Archive
Baker College Faces Federal Investigation Over “Recruitment and Marketing Practices”
ProPublica and the Detroit Free Press found that Baker College spent more on marketing than it did on financial aid. Now, the school faces an inquiry by the U.S. Department of Education.
Supreme Court Keeps Navajo Nation Waiting for Water
Decades of negotiations between the tribe and Arizona over water rights have proven fruitless. The court case was the Navajo Nation’s bid to accelerate the process and secure water for its reservation.
Inside the Secretive World of Penile Enlargement
How a doctor’s two-decade quest to grow the penis is leaving some men desperate and disfigured.
Behind the Scenes of Justice Alito’s Unprecedented Wall Street Journal Pre-buttal
The Journal editorial page accused ProPublica of misleading readers in a story that hadn’t yet been published.
Organ Transplant Patients Can Die When Donors Aren’t Screened for This Parasitic Disease
Bob Naedele died after receiving a heart from a donor with Chagas disease. His death could have been prevented if the donor had been tested. The group that governs U.S. transplant policies is considering mandatory screening of at-risk donors.
DOT Researchers Suggested a Way to Make Big Trucks Safer. After Meeting With Lobbyists, Agency Officials Rejected the Idea.
The Department of Transportation allowed trucking lobbyists to review an unpublished report recommending a safety device that could save lives by preventing pedestrians and cyclists from getting crushed under large trucks.
The Biotech Edge: How Executives and Well-Connected Investors Make Exquisitely Timed Trades in Health Care Stocks
Secret IRS records reveal dozens of highly fortuitous biotech and health care trades. One executive bought shares in a corporate partner just before a sale, and an investor traded options right before a company’s revenues took off, netting millions.
The Supreme Court Upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act. The Long Struggle to Implement the Law Continues.
A recent ProPublica investigation showed how ICWA was being unevenly applied in some states, breaking up Native American families that should have received additional protections under the law. There’s still room for improvement, advocates say.
Justice Samuel Alito Took Luxury Fishing Vacation With GOP Billionaire Who Later Had Cases Before the Court
In the years after the undisclosed trip to Alaska, Republican megadonor Paul Singer’s hedge fund has repeatedly had business before the Supreme Court. Alito has never recused himself.
Impeached Texas Attorney General Partnered With Troubled Businessman to Push Opioid Program
While launching a statewide program to distribute packets to dissolve opioids, Attorney General Ken Paxton worked to connect its leaders with the state’s comptroller, who oversees the distribution of millions of dollars in opioid settlement money.
Can America’s Students Recover What They Lost During the Pandemic?
Disastrous test scores increasingly show how steep a toll the COVID-19 era exacted on students, particularly minorities. Schools are grappling with how to catch up, and the experience of one city shows how intractable the obstacles are.
Senators, Regulator Call for More Scrutiny of “We Buy Ugly Houses” Company
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s head said the Department of Justice and state attorneys general should be made aware of predatory house-flipping practices, following ProPublica reporting on HomeVestors of America.
How a Grad Student Uncovered the Largest Known Slave Auction in the U.S.
Lauren Davila made a stunning discovery as a graduate student at the College of Charleston: an ad for a slave auction larger than any historian had yet identified. The find yields a new understanding of the enormous harm of such a transaction.
Wisconsin Republicans Sowed Distrust Over Elections. Now They May Push Out the State’s Top Election Official.
The fate of Wisconsin election administrator Meagan Wolfe is a stark reminder that even though courts and voters across the country have rejected election denialism, it remains a factor in this key battleground state.
Native American Families Are Being Broken Up in Spite of a Law Meant to Keep Children With Their Parents
After fighting to win back her parental rights, a young Native American mother prevailed. Then the state came for her second child.
Out of Balance
The World Bank Group enabled the devastation of villages and helped a mining company justify the deaths of endangered chimps with a dubious offset.
Scores of Critical Lab Tests Fall Into a Regulatory Void. The FDA Is Trying to Close It.
Lab-developed tests like prenatal screenings have become increasingly popular, all while escaping the bulk of federal scrutiny over marketing and accuracy. Now, the FDA is beginning the process of imposing regulations on these kinds of tests.
