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Judge Finds Sailor Not Guilty in Fire That Destroyed $1.2 Billion Navy Ship
Even though a separate Navy review found that 34 people, including five admirals, contributed to or directly led to the loss of the USS Bonhomme Richard, Ryan Mays is the only person to have faced a court-martial.
New Air Monitors Among Major Impacts of ProPublica Toxic Air Pollution Reporting
Communities identified as “Sacrifice Zones” in a ProPublica analysis of toxic air pollution scored major wins this month. In one, the EPA will start monitoring the air. In another, a judge withdrew permits from a giant petrochemical complex.
Kushner Company Agrees to Pay at Least $3.25 Million to Settle Claims of Shoddy Apartments and Rent Abuses
A Kushner subsidiary is settling a lawsuit that the state of Maryland filed after ProPublica reported widespread problems in thousands of the company’s Baltimore-area apartments.
Michigan’s Largest Utility Faces Pushback on Debt Sales and Shut-Offs as Company Asks for Rate Hike
As DTE Energy pushes for a rate increase, the state is taking a closer look at its sale of customer debt to collection agencies. The company’s use of shut-offs and response to outages are also drawing criticism.
A Shut-Off Switch Was Supposed to Prevent 99% of Generator-Related Deaths. It Failed a Family of Three.
The generator industry has touted automatic shut-off switches as a lifesaving fix for carbon monoxide poisoning. But the voluntary standard falls short of what federal regulators say is necessary to eliminate deaths.
Judge Lifts U.S. Ban on Mexicans Entering Country to Sell Blood Plasma
Mexicans with short-term visas comprised as much as 10% of all plasma collected in the U.S when the practice was banned last year. Now, a federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction.
Congresswoman Calls for Examination of Military Pretrial Confinement
The Army also said its pretrial confinement rules are “currently under revision” in a statement to Military Times, which is partnering with ProPublica and The Texas Tribune to report on military justice.
State Investigation Reveals Racial Disparities in Student Discipline and Police Involvement
The Illinois civil rights probe of the state’s largest high school district comes after ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune documented thousands of police tickets issued to students for minor infractions.
Sen. Burr Cited COVID When He Dumped Shares Ahead of Stock Market Crash, According to FBI Records
New details have emerged about the now-closed investigation, including repeated calls to his brother-in-law, who also dumped stock.
Indiana Police Officer Pleads Guilty After Beating Handcuffed Man
The officer was charged after the South Bend Tribune and ProPublica obtained a video showing two officers retaliating at a suspect who spat at them.
Illinois Governor Calls for Changes After “Awful” Reports of Abuse at Developmental Center
Gov. J.B. Pritzker resisted, but did not rule out, a call to close Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in southern Illinois after we found widespread problems.
Real Money, Fake Musicians: Inside a Million-Dollar Instagram Verification Scheme
A jeweler. A plastic surgeon. An OnlyFans Model. They and others received a blue check in likely the biggest Instagram verification scheme revealed to date. After ProPublica started asking questions, Meta removed badges from over 300 accounts.
A Year After Hurricane Ida Caused Flood Deaths, Officials Are Starting to Address Storm Drain Dangers
Following ProPublica’s investigation into flash flood deaths, local and federal governments are working to secure potentially dangerous storm drains.
Court Strikes Down State Law That Gave Millions in Tax Breaks to Casinos
A Superior Court judge in New Jersey has thrown out a state law granting Atlantic City’s casinos tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks, saying that the measure was passed on dubious grounds and violated the state Constitution.
Texas-Mexico Border Town Approves Air Pollution Monitoring Following ProPublica and Texas Tribune Investigation
Two air monitoring initiatives are moving forward in Laredo after an analysis by the news outlets showed that a plant emitting ethylene oxide elevated the estimated lifetime cancer risk for nearly 130,000 people, including over 37,000 children.
Insider-Only Hiring of Police Chiefs May Violate Civil Rights Law, Officials Say
Responding to our investigation of a Boston suburb that prohibits hiring outside candidates for police chief, two senators and a prosecutor said such rules may make it harder for women and people of color to attain leadership positions.
Inflation Reduction Act Will Require the IRS to Study Free Tax Filing Options
TurboTax maker Intuit has long blocked efforts to create free online tax filing for all, but this sweeping domestic policy bill provides $15 million to investigate how the IRS could implement such a program.
Clean Energy Lender Will Stop Making High-Interest PACE Loans in Missouri
A ProPublica investigation revealed how PACE loans hurt homeowners. Ygrene, one top Missouri lender, said reforms made after our investigation were a factor in its decision to stop making loans in the state.
A Right-Wing Think Tank Claimed to Be a Church. Now, Members of Congress Want to Investigate.
Forty lawmakers are calling on the IRS and the Treasury to investigate after ProPublica reported that the Family Research Council gained protections by claiming it is a church.
Michigan Proposes Juvenile Justice Reforms After Story of Teen Locked Up for Missing Homework Exposed Gaps in System
The story of Grace, the Michigan teen detained for not doing her online schoolwork during the pandemic, has prompted a series of juvenile justice reforms.
