What We’re Watching
During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.
Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.
Sharon Lerner
I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.
Andy Kroll
I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.
Jesse Coburn
I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.
If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch.
More Stories
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La EPA estaba considerando una limpieza masiva de plomo en Omaha. Pero luego Trump cambió las directrices.
La administración de Trump afirma que acelerará las limpiezas, pero a los residentes del mayor sitio de Superfund residencial contaminado con plomo les preocupa que se limpien menos propiedades.
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¿Vive en el área de Omaha? Regístrese para una prueba gratuita de plomo en su tierra.
Una fundición de plomo de Omaha esparció polvo que se filtró en la tierra y afectó a muchos residentes durante más de un siglo. Las zonas prioritarias incluyen el sitio Superfund y los vecindarios al este de la calle 72, Bellevue, Carter Lake y Council Bluffs.
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The FDA Rarely Forces Manufacturers to Recall Dangerous Medical Devices, Watchdog Report Finds
Lawmakers requested the report after a 2023 ProPublica and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette investigation revealed that the FDA had received hundreds of complaints over many years about defective breathing machines and never ordered a recall.
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Senator Demands Federal Agencies Halt Small Business Contracts, Citing Investigation of Native Hawaiian Firm
Joni Ernst, chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, sent letters to 22 federal agencies saying the no-bid contracts granted through a Small Business Administration program are a “fraud magnet.”
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The Shakedown: Trump’s DOJ Pressured Lawyers to “Find” Evidence That UCLA Had Illegally Tolerated Antisemitism
An investigation by ProPublica and The Chronicle of Higher Education reveals how the U.S. government ignored due process to gin up its attack on the University of California.
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Senator Endorses Discredited Doctor’s Book on a Chemical He Claims Treats Everything From Autism to Cancer
Wisconsin's Ron Johnson has a history of spreading vaccine misinformation. Now he's giving credence to assertions about the therapeutic powers of chlorine dioxide, a disinfectant and deodorizer. “It is all lunacy," one expert said.
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The EPA Was Considering a Massive Lead Cleanup in Omaha. Then Trump Shifted Guidance.
The Trump administration says it will speed cleanups, but residents of the largest residential lead Superfund site worry fewer properties will be remediated.
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Do You Live in the Omaha Area? Sign Up for Free Lead Testing of Your Soil.
An Omaha lead smelter spread dust that seeped into the soil and bodies of many residents for over a century. Focus areas include the Superfund site and neighborhoods east of 72nd Street; Bellevue; Carter Lake and Council Bluffs.
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He Spent Funds Meant for Native Hawaiians on Polo and Porsches. The Federal Government Failed to Stop Him.
A small business program allowed Christopher Dawson to win big contracts if he promised to uplift Native Hawaiians. Instead, federal prosecutors allege, he used the money to line his own pockets.
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They Came to the U.S. Legally. Then Trump Stripped Their Status Away.
“Status: Venezuelan,” a new documentary from ProPublica filmmaker Mauricio Rodríguez Pons, follows a family trying to hold on to their legal status as the second Trump administration targets Venezuelans amid an immigration crackdown.
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Vinieron a Estados Unidos legalmente. Luego, Trump eliminó su estatus.
“Estatus: Venezolano”, un nuevo documental del cineasta de ProPublica Mauricio Rodríguez Pons, sigue a una familia que intenta conservar su estatus legal mientras el gobierno de Trump apunta a los venezolanos en su ofensiva contra la inmigración.
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Immigration Agents Have Often Grabbed and Mistreated Citizens, Congressional Investigators Find
Prompted by ProPublica’s reporting, an investigation by Senate Democrats documented the experiences of nearly two dozen citizens wrongly detained by immigration agents, contradicting the Trump administration’s claims that it only detains immigrants.
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These Health Centers Are Supposed to Make Care Affordable. One Has Sued Patients for as Little as $59 in Unpaid Bills.
Federally funded community health centers receive grants in exchange for serving patients regardless of their ability to pay. But ProPublica found at least five across the country garnishing patients’ paychecks to collect unpaid bills.
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Wave of Tax Cuts Has Left Many States Vulnerable to Trump SNAP and Medicaid Crisis
President Donald Trump’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act will shift billions in costs for SNAP and Medicaid to states. But with 26 having cut or eliminated state income taxes just since 2021, they may not have the money to continue the programs.
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