Lois Beckett

Lois Beckett has been a reporter for ProPublica since 2011. She covers the intersection of data, technology and politics, with a current focus on gun violence and gun policy. Her Essence Magazine story on PTSD caused by gun violence, âBlack Americaâs Invisible Crisis,â won a 2015 Deadline Award for public service and a NABJ Salute to Excellence Award in investigative journalism. Previously, she covered the ways politicians use data to target votersâlooking at online ad targeting and the data broker industry. She is a frequent guest on nationally syndicated TV and radio programs, including CNN Newsroom, NPRâs On Point, KQEDâs Forum and WAMUâs Kojo Nnamdi Show, and also speaks about her reporting at conferences, most recently at the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg. With Olga Pierce and Jeff Larson, she won the 2011 Livingston Award for National Reporting, which honors outstanding achievement by journalists under the age of 35. She was also a finalist for a 2012 Livingston Award. Before joining ProPublica, she covered innovation in the news industry for the SF Weekly and the Nieman Journalism Lab.

Why Looming Budget Battles Might Still Shut Down the Gov't

The Securities and Exchange Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services could face partial shutdowns this fall, as a politically polarized Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to approve a new federal budget.

ALEC-Related Contributions

Use this database to find campaign contributions from some ALEC-affiliated groups to some ALEC-member state legislators.

Our Step-By-Step Guide to Understanding ALEC’s Influence on Your State Laws

Which “model” legislation from an industry-friendly nonprofit has made it to your statehouse? Find out for yourself.

Will Innovative New Financial Regulator Be Hobbled Before It Even Starts?

The Consumer Financial Bureau is web-savvy and willing to experiment. But will Congress strip it of crucial powers?

A Discreet Nonprofit Brings Together Politicians and Corporations to Write 'Model Bills'

The American Legislative Exchange Council, a 35-year-old conservative powerhouse, is under scrutiny for allegedly being a conduit for industry to influence legislation.

FDIC Chairwoman: Mortgage Industry 'Didn't Think Borrowers Were Worth Helping'

As she steps down, regulator Sheila Bair criticizes the industry's warped incentives, "disdain for borrowers" and the Treasury's prioritization of banks over homeowners.

Six Ways Fukushima is Not Chernobyl

There are key differences between what happened at Chernobyl and the current nuclear crisis in Japan.

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