“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We’re trying something new. Was it helpful?
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.
Industry-Backed Legislation Would Bar the Use of Science Behind Hundreds of Environmental Protections
Two bills in Congress would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from using hundreds of chemical assessments completed by its IRIS program in environmental regulations or enforcement.
As Idaho Pushes to Reform Its Coroner System, Counties Seek to Make It Less Transparent
A bill moving forward with bipartisan support is described as a first step to addressing problems highlighted in a state report and by ProPublica. Meanwhile, counties seek to end access to coroners’ records that were key to ProPublica’s findings.
How DOGE’s Cuts to the IRS Threaten to Cost More Than DOGE Will Ever Save
The Trump administration claims gutting federal agencies will save money, but cutting the IRS means the government collects less taxes. “If you’re interested in the deficit and curbing it, why would you cut back on the revenue side?” one expert asks.
A New Missouri Bill Would Let Residents Donate to Anti-Abortion Centers Instead of Paying Any Taxes
Four months after Missouri voted to legalize abortion, Republican lawmakers are proposing a 100% tax credit — capped at $50,000 per year — for taxpayers who donate to crisis pregnancy centers.
Follow ProPublica
Keep Them Honest Support journalism that speaks truth to power.
Donate Now
Awards
ProPublica has been a recipient of the Pulitzer Prizes for public service, explanatory reporting, national reporting, investigative reporting and feature writing. See the full list of our awards.
Complaints & Corrections
To contact us with concerns and corrections, email us. All emails may be published unless you tell us otherwise. Read our corrections.
