3:15 pm EDT
Blago ‘Freak Show’ Heads to Ill. Senate after Impeachment
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - January 9, 2009 12:13 pm EDT
Reid Disavows Report on Burris Deal
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - January 7, 2009 11:05 am EDT
Burris Rebuffed by Senate (For Now)
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - January 6, 2009 12:42 pm EDT
Transit Agencies Still Seeking Gov’t Aid
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - January 5, 2009 11:20 am EDT
In 90s, Burris Sought Death Penalty for Innocent Man
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - December 31, 2008 4:02 pm EDT
In Senate Fight, Law May Be on Burris’ Side
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - December 31, 2008 10:42 am EDT
Blago’s Senate Pick Burris Is Illinois Lobbyist
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - December 30, 2008 3:06 pm EDT
Blagojevich About to Appoint Obama Replacement?
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - December 30, 2008 1:19 pm EDT
Treasury Docs Still Blacked Out
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - December 23, 2008 8:54 am EDT
Blago Wants His Money (For His Lawyers)
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - December 19, 2008 11:59 am EDT
Can Blagojevich Use Campaign Cash to Pay Lawyers?
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - December 16, 2008 4:15 pm EDT
Your Blagojevich Questions Answered
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - December 15, 2008 4:34 pm EDT
Big Union and Blago: A History
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - December 15, 2008 12:17 pm EDT
Got Questions About Blago’s (Alleged!) Bribes?
by Ben Protess, ProPublica - December 12, 2008 6:25 pm EDT
Email:
Ben Protess has worked as an investigative reporter for the North Lawndale Community News in Chicago and as part of the investigative unit of CBS News in Chicago. Protess graduated with honors from the Columbia University Journalism School’s Investigative Reporting Fellowship.
© Copyright 2009 Pro Publica Inc.
FREE REPRINTS
You can republish our articles for free, if you credit us, link to us, and don't edit our material or sell it separately. (We're licensed under Creative Commons, which provides the legal details.)