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.





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A New Mexico District Says It’s Reduced Harsh Discipline of Native Students. But the Data Provided Is Incomplete.
Following an investigation by New Mexico In Depth and ProPublica, Gallup-McKinley County says it cut down on long-term suspensions for Indigenous children and implemented policy reforms. But the state has not made it easy to verify these claims.
Local Reporting Network
Tennessee Lawmakers Push to Change How the State Disarms Dangerous People to Better Protect Domestic Violence Victims
The GOP-sponsored bill would provide more transparency when a court orders someone to give up their firearms. The move follows WPLN and ProPublica reporting that found the state’s lax gun laws allow weapons to remain in the hands of domestic abusers.
Local Reporting Network
The Staffers Helping Elon Musk Dismantle and Downsize the U.S. Government, One Agency at a Time
Musk and his lieutenants are reshaping the government and its mission with the blessing of President Trump. ProPublica has confirmed the names and roles of more than 30 staffers affiliated with the billionaire.
Utah Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Patients “Using His Position as a Therapist”
The plea comes after an investigation by The Salt Lake Tribune and ProPublica about the former therapist, who built a reputation as a specialist for struggling gay Latter-day Saints men.
Local Reporting Network
Idaho Passed $2 Billion in Funding for School Building Repairs. It’s Not Nearly Enough.
A new cost estimate and early reports from districts receiving state funds show that small districts are still struggling to meet their most dire needs, forcing them to turn to voters to approve additional funds.
Local Reporting Network
Elon Musk’s Team Decimates Education Department Arm That Tracks National School Performance
The Trump administration canceled $900 million in contracts overseen by the Institute of Education Sciences, which partners with scientists and education companies to compile and make public data about schools each year.
The Courts Blocked Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze. Agencies Are Withholding Money Anyway.
Agencies continue to suspend funding, despite multiple court orders blocking the federal freeze. Experts say the Trump administration’s actions set the stage for challenges to Congress’ authority — and the limits of the presidency.
Trump’s Pardons and Purges Revive Old Question: Who Counts as a Terrorist?
The president’s sweeping clemency for Capitol rioters and his administration’s ongoing removal of career national security specialists foretell a permissive new climate for extremist movements, say current and former officials and researchers.
In Breaking USAID, the Trump Administration May Have Broken the Law
ProPublica’s reporting provides new details about what legal risk officials were prepared to take and what laws they may have violated on their way to creating a “constitutional crisis.”
The Department of Education Told Employees to End Support for Transgender Students
The directive, which continues the Trump administration’s efforts to curb transgender rights, could end school-based mental health services and support for homeless students.
First Came the Warning Signs. Then a Teen Opened Fire on a Nashville School.
Tennessee authorities were alerted to Solomon Henderson’s threatening and violent behavior long before he brought a gun to Antioch High School. It’s unclear how many red flags were heeded.
The Elite Lawyers Working for Elon Musk’s DOGE Include Former Supreme Court Clerks
Much attention has been paid to the young Silicon Valley engineers working for Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, but the group has also hired high-powered legal talent.
Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Expected to Examine Another Treasury System Next Week
The new target, sources said, is a sensitive database that tracks the flow of money across the government.
Four Years in a Day
ProPublica and The Texas Tribune took a snapshot of the blitz of executive orders President Donald Trump has signed since taking office, by tallying nearly three dozen from his first day.
Memory-Holing Jan. 6: What Happens When You Try to Make History Vanish?
The Trump administration’s decision to delete a DOJ database of cases against Capitol riot defendants places those who seek to preserve the historical record in direct opposition to their own government.
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