Carson Kessler

Reporter

Carson Kessler was a Lorana Sullivan Business Fellow at ProPublica.

How Effective Is the Government’s Campaign Against Hospital Mergers?

The newly energized Federal Trade Commission has recently enjoyed successes in blocking hospital mergers. But derailing the broader trend is a tall order for the agency.

How to Avoid Being Overcharged for a Funeral

Most people are too traumatized by the loss of a loved one to shop for the best price on a funeral. But now, as the FTC reviews its rules, a consumer advocate explains how to avoid being gouged when you’re most vulnerable.

The Leader of New York’s “City of the Dead” Cashes In. Again.

The pandemic has boosted revenues at cemeteries. But for the Locke family, which has run Pinelawn Memorial Park — one of the largest in the U.S. — for more than a century, raking in large sums from a nonprofit cemetery is a longstanding practice.

Former Kentucky Secretary of State Faces Ethics Charges

Alison Lundergan Grimes, a onetime Democratic rising star and subject of a ProPublica series, is accused of using state resources for her political advantage.

The Celebrity-Backed Green “Fintech” Company That Isn’t as Green as It Seems

Aspiration is among a group of companies that provide banking and financial services, and promise to help the environment. But so far its marketing is greener than its reality.

Senate Banking Chair Asks CFPB How It Plans to Address Risks of Chime and Other Banking Apps

Citing a ProPublica report on the high numbers of complaints about involuntary Chime account closures and other problems, Sherrod Brown asked the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to lay out a plan for overseeing neobanks.

A Banking App Has Been Suddenly Closing Accounts, Sometimes Not Returning Customers’ Money

Chime, a “neobank” serving millions, is racking up complaints from users who can’t access their cash. The company says it’s cracking down on an “extraordinary surge” in fraudulent deposits. That’s little consolation to customers caught in the fray.

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