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Jessica Lussenhop

I cover criminal justice, housing and the child welfare system in Minnesota and the Midwest.

Need to Get in Touch?

I focus on issues affecting Minnesota and the greater Midwest, but am always interested in tips about abuse of power from anywhere. I welcome tips about the inner workings of the child protection system, health care and large corporations.

What I Cover

I am a reporter for ProPublica’s Midwest team covering Minnesota, my home state. I write about issues affecting vulnerable populations with a special interest in child welfare, criminal justice and housing. My reporting has changed state housing laws and touched off enforcement actions by the Minnesota attorney general. I am based in Minneapolis.

My Background

Before coming to ProPublica, I was a senior staff writer for BBC North America and a fellow at the radio program “This American Life.” I hosted a BBC podcast called “Bad Cops,” based on my reporting about a rogue plainclothes police unit in Baltimore. My early career took place at a string of alternative newsweeklies, including City Pages in Minneapolis and the Riverfront Times in St. Louis. One of my proudest accomplishments from this time was a story that ultimately freed a Missouri man from prison. Other previous work won an Asian American Journalists Association Excellence Award and a National Native Media Award.

In Minnesota, the Mayo Clinic Sometimes Called the Shots With Gov. Tim Walz

The governor’s ties to the Mayo Clinic raise questions about the world-renowned hospital’s potential influence on federal health care reform.

Emails Reveal How Walz Struggled to Deal With Unrest, Reach Consensus With Critics After Police Killings

Spring 2021 saw escalating tensions in Minnesota: Police had killed Daunte Wright less than a year after George Floyd. Caught between the demands of Black organizers and Republican lawmakers, Tim Walz struggled to chart a course for police reform.

Trump Assassination Attempt Laid Bare Long-standing Vulnerabilities in the Secret Service

A Spotlight PA, ProPublica and Butler Eagle investigation found the process for securing campaign events was susceptible to attack for years.

Kristi Noem Said She Is Proud to “Support Babies, Moms, and Families.” Her Record Shows Otherwise, Critics Say.

As South Dakota governor, Noem has rejected programs and millions of dollars in federal funds that would have benefited parents and children and provided care during pregnancy. Critics say her rhetoric is “all hat and no cattle.”

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.

After Seeing Controversial Contract-for-Deed Home Sales Affect Constituents, Minnesota Lawmakers Propose Reforms

The state legislators said the home deals had harmed members of the Somali community in and around the Twin Cities. Some buyers have lost their homes.

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Reform Controversial Contract-for-Deed Home Sales

Proposed legislation follows a ProPublica and Sahan Journal report that revealed questionable real estate transactions that left members of Minnesota’s Somali and Hispanic immigrant communities at risk of losing their homes.

Train Country

When Railroad Workers Get Hurt on the Job, Some Supervisors Go to Extremes to Keep It Quiet

Railroad officials have lied, spied and bribed to keep workers’ injuries off the books. “Don’t put your job on the line for another employee.”

Train Country

Union Pacific Fired Him Rather Than Heed His Warnings of Dangerous Rail Conditions

Time and again, Johnny Taylor’s duty to keep the rails safe from disaster conflicted with his employer’s desire to keep its trains running as fast and as frequently as possible, putting his career and family in peril.

Minnesota Attorney General Opens Investigation Into Controversial Contract-for-Deed Real Estate Practices

Following a ProPublica and Sahan Journal report, authorities are examining fast-tracked real estate deals for possible civil charges.