Local Reporting Network Archive

“If Everybody’s White, There Can’t Be Any Racial Bias”: The Disappearance of Hispanic Drivers From Traffic Records

In Louisiana, law enforcement agencies have been accused of targeting Hispanic drivers in traffic stops and identifying them as white on tickets. Misidentification makes it impossible to track racial bias, experts say.

LA Inspector General Looks Into Allegations of Racist Policing by Sheriff’s Deputies on School Grounds

Citing a LAist/ProPublica report that sheriff’s deputies disproportionately stopped and cited Black students, LA County’s Inspector General said he will look into allegations of racial discrimination in California’s Antelope Valley high schools.

Florida Program to Aid Brain-Damaged Kids Often Told Families No. It’s Promising to Change.

The program promised support while taking away parents’ right to seek justice. Instead, NICA often forced parents to go through the state’s Medicaid safety net first — including appeals. Now, a proposed set of rules could change the approach.

“They Deserve to Be Safe”: Candidates Call on Florida to Investigate the Health Effects of Sugar Cane Burning

Voters in Florida's biggest sugar-cane-growing region will soon select their likely representative in Congress. Some candidates are calling on officials to further research industry practices after a Palm Beach Post/ProPublica investigation.

“These Findings Boggle My Mind”: Audit Rips Apart Florida Program Created to Aid Brain-Damaged Kids

An audit found families got little support from NICA, a program set up to help care for brain-damaged kids. A Miami Herald/ProPublica investigation previously showed that NICA amassed a fortune while arbitrarily denying children care.

Louisiana Deputy Who Slammed a Black Woman on the Pavement Was Named in Multiple Suits, Records Show

Julio Alvarado, a Jefferson Parish deputy who was seen on video violently dragging a woman by the hair, has been named in nine federal civil rights lawsuits, all involving the use of excessive force. This is the most of any deputy currently employed.

Tennessee Children Were Illegally Jailed. Now Members of Congress Are Asking For an Investigation.

Government officials called Rutherford County’s juvenile justice system a “nightmare” that “boggles the mind.” They are demanding answers about why children were “unjustly searched, detained, charged, and imprisoned.”

Rich Homeowners Have Endangered Hawaii’s Beaches With Sand Burritos. The State Is Cracking Down.

Coastal officials in Hawaii are taking action against residents who lined their oceanfront properties with sandbags. A Star-Advertiser/ProPublica investigation last year found that lax enforcement of these protections was threatening beaches.

FAA Suggests Steps to Improve Aviation Safety in Alaska. Some Experts Say They’re Not Enough.

In a recently released report, the FAA recommended safety measures to address Alaska’s high share of aircraft accidents. The report, which contains few new initiatives or calls for funding, falls short of what’s needed, according to experts.

ProPublica and Partners Win Four Online Journalism Awards

ProPublica recognized with sixth General Excellence in Online Journalism award and three other awards for Local Reporting Network projects

Three Children Attacked a Black Woman. A Sheriff’s Deputy Arrived — and Beat Her More.

Black residents of Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish have long accused the Sheriff’s Office of targeting them. A new video, which shows a deputy slamming a Black woman’s head into the ground, raises more questions.

We Reported on a County That Has Jailed Kids for a Crime That Doesn’t Exist. Readers Reacted.

Significantly more children were sent to jail in Rutherford County than any other county in Tennessee. Almost nothing happened to the adults in charge. Here’s how some readers responded.

Outrage Grows Over Jailing of Children as Tennessee University Cuts Ties With Judge Involved

In the days following a ProPublica and Nashville Public Radio report on juvenile justice in Rutherford County, the president of Middle Tennessee State University told staff Judge Donna Scott Davenport “is no longer affiliated with the University.”

Black Children Were Jailed for a Crime That Doesn’t Exist. Almost Nothing Happened to the Adults in Charge.

Judge Donna Scott Davenport oversees a juvenile justice system in Rutherford County, Tennessee, with a staggering history of jailing children. She said kids must face consequences, which rarely seem to apply to her or the other adults in charge.

Head of California Utility Regulator Resigns Less Than One Year Into Six-Year Term

President Marybel Batjer’s resignation comes after numerous controversies and a ProPublica and Bay City News Foundation report on $200 million in missing funds.

In a California Desert, Sheriff’s Deputies Settle Schoolyard Disputes. Black Teens Bear the Brunt.

Deputies in California’s Antelope Valley are disproportionately citing Black teens, often for minor infractions, like getting in fights or smoking. “They’re turning the principal’s office into the police station,” said one lawyer.

ACLU Calls On Federal Prosecutors to Investigate the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office

Despite years of complaints against the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the DOJ has not stepped in to help. Following our investigation, the ACLU renews the call to action and has asked the DOJ to launch an investigation.

ProPublica Seeks New Applicants for Its Local Reporting Network

We will be working with five more newsrooms on local accountability projects for a year starting in January 2022.

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