Washington Blues: A Government Town Faces a Gloomy Future
For years, Washington, D.C., was insulated from many of the economic forces that decimated many older U.S. cities. Now, as Elon Musk’s mass layoffs shake everything from employment to real estate, the region faces the prospect of decline.
“The President Wanted It and I Did It”: Recording Reveals Head of Social Security’s Thoughts on DOGE and Trump
In a recording obtained by ProPublica, acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek portrayed his agency as facing peril, while also encouraging patience with “the DOGE kids.”
Massive Layoffs at the Department of Education Erode Its Civil Rights Division
Only five of the agency’s civil rights offices remain nationwide. Those who are still with the department say it will now be “virtually impossible” to resolve discrimination complaints.
Trump’s Pressure on Countries and International Organizations Erodes Protections for Asylum-Seekers
The administration’s moves to expel asylum-seekers to third countries put the International Organization for Migration at the center of a policy critics have called illegal.
A Health System Is Fighting Idaho’s Abortion Ban. It’s Not Its First Controversial Stance.
St. Luke’s, Idaho’s largest health system, was outspoken in defending its staff during a backlash against masks and vaccines. It also sued right-wing figure Ammon Bundy — and won. Now it’s backing its doctors on the abortion front.
How ProPublica Uses AI Responsibly in Its Investigations
When our reporters prompted a large language model to help identify “woke” themes in a database of grants, AI helped them tell a vital accountability story about science funding and Ted Cruz.
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.
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ProPublica Documentary “Before A Breath” Streaming March 20
The film gives voice to parents who have lost children to stillbirth.
The Office That Investigates Disparities in Veterans’ Care Is Being “Liquidated”
The closure effectively hobbles the VA’s efforts to investigate and eliminate long-standing racial inequities that the department itself has acknowledged. “The consequences will be dire, wide-reaching and deadly,” an advocate for Black veterans said.
Two Transgender Girls, Six Federal Agencies. How Trump Is Trying to Pressure Maine Into Obedience.
Maine said it wouldn’t break state law to follow President Donald Trump’s order barring transgender girls from playing girls’ sports. Then came a barrage of investigations and threats targeting the state’s federal funding.
How Eric Adams Has Backed a Secretive NYPD Unit Ridden With Abuses
After NYPD officials warned about a unit’s aggressive policing, the mayor boosted the team led by his allies. “The unit effectively reported directly to City Hall,” a former police official said.
He Was Convicted Based on Allegedly Fabricated Bite Mark Analysis. Louisiana Wants to Execute Him Anyway.
Nine prisoners have walked free after evidence presented by members of a forensics team turned out to be wrong — yet one man still awaits execution based on their testimony.
Local Reporting Network
Connecticut Lawmakers Seek Overhaul of Towing Laws
A new bill addresses nearly all of the issues raised in a Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica investigation that found people’s cars were being sold shortly after they were towed.
Local Reporting Network
National Cancer Institute Employees Can’t Publish Information on These Topics Without Special Approval
Vaccines. Fluoride. Autism. Communications involving these and 20 other “controversial, high profile, or sensitive” topics will get extra scrutiny under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
What a Wrongful Death Lawsuit Reveals About America’s Largest Oxygen Provider
When an at-risk sleep apnea patient needed his breathing machine replaced, Lincare, a $2.4 billion behemoth with a decadeslong history of regulatory and legal problems, acted slowly. The result was disastrous.
She’s on a Scholarship at a Tribal College in Wisconsin. The Trump Administration Suspended the USDA Grant That Funded It.
Tribal colleges and universities, which ProPublica last year found are perpetually underfunded by Congress, say it’s illegal to withhold financial support from them. Their funding is protected by treaties and other legal obligations on the federal government.
How a Global Online Network of White Supremacists Groomed a Teen to Kill
The murders of two people outside an LGBTQ+ bar at first looked like the act of a lone shooter. A ProPublica and FRONTLINE investigation shows they were, in fact, the culmination of a coordinated, international recruiting effort by online extremists.
U.S. Housing Agency Considers Launching Crypto Experiment
The Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees billions in aid and insures more than a trillion dollars in mortgages, is pondering using the blockchain and a stablecoin. One HUD official derided it as “monopoly money.”
How a Connecticut DMV Employee Made Thousands by Selling Towed Cars
For years, a towing company cut the lines at the DMV in exchange for deep discounts on towed cars, according to an internal DMV report, showing the agency’s oversight failures.
Local Reporting Network
Secretive D.C. Influence Project Appears to Be Running a Group House for Right-Wing Lawmakers
Evangelical pastor Steve Berger’s political influence campaign operates out of his D.C. townhouse. In addition to House Speaker Mike Johnson living there, a prominent Trump ally, Rep. Andy Ogles, has the keys.
This Charter School Superintendent Makes $870,000. He Leads a District With 1,000 Students.
On paper, Salvador Cavazos earns less than $300,000 to run Valere Public Schools, a small Texas charter network. But taxpayers likely aren’t aware that in reality, his total pay makes him one of the country’s highest-earning superintendents.
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