October 2012 Archive
Reading Guide: Where Obama and Romney Actually Stand on Iran
We've looked beyond the candidates' campaign rhetoric to see what actually separates them on Iran.
Did the Dark Money Group that Spurred a Landmark Ruling Mislead the IRS?
A nonprofit group that filed a lawsuit that led the Supreme Court to apply its Citizens United decision to states told the IRS that it wouldn't intervene in elections – after it already had.
TSA Removes X-Ray Body Scanners From Major Airports
The Transportation Security Administration has been removing its X-ray body scanners from LAX, O'Hare and JFK, and putting them in less-busy airports. The X-ray machines have faced criticism over radiation and privacy.
Doubts About Independent Foreclosure Review Spread
Evidence emerges that the largest banks might be influencing the determination of who was victimized by their own practices.
Democratic Congressman Takes Heat For Lobbyist-Organized Taiwan Trip
ProPublica reported on Bill Owens’ trip to Taiwan earlier this year. Now his opponent is attacking him over the trip in a campaign ad.
Message Machine Starts Providing Answers
Political campaigns use massive databases to target their constituents. ProPublica's Message Machine is beginning to find some answers on how they do it.
How an Accused Guatemalan War Criminal Won U.S., Canadian Citizenship
Jorge Vinicio Sosa Orantes denies any role in the slaughter of 250 villagers at Dos Erres in 1982, but investigators say he concealed his background as an army commando and manipulated the immigration system.
Como un Presunto Criminal de Guerra Logró Hacerse Ciudadano en Estados Unidos y Canadá
Jorge Vinicio Sosa Orantes niega cualquier participación en la masacre de 250 campesinos en Dos Erres en 1982, pero los investigadores dicen que escondió su pasado como comando militar y manipuló el sistema.
How ProPublica's Message Machine Reverse Engineers Political Microtargeting
How the message machine works.
Money is Speech: A Musical History of Campaign Finance
Our latest explainer video, on the storied history of money in politics.
The Campaign Finance Free-For-All: How We Got to This Point
A primer in the four-decade-long unraveling of campaign finance reform
How Financial Aid Letters Often Leave Students Confused and Misinformed
The Department of Education has a model financial aid award letter. It's very different from what schools are actually sending.
Introducing a Free the Files API
Today we're opening a Free The Files API which will offer developers access to markets, stations, committees and filings data from our crowdsourced app
Big Electric Companies Behind 'Grassroots' Ad Campaign in Florida
Defend My Dividend calls itself a grassroots campaign to halt a dividend tax hike. But the group's ad buys are linked to trade groups for utilities and other dividend-paying companies.
Free the Files Tracks $294 Million in TV Ads, With Obama Topping Buyer List
In just two weeks, volunteers for our Free the Files project have liberated information on $294 million in political ad buys.
The Best Reporting on Facebook and Your Privacy
With Facebook passing the one-billion user mark, we’ve rounded up the best reads on the company and privacy issues.
