What We’re Watching
During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.
Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.
Sharon Lerner
I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.
Andy Kroll
I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.
Jesse Coburn
I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.
If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch.
More Stories
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Nike Says Its Factory Workers Make Nearly Double the Minimum Wage. In Indonesia, Workers Say, “It’s Not True.”
An average worker at the foreign factories that make Nike’s goods earns 1.9 times the local minimum wage, the company says. None of the workers The Oregonian/OregonLive spoke with in Nike’s second-largest production hub said they earned that much.
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She Was a Key Voice of the 1990s Labor Movement in Nike’s Indonesia Factories. Today She Relies on Donations From Abroad.
In 1992, Cicih Sukaesih led fellow Indonesian factory workers in a strike, part of a movement that led Nike to create its first code of conduct. She reflects on her achievements and what’s happened since.
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Two School Districts Sue, Claiming Alaska Is Failing Its Constitutional Obligation to Fund Public Education
The lawsuit points to the effects of the state’s underfunding, including low proficiency-test scores and dangerous building conditions.
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Six Senators Accuse Deputy Attorney General of “Glaring” Crypto Conflict, Cite ProPublica Investigation
The senators presented a letter demanding that top DOJ official Todd Blanche clarify the legality of his actions, pointing to ProPublica reporting that found he owned at least $159,000 in related assets when he shut down crypto investigations.
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We Tested Vapes in Colorado for Signs of Hemp. This Is What We Found.
ProPublica and The Denver Gazette set out to test whether claims of widespread substitution of hemp for marijuana were accurate, purchasing vapes at dispensaries across the Denver area.
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New York Homeless Families Placed in Hotels Weren’t Guaranteed Social Services. New Regulations Could Change That.
The proposal follows a ProPublica and New York Focus investigation that found counties had placed thousands of adults and children in often-dilapidated hotels as the main response to homelessness.
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A Year in Trump’s Mass Deportation Campaign
Skyrocketing detentions, violent arrests, troops in cities. President Donald Trump promised an immigration crackdown that would make history. One year in, we look at how it’s changed the lives of immigrants and citizens across the U.S.
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New Bills Seek to Rein In Oil Companies’ Pollution of Oklahoma Groundwater
The legislation comes after The Frontier and ProPublica found over 150 incidents where oilfield wastewater had gushed from the earth, releasing toxic chemicals — including some that cause cancer — near homes and farms and into drinking water sources.
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How Tennessee’s Speaker of the House Helped Keep a Payday Lender’s Struggling Sports Gambling Company Alive
Cameron Sexton took steps that allowed the owners of a payday lending company, Advance Financial, to keep using their stores to boost a now-defunct online sports betting enterprise.
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Louisiana Paroles Its Lowest Number of Prisoners in 20 Years Under Gov. Jeff Landry
The state parole board freed 185 prisoners during Landry’s tenure, compared with 858 in the two years before he took office. Hundreds who would have been released under previous governors remain incarcerated with little chance of earning parole.
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Government by AI? Trump Administration Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence
The Transportation Department, which oversees the safety of airplanes, cars and pipelines, plans to use Google Gemini to draft new regulations. “We don’t need the perfect rule,” said DOT’s top lawyer. “We want good enough.”
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Our Reporting Showed Washington Ranks Last in Green Energy Growth. Now the State Is Working to Speed It Up.
The state’s departing commerce director said there’s added urgency to get the projects done after an Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica investigation showed states like Iowa and Texas have made more progress in renewable energy growth.
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Documenting an Alaska Village, Before and After the Storm That Destroyed It
The story of Typhoon Halong’s destruction in Kipnuk adds an exclamation point to long-simmering fears about the future of Alaska coastal villages facing down climate change.
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“A Godsend”: ProPublica’s Rx Inspector Tool Is Helping People Find Critical Safety Information on Generic Drugs
Health care workers are changing how they counsel patients. Experts are using our database to support their research. And some consumers report they’ve discovered troubling records at the factories where their medications are made.
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Complaint Accuses Trump’s Criminal Attorney of “Blatant” Crypto Conflict in His Role at DOJ
A watchdog group is seeking an inspector general investigation into Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche after ProPublica reported that he had ordered changes to crypto prosecutions while owning more than $150,000 in digital assets.
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