Local Reporting Network Archive
Millionaire CEO of Nonprofit Hospital That Sues the Poor Promises Review of Policies
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare promised a policy review after an investigation by MLK50 and ProPublica found it had sued 8,300 patients — including its own employees — over medical debt. Its CEO has not responded to our questions.
“Dire” Law Enforcement Crisis in Rural Alaska Prompts Emergency Declaration, New Federal Funding
The announcement comes a month after U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr visited the state to hear concerns about a lack of police in rural communities. The Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica reported that one in three Alaska communities lacks local law enforcement.
The Sheriff Lost Reelection. Then the Spending Spree Began.
Sheriff Blake Turman says that after he beat then-Sheriff Dennis Meeks at the polls, he found that thousands of dollars worth of military equipment was missing and public funds were wasted. Meeks’ response: “He’s full of shit.”
Low-Wage Workers Are Being Sued for Unpaid Medical Bills by a Nonprofit Christian Hospital That Employs Them
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has sued many of its own employees over unpaid medical bills and garnishes their wages; its health care plan prevents them from going to competitors with better financial assistance.
The Nonprofit Hospital That Makes Millions, Owns a Collection Agency and Relentlessly Sues the Poor
Nonprofit hospitals pay virtually no local, state or federal income tax. In return, they provide community benefits, including charity care to low-income patients. In Memphis, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has brought 8,300 lawsuits for unpaid medical bills in just five years.
This Memphis Hospital System Flouts IRS Rules by Not Publicly Posting Financial Assistance Policies
Nonprofit hospitals must post financial assistance policies for the public to see, including in emergency rooms. But Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare’s five Shelby County emergency rooms had no signs or displays when a reporter checked.
How We Tallied Medical Debt Lawsuits and Wage Garnishments in Memphis
We found that Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare filed more lawsuits and won more wage garnishment orders than any other hospital system in Shelby County. Here’s how we did it.
A Huge Tax Break Went to a Politically Connected Company in New Jersey Despite Red Flags
Holtec International told New Jersey regulators that Ohio was competing for its new headquarters. But officials there stripped the firm of past tax awards for failing to create the jobs it promised.
More Instances of Fraud and Mismanagement Over New Jersey Tax Incentives Surface in New Report
A hospital connected to New Jersey political boss George E. Norcross III lied to win state tax breaks, a new special task force report says. The report details several other new pieces of evidence of Norcross’ influence over the tax incentive program.
After Serious 911 Mishaps, Rhode Island Will Now Pay for Better Training
Lagging rates of cardiac arrest survival and bystander CPR in Rhode Island could soon improve if lawmakers approve a budget allocating $220,000 to strengthen 911 call taker training.
There Has Been an Explosion of Homicides in California’s County Jails. Here’s Why.
Some California county jails saw their rate of inmate-on-inmate homicides triple or quadruple, and statewide the number rose 46% after 2011 prison reforms shifted responsibility from state prisons to county lockups. As sheriffs and jail staffs strain, some inmate crimes go undetected for hours.
How Nine Sheriffs Who Lost Reelection Made Life Harder for Their Successors
Of 10 sheriffs who lost their reelection campaigns last year in Alabama, nine face accusations of impeding their successors. Here’s a rundown of those accusations and how (or if) they responded to them.
Wasted Funds, Destroyed Property: How Sheriffs Undermined Their Successors After Losing Reelection
Alabama sheriffs who lost reelection in 2018 personally pocketed funds and deleted public records, an investigation by AL.com and ProPublica found. Holes were drilled through government-issued smartphones and leftover rice was poured down the drain, among other things. It’s a longstanding tradition that sheriffs aren’t typically held accountable for.
Fracking Companies Lost on Trespassing, but a Court Just Gave Them a Different Win
As conflicts continue between West Virginians and the state’s natural gas industry, complex legal cases are helping some residents, but not others.
Discussing Alaska’s Long History of Sexual Violence Is One Step Toward Seeking Solutions
Seventy people, including elders and Alaska public officials, gathered in Kotzebue for a public conversation on a well-known but rarely discussed statewide problem.
Court to Big Fracking Company: Trespassing Still Exists — Even For You
In a key property rights decision, two West Virginia residents scored a rare victory from the state Supreme Court.
The Tax Break Application Had a False Answer. Now the State Has Put the Break on Hold.
After WNYC and ProPublica identified a false answer on nuclear company Holtec International’s New Jersey tax break application, state officials have frozen the break pending further investigation.
“No More Silence”: Her Kidnapping, Sexual Assault and Murder Stunned a Town, and Started a Movement
The Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica will hold an event in Kotzebue, site of 10-year-old Ashley Johnson-Barr’s killing, to explore sexual violence in Alaska.
