Archive - South
Coverage of Gender-Affirming Care Is an Unequal Patchwork
Lawsuits brought by transgender employees show how state agencies fight against paying for gender-affirming care for some people while others are covered.
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.
How Rep. James Clyburn Protected His District at a Cost to Black Democrats
Facing the possibility of an unsafe district, South Carolina’s most powerful Democrat sent his aide to consult with the GOP on a redistricting plan that diluted Black voting strength and harmed his party’s chances of gaining seats in Congress.
Overinflated: The Journey of a Humble Tire Reveals Why Prices Are Still So High
From a rubber plantation in Southeast Asia to a repair shop in Mississippi, the story of a tire highlights the turmoil of the post-pandemic economy and its uncertain future.
This Pharmacist Said Prisoners Wouldn’t Feel Pain During Lethal Injection. Then Some Shook and Gasped for Air.
A Florida pharmacist serves as an expert witness on behalf of states defending lethal injection protocols, often speaking about a drug that he has no authority to prescribe. His testimony has helped pave the way for executions across the country.
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 South Carolina Ended Up With an All-Male Supreme Court
An abortion ban struck down. The lone female justice retiring. And a majority-male legislature rallying behind the one male candidate to replace her. This is how South Carolina ended up with an all-male Supreme Court as new abortion legislation looms.
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.
New Law Aims to Save Oysters on the Mississippi Coast
As Mississippi’s oyster population continues its freefall, state leaders turn to a model that has helped in Louisiana.
Some Are Jailed in Mississippi for Months Without a Lawyer. The State Supreme Court Just Barred That.
Criminal justice reformers have long complained that the state’s rules on appointing public defenders leave poor defendants without a lawyer as they wait to be indicted.
Billionaire Harlan Crow Bought Property From Clarence Thomas. The Justice Didn’t Disclose the Deal.
The transaction is the first known instance of money flowing from Crow to the Supreme Court justice. The sale netted the GOP megadonor two vacant lots and the house where Thomas’ mother was living.
Thousands of Katrina Survivors Were Freed From Debt to the State. Those Who Already Paid Are Out of Luck.
Amid outcry, the state said it was no longer suing residents who had improperly used hurricane recovery money. That doesn’t change anything for the 425 who already paid a total of $6.8 million back to the state.
The Powerful Forces Keeping High Interest Title Lending Alive in Georgia
TMX Finance and Select Management Resources, the owners of two major title lending brands, have been cozying up to Georgia lawmakers in a position to bottleneck industry reform.
Two Republicans Kicked Off County Election Board in North Carolina for Failing to Certify Results
What happened to the officials stands in sharp contrast to elsewhere in the U.S., where those who voted against certification faced few consequences.
Mississippi Has Invested Millions of Dollars to Save Its Oysters. They’re Disappearing Anyway.
A string of disasters have decimated oyster populations, with far-reaching impacts on the health of the Mississippi Sound. The state’s yearslong efforts to restore the reefs have fallen short.
This Georgia County Spent $1 Million to Avoid Paying for One Employee’s Gender-Affirming Care
Officials in Houston County, Georgia, said gender-affirming surgery for sheriff’s deputy Anna Lange was too costly. They spent more than $1 million on private lawyers in a fight to keep transition-related care from being covered by their health plan.
Doctors Warned Her Pregnancy Could Kill Her. Then Tennessee Outlawed Abortion.
A Tennessee mother wanted to end her high-risk pregnancy, but doctors feared prosecution.
A Florida-Sized Roadblock for the League of Women Voters
After a league rally was blocked by a new rule, the chapter’s president considers what might come next in a state where Gov. Ron DeSantis is restricting public discourse.
Some Election Officials Refused to Certify Results. Few Were Held Accountable.
A ProPublica review of local officials who refused to certify 2022 election results found that most did not face formal consequences. Experts explain what that means for the future of American elections.
