Agnel Philip
I’m a data reporter at ProPublica.
Need to Get in Touch?
I welcome any tips regarding interesting datasets or issues you believe haven’t gotten enough coverage.
What I Cover
I dig deep into datasets to document and uncover waste, fraud, abuse and harm. I’ve covered a wide range of topics, from child welfare to flight tracking to water quality, using publicly available, internal and sometimes self-created databases. I am especially passionate about covering issues affecting local communities, as I did on projects about the decadeslong failure of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to return Native Hawaiians to ancestral lands and about the practice of jailing those awaiting treatment for mental illness in Mississippi.
My Background
Prior to joining ProPublica, I was a data reporter on the investigations team at The Arizona Republic, where I investigated tribal casinos, pedestrian safety and consumer issues. I have two degrees in journalism and economics from Arizona State University.
The Bureau of Indian Education Hasn’t Told the Public How Its Schools Are Performing. So We Did It Instead.
New data shows Bureau of Indian Education schools do not teach kids fast enough to close an achievement gap that starts in early childhood.
Local Reporting Network
How We Analyzed the Performance of Bureau of Indian Education Schools
The federal agency that funds 180 schools for Native American students has failed to tell the public how its schools compare. Our analysis fills in the gap.
Local Reporting Network
The U.S. Owes Hawaiians Millions of Dollars Worth of Land. Congress Helped Make Sure the Debt Wasn’t Paid.
In a 1995 law, the U.S. promised to pay its land debt to Hawaiians, thousands of whom are waiting for homes. But Congress, including the state’s own delegation, voted to give the land to other parties.
Local Reporting Network
Lawyers Who Were Ineligible to Handle Serious Criminal Charges Were Given Thousands of These Cases Anyway
In the only state with no public defenders, people charged with murder and other serious crimes can get assigned attorneys who are legally ineligible to take on their cases. The state claims it was unaware.
Local Reporting Network
How We Found Pricey Provisions in New Jersey Police Contracts
ProPublica and the Asbury Park Press scoured hundreds of police union agreements for details on publicly funded payouts to cops.
Local Reporting Network
How the Police Bank Millions Through Their Union Contracts
The public funds six-figure “sick day” payouts, $2,500 “perfect attendance” bonuses and lucrative “extra duty” assignments identified in a ProPublica, Asbury Park Press analysis of New Jersey police union contracts.
Local Reporting Network
Hawaii’s Big Fix to Its Housing Shortage for Native Hawaiians? A Casino.
The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is pushing a plan to build a casino on ancestral land to raise money for more housing. This happened just after the Star-Advertiser and ProPublica found chronic problems in the state’s native land program.
Local Reporting Network
The Government Promised to Return Ancestral Hawaiian Land, Then Never Finished the Job
Native Hawaiians are still waiting for state and federal officials to fulfill the promises of land legislation that was signed into law 25 years ago. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” said one former governor.
Local Reporting Network
The Way Prisoners Flag Guard Abuse, Inadequate Health Care and Unsanitary Conditions Is Broken
Prisoners rely on grievances as an early-warning system for dangerous conditions, from poor medical care to abuse. But in Illinois, experts say the system is sputtering, with little oversight, resulting in injuries to prisoners.
Local Reporting Network
To Reclaim Ancestral Land, All Native Hawaiians Need Is a $300,000 Mortgage and to Wait in Line for Decades
A 100-year-old program created to provide Native Hawaiians — especially poor ones — land to live on after the U.S. annexed the islands is failing. Thousands have died waiting in line and even more can’t afford the mortgages they’d need.
Local Reporting Network