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Meet ProPublica’s 2021 Diversity Scholarship Recipients

With additional support from The Pudding, ProPublica will be sponsoring these 25 talented student journalists to attend conferences including NABJ, AAJA, ONA and IRE.

How a Federal Agency Excluded Thousands of Viable Businesses From Pandemic Relief

The Small Business Administration refuses to give pandemic relief loans to people who have filed for bankruptcy, even if their businesses can survive.

Where Is My Tax Refund?

For many Americans, hitting “submit” isn’t the last step in the tax-filing process. Here’s what you need to know about checking your return’s status, reasons it may be delayed and the truth about companies that promise quick cash during tax season.

A New Article Page Design at ProPublica

A few weeks ago we quietly launched a new look and feel for stories at ProPublica. A lot changed under the hood. Here’s what’s new.

What Are 2020’s Tax Brackets, and Will I Get Audited?

Knowing your income is just the first step to understanding how much you will be taxed. This guide will help you understand how the U.S. tax system works and where you fit into it.

Mo Brooks Compared Biden’s Election to the Start of the Civil War. Now He Wants a Senate Seat.

The Alabama Republican led the fight to overturn election results. On Jan. 6, he spoke to the crowd that later stormed the Capitol, resulting in five deaths. Brooks blamed antifa. Now he’s hoping it will get him elected to the Senate.

Are California Oil Companies Complying With the Law? Even Regulators Often Don’t Know.

This oil and gas regulatory agency was given more resources to protect the public and environment. But with its “useless” record-keeping system and lax enforcement practices, it still struggles to hold delinquent companies accountable.

The Coal Plant Next Door

Near America’s largest coal-fired power plant, toxins are showing up in drinking water and people have fallen ill. Thousands of pages of internal documents show how one giant energy company plans to avoid the cleanup costs.

There’s Only One State Where Falling Behind on Rent Could Mean Jail Time. That Could Change.

Only Arkansas permits criminal consequences for nonpayment of rent — and it has enforced the law during the pandemic. Now, after ProPublica investigated the practice, some legislators want to revoke the statute.

What Is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and Do I Qualify for It?

The earned income tax credit is meant to reduce the amount that low- and moderate-income Americans have to pay in taxes — and it can sometimes result in a refund. Figuring out whether you qualify can be confusing. This guide can help.

Senator Says Censorship in Turkey Raises “Serious Questions” About Facebook's Commitment to Free Expression

After ProPublica reported that Facebook blocked a militia group targeted by Turkish forces, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee demanded that Mark Zuckerberg provide answers to more than a dozen questions.

As New York City Moves to Address Racialized Policing of Sex Work, Advocates and Lawyers Say It’s Not Enough

In the wake of a 2020 ProPublica investigation, Mayor Bill de Blasio has called for convening a task force to address problems with how the city polices the sex trade. “But it feels like planning to make a plan,” one attorney said.

Tinder and OkCupid Could Soon Let You Background Check Your Date — for a Price

Dogged by questions about sexual violence, Match Group — which owns Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, OkCupid, PlentyofFish and others — is investing in a company that aims to enable background checks on apps. Some legislators say it’s not enough.

For Some Transgender Asylum Seekers, Fleeing a Dangerous Migrant Camp Meant Being Left Behind

The Biden administration shuttered a migrant tent camp in Mexico that was created under a Trump policy. Immigration advocates praised the move, but the closure adds to growing confusion over which migrants are let in or left out.

Only Two NYPD Officers Face Serious Discipline From a Watchdog’s Investigations Into Abuse of Black Lives Matter Protesters

After ProPublica detailed the lack of disclosure about protest cases by New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, the agency has revealed how little progress has been made on many of the investigations.

How to File Your State and Federal Taxes for Free in 2021

TurboTax and other tax prep services advertise themselves as “free,” but we found several ways that they tricked people into paying. Here’s our guide to preparing and filing your 2020 taxes without falling into that trap.

America’s Drinking Water Is Surprisingly Easy to Poison

The cyberbreach at a plant in Oldsmar, Florida, which could have resulted in a mass poisoning, was a reminder of a disturbing reality: Despite a decade of warnings, thousands of water systems around the country are still at risk.

Biden abrió el estatus legal temporal a miles de inmigrantes. Estas son las formas en que podrían quedar atrapados.

Miles de inmigrantes venezolanos y birmanos acaban de solicitar el Estatus de Protección Temporal. Sin embargo, mientras los congresistas demócratas trabajan en una trayectoria hacia la ciudadanía para inmigrantes que tienen esa calidad migratoria desde hace décadas, los nuevos beneficiarios podrían quedar fuera del proceso.

Biden Opened Temporary Legal Status to Thousands of Immigrants. Here’s How They Could End Up Trapped.

Thousands of Venezuelan and Burmese immigrants just got to apply for temporary protected status. But as congressional Democrats work on a path to citizenship for immigrants who’ve had the status for decades, new grantees could be left out.

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