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Anchorage City Commissioner Charged With Fraudulently Obtaining $1.6 Million in COVID-19 Relief Funds for Her Charity
Despite a history of fraud allegations, Rosalina Mavaega and her husband received one of the city’s largest awards under the American Rescue Plan Act. Prosecutors say the couple spent the funds buying cryptocurrency and on other personal uses.
New Mexico AG to Investigate Gallup-McKinley School District for Harsh Discipline of Native American Students
Gallup-McKinley County Schools enrolls a quarter of New Mexico’s Native students but was responsible for at least three-quarters of Native expulsions over four years.
Choate Director Replaced as New Report Says Abuse at the Facility Hasn’t Stopped
A new report by an advocacy agency details how abuse and neglect at Choate have continued despite calls for and promises of reform. Now, the Illinois Department of Human Services has reversed its decision to keep Choate’s top leadership in place.
LA Housing Department Demands Residential Hotels Stop Renting Rooms to Tourists
After a Capital & Main and ProPublica investigation found that landlords were turning low-cost housing into tourist hotels, the city ordered some building owners to comply with the law.
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.
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.
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.
Washington State Legislature Strengthens Oversight of Private Special Education Schools
In response to a Seattle Times and ProPublica series, the state is getting more power to regulate schools for students with disabilities.
Another Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Punching Handcuffed Man
The conviction is the latest development in the extensive fallout from an investigation into the criminal justice system in Elkhart, Indiana, by ProPublica and the South Bend Tribune.
Illinois to Relocate at Least Half of Residents in Facility Plagued by Abuse and Cover-Ups
Officials acknowledged that news reporting had put a spotlight on conditions at the center for people with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses. “Significant changes” are needed, the governor says.
Legislators Vote to Fix Utah Law That Made It Hard for Some Sexual Assault Survivors to Sue
The vote last week helps those assaulted in medical settings. But it won’t help the 94 women whose suit brought the issue to light.
Legislators Demand Hearings on Illinois Mental Health Facility Where Staff Abused Patients and Covered It Up
Repeated investigations of the center have revealed patients who were beaten and humiliated by staff, and staff who lied to cover up their actions.
Louisiana to Drop Lawsuits Against Katrina Survivors Over Recovery Grants
Louisiana sued thousands of homeowners for not following the rules in how they spent recovery grants. After a joint news investigation, the governor announced Thursday that the state won’t try to collect the money.
Judge Orders Washington State Private Special Education School to Turn Over Records
A recent Seattle Times and ProPublica investigation of the Northwest School of Innovative Learning found complaints of abuse and minimal instruction. The school argued it wasn’t subject to public records laws. A King County judge disagrees.
Washington State Launches Investigation of Private Special Education Schools
The inquiry and a sweeping reform bill follow a Seattle Times and ProPublica investigation that found allegations of abuse, overuse of isolation rooms and pressure to skimp on staffing and resources at the Northwest School of Innovative Learning.
Watchdog Seeks Harsher Penalties in Wake of Abuse at Illinois Mental Health Center
The official cited investigations into a center for people with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities, where workers lied or conspired to thwart patient abuse inquiries.
Toxic Salmon Reporting “Deeply Troubling,” Lawmaker Says, Demanding Changes to Protect Pacific Northwest Tribal Health
Citing a ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting investigation into toxic contamination in salmon, state and federal lawmakers across the Pacific Northwest are calling for policy changes and more funding but are lacking details on next steps.
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.
Complaint Filed Against Mississippi Judge for Failing to Hand Over Search Warrants to Clerk
The judge has signed a number of no-knock search warrants that have been challenged in court, but they weren’t on file at the clerk’s office.
A Florida Fund for Injured Kids Raided Medicaid. Now It’s Repaying $51 Million.
“The Medicaid program provides a safety net for our most vulnerable populations that do not have access to traditional healthcare coverage,” U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez said. “The misuse of Medicaid funds will not be tolerated.”
