Trump Said Cuts Wouldn’t Affect Public Safety. Then He Fired Hundreds of Workers Who Help Fight Wildfires.
The White House and DOGE have sought to eliminate thousands of jobs from the Forest Service. The wildland firefighting force is one of many targets within the agency.
Connecticut DMV Never Set Up System to Enforce a Century-Old Towing Law
Towing companies can sell vehicles if owners don’t reclaim them or can’t afford the fees. To protect drivers, they’re supposed to turn over unclaimed profits, but the state says that’s never happened.
Local Reporting Network
Will Extreme Spending and Partisanship Undermine Trust in State Supreme Courts?
The millions in campaign funding poured into the Wisconsin Supreme Court election spotlights the increasing partisanship around these supposedly neutral court roles. It also feeds a growing concern nationally about the independence of state high courts.
Microsoft Hooked the Government on Its Products With Freebies. Could Elon Musk’s Starlink Be Doing the Same?
The tech billionaire and Trump adviser “donated” Starlink service to the White House. The move resembles a previous maneuver by Microsoft, which used “free” trials to lock in costly upgrades across the federal government.
Unsanitary Practices Persist at Baby Formula Factory Whose Shutdown Led to Mass Shortages, Workers Say
“Persistent leaks” and “unaddressed contamination issues” are among the problems workers say they witnessed at one of the nation’s largest baby formula plants. “I can’t have this on my conscience,” one told ProPublica
Texas AG Ken Paxton Won’t Face Federal Corruption Charges as He Gains Momentum for Likely Senate Run
The federal criminal investigation was the most serious legal threat the once-embattled Republican faced. With the probe now over, Paxton is gearing up to likely challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in 2026.
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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In An Era of Big Money, the University of Illinois Shrugs Off Rules on Athletes’ NIL Deals
Records show that a fraction of the school’s athletes are complying with a state law requiring them to disclose endorsements. In the wild west of college sports, Illinois’ flagship university says the rules are losing relevance.
Utah Ex-Therapist Scott Owen Sentenced to Prison for Sexually Abusing Patients
Owen’s 15-year-to-life prison term follows a 2023 investigation by The Salt Lake Tribune and ProPublica that uncovered a range of sex abuse allegations against the ex-therapist, who claimed to be a specialist for struggling gay Latter-day Saints men.
Local Reporting Network
A Lawyer Who Helped the Kushners Crack Down on Poor Tenants Now Helps Renters Fight Big Landlords
“It was like a heavyweight sparring featherweights,” the attorney said about his time representing companies owned by Trump’s in-laws, whose apartments were known for shoddy maintenance and aggressive legal tactics.
Representatives Demand Housing Agency Halt Any Cryptocurrency Experiments
Following reporting by ProPublica, three Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee have warned HUD against using crypto, which they said could be “dangerous, speculative, and harmful to working families.”
Conservatives on Texas School Board Escalate Fight Over Textbooks and What Students Learn
The decision to strip chapters from books that had already won the approval of the state’s Republican-controlled board of education represents an escalation in how local school boards run by ideological conservatives influence what children learn.
Inside ICE Air: Flight Attendants on Deportation Planes Say Disaster Is “Only a Matter of Time”
Current and former flight attendants for GlobalX, the private charter airline at the center of Trump’s immigration crackdown, expressed concern about their inability to treat passengers humanely and to keep them safe.
The Art Institute of Chicago Returned a Sculpture to Nepal But Obscured Its Connection to a Wealthy Donor
The famed museum recently returned a 12th-century Buddha sculpture that it says was stolen from the Kathmandu Valley. However, the institute’s announcement failed to mention the statue had once belonged to wealthy donor Marilynn Alsdorf.
How Investigative Journalists Actually Find Fraud, Waste and Abuse
While investigative journalists immerse themselves in minutiae to identify waste and fraud, Elon Musk’s team has taken a chainsaw approach to spending based on cursory examinations. That might help explain some of their well-publicized stumbles.
We Detailed Mayor Adams’ Embrace of an Abuse-Ridden NYPD Unit. Now Lawmakers and Advocates Demand Change.
In the wake of ProPublica’s expose of the Community Response Team, critics are calling for the unit to be disbanded. New York City’s police commissioner may also be reducing the team’s role.
“A Wholly Inaccurate Picture”: Reality Cop Show “The First 48” and the Wrongly Convicted Man
Edgar Barrientos-Quintana spent 16 years behind bars wrongly convicted for a shooting featured on “The First 48.” The Minnesota attorney general’s office effectively alleged that the show shaped the case instead of the case shaping the show.
Police Across the U.S. Welcomed Cop Show “The First 48.” Then Relationships Soured.
Partnerships between police and the popular reality show, once enthusiastic and mutually beneficial, have often turned into breakups. Here’s how that has played out in three cities.
The CDC Buried a Measles Forecast That Stressed the Need for Vaccinations
The move — along with the CDC’s explanation — is a sign that the nation’s top public health agency may be falling in line under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic of vaccines.
Did You Work on a Terminated NIH Grant? ProPublica Wants to Hear From You.
The National Institutes of Health is canceling grants that are seen as conflicting with the Trump administration’s priorities. We want to hear from researchers who have been affected.
How Elon Musk, George Soros and Other Billionaires Are Shaping the Most Expensive Court Race in U.S. History
Ten years ago, Wisconsin approved unlimited political spending. Now, as spending for its Supreme Court race surpasses more than $80 million, some campaign reformers are wondering if the state is reaching a tipping point.
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