Archive
Campaign to Rein in Mega IRA Tax Shelters Gains Steam in Congress Following ProPublica Report
One proposal would ban the kinds of transactions that helped Peter Thiel amass $5 billion in his Roth; another would cap how much could be saved tax-free in these retirement accounts. But two unrelated bills could undermine those efforts.
Do You Live in the Kanehili or Kauluokahai Subdivisions? We Have Questions About the Quality of Your Homes.
We hope to talk to one person from each of the roughly 500 homes in the Kanehili and Kauluokahai subdivisions of Kapolei, Honolulu. Help us hold the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands accountable.
A Banking App Has Been Suddenly Closing Accounts, Sometimes Not Returning Customers’ Money
Chime, a “neobank” serving millions, is racking up complaints from users who can’t access their cash. The company says it’s cracking down on an “extraordinary surge” in fraudulent deposits. That’s little consolation to customers caught in the fray.
How the .001% Use Retirement Accounts as Tax-Free Piggy Banks
A retirement account designed for the middle class is being exploited as a giant tax shelter — legally — by some of the wealthiest Americans. Billionaire tech mogul Peter Thiel, a Paypal co-founder, has grown his Roth IRA to more than $5 billion.
Why You Can’t Turn Your Roth IRA Into a Billion-Dollar Tax Shelter
Unless you have access to nonpublic stock of a future tech giant, it’s pretty hard to turn a humble retirement account into a tax-free piggy bank.
This Company Got a $10 Million PPP Loan, Then Closed Its Plant and Moved Manufacturing Jobs to Mexico
Many American businesses received millions in federal pandemic aid intended to protect workers, but exploited loopholes and rule changes to lay off those employees anyway.
Oregon Lawmakers Set Out to Increase the Timber Industry’s Tax Bill. Instead, They Cut It Again.
Legislators cut taxes for the owners of Oregon’s private forests, money that helped fund university forest scientists. Now taxpayers will pick up the tab.
Held Back: Inside a Lost School Year
Teacher Ashlee Thompson had a lot to worry about this year: A deadly virus. A poor district under threat by the state. And now, a new mandate for her students: Learn to read or flunk the third grade.
The Ultrawealthy Have Hijacked Roth IRAs. The Senate Finance Chair Is Eyeing a Crackdown.
Sen. Ron Wyden, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said he planned to rein in tax breaks for gargantuan Roth retirement accounts after ProPublica exposed how the superrich used them to shield their fortunes from taxes
New Details Suggest Senior Trump Aides Knew Jan. 6 Rally Could Get Chaotic
Text messages and interviews show that Stop the Steal leaders fooled the Capitol police and welcomed racists to increase their crowd sizes, while White House officials worked to both contain and appease them.
The U.S. Is Closing a Loophole That Lured Mexicans Over the Border to Donate Blood Plasma for Cash
Selling blood plasma in the U.S. could net Mexican residents hundreds of dollars a month — if they donated often enough. But some were putting their health at risk to do so.
To Get a Shot at Justice, They Were Forced to Prove Their Disabled Daughter’s Intelligence
To qualify for Florida's NICA program, infants must suffer “substantial” damage to both body and mind. Though her body was broken, Brooklyn Grant’s mother and teachers knew she was smart. This is how they stood their ground — and won.
Lord of the Roths: How Tech Mogul Peter Thiel Turned a Retirement Account for the Middle Class Into a $5 Billion Tax-Free Piggy Bank
Roth IRAs were intended to help average working Americans save, but IRS records show Thiel and other ultrawealthy investors have used them to amass vast untaxed fortunes.
How China Spreads Its Propaganda Version of Life for Uyghurs
Thousands of videos of Uyghurs denying abuses against their community are showing up on Twitter and YouTube. They’re part of an elaborate influence campaign by Chinese officials to counter reports of human rights violations in Xinjiang.
Florida Governor Signs Law Reforming Program for Brain-Damaged Infants
Parents who participate in the Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association, or NICA, receive a pledge from lawmakers that they will no longer have to fight for “medically necessary” expenses the program has claimed to cover all along.
New Records Show the NYPD’s Favored Punishment: Less Vacation Time
In some of the NYPD’s most severe misconduct cases, the only punishment officers faced was losing vacation days.
Robin Sparkman Named President and co-CEO of ProPublica
StoryCorps CEO Will Succeed Richard Tofel in September
How Our Investigation Into Untested DNA Evidence Helped Solve a 1983 Murder
When reporter Catherine Rentz found a 1983 article about a student who was raped and murdered, she immediately recognized the similarities to crimes committed by a serial perpetrator she’d been investigating.
