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Lydia DePillis

Lydia DePillis covered federal agencies at ProPublica.

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Lydia DePillis previously worked with ProPublica as a Reporter. Before that, she covered national economics issues for CNN Business, Texas’ economy for the Houston Chronicle, labor and the workplace for The Washington Post, and the business, culture and politics of the technology industry for The New Republic. DePillis was also previously a real estate columnist for the Washington City Paper, where she authored its award-winning Housing Complex blog. Her work has appeared in the New York Observer, Pacific Standard, Slate and various trade publications. She’s from Seattle, and is based in Washington, D.C.

The Pandemic Economy

How a Federal Agency Excluded Thousands of Viable Businesses From Pandemic Relief

The Small Business Administration refuses to give pandemic relief loans to people who have filed for bankruptcy, even if their businesses can survive.

The Pandemic Economy

How the Pandemic Economy Could Wipe Out a Generation of Black-Owned Businesses

Danette Wilder spent years building up her company. Now it has to survive an existential threat to Black entrepreneurs.

The IRS Cashed Her Check. Then the Late Notices Started Coming.

A mountainous backlog of paperwork at the IRS continues to wreak havoc on America’s tax collection system — which especially hurts lower-income filers.

Twitter and YouTube Banned Steve Bannon. Apple Still Gives Him Millions of Listeners.

Steve Bannon broadcasts election denialism and apocalyptic calls to action several times a day via Apple’s podcast app. He’s not the only one using the platform to spread claims that became a rallying cry of the mob that threatened the Capitol.

The SEC Undermined a Powerful Weapon Against White-Collar Crime

Now the lawyer who wrote the rules that gave Wall Street insiders a big financial incentive to report crimes to the SEC is suing the government for changing them.

The Insurrection

Capitol Rioters Planned for Weeks in Plain Sight. The Police Weren’t Ready.

Insurrectionists made no effort to hide their intentions, but law enforcement protecting Congress was caught flat-footed.

The Trump Administration’s Final Push to Make It Easier for Religious Employers to Discriminate

Last-minute policies on religious freedom clear the way for employers to hire on the basis of faith. Some of the changes won't be easy for Biden to undo.

Who Biden Is Putting in Power

Here’s ProPublica’s running list of Joe Biden’s picks to run the federal government.

How Dozens of Trump’s Political Appointees Will Stay in Government After Biden Takes Over

Documents show that officials appointed by Trump who’d otherwise lose their jobs under Biden have been approved for permanent positions in federal agencies.

Tracking the Trump Administration’s “Midnight Regulations”

The administration is rushing to implement dozens of policy changes in its final days. We’re following some of the most consequential and controversial.