September 2023 Archive

The Many Times Ken Paxton Refused to Defend Texas Agencies in Court

The Texas attorney general said he’s “back to work” after his recent acquittal, but his office has repeatedly declined to fulfill one of its key duties: representing state agencies who are being sued.

Decades-Old Trove of DNA Evidence, Collected by a Maryland Doctor, Leads to a Serial Rape Arrest

A ProPublica investigation highlighted a critical collection of evidence and inspired a law to preserve it. Now, that evidence has been used to charge a man with three rapes.

A Black Community in West Virginia Sues the EPA to Spur Action on Toxic Air Pollution

Institute, one of two majority-Black communities in the state, was left out of a regulatory effort earlier this year to tighten limits on cancer-causing chemicals.

5 Documents That Helped Us Understand How Columbia Protected a Predator

For decades, Columbia obstetrician Robert Hadden was abusing patients. Here’s some of the evidence ProPublica reporter Bianca Fortis used to investigate how the university allowed it to happen.

Do You Have Experience in or With the Plastics Industry? Tell Us About It.

Help journalists at the investigative nonprofit newsroom ProPublica examine plastics from creation to recycling and disposal. If you’ve worked in or been affected by the plastics industry, we want to hear from you.

United Nations Seems to Boost Plastics Industry Interests, Critics Say

Ahead of a groundbreaking treaty to reduce plastic pollution, a group of independent scientists fear that the United Nations is legitimizing industry-backed proposals such as chemical recycling.

Massachusetts Has a Huge Waitlist for State-Funded Housing. So Why Are 2,300 Units Vacant?

Families are stuck in shelters or sleeping in their cars while a flawed state selection process and meager funding for renovations leave apartments empty for years.

ProPublica Opens Application for Five Two-Year Partnerships Through Our Local Reporting Network

This opportunity is open to reporters with a proven track record of investigations and impact working in local or regional newsrooms. The deadline to apply is Nov. 1.

Mississippi Courts Won’t Say How They Provide Lawyers for Poor Clients

Six years ago, the Mississippi Supreme Court told judges around the state to file plans showing how they meet their obligations to poor defendants. This summer, amid increased scrutiny of public defense in the state, the first one was filed.

Concerned About Your OB-GYN Visit? A Guide to What Should Happen — and What Shouldn’t.

As we’ve reported on sexual misconduct by OB-GYNs, many women told us they didn’t know what was normal. With the help of providers, patients and experts, we created this guide.

“Where Is There to Go?” He Needs Gender-Affirming Surgery, but His State Is Fighting to Deny Coverage.

A North Carolina policy that denies state employees coverage for gender-affirming care has been on hold pending appeal. For one transgender worker still awaiting surgery, the anxiety is “like somebody has got their hands around my neck.”

Wall Street Bet Big on Used-Car Loans for Years. Now a Crisis May Be Looming.

The used-car market’s hot streak may be ending as borrowers struggle to make payments and regulators say some auto lenders are “setting up consumers to fail.”

How Columbia Ignored Women, Undermined Prosecutors and Protected a Predator for More Than 20 Years

For decades, patients warned Columbia about the behavior of obstetrician Robert Hadden. One even called 911 and had him arrested. Columbia let him keep working.

Regulators Blast Union Pacific for Running Unsafe Trains

The nation’s largest freight rail carrier failed to fix and continued to use faulty equipment, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Managers reportedly pressured inspectors to leave the yard so they could keep freight moving.

New Mexico AG to Investigate Gallup-McKinley School District for Harsh Discipline of Native American Students

Gallup-McKinley County Schools enrolls a quarter of New Mexico’s Native students but was responsible for at least three-quarters of Native expulsions over four years.

Virginia’s Public Universities Have a Long History of Displacing Black Residents

Schools including Old Dominion and the flagship University of Virginia have expanded by dislodging Black families, sometimes by the threat or use of eminent domain.

“I Want the Anger to Be Your Anger”: Bringing a ProPublica Investigation From Page to Screen

For his new documentary, “Silver Dollar Road,” Oscar-nominated director Raoul Peck spent years building on ProPublica’s coverage of how Black families are dispossessed of their land. “These were people I knew, these were situations that I knew.”

Follow ProPublica

Latest Stories from ProPublica