Heather Vogell
I cover commercial space companies and the federal agencies that work with and regulate them, like the Federal Aviation Administration and NASA.
Have a Tip for a Story?
I’m interested in hearing from former and current employees of rocket companies like SpaceX and other space-related businesses. I’d also like to hear from staffers at the FAA and NASA. What’s changing as we move into a new administration?
What I Cover
I’m covering the commercial space industry and its billionaire leaders, including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. I’m interested in how companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin do business, and how federal agencies like NASA and the FAA regulate them.
My Background
I focus on the nexus of politics and business. Last year, my stories showed how U.S. trade officials worked on behalf of the baby formula industry to thwart other countries’ efforts to regulate it. Before that, I investigated how landlords were sharing data and using a common algorithm to set rents — potentially in violation of laws against price fixing.
I’ve also written about President Donald Trump’s business entanglements and collaborated with WNYC reporters on the podcast “Trump, Inc.” My 2019 stories were the first to chronicle discrepancies between what the Trump Organization told New York City property tax officials and what it reported on loan documents.
Previously, at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, my work on test cheating in the public school system resulted in the indictments of a school district superintendent and 34 others.
My work has been a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for investigative reporting and the Gerald Loeb Awards for business and financial journalism; it has also won the Hillman Prize, Sigma Delta Chi Awards and others.
Justice Department Sues Six of the Nation’s Largest Landlords in Effort to Stop Alleged Price-Fixing in Rental Markets
Federal prosecutors allege that the landlords have used RealPage pricing software to collude and artificially raise rents. The legal action is the latest development stemming from a 2022 ProPublica investigation.
The U.S. Government Defended the Overseas Business Interests of Baby Formula Makers. Kids Paid the Price.
Records and interviews show that the U.S. government repeatedly used its muscle to advance the interests of large baby formula companies while thwarting the efforts of Thailand and other developing countries to safeguard children’s health.
Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why.
Texas-based RealPage’s YieldStar software helps landlords set prices for apartments across the U.S. With rents soaring, critics are concerned that the company’s proprietary algorithm is hurting competition.
Never-Before-Seen Trump Tax Documents Show Major Inconsistencies
The president’s businesses made themselves appear more profitable to lenders and less profitable to tax officials. One expert calls the differing numbers “versions of fraud.”
Thailand Bans Advertising for Toddler Milk
With new rules, Thailand joins three dozen countries that have taken steps to regulate toddler milk ads. The action follows a ProPublica investigation that detailed how the U.S. helped the formula industry fight regulation in 2017.
A Georgia Election Official’s Months-Long Push to Make It Easier to Challenge the 2024 Results
Julie Adams quickly ascended from a little-known conservative activist to a surprise appointee on the Fulton County board of elections. She has used her new perch to carry out the efforts of players seeking to tilt the election in Trump’s favor.
Georgia Judge Rules Election Officials Must Count All Votes and Certify Results
The judge ruled that “Georgia voters would be silenced” if county election board members were “free to play investigator, prosecutor, jury, and judge” and refuse to certify election results.
Election Skeptics Are Running Some County Election Boards in Georgia. A New Rule Could Allow Them to Exclude Decisive Votes.
An examination of a new election rule in Georgia suggests that local officials in just a handful of rural counties could exclude enough votes to affect the outcome of the 2024 presidential race.
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.
Facing a National Shortage of Baby Formula, Trade Officials Opposed a Plan to Boost Imports
When the U.S. supply of baby formula collapsed in 2022, federal trade officials repeatedly argued against lifting the tariff on imports. Among their concerns: that it would raise “lots of questions from domestic dairy producers.”
The Biden Administration Says Its Trade Policy Puts People Over Corporations. Documents on Baby Formula Show Otherwise.
U.S. officials have challenged baby formula regulations in more than half a dozen countries, sometimes after manufacturers complained. Critics say the efforts are undermining public health.
I Got Mailers Promoting Toddler Milk for My Children. I Went on to Investigate International Formula Marketing.
Health experts say formula marketing often makes misleading claims and prompts some mothers to prematurely give up breastfeeding. Yet the U.S. government has opposed advertising restrictions on the product around the globe.
What You Should Know About “Toddler Milk” and How It’s Marketed to Parents
These drinks, targeted to young kids, may promise unproven benefits like “improved brain development” or “improved immune function.” Yet the U.S. government has repeatedly fought against advertising restrictions on these products around the globe.
Documents Show Internal Clash Before U.S. Officials Pushed to Weaken Toddler Formula Rules
Government documents obtained by ProPublica show a stark rift between trade and health officials over international efforts to regulate toddler milk. The records provide a rare, candid glimpse into U.S. policymaking around children's health.