Archive
The Curious Case of a Kentucky Cybersecurity Contract
When Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes hired a firm called CyberScout to address the state’s election security, she was putting her faith in a company that had never tackled such a challenge and had drawn opposition from her staff. They questioned both the hiring process — and the results.
“Doubling Down”: With Private Care Push, Trump’s VA Bucks Lawmakers and Some Veterans Groups
The administration proposed new rules on paying for more veterans to see private doctors, but the lack of details makes the fiscal impact unclear.
A Power Grab in Kentucky Sparks a Revolt
Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes expanded her sway over Kentucky’s election process with audacity, a willingness to fight — and a board that didn’t appear to be paying close attention. But the conflict isn’t over.
OxyContin Maker Explored Expansion Into “Attractive” Anti-Addiction Market
Secret portions of a lawsuit allege that Purdue Pharma, controlled by the Sackler family, considered capitalizing on the addiction treatment boom — while going to extreme lengths to boost sales of its controversial opioid.
Ex-IBM Executive Says She Was Told Not to Disclose Names of Employees Over Age 50 Who’d Been Laid Off
In an affidavit filed as part of a class-action lawsuit, a former IBM vice president says she was fired for warning superiors that the company was vulnerable to claims of age bias. IBM says it was because of “gross misconduct.”
Facebook Moves to Block Ad Transparency Tools — Including Ours
Our tool had let the public see exactly how users were being targeted by advertisers. The social media giant urged us to shut it down last year.
A Onetime Rising Democratic Star Faces Questions About Voter Privacy
Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, who attained national prominence for a failed Senate run against Mitch McConnell, is taking heat because her staff has routinely examined the voting records of state employees, job applicants and even potential political rivals.
When Illinois Laws Meet Real People
We want to know how video gambling, vehicle sticker tickets and more affect your life.
Everybody in Chicago’s Mayor’s Race Says They Want Ticket Reform
Proposals from the 14 candidates range from studying ticketing enforcement disparities to overhauling payment plans.
Ex-Sanitation Salvage Workers Protest: “All We Want Is for Them to Pay Us What They Owe Us”
The former workers at the private trash hauler, which surrendered its license in November, said they and others were owed money from both their last weeks on the job in 2018 and for working off the books for years at a rate of $80 per night.
Students! ProPublica Wants to Pay for You to Attend a Journalism Conference in 2019
We’re giving away 20 scholarships to help students attend journalism conferences like NABJ, ONA and IRE. Apply!
What ProPublica Is Doing About Diversity in 2019
Here is our annual report on the breakdown of our staff and how we’re working to create a more diverse newsroom and inclusive journalism community.
Why Aren’t Hedge Funds Required to Fight Money Laundering?
A long-standing effort to make big investment funds abide by the same rules that banks and brokerages follow has bogged down. The fund industry says it supports the rules — it just has a few quibbles.
Former MS-13 Member Who Secretly Helped Police Is Deported
An immigration judge said he was “very sympathetic” to the teenager who cooperated with authorities only to be jailed with those he informed on. The judge nonetheless rejected his plea for asylum.
Correction: Stories on Insanity Defense Included Factual Errors and Inaccurate Data
An inquiry from a reader prompted ProPublica to review the underlying data and assertions in stories we and the Malheur Enterprise published in November and December. We found errors of fact and analysis that need to be corrected.
Long-Lost Records Surface in Wrongful Conviction Case, Detailing Lead Detective’s Fondling of Informants
The reasons for the Elkhart, Indiana, detective’s forced resignation have been a mystery for years. This month, the records were finally turned over. An attorney wants the city punished for the delay.
Austin Police Department Orders Deeper Investigation After Audit Finds It Misclassified Cleared Rape Cases
The APD will ask a third party to examine how it handles rape investigations. The police chief also announced he had ordered other changes, including the addition of another supervisor to the sex crimes unit and new policies for clearing crimes.
The FBI Says Its Photo Analysis Is Scientific Evidence. Scientists Disagree.
The bureau’s image unit has linked defendants to crime photographs for decades using unproven techniques and baseless statistics. Studies have begun to raise doubts about the unit’s methods.
How the FBI Uses Unproven Image Analysis Techniques in Criminal Cases
The bureau’s image unit has linked defendants to crime photographs for decades using unproven techniques and baseless statistics.
