Archive
How Recent State Laws Are Making It Harder to Sue Trucking Companies After Crashes
Texas, Florida, Iowa and other states have passed new laws backed by trucking industry lobbyists that can limit crash victims’ ability to bring lawsuits or cap the compensation plaintiffs can win.
Illinois Leaves Three Administrators in Charge at Choate Despite Troubled History of Resident Care
A new state watchdog report calls for a “fundamental overhaul” at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center. But the state kept on administrators who were in charge during some of the facility’s most troubled years.
Problems With Abuse, Neglect and Cover-Ups at Choate Extend to Other Developmental Centers in Illinois
Prompted by an outcry over abuse, Illinois proposed moving residents from Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center to similar facilities in the state. New reporting shows the problems at Choate are common throughout the statewide system.
Michigan Still Allows Emergency Takeovers of Local Governments. Is It Finally Time to Reconsider This Drastic Measure?
Under emergency management, Flint faced problems that turned catastrophic while Detroit charted a new course. That mixed record and stark racial disparities have prompted calls for change.
Checked Out: How LA Failed to Stop Landlords From Turning Low-Cost Housing Into Tourist Hotels
Fifteen years ago Los Angeles passed a law to preserve residential hotels as housing of last resort. Now, amid the homelessness crisis, Capital & Main and ProPublica found some hotels may be violating that law by offering rooms to tourists.
Right-Wing Websites Connected to Former Trump Lawyer Are Scamming Loyal Followers With Phony Celebrity Pitches
A mysterious network called AdStyle is placing ads with fake endorsements from celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Elon Musk on conservative sites based in the U.S. and abroad.
Intelligence Report Says Safety Training at Chinese Government Lab Complex in Wuhan Before the Pandemic Appears Routine
The view of the intelligence community contrasts with a 2022 report by the Republican oversight staff of a Senate committee that saw the training as a response to a biosafety problem.
In Arizona Water Ruling, the Hopi Tribe Sees Limits on Its Future
Arizona's unique method for awarding water to tribes was supposed to open up economic possibilities beyond farming for the Hopi Tribe. Instead, the tribe says it has dashed their dreams of building a thriving homeland.
The U.S. Banned Farmers From Using a Brain-Harming Pesticide on Food. Why Has It Slowed a Global Ban?
Chlorpyrifos is so harmful that America banned its use on food. But a top EPA official made it clear that the U.S. was not ready to support similar protections for the rest of the world under a treaty that restricts pollutants that travel the globe.
Texas, New York Diverge on Requiring Miranda-Style Warnings in Child Welfare Cases
Supporters in New York said they’ll continue to pursue legislation requiring caseworkers to inform parents of their rights during investigations by child protective services. Meanwhile, in Texas, a similar law takes effect in September.
Mississippi Says Poor Defendants Must Always Have a Lawyer. Few Courts Are Ready to Deliver.
A rule requiring poor criminal defendants to have a lawyer throughout the criminal process took effect Saturday. Few courts in the state have plans in place.
The Colorado River Flooded Chemehuevi Land. Decades Later, the Tribe Still Struggles to Take Its Share of Water.
The Chemehuevi’s reservation fronts about 30 miles of the Colorado River, yet 97% of the tribe’s water stays in the river, much of it used by Southern California cities. The tribe isn’t paid for it.
Judge Rules Texas DPS Must Release Withheld Documents Related to the Uvalde School Shooting
The ruling marks the first step toward disclosing the extensive collection of police documents, though the state agency could choose to fight the ruling by appealing the decision.
HomeVestors Said It Had Kicked Out a Top Franchisee Who Broke the Law. New Evidence Suggests It Didn’t.
The company said it had cut ties with Cory Evans, the former co-owner of Patriot Holdings LLC, “a number of years” ago, but texts, emails and interviews indicate he was still engaged in the business as recently as March.
Blocked Artery in Your Leg? Here’s What You Should Know.
A ProPublica investigation found that some doctors overuse invasive treatments for peripheral artery disease. So we talked to experts to learn what vascular patients should know when seeking care.
How Parents Outraged by Library Books, Diversity Initiatives and Sex Ed Transformed One New Jersey School Board
An angry parent confronted a New Jersey school board president, accelerating a chain of events that pushed the board to the right.
Illinois Officials Will Try a Second Time to Make Good on Pledge to Reform Student Ticketing
Despite legislative setbacks, state leaders and Gov. J.B. Pritzker say they remain committed to stopping schools from continuing to use police to punish students.
“We Buy Ugly Houses” CEO Steps Down Following ProPublica Investigation
David Hicks, CEO of HomeVestors of America, said in a letter announcing his retirement that recent press coverage of the company’s homebuying practices has taken a “personal toll on me.”
How Often Do Health Insurers Say No to Patients? No One Knows.
Insurers’ denial rates — a critical measure of how reliably they pay for customers’ care — remain mostly secret to the public. Federal and state regulators have done little to change that.
The Group That Governs U.S. Transplant Policies Voted to Require Testing of At-Risk Organ Donors for Chagas Disease
Bob Naedele died in 2018 after receiving a heart infected with the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The change in U.S. screening policy could prevent such deaths in the future.
