Jennifer LaFleur was ProPublica's director of computer-assisted reporting (CAR). She was also the CAR editor starting in 2003 for The Dallas Morning News, where she worked on the investigative team. She has directed CAR at the San Jose Mercury News and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and was IREâs first training director. She has won awards for her coverage of disability, legal and open government issues. Ms. LaFleur is the co-author of IREâs Mapping for Stories: A Computer-Assisted Reporting Guide.
Jennifer LaFleur
Director of Computer Assisted Reporting
Presidential Pardons Heavily Favor Whites
To avoid repeating a scandal like his predecessor’s, George W. Bush gave career lawyers in the Justice Department far-reaching authority to choose who got presidential pardons. The result: Whites are nearly four times as likely as minorities to win a pardon, even when the type of crime and severity of sentence are taken into account.
Government Cans Proposal to Hide Records
Controversial FOIA proposal would have allowed the government to say certain records didn’t exist, even if they did. The Department of Justice has pulled that proposal.
Government Could Hide Existence of Records under FOIA Rule Proposal
A proposed rule to the Freedom of Information Act would allow federal agencies to tell people requesting certain law-enforcement or national security documents that records don’t exist – even when they do.
Buckeye State is Longtime Leader in Breakaway Beasts
Ohio doesn’t regulate ownership of wild animals, so the release of dangerous animals isn’t new.
The Opportunity Gap
ProPublica analyzed new data from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights along with other federal education data to examine whether states provide students equal access.
Some States Still Leave Low-Income Students Behind; Others Make Surprising Gains
A ProPublica analysis shows Florida stands out where many other states, like Kansas, fall short.
Villages Testify to Disparity in Benefits Alaska Native Corporations Provide
Congress created the system of Alaska Native Corporations with the promise of bringing prosperity to a scattered indigenous population stuck in poverty. The corporations have created pockets of success but not a wide-scale solution for joblessness and substance abuse.
FOIA b(3) Exemptions
Information about watermelon handlers, avocado importers and caves are some of the categories of information that have been withheld from federal Freedom of Information Act requesters using sections of laws that are otherwise unrelated to disclosure. There are hundreds of such laws, according to data compiled by the Sunshine in Government Initiative. They fall under number three -- known as b(3) -- of the nine exemptions. Use our database to see how extensively agencies use b(3) exemptions.
FOIA Eyes Only: How Buried Statutes Are Keeping Information Secret
Invoking exemptions to Freedom of Information Act may deter accountability.
Alaska Native Firms Shift Stimulus Work to Outsiders
A ProPublica analysis shows that Alaska Native Corporations rely heavily on subcontracts with non-native companies to perform stimulus projects they’ve won through special contracting privileges.
Tale of Three Cities: Foreclosures Don’t Always Follow the Script
In the conventional narrative of the foreclosure crisis, rapacious lenders hooked up with irresponsible buyers. But a Seattle Times-ProPublica analysis of foreclosures from three areas hit hard by the housing crash tells a more complex story. Some sold their home for more than they paid. Predatory loans terms weren’t as pervasive as believed. And much-needed data tracking foreclosures is insufficient or hidden.
Lack of Foreclosure Data Leaves Big Questions
The 35-year-old Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), is outdated in today’s mortgage environment. It doesn’t require reports on teaser rates, balloon payments, fees and penalties, or borrower attributes, such as first-time homebuyers, age and their debt level.
What Are Alaska Native Corporations?
Questions and answers about Alaska Native Corporations
Revenues for ANCs Skyrocket, but Not Payouts to Natives
Revenues of Alaska Native Corporations have skyrocketed thanks to special privileges that allow them to obtain no-bid contracts of unlimited size. But profits and dividends haven’t kept pace, according to an analysis of ANC annual reports online at ProPublica.
Small Nations Spend Big on Lobbying in Washington, D.C.
New database of federal records shows tiny countries have used big-time Washington lobbyists to plead their cases in the United States.
Federal Agencies Bolster Transparency Plans
After first failing to follow an open-government directive from the White House, some agencies make changes. They include the Justice Department, which coordinates federal FOIA training.
Grab a Helping of Stimulus Data from Our Latest Recovery Tracker
ProPublica’s updated Recovery Tracker follows the spending of stimulus money down to the local level. It also identifies hundreds of vendors not listed on Recovery.gov.
