Local Reporting Network Archive
How We Measured the Title Lending Industry in Georgia
No statewide agency monitors Georgia’s high-interest title lenders, so we used a variety of data sources to reveal the scope of the industry and its impact on customers who file for bankruptcy.
Los Angeles Housing Department Will Investigate Residential Hotels
Following a Capital & Main and ProPublica investigation, which found that buildings meant for housing are instead being rented to tourists, the mayor’s office asked for a review.
Illinois Leaves Three Administrators in Charge at Choate Despite Troubled History of Resident Care
A new state watchdog report calls for a “fundamental overhaul” at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center. But the state kept on administrators who were in charge during some of the facility’s most troubled years.
Problems With Abuse, Neglect and Cover-Ups at Choate Extend to Other Developmental Centers in Illinois
Prompted by an outcry over abuse, Illinois proposed moving residents from Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center to similar facilities in the state. New reporting shows the problems at Choate are common throughout the statewide system.
Checked Out: How LA Failed to Stop Landlords From Turning Low-Cost Housing Into Tourist Hotels
Fifteen years ago Los Angeles passed a law to preserve residential hotels as housing of last resort. Now, amid the homelessness crisis, Capital & Main and ProPublica found some hotels may be violating that law by offering rooms to tourists.
Mississippi Says Poor Defendants Must Always Have a Lawyer. Few Courts Are Ready to Deliver.
A rule requiring poor criminal defendants to have a lawyer throughout the criminal process took effect Saturday. Few courts in the state have plans in place.
Health Care Workers Who Cover Up Patient Abuse Face Stiffer Penalties Under New Illinois Law
The legislation, spurred by a news investigation, allows workers to be barred from health care jobs for obstructing investigations into staff misconduct. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill on Friday.
West Virginia Governor’s Coal Empire Sued by the Federal Government — Again
The lawsuit, filed by the Justice Department, seeks millions in unpaid environmental fines as Gov. Jim Justice begins his campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Anchorage Gave Her a $1.6 Million Grant Despite Prior Fraud Allegations. Now She’s Under Investigation Again.
Despite a history of fraud allegations, Rosalina Mavaega was made an Anchorage city commissioner and given a large grant to support her homeless services charity. Federal investigators are looking into her business dealings.
Feds Say Jefferson Parish Deputies May Have Violated Law in Death of Autistic Teen
Officers sat on the 16-year-old’s back for nine minutes before he died. They claim they needed to do so because he posed a threat.
New York Charter Schools Write Their Own Rules for When to Call 911 on Students Having a Mental Health Crisis
Families say Success Academy and other publicly funded but privately run schools are allowed to punish and discriminate against students by calling in emergency services.
ProPublica Partner Sues Mississippi County for Blocking Access to Search Warrants
A joint investigation found that many Mississippi courts thwart public scrutiny of search warrants. Experts say that violates long-standing norms of public access and the state’s public records law.
As Residential Care Homes Expand in Maine, Seniors Don’t Always Get the Care They Need
The disappearance of nursing home beds is sending thousands to “nonmedical” residences that aren’t equipped to handle more intensive health needs.
Library Official Resigns After Publication of Her Secretly Recorded Inflammatory Comments
Judy Eledge, deputy director of the Anchorage Public Library, is leaving her post after ProPublica and the Anchorage Daily News documented her history of offensive comments and social media posts about Native Alaskans and the LGBTQ+ community.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice Runs for Senate Amid Stacks of Unpaid Bills
As Big Jim hopes to take on Sen. Joe Manchin, Justice’s family businesses face allegations of unpaid debts, overdue environmental fines and conflicts of interest.
NYC Schools Handcuff and Haul Away Kids in Emotional Crisis
Despite a pledge to stop relying on police to deal with students who have mental health episodes, New York City schools have continued to call 911 on kids in distress thousands of times a year, an investigation by THE CITY and ProPublica found.
Tennessee’s Governor Calls for Expanding a Gun Dispossession System Already Failing Domestic Violence Victims
After the Covenant School shooting, Gov. Bill Lee went beyond state Republicans in calling for reform. But the system he is embracing already allows violent people to hold on to their weapons.
How We Measured the Environmental Cost of Bankrupt Mines
Using data from Kentucky and West Virginia environmental regulators, ProPublica and Mountain State Spotlight found that mines that have gone through multiple bankruptcies in the past decade had a higher median number of environmental violations than nonbankrupt mines.
In the Game of Musical Mines, Environmental Damage Takes a Back Seat
Jeff Hoops built Blackjewel into the nation’s sixth largest coal company by acquiring bankrupt mines. When it declared bankruptcy, he pivoted to other ventures, leaving polluted streams and mud-shrouded roads in his wake.
