Jessica Lussenhop is a reporter for ProPublica’s Midwest team, covering Minnesota. Before coming to ProPublica, Lussenhop was a senior staff writer for BBC North America and a fellow at the radio program “This American Life.” She worked at a string of alternative newsweeklies, including City Pages in Minneapolis and the Riverfront Times in St. Louis. Her previous coverage has won an Asian American Journalists Association Excellence Award and a National Native Media Award. She lives in Minneapolis.
Jessica Lussenhop
Reporter
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.
“It Looks Like the Railroad Is Asking for You to Say Thank You”
After brakeman Chris Cole lost both his legs on the job, railroad officials removed evidence before state regulators could see it, omitted key facts in reports and suspended him from a job he could never return to.
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.”
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.
“Do Your Job.” How the Railroad Industry Intimidates Employees Into Putting Speed Before Safety
Railroad companies have penalized workers for taking the time to make needed repairs and created a culture in which supervisors threaten and fire the very people hired to keep trains running safely. Regulators say they can’t stop this intimidation.
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.
Senators Call for Further Oversight, Consumer Protections in Contract-for-Deed Real Estate Transactions
Following a ProPublica-Sahan Journal report on fast-tracked home financing deals that left Somali families in Minnesota financially devastated, federal lawmakers met to discuss what could be done to shield buyers.
The Supreme Court Upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act. The Long Struggle to Implement the Law Continues.
A recent ProPublica investigation showed how ICWA was being unevenly applied in some states, breaking up Native American families that should have received additional protections under the law. There’s still room for improvement, advocates say.
Native American Families Are Being Broken Up in Spite of a Law Meant to Keep Children With Their Parents
After fighting to win back her parental rights, a young Native American mother prevailed. Then the state came for her second child.
Minnesota May Chart Its Own Path Dealing With Anti-Abortion Counseling Centers
While other states move to defund “crisis pregnancy centers,” Minnesota may offer to renew their state grants — but with conditions.
Real Estate Investors Sold Somali Families on a Fast Track to Homeownership in Minnesota. The Buyers Risk Losing Everything.
For Somali Muslim families in Minnesota, a contract for deed seems like an easier path to homeownership. But predatory practices and poor regulation can make it a financial trap rather than a good deal.
Minnesota Set to Become “Abortion Access Island” in the Midwest, but for Whom?
Out-of-staters have long traveled to Minnesota for abortions, but as neighboring states restrict access to the procedure, data suggests patients of color may not make the trip.
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