Some of the best #MuckReads we read this week. Want to receive these by email? Sign up to get this briefing delivered to your inbox every weekend.
The Great Republican Crack-Up, ProPublica
Incredible insight into the rise of Trump by the great @AlecMacGillis. One of the most thoughtful pieces this year. https://t.co/NUQ432mc4d
— Charles Ornstein (@charlesornstein) July 15, 2016
Dayton, Ohio rolled out the welcome mat for immigrants with its "Welcome Dayton" initiative, but the city is also one of the areas of Ohio where Donald Trump fared best in the primary election. How did that happen? This in-depth look at the changing political attitudes in Dayton examines how local divisions and polarization in such places have aided in the rise of the presumptive Republican nominee.
Sandra Bland Died One Year Ago, Huffington Post
Important journalism from @dliebelson & @ryanjreilly: there have been at least 810 jail deaths #SinceSandra Bland https://t.co/l0YkL7J2Yp
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) July 13, 2016
Since the death of Sandra Bland in a Texas jail last year, more than 800 people have lost their lives while in jails across the country. The Huffington Post created a database to track jail fatalities and found that many of them — at least a third — happened within the first three days of arrest or booking.
L.A. OxyContin Ring, Los Angeles Times
1.1 million pills from ONE CLINIC. And Purdue Pharma knew. https://t.co/Th4n7zg21qpic.twitter.com/RaSGN3TOdk
— Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) July 10, 2016
More than 194,000 people have died from overdoses involving opioid painkillers — including OxyContin — since 1999. This investigation asserts that Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, "collected extensive evidence suggesting illegal trafficking" of the drug for years, but did not stop supplying it to suspicious distributors or report incidents to law enforcement.
Stealing Hope, The Post and Courier
Man, the @postandcourier is so, so good: Stealing Hope https://t.co/XgQJQESTpm
— Tyler Dukes (@mtdukes) July 15, 2016
The adoption industry has become increasingly expensive, and this investigation found that scammers are thriving in it. But these thieves typically aren't stealing money, instead they are duping women into believing there are babies that they will be able to adopt when there are not. They are, effectively, stealing hope. Experts believe that there are at least a dozen of these emotional scammers across the country — and they rarely face consequences.
Surviving the Long Haul, Mary Review
“I felt like I had been prostituted through the states & nobody would help me.” Women truckers face harassment, rape https://t.co/RfOBxR6pP8
— Merrisa Brown (@merrisa_brown) July 11, 2016
The American Trucking Association, the trucking industry's trade group, suggests that the industry moves roughly 70 percent of America's freight tonnage. But much less is known about the people who drive those trucks — in particular the women. This investigation found that female drivers are often subject to sexual abuse, and there is a "broken structure of accountability" in the industry that leaves many women in danger.
#MuckReads Local
$14M fuels initiatives on the November ballot. Who's behind the money?, KUOW
Ballot initiatives ain't tools for avg citizens: most $ going to WA's 6 inits has come in chunks >$10k. #muckreadshttps://t.co/5PtbnFirHc
— John Ryan (@heyjohnryan) July 14, 2016
