Local Reporting Network Archive
All entries from our Local Reporting Network.
Maine Public Housing Tenants Face Eviction at High Rates. A New Program to Keep Renters Housed Excludes Them.
For those who are evicted from public housing in Maine, experts say the consequence “is almost certainly homelessness.”
Maine Proposes Major Staffing Increases for Assisted Living and Residential Care Facilities
The proposed regulations come after an 18-month investigation by The Maine Monitor and ProPublica found dozens of violations at the state’s largest facilities.
Landlords Evicted Maui Residents and Housed Wildfire Survivors for More Money. FEMA Didn’t Take Basic Steps to Stop It.
FEMA officials said they didn’t want their housing program for survivors of Maui’s 2023 wildfires to displace any residents. But they didn’t bar the agency’s contractors from leasing properties previously occupied by long-term tenants.
Election Skeptics Are Targeting Voting Officials With Ads That Suggest They Don’t Have to Certify Results
The ads, which have been placed in swing states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, come from a new group with deep ties to activists who have challenged the legitimacy of recent elections.
The Genesis of Christian Nationalism
The Christian right has become an increasingly powerful force in American politics at every level, from school boards to the presidency. Its roots trace back decades.
FEMA Told Victims of New Mexico’s Largest Wildfire It Can’t Pay for Emotional Harm. A Judge Will Likely Rule It Must.
Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire victims sued the agency because it will compensate them only for losses that come with a price tag. Victims say the law allows them to be paid for the stress of fleeing the blaze and the toll of losing their possessions.
After Mass Dismissals in Anchorage, Alaska Officials Step in to Help Prosecute Crimes
The state offered to send up to 10 prosecutors to Anchorage days after the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica reported that hundreds of misdemeanor cases had been dropped since May because the city couldn’t hit court deadlines for speedy trials.
Right-Wing Activists Pushed False Claims About Election Fraud. Now They’re Recruiting Poll Workers in Swing States.
Experts say these poll workers could sow distrust in democracy and bolster court cases challenging the election. ProPublica and Wisconsin Watch reviewed dozens of hours of trainings and presentations in which activists discussed their plans.
Domestic Violence, Child Abuse and DUI Cases Are Being Dismissed en Masse in Anchorage
An effort to clear a backlog in the court system, combined with a lack of prosecutors, has led hundreds of people charged with an array of criminal misdemeanors in Alaska’s most-populous city to have their cases dropped without a trial.
North Dakota’s Likely Next Governor Brushes Off Conflict Concerns, Says His Oil and Gas Ties Would Benefit the State
Kelly Armstrong earns nearly all of his personal income from oil and gas. If elected, he'll lead boards overseeing the industry in a state with weak financial disclosure rules.
A Law Was Meant to Target Teen Violence. Instead, 17-Year-Olds Are Being Charged as Adults for Lesser Offenses.
Louisiana’s criminal justice system now treats all 17-year-olds as adults. Lawmakers lowered the age from 18 to curb teen violence, but nearly 70% of the 17-year-olds arrested in the state’s three largest parishes aren’t accused of violent crimes.
We Enlisted a Community to Help Us Report on One State’s Crumbling Schools. Here’s How You Can Do the Same.
Do you want to document problems with school facilities around your state? Reporters from ProPublica and The Idaho Statesman offer some tips.
At Indigenous Sacred Sites, Seeing Things I’m Not Supposed to See
Western journalism tends to value transparency as a public good. But as an Indigenous reporter, I face a unique set of challenges: Include too-specific cultural details, and I risk endangering my community.
The Department of Energy Promised This Tribal Nation a $32 Million Solar Grant. It’s Nearly Impossible to Access.
Washington’s Yakama Nation received both the grant and a $100 million federal loan. Held up by a series of bureaucratic hurdles, the funding could expire before the government lets the tribal nation touch a dime.
How LA’s Illegal Short-Term Rentals Hide in Plain Sight on Booking Sites
Los Angeles officials are struggling to crack down on illegal rentals during a housing crisis. Here’s how to make sure you’re a responsible vacationer.
Decrepit Pipes Put Jackson, Mississippi, on the Edge of Catastrophe. State Regulators Didn’t Act.
For years, Jackson residents endured periods of low water pressure, potentially unsafe drinking water or no water at all. All the while, state inspectors found few problems with the failing pipes that caused those problems.
Struggling to Keep or Find Housing After Maui’s Wildfires? Tell Us Your Story.
We need to hear from anyone who has been touched by what many say is a secondary housing crisis after the fires. Have you faced eviction or a rent increase? Are you a landlord or property manager? Tell us how you’ve been affected.
Maui Residents Have Been Forced From Their Homes to Make Room for Wildfire Survivors. Property Owners Are Profiting.
High prices offered by emergency housing programs have encouraged property owners to chase the money. Housing advocates say state officials haven’t moved aggressively enough to crack down on predatory behavior.
