The Trump Administration Said These Aid Programs Saved Lives. It Canceled Them Anyway.
The axing of some 10,000 programs has consigned untold numbers of children and refugees to death, officials say. Documents and interviews reveal that the State Department appears to have made the cuts without the careful review it described in court.
NASA Official Warns Staff About Publicly Displaying Their Badges Amid Reports of Harassment
The Trump administration has used strong language to disparage the federal workforce. A NASA official urges staff to “please use caution” in public amid the increasing “negative rhetoric” toward government workers.
Speaker Mike Johnson Is Living in a D.C. House That Is the Center of a Pastor’s Secretive Influence Campaign
The Capitol Hill townhouse is owned by a major Republican donor. It’s the headquarters of a little-known political influence project that has reached a number of powerful Republican politicians.
A Study of Mint Plants. A Device to Stop Bleeding. This Is the Scientific Research Ted Cruz Calls “Woke.”
The senator flagged thousands of National Science Foundation grants for using words like “female” and “diversify.” A ProPublica analysis found numerous examples of projects caught up in his crude method for identifying research he calls “woke.”
Trump Is Sending Migrants From Around the World to Guantanamo. One Mother Speaks Out About Her Son’s Detention.
The Trump administration detained Yoiker Sequera at Guantanamo Bay for almost two weeks before he was deported to Venezuela. His mother reflects on finding out her son had been sent to the infamous prison and the effects it had on her.
How Cambridge Analytica Used Data to Exploit Gun Owners’ Private Lives
Documents obtained by ProPublica detail the sophistication and intrusiveness of Cambridge’s work for the gun industry in 2016. The firm’s campaign aimed to help elect Donald Trump and keep industry-friendly politicians in the Senate.
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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Missouri GOP’s Effort to Take Over St. Louis Police Hearkens Back to Civil War
City officials say the state’s plan to wrest back control of the police department is an attempt by white conservatives to weaken Black political influence. It’s part of a broader pattern of Missouri Republicans trying to override the will of voters.
Applications Open for 2025 ProPublica Investigative Editor Training Program
The yearlong ProPublica Investigative Editor Training Program aims to broaden the ranks of investigative editors.
Montana Renews Accused Cancer Doctor’s License Despite Criminal, Civil Inquiries
Questions about whether oncologist Dr. Thomas Weiner would be permitted to continue practicing medicine intensified after a ProPublica investigation exposed a trail of patient harm tied to his practice.
DOGE Gains Access to Confidential Records on Housing Discrimination, Medical Details — Even Domestic Violence
While some agencies have resisted efforts by Elon Musk’s team to access confidential records, HUD has opened the door. The potential harm to privacy could be significant.
Amid Increasing Domestic Violence, Illinois Struggles to Review Fatalities
Four years after the state called for a network of domestic violence review panels, only seven counties have joined committees. Glaringly absent from the program: Cook County, home to Chicago and about 40% of the state’s population.
ProPublica Updates Its Database of Museums’ and Universities’ Compliance With Federal Repatriation Law
Institutions across the U.S. returned more than 10,300 Native American ancestors to tribes in 2024, making it the third-biggest year for repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
As Facebook Abandons Fact-Checking, It’s Also Offering Bonuses for Viral Content
Meta decided to stop working with U.S. fact-checkers at the same time as it’s revamping a program to pay bonuses to creators with high engagement numbers, potentially pouring accelerant on the kind of false posts the company once policed.
The Trump Administration Keeps Citing an Untrue Stat as It Targets Federal Workers
A “survey of our niche audience for our niche audience” was the source for the claim that only 6% of federal employees are working full time in their offices. The number isn’t true. Why do administration and elected officials keep relying on it?
Anxiety Mounts Among Social Security Recipients as DOGE Troops Settle In
Elon Musk’s team has descended on an already understaffed Social Security Administration, which now faces further workforce cuts and closures of vital local offices. The consequences could be significant for millions of the most vulnerable Americans.
They Worked to Prevent Death. The Trump Administration Fired Them.
Public health teams are being gutted, imperiling efforts to safeguard organ donation and prevent maternal and infant death. Many workers expressed fear at what would happen to the work they left behind.
Trump Order Shifts the Financial Burden of Climate Change Onto Individuals
The change would effectively transfer financial responsibility from oil drillers, auto manufacturers and others and leave Americans to face greater direct costs as warming continues.
Education Department “Lifting the Pause” on Some Civil Rights Probes, but Not for Race or Gender Cases
A memo to the department’s Office for Civil Rights reveals that the agency will allow “only disability-based discrimination” cases to proceed. Thousands of outstanding complaints will continue to sit idle.
DOGE’s Millions: As Musk and Trump Gut Government, Their Ax-Cutting Agency Gets Cash Infusion
The Department of Government Efficiency is funded — and acts — like a federal agency. But the White House has shielded DOGE from the rules that govern such agencies, ProPublica found as it examines the group and expands a list of DOGE workers.
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