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Biden EPA Rejects Plastics Industry’s Fuzzy Math That Misleads Customers About Recycled Content
The plastics industry uses a controversial accounting method to inflate the recycled content it advertises in products. A new EPA policy won’t allow it for any products it endorses as a “Safer Choice.”
DOJ Files Antitrust Suit Against RealPage, Maker of Rent-Setting Algorithm
The lawsuit, which comes in the wake of a ProPublica investigation into the Texas company, accuses RealPage of taking part in an illegal price-fixing scheme to reduce competition among landlords to boost prices — and profits.
Uvalde City Officials Release Shooting Records That Provide New Details, Reaffirm Previous Reporting
The release is the first major disclosure of documents by a government agency involved in the flawed response to the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, and it comes after a yearslong legal battle involving nearly two dozen news outlets.
New York Lawmakers Call for Police Commissioner to Be Stripped of Power to Bury Brutality Cases
The City Council members’ call for reform comes after a ProPublica investigation revealed that NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban had repeatedly short-circuited disciplinary cases against officers accused of abuse.
People Are Still Being Swallowed by Storm Drains. One U.S. Agency Is Pushing for Safety Measures.
A new federal rule requires that local officials in flood-prone areas consider safety features for drain openings. In 2021, ProPublica reported that uncovered storm drains were responsible for at least three dozen deaths over six years.
Maryland Is on Track to Process a Nearly 50-Year-Old Backlog of Rape Kits
A new law extends the state’s sexual assault evidence protections to cover DNA samples. But getting justice in hundreds of cold cases will require more than just testing, survivors say.
West Texas Pastor Who Used Illegal Donations From Churches to Campaign for Office Is Fined $3,500
Fines issued to Scott Beard of Abilene’s Fountaingate Fellowship and two pastors follow reporting from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune that revealed the churches donated to his campaign for local office despite state and federal prohibitions.
NYPD Restores Thousands of Missing Records but Removes Case Numbers From Its Discipline Database
The department restored more than 2,000 missing discipline records to its public database of uniformed officers, weeks after ProPublica revealed data reliability issues. But it also removed case numbers, making future oversight more difficult.
The Federal Government Just Acknowledged the Harm Its Dams Have Caused Tribes. Here’s What It Left Out.
The Biden administration said officials historically gave “little, if any, consideration” to impacts on tribal fishing. But some sought deliberately to upend the harvest, according to documents obtained by ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Three States Have Warned Against Sending Students to an Unregulated Boarding School for Youth With Autism
After visiting Shrub Oak International School, officials from Connecticut, Washington and Massachusetts have advised districts of troubling conditions at the school where a ProPublica investigation uncovered reports of abuse and neglect.
Microsoft President Grilled by Congress Over Cybersecurity Failures
The criticism from members of the House Homeland Security Committee came in response to a ProPublica investigation that found Microsoft repeatedly rebuffed an engineer’s warnings that a product flaw had left millions of users vulnerable to attack.
Harlan Crow Provided Clarence Thomas at Least 3 Previously Undisclosed Private Jet Trips, Senate Probe Finds
The Supreme Court justice flew to Montana and other destinations on the billionaire GOP donor’s dime. Crow’s lawyer revealed these flights to the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose ongoing investigation was sparked by ProPublica’s reporting.
Bill to Fund Stillbirth Prevention and Research Passes Congress
The bill expands the use of existing federal money to be used to fight stillbirths. Lawmakers cited ProPublica’s reporting on the issue as key to adding urgency and building support for the measure.
Justice Clarence Thomas Acknowledges He Should Have Disclosed Free Trips From Billionaire Donor
The trips include vacations in Indonesia and at the exclusive, men’s-only Bohemian Grove retreat, which were first reported by ProPublica last year.
An Illinois School District’s Reliance on Police to Ticket Students Is Discriminatory, Civil Rights Complaint Says
Two civil rights groups are asking the U.S. Department of Education to force Rockford Public Schools, the third-largest district in Illinois, to stop discriminatory discipline involving police.
After Decades, Voters Finally OK Replacement for Crumbling Idaho School
The vote follows a yearlong investigation by the Idaho Statesman and ProPublica into how the state’s restrictive funding policies left students studying in deteriorating buildings across the state.
Ticketed at School as a Teen, a Young Black Woman Is Suing an Illinois City for Violating Her Civil Rights
It took four years and a jury trial for Amara Harris to beat the ticket that accused her of stealing another girl’s AirPods. Now she’s heading back to court in the hope of stopping schools from using police to discipline students.
Minnesota AG Sues Contract-for-Deed Seller Who Allegedly Targeted Muslim Community
The complaint, which alleges violations of lending law and religious discrimination, follows a ProPublica and Sahan Journal investigation.
Mississippi Lawmakers Move to Limit the Jail Detentions of People Awaiting Mental Health Treatment
Supporters say the measure is a step forward in curbing the number of people jailed during civil commitment. But some local officials say the impact will be limited unless the state makes other changes, including adding psychiatric beds.
More States Are Allowing Child Support Payments to Reach Children
Since a ProPublica investigation found that states were seizing child support headed to families as reimbursement for the mother having received welfare, at least six states have changed their policies. Others are debating doing the same.
