Archive
Photos of Nude Children in Billionaire’s Email Prompted Investigation
Investigators cited the photos in order to begin the investigation into T. Denny Sanford, a South Dakota businessman. ProPublica fought for three years to get the records unsealed.
Tennessee’s Governor Calls for Expanding a Gun Dispossession System Already Failing Domestic Violence Victims
After the Covenant School shooting, Gov. Bill Lee went beyond state Republicans in calling for reform. But the system he is embracing already allows violent people to hold on to their weapons.
How South Carolina Ended Up With an All-Male Supreme Court
An abortion ban struck down. The lone female justice retiring. And a majority-male legislature rallying behind the one male candidate to replace her. This is how South Carolina ended up with an all-male Supreme Court as new abortion legislation looms.
Focus of 9/11 Families’ Lawsuit Against Saudi Arabia Turns to a Saudi Student Who May Have Been a Spy
Twenty years after the Sept. 11 attacks, declassified FBI documents have changed a big piece of the story about possible Saudi government help to the hijackers. Families of the victims want more information.
This Man’s Conviction Was Overturned After Two Years in Prison. But the City Said He Didn’t Deserve a Dime.
A jury found New York City liable for NYPD rights violations in a case city lawyers fought for years. Critics say the hardball approach helps perpetuate a cycle of police misconduct.
As Rail Profits Soar, Blocked Crossings Force Kids to Crawl Under Trains to Get to School
When crossings are blocked for hours, kids risk their lives to get to school by crawling through trains that could start at any moment. Ambulances and fire trucks can’t get through. The problem has existed for decades. But it’s getting worse.
How We Measured the Environmental Cost of Bankrupt Mines
Using data from Kentucky and West Virginia environmental regulators, ProPublica and Mountain State Spotlight found that mines that have gone through multiple bankruptcies in the past decade had a higher median number of environmental violations than nonbankrupt mines.
In the Game of Musical Mines, Environmental Damage Takes a Back Seat
Jeff Hoops built Blackjewel into the nation’s sixth largest coal company by acquiring bankrupt mines. When it declared bankruptcy, he pivoted to other ventures, leaving polluted streams and mud-shrouded roads in his wake.
Roadside Drug Tests Used to Convict People Aren’t Particularly Accurate. Courts Are Beginning to Prevent Their Use.
Field test kits provide the evidence most commonly used to secure convictions in drug cases in the U.S. One judge called the tests “arbitrary and unlawful guesswork.”
Is the Metropolitan Museum of Art Displaying Objects That Belong to Native American Tribes?
Only a small percentage of works donated by Charles and Valerie Diker have clear ownership histories. Experts say this could mean objects are stolen or fake. Meanwhile, the Met has been slow to ask tribes for information about the items.
Washington State Legislature Strengthens Oversight of Private Special Education Schools
In response to a Seattle Times and ProPublica series, the state is getting more power to regulate schools for students with disabilities.
The Federal Government Accidentally Burned Down Their Houses, Then Made It Hard to Come Home
FEMA told survivors of the largest wildfire in New Mexico history that it aimed to put temporary housing on their land. But because of its strict, slow-moving bureaucracy, that has happened only twice.
Techos colapsados, baños sin servicio, salones inundados: dentro de las escuelas peor financiadas del país
Idaho gasta menos en escuelas por estudiante que cualquier otro estado. Los niños sudan, se hielan y se les dificulta aprender.
New Law Aims to Save Oysters on the Mississippi Coast
As Mississippi’s oyster population continues its freefall, state leaders turn to a model that has helped in Louisiana.
