Inequality, Products Over People, And A Warlord In The Best Of MuckReads From 2014

Here are some of the best #MuckReads we read this year. Want to receive these by email? <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/the-best-of-muckreads-from-2014#signup">Sign up</a> to get this briefing delivered to your inbox every weekend.

Feds Bar Companies’ Long-Distance Lawsuits Against Soldiers

In the latest move against companies targeting military customers, federal regulators prohibit two Virginia-based lenders from suing out-of-state debtors in Virginia courts. The companies were featured in a ProPublica story in July.

What Investment Bankers Say About Rating Agencies Behind Their Backs

Answering the Critics of our Deadly Force Story

We respond to arguments levied against our analysis of justified homicides by police officers.

Bankers Brought Rating Agencies ‘To Their Knees’ On Tobacco Bonds

Wall Street pressed S&P, Moody’s and Fitch to assign more favorable credit ratings to their deals and bragged that the raters complied. Now many of the bonds are headed for default.

New York City Sends $30 Million a Year to School With History of Giving Kids Electric Shocks

New York City kids make up the vast majority of the students at Massachusetts’ infamous Judge Rotenberg Center, and keep getting sent there despite repeated evidence of abuse.

In Alabama, A Public Hospital Serves the Poor — with Lawsuits

Public hospitals can be among the most aggressive in collecting debts from poor patients, not only garnishing their wages, but cleaning out their bank accounts. “It makes me sick,” said one legal aid attorney.

In 2008 Mumbai Attacks, Piles of Spy Data, But an Uncompleted Puzzle

Indian and British intelligence agencies monitored the online activities of a key plotter but couldn’t connect the dots.

The Billion-Dollar Industry You’re Probably Not Thinking About And More In MuckReads Weekly

Some of the best #MuckReads we read this week. Want to receive these by email? <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/the-billion-dollar-industry-youre-probably-not-thinking-about-and-more-in-m#signup">Sign up</a> to get this briefing delivered to your inbox every weekend.

How Do You Experience Segregation? Tell Us What #SegregationIs Where You Live

We're working with The New York Times to expose the injustice of segregation and explore what segregation looks and feels like in America today. What does it look like where you live? Share your experience with #SegregationIs.

School Segregation, the Continuing Tragedy of Ferguson

Michael Brown beat the odds by graduating from high school before his death — odds that remain stacked against black students in St. Louis and the rest of the country.

How Do You Experience Segregation? Tell Us What #SegregationIs Where You Live

From the E.R. to the Courtroom: How Nonprofit Hospitals Are Seizing Patients' Wages

One Missouri hospital has sued thousands of uninsured patients who couldn't pay for their care, then grabbed a hefty portion of their paychecks to cover the bills. "We will be paying them off until we die," one debtor said.

In a Rare Sanction, Top Track Coach Gets Eight-Year Suspension

An arbitration panel handed prominent track coach Jon Drummond a lengthy ban after deciding he transported prohibited substances and encouraged top sprinter Tyson Gay to use them.

Liberia’s Ebola Crisis: ‘I Keep Praying For My Country’

We’re using the chat platform WhatsApp to give readers a direct line to the reporter behind “Firestone and the Warlord.” Here’s what they are saying.

Obama Issues 12 Pardons. That’s Still Far Fewer Than Predecessors

The president’s 18 commutations put him ahead of recent presidents but his use of pardons still lags behind Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

New York State Bans Fracking

After years of delays and debate, Gov. Andrew Cuomo decides risks outweigh rewards.