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The 35-year-old Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), is outdated in today’s mortgage environment.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.