Local Reporting Network Archive
When Public Records Aren’t Public
In Elkhart, Indiana, even easy records can be hard to get. Trial exhibits? No. Appellate briefs? No. Police reports in the court file? No. And don’t even ask about moving those boxes.
Standing by Their Convictions
The DNA didn’t match. The witnesses weren’t sure. But the prosecution persisted.
Afraid of “Political Repercussions,” HUD Delayed Action on Crumbling Public Housing
As residents in Cairo, Illinois, dealt with mice, toxic mold and lead paint, HUD officials waited to step in, according to a report from the agency’s inspector general. HUD “could and should have done more to oversee it,” a new report says.
Trump Administration Neuters Nuclear Safety Board
Under a new order from the Energy Department, a nuclear safety board will have to fight for information about and access to nuclear laboratories. In the past, the board has brought serious problems at those labs to light.
HUD Is Failing to Protect Children From Lead Paint Poisoning, Audits Find
Two new reports found that HUD didn’t properly oversee inspections or removal of lead-based paint in public housing complexes across the country.
West Virginia Paid for a CEO to Go on a Trade Delegation to China. Turns Out, He Was Promoting His Company’s Interests, Too.
An executive accompanied state officials to China for a ceremony with President Donald Trump to sign a landmark deal last year. He also pushed his company’s interests, which the governor said Friday was not acceptable.
Oregon Court System Shields Evaluation of Alleged Killer
Last year, Oregon officials tried unsuccessfully to keep secret records on a man found “guilty except for insanity” in a 1996 kidnapping. Now, the state court system is refusing to release a key record in his new murder case even though it's not “legally confidential.”
Five First Responders to the Pulse Massacre. One Diagnosis: PTSD.
“My head’s still not right,” said one paramedic who responded to the Pulse nightclub shooting two years ago. He and some other responders say their departments haven’t given them the help they need.
The Government’s New Contractor to Run Los Alamos Includes the Same Manager It Effectively Fired for Safety Problems
The Department of Energy said it would seek new leadership for Los Alamos National Laboratory. But the University of California is still there, even after mismanagement caused it to lose its contract to run the lab — twice.
First Responders Speak Out About PTSD, Two Years After Pulse Nightclub Shooting
First responders who were on the scene at Pulse shared their consequent struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder at an event co-hosted by ProPublica, 90.7 WMFE and the Orlando Public Library.
The Family Plan: In Louisiana, Lawmakers Promote Bills That Help Their Relatives and Clients
One lawmaker supported a bill that would help his brother, who owns truck stop casinos. Another, a lawyer who represents physicians, sponsored a bill that helps doctors under investigation by the state medical board.
Legislators in Many States Can Push Bills They’d Profit From
The laws vary by state. In some, lawmakers are told to recuse themselves from votes that could create even the “appearance of impropriety.” In others, overlapping interests are seen as “almost inevitable.”
Louisiana Lawmakers Are Pushing Bills That Benefit Their Own Businesses. And It’s Perfectly Legal.
Legislators own everything from gas stations to nursing homes, yet they rarely recuse themselves on bills that directly affect them.
Talk to Us About Los Alamos National Laboratory — and Other National Labs Around the Country
ProPublica is teaming up with The Santa Fe New Mexican to investigate health and safety problems at national labs. We want to hear your story.
Two Leading Bidders for Lucrative Los Alamos Lab Contract Have Checkered Safety Records
Defense contractor Bechtel and the University of California are in the running even though they have run the lab as partners for the last decade and amassed a record of worker health and safety violations.
One West Virginia County Tried to Break Its Dependence on the Energy Industry. It Was Overruled.
After seeing the scars of coal, Fayette County banned the disposal of natural gas drilling waste. Industry fought back, arguing the community doesn’t get a say.
HUD May Soon Evict Residents in Two Public Housing Complexes in Southern Illinois
The failures of the complexes — and HUD’s role — is being investigated by The Southern Illinoisan and ProPublica.
The Coal Industry Extracted a Steep Price From West Virginia. Now Natural Gas Is Leading the State Down the Same Path.
“It’s déjà vu for the people who sat here 130 years ago and gave away our coal wealth to big out-of-state companies,” one state senator said. “That’s what we’re about to do again.”
