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.
We Found That Landlords Could Be Using Algorithms to Fix Rent Prices. Now Lawmakers Want to Make the Practice Illegal.
After a ProPublica investigation, U.S. senators introduced a bill to curb “price fixing” linked to rent-setting software. “Setting prices with an algorithm is no different from doing it over cigars and whiskey in a private club,” said one sponsor.
DOJ Backs Tenants in Case Alleging Price-Fixing by Big Landlords and a Real Estate Tech Company
A ProPublica investigation last year about RealPage’s rent-setting software led to federal lawsuits asserting inflated apartment prices.
Ruling Confirms Trump Used Fraud to Hype Property Values
In 2019, ProPublica revealed stark inconsistencies between what the Trump Organization had reported to tax authorities and what it told lenders about the finances of one of its towers. A judge this week ruled the company had committed fraud.
Senators Had Questions for the Maker of a Rent-Setting Algorithm. The Answers Were “Alarming.”
After a ProPublica investigation, RealPage answered questions from lawmakers about its product. In response, the senators sent a letter to the Justice Department.
Department of Justice Opens Investigation Into Real Estate Tech Company Accused of Collusion with Landlords
The DOJ will examine whether RealPage helped landlords coordinate rent increases. Questions also swirl around a 2017 merger deal with its largest competitor.
More Senate Democrats Seek Investigation of Tech Firm Accused of Colluding With Landlords to Hike Apartment Rents
Sen. Amy Klobuchar and other leading Democrats have asked the Department of Justice to examine Texas-based RealPage, which sells software to help landlords set apartment rental prices across the country.
Pressure Grows on Real Estate Tech Company Accused of Colluding With Landlords to Jack Up Apartment Rents
RealPage has come under increasing fire from lawmakers and lawyers after ProPublica reported on its software’s potentially anti-competitive effects. Student housing is implicated.
Senator Seeks Antitrust Review of Apartment Price-Setting Software
The chair of a Senate committee wants the Federal Trade Commission to examine software sold by Texas-based RealPage after a ProPublica investigation revealed possible collusion.
Company That Makes Rent-Setting Software for Apartments Accused of Collusion, Lawsuit Says
Texas-based RealPage worked with some of the nation’s largest landlords to create a cartel to raise rents, says a lawsuit filed just days after ProPublica published its investigation into the company.
Unpacking Shadow Credit Scores
The vast tenant screening industry is subject to less regulation than credit scoring agencies, even though experts warn that algorithms could introduce racial or other illegal biases that can prevent people from getting housing.