News Applications Developer

Al Shaw is a news applications developer at ProPublica. Previously he was Designer/Developer at Talking Points Memo and creator of TPM's PollTracker application.

Everyone Knew Houston’s Reservoirs Would Flood — Except for the People Who Bought Homes Inside Them

Oct. 12, 1 a.m. EDT

Despite concerns about flooding in and around the Addicks and Barker reservoirs, government officials prioritized development.

Independent Monitors Found Benzene Levels After Harvey Six Times Higher Than Guidelines

Sept. 14, 4:31 p.m. EDT

After an oil tank in Houston’s Manchester neighborhood caved in, private monitors found levels that far exceeded California’s health guideline

Where the Government Spends to Keep People in Flood-Prone Houston Neighborhoods

Sept. 1, 3:49 p.m. EDT

The government has shelled out $265 million for flood claims on 1,155 severe repetitive loss properties in the flood insurance program in Harris County.

Update: Trump’s Secret Appointees

Aug. 31, 12:47 p.m. EDT

Here’s another shadowy batch of officials the Trump administration has quietly deployed across the government.

Houston’s Dams Won’t Fail. But Many Homes Will Have to Be Flooded to Save Them

Aug. 29, 7:29 p.m. EDT

The water that goes around the spillways is going to have to leave the reservoir somehow — and enter areas surrounding it.

Why Houston Isn’t Ready for Harvey

Aug. 25, 8 p.m. EDT

Houston faces massive flooding from Harvey. Here’s where it’s flooded in the past.

We Found New Details About the New Trump-Branded Hotels. Now We Want Your Help to Find the Rest.

July 18, 7:59 a.m. EDT

We’re recruiting local reporters and civically engaged citizens. We have a few ideas on how you can find these deals, who to talk to about them, and what documents to look for.

Help Us Identify the Officials Helping Trump Roll Back Regulations

July 11, 4:59 a.m. EDT

In February, President Trump ordered federal agencies to form task forces charged with finding regulations to weaken or eliminate. While the names of appointees to executive-agency task forces are typically made public, some agencies are refusing to reveal who is on their panels

Here Are the Financial Disclosures of Officials Trump Has Installed Across the Government

June 5, 8 a.m. EDT

The financial disclosures come from White House staffers, President Trump’s Cabinet and hundreds of members of so-called beachhead teams that the administration has quietly hired at federal agencies.

You Helped Us Find Hires the White House Never Announced, Including a Koch Brothers Alum

May 4, 8 a.m. EDT

Thanks to your help, we've found many previously unannounced Trump White House hires, including a longtime member of an anti-ACLU group and an ex-Washington Times columnist.

Trump Is Finally Almost Done Resigning From His Businesses

April 27, 4 a.m. EDT

President Trump has nearly finished handing over management of his businesses — nearly 100 days after he promised to do so.

Chicago Area Disparities in Car Insurance Premiums

April 5, 4:59 a.m. EDT

Some car insurers charge higher premiums in Chicago’s minority neighborhoods than in predominantly white neighborhoods with similar risk of accidents.

Trump Lawyer Confirms President Can Pull Money From His Businesses Whenever He Wants

April 4, 5:53 p.m. EDT

Previously unreported changes to President Trump’s trust documents stipulate that the trust “shall distribute net income or principal to Donald J. Trump at his request.”

Trump’s Changing Trust, Annotated

April 3, 7:59 a.m. EDT

Here’s an annotated look at notable changes to the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust’s certification document.

Here Are More Than 400 Officials Trump Has Quietly Deployed Across the Government

March 8, 3:45 p.m. EST

ProPublica has obtained a list of more than 400 people hired by the Trump administration to fill key roles across the federal government.

Meet the Hundreds of Officials Trump Has Quietly Installed Across the Government

March 8, 3:44 p.m. EST

We have obtained a list of more than 400 Trump administration hires, including dozens of lobbyists and some from far-right media.

Map: Bomb Threats to Jewish Community Centers and Organizations

March 1, 12:44 p.m. EST

A timeline of bomb threats against Jewish Community Centers and other organizations

White House Power Player Jared Kushner Is Keeping Parts of His Real-Estate Empire

Feb. 24, 3:09 p.m. EST

Given Kushner’s vast portfolio as an adviser to the president, it’s not clear how he’s going to avoid issues that could affect his bank account. The Trump administration has declined to give details.

Alternative School Enrollment and Warning Signs

Feb. 21, 10:59 a.m. EST

Which districts have large numbers of students in alternative schools, and where are those schools potentially problematic?

Ivanka Trump Also Promised to Resign From Family Business, And Hasn’t Filed Paperwork

Feb. 2, 4:24 p.m. EST

President Trump’s eldest daughter said she’d give up management of her businesses. We checked.

