Mollie Simon

Research Reporter

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Mollie Simon is a research reporter at ProPublica. A graduate of the University of Georgia, she previously worked as a researcher for LegiStorm and as a reporter for the Anderson Independent-Mail and Greenville News in South Carolina. She was also a Scripps Howard Foundation research fellow at ProPublica.

94 Women Allege a Utah Doctor Sexually Assaulted Them. Here’s Why a Judge Threw Out Their Case.

When dozens of women sued their OB-GYN for sexual assault, a judge said the case falls under the state’s medical malpractice law. As the women appeal, lawmakers are asking whether that law should be changed.

Developers Found Graves in the Virginia Woods. Authorities Then Helped Erase the Historic Black Cemetery.

The cemetery’s disappearance cleared the way for the expansion of a Microsoft data center, despite layers of federal and state regulations nominally intended to protect culturally significant sites.

How Title Lending Works

Title lenders in the U.S. often use predatory practices to trap customers in high-interest loans, ProPublica recently reported. This guide will help you understand how title lending works and what your options are if you’re stuck in a contract.

The Cold War Legacy Lurking in U.S. Groundwater

For the first time, ProPublica has cataloged cleanup efforts at the 50-plus sites where uranium was processed to fuel the nation’s nuclear arsenal. Even after regulators say cleanup is complete, polluted water and sickness are often left behind.

How Title Lenders Trap Poor Americans in Debt With Triple-Digit Interest Rates

For some Georgia residents, title pawn contracts offer a quick way to obtain desperately needed cash. But poor regulation of a confusing system traps many borrowers in high-interest debt they can’t pay off.

“The Human Psyche Was Not Built for This”

How Republicans in Montana hijacked public health and brought a hospital to the brink

Casinos Pled Poverty to Get a Huge Tax Break. Atlantic City Is Paying the Price.

Despite growing profits, casino operators used predictions of “grave danger” to convince the state to slash their tax burden, denying millions to the city, its school district and the county.

Meet ProPublica’s 2022 Student Conference Stipend Recipients

With additional support from The Pudding, ProPublica will be sponsoring these 25 talented student journalists to attend conferences including NABJ, AAJA, ONA and IRE.

Trump Just Endorsed an Oath Keeper’s Plan to Seize Control of the Republican Party

The “precinct strategy” widely promoted by Steve Bannon has already inspired thousands of Trump supporters to fill local GOP positions, intent on preventing a “stolen election.”

Students! ProPublica and The Pudding Want to Send You to a Conference in 2022.

We’re giving 25 stipends to help you attend a journalism conference and/or to support your work.

The Low-and-Slow Approach to Food Safety Reform Keeps Going Up in Smoke

The U.S. has one agency that regulates cheese pizza and another that oversees pepperoni pizza. Efforts to fix the food safety system have stalled again and again.

Utah Makes Welfare So Hard to Get, Some Feel They Must Join the LDS Church to Get Aid

Utah’s safety net for the poor is so intertwined with the LDS Church that individual bishops often decide who receives assistance. Some deny help unless a person goes to services or gets baptized.

America’s Food Safety System Failed to Stop a Salmonella Epidemic. It’s Still Making People Sick.

For years, a dangerous salmonella strain has sickened thousands and continues to spread through the chicken industry. The USDA knows about it. So do the companies. And yet, contaminated meat continues to be sold to consumers.

Postcard From Thermal: Surviving the Climate Gap in Eastern Coachella Valley

In the climate crisis, it’s possible to live in the same place but inhabit different worlds.

“We’re Not Allowed to Hang Up”: The Harsh Reality of Working in Customer Service

In their own voices, seven customer service representatives reveal what it’s like being caught between abusive callers and demanding employers.

Few Cops We Found Using Force on George Floyd Protesters Are Known to Have Faced Discipline

ProPublica compiled 68 videos that seemed to show officers using disproportionate force on protesters. A year later, police have disclosed discipline for a total of 10 officers.

Eugene Clemons May Be Ineligible for the Death Penalty. A Rigid Clinton-Era Law Could Force Him to Be Executed Anyway.

His lawyers presented no defense at trial. Then a clerk’s office misplaced a plea for his civil rights behind a file cabinet. Now, it’s almost impossible for the federal courts to address the problems with his case.

Meet ProPublica’s 2021 Diversity Scholarship Recipients

With additional support from The Pudding, ProPublica will be sponsoring these 25 talented student journalists to attend conferences including NABJ, AAJA, ONA and IRE.

Why We Can’t Make Vaccine Doses Any Faster

President Biden has promised enough doses for all American adults by this summer. There’s not much even the Defense Production Act can do to deliver doses before then.

How Many Vaccine Shots Go to Waste? Several States Aren’t Counting.

The CDC says health facilities should report unused and spoiled COVID-19 vaccines, but many are failing to do so. At a time when there aren’t enough shots to meet demand, significant numbers may be going in the trash.

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