Archive
Trump Races to Weaken Environmental and Worker Protections, and Implement Other Last-Minute Policies, Before Jan. 20
The Trump administration is rushing to approve dozens of eleventh-hour policy changes. Among them: The Justice Department is fast-tracking a rule that could reintroduce firing squads and electrocutions to federal executions.
Tracking the Trump Administration’s “Midnight Regulations”
The administration is rushing to implement dozens of policy changes in its final days. We’re following some of the most consequential and controversial.
A Power Company’s Quiet Land-Buying Spree Could Shield It From Coal Ash Cleanup Costs
Georgia Power paid top dollar to buy land from residents living near waste sites at its power plants. Environmentalists fear it’s a tactic to forestall the cleanup bill from new regulations for coal ash.
Two School Districts Had Different Mask Policies. Only One Had a Teacher on a Ventilator.
Eleven states let school districts decide whether students and staff must wear masks. One Georgia middle school where masks were optional became the center of an outbreak.
Did You Attend the Milton Hershey School? We're Investigating It. Help Us.
Please help us by filling out the form below and sharing it with your fellow alumni. We’ve already heard from many of your classmates, but want to hear from as many of you as possible.
The Long Odds Facing Trump’s Attempts to Get State Legislatures to Override Election Results
State representatives in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona and Georgia could do the president’s bidding. But the political and legal obstacles are formidable.
Georgia Senator David Perdue Privately Pushed for a Tax Break for Rich Sports Teamowners
It’s unclear why Senator Perdue was interested in tax regulation that would impact only a tiny set of the richest Americans. The effort, which wasn’t successful, could have helped several of his donors, including fellow senator Kelly Loeffler.
New York Court Officials Complete Rare Review of Cases Handled by Judge Forced Into Retirement by Dementia
A review of dozens of Judge ShawnDya Simpson’s cases found the decisions to be rational, a disappointment for a man whose claims of innocence had been one of the judge’s last cases.
La niñez robada de obreros adolescentes
Inmigrantes menores de edad que hacen turnos nocturnos en fábricas suburbanas sueñan con una vida mejor para hijos que todavía no tienen. El padre de la autora hizo lo mismo.
The Stolen Childhood of Teenage Factory Workers
Immigrant teenagers who work overnight shifts in suburban factories dream of a better life for children they don’t yet have. So did the author’s father.
National Ban on School Use of Seclusion and Restraint of Students Introduced in Congress
Congressional Democrats introduced legislation to ban schools from using physical restraints that can restrict students’ breathing, and from using isolated timeout. ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune last year revealed the harms of these practices.
House Subcommittee Says Proposed Booster Seat Safety Rules Fall Short
Following a ProPublica investigation, members of Congress say “unsafe” booster seats are being sold to parents while regulators fail to protect children.
The Boeing 737 MAX Is Cleared to Fly. Families of People Who Died on the Planes Wait for Answers.
One federal agency says the plane, implicated in 346 deaths, is now safe and the investigation is done. Another federal agency says it can’t hand over information until the Ethiopian government is finished investigating.
Inside the Lives of Immigrant Teens Working Dangerous Night Shifts in Suburban Factories
During the day, immigrant teenagers attend high school. At night, they work in factories to pay debts to smugglers and send money to family. The authorities aren’t surprised by child labor. They’re also not doing much about it.
El mundo secreto de los adolescentes inmigrantes que trabajan en peligrosos turnos nocturnos en fábricas suburbanas
Durante el día, inmigrantes menores de edad van a la secundaria. Por la noche, trabajan en fábricas para pagar deudas del viaje y mandar dinero a sus familias. El trabajo infantil no sorprende a las autoridades. Tampoco están haciendo mucho sobre el tema.
Junior Staffer Says Top Alaska Official Told Her to Keep Allegations of Misconduct Secret
She received hundreds of “uncomfortable” texts from Alaska’s attorney general, leading to his resignation, and says Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s staff knew of the misconduct for months but no investigation began until a whistleblower appeared.
Trump Campaign Officials Started Pressuring Georgia’s Secretary of State Long Before the Election
The Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, rejected repeated demands to endorse Trump. As the official overseeing the voting, he believed he should remain neutral.
Oceanfront Property Tied to Obama Granted Exemption From Hawaii’s Environmental Laws
Honolulu officials have granted an exception to the state’s beach protections, clearing the way for a controversial multimillion-dollar renovation of a century-old seawall at a property owned by the chair of the Obama Foundation.
New Data Shows the Use of Seclusion and Restraint Increased in Illinois Schools During the 2017–18 School Year
As lawmakers prepare to debate a statewide ban on seclusion and restraint, Illinois schools reported using seclusion — the practice of forcibly isolating a student in a small room or other space — at least 10,776 times in the 2017–18 school year.