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Pressure Mounts on Insurance Companies to Consider Their Role in Opioid Epidemic

Racist, Violent, Unpunished: A White Hate Group’s Campaign of Menace

Facebook Allowed Questionable Ads in German Election Despite Warnings

German Political Ads Collected From Facebook

Florida Lawmakers to Review Law Targeting Injured Undocumented Workers

By Howard Berkes, NPR, and Michael Grabell, ProPublica, Aug. 24, 2017, 8 a.m.

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<h1>Florida Lawmakers to Review Law Targeting Injured Undocumented Workers</h1>By Howard Berkes, NPR, and Michael Grabell, ProPublica, Aug. 24, 2017, 8 a.m.The second-highest ranking member of the Florida Senate pledged a legislative review of a state law that has allowed injured undocumented workers to be arrested and potentially deported rather than paid workers' compensation benefits."Legitimate injuries shouldn't be denied just because the person was an undocumented immigrant," said Republican Sen. Anitere Flores, the president pro tempore of the state Senate and chair of the Banking and Insurance Committee."One needs to balance the going after fraudulent claims," she said, "with not overcompensating and then denying claims to those individuals who have actually been injured."Flores spoke in response to a recent <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/08/16/543650270/they-got-hurt-at-work-then-they-got-deported">NPR</a> and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/they-got-hurt-at-work-then-they-got-deported">ProPublica</a> investigation and a subsequent statement by the nation's largest insurance fraud group, which called on Florida lawmakers to change the law. The <a href="https://www.insurancefraud.org/blog/aug-2017/florida-loophole-lets-insurers-deny">Coalition Against Insurance Fraud</a> said employers and insurance companies are applying the law in ways that place "the credibility of combating real fraud at risk.""Legislators in the Sunshine State need to correct this loophole so workers hurt on the job get the care they need," said Dennis Jay, executive director of the coalition, which is made up of insurance companies, government agencies, consumer organizations and insurance fraud investigators."I just see the credibility of the anti-fraud effort being hurt by such practices," Jay said in an interview.NPR and ProPublica found that nearly 800 undocumented workers in Florida have been charged with workers' comp fraud for using illicit Social Security numbers to either get their jobs, file for workers' compensation benefits or both. More than 560 didn't actually file workers' comp claims but still were charged with fraud. Another 130 suffered legitimate workplace injuries but were denied benefits and prosecuted. Some were detained by federal immigration authorities and deported.Like most states, Florida provides workers' comp benefits to undocumented workers despite their legal status. The state's workers' comp law was <a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&amp;URL=0400-0499/0440/Sections/0440.105.html">amended in 2003</a> to make the use of false identification in obtaining jobs and workers' comp benefits a felony."I don't see how they can legally justify that," Jay said. "It also paints insurers as uncaring, greedy corporations that allow human suffering to make a buck."Some of the insurance companies who have used the Florida law to deny claims are members of Jay's coalition, as is the state agency that administers the law.Jon Moore, spokesman for the <a href="http://www.myfloridacfo.com/Division/DIFS/">Florida Division of Investigative and Forensic Services</a>, said his agency is "obligated to enforce the law as it relates to the workers' compensation system in Florida." But he said, "another look into the questions that are being posed may be warranted. What is the balance between the harm and the benefits that are being produced?"Flores said she is especially concerned about companies who may hire undocumented workers knowing that the threat of prosecution and deportation may keep them from pursuing workers' comp claims if they are injured at work.‘That's borderline unconscionable," Flores said, adding that she'll seek the legislature's review of this use of Florida law as part of a planned broader look at the state's workers' compensation law.John Porreca, the owner of SouthEast Personnel Leasing and subsidiaries Lion Insurance and Packard Claims, did not respond to a request for comment. Porreca's companies were featured in NPR and ProPublica's story and turned in far more injured workers than any others.Steve Cassell, the president of Command Investigations, which investigates the backgrounds of undocumented workers for insurers and features a gallery of injured workers on its website, also did not respond.Brian Carter, a Florida workers' comp attorney, welcomed the call for changes to the Florida law. He says undocumented workers use illicit Social Security numbers because they can't get jobs without them and employers in Florida need those workers."It is illogical to legislatively provide workers' compensation benefits to undocumented workers," Carter said, "and then legislatively make it criminal to use a false Social Security number for identification."&nbsp;Jay added that his group is already engaging Florida lawmakers and will offer assistance in drafting alternative legislation.ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for their <a href="http://www.propublica.org/forms/newsletter_daily_email">newsletter</a>.<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.propublica.org/article/florida-lawmakers-to-review-law-targeting-injured-undocumented-workers"><meta name="syndication-source" content="http://www.propublica.org/article/florida-lawmakers-to-review-law-targeting-injured-undocumented-workers"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://pixel.propublica.org/pixel.js" async></script>