December 2022 Archive
Why the U.S. Is Losing the Fight to Ban Toxic Chemicals
From a powerful chemical industry that helped write the toxic substances law to an underfunded EPA lacking in resolve, the flaws in the American chemical regulatory apparatus run deep.
A Fifth of American Adults Struggle to Read. Why Are We Failing to Teach Them?
The nation’s approach to adult education has so far neglected to connect the millions of people struggling to read with the programs set up to help them.
El abandono del caso Cienfuegos fue decisión de Barr
Cómo se desmoronó la más importante acusación de EE. UU. contra un funcionario mexicano.
Hedge Fund Manager Ken Griffin Sues IRS Over “Unlawful Disclosure” of His Tax Information to ProPublica
The Citadel founder was among dozens of ultrawealthy Americans spotlighted in our Secret IRS Files series, which used a trove of agency data to reveal how billionaires avoid paying taxes and use their money to influence tax policy.
Behind the Key Decision That Left Many Poor Homeowners Without Enough Money to Rebuild After Katrina
National politics spawned a Hurricane Katrina rebuilding program based on pre-storm home values, leading to disparities between rich and poor.
Washington State Proposes Reforms for Special Education Schools
Education officials cite Seattle Times/ProPublica investigation that showed state failed to address complaints about abuse, lack of academics.
Federal Judge Strikes Down Part of Montana’s Far-Reaching Anti-Vax Law
ProPublica recently explored how Republicans in Montana passed the country’s most extreme anti-vaccination law and a hospital soon became overtaken by COVID. Now a judge has ruled the law went too far.
El caso Cienfuegos: el conflicto que hundió la lucha contra las drogas de México y Estados Unidos
Hace 2 años, DEA detuvo a un general mexicano con la esperanza de confrontar la corrupción de alto nivel en el centro del crimen organizado. Pero el caso se vino abajo, y con él la cooperación entre EEUU y México en cuanto al combate al narcotráfico.
Wealthy Governor’s Company to Pay Nearly $1 Million for Chronic Air Pollution Violations
Bluestone Coke, owned by the family of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, signed a consent decree that could allow its Birmingham plant to reopen under stricter oversight.
Inside Google’s Quest to Digitize Troops’ Tissue Samples
The tech giant has long sought access to a priceless trove of veterans’ skin samples, tumor biopsies and slices of organs. DOD staffers have pushed back, raising ethical and legal concerns, but Google might win anyway.
An Exodus Unlike Any Other: Why Half the People in This Community Moved Away After Hurricane Katrina
After Hurricane Katrina devastated St. Bernard Parish, many residents didn’t receive enough money from the state to rebuild. Nearly half made the difficult decision to start over somewhere else.
The Federal Program to Rebuild After Hurricane Katrina Shortchanged the Poor. New Data Proves It.
For years, low-income residents of New Orleans have said the state’s Road Home program paid them less to rebuild their homes compared to wealthier residents. They were right.
The Balancing Act of Reporting on Vulnerable Kids While Protecting Their Privacy
Journalists are often expected to identify their sources, but reporting on children presents a number of dilemmas, particularly when issues of mental health are involved.
Public Health Leaders Question Whether Asbestos Facilities Should Be Exempt From Surprise Inspections
The American Public Health Association raised concerns that plants “game the system” to hide asbestos problems and called for scrutiny from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The Girl Scouts’ Latest Business Project: Hailing 5G Cellphone Technology
The organization famous for its cookie sales paired with equipment-maker Ericsson to encourage Scouts to spread the word about the technology and to tout its safety. Some scientists see it differently.
For Black Families in Phoenix, Child Welfare Investigations Are a Constant Threat
One in three Black children in Maricopa County, Arizona, faced a child welfare investigation over a five-year period, leaving many families in a state of dread. Some parents are pushing back.
How We Analyzed Child Welfare Investigations
Reporters crunched data from millions of child protective services cases to understand who is most affected by the system.
The Cienfuegos Affair: Inside the Case that Upended America’s Drug War
Two years ago, the DEA arrested a Mexican general, hoping to lay bare the high-level corruption at the heart of organized crime. Then the case fell apart — and took down U.S.-Mexican cooperation on drug policy with it.
Dropping the Charges Against General Cienfuegos Was William Barr’s Call
How the most significant corruption case against a Mexican official fell apart.
Child Welfare Experts Say New Mexico Can’t Put Kids in Homeless Shelters Just Because It Lacks Other Beds
An experts’ report found that New Mexico’s child welfare system has housed foster kids in homeless shelters and other inappropriate settings, corroborating an investigation by ProPublica and Searchlight New Mexico.
