Michael Grabell
Michael Grabell is a senior editor with ProPublica. Grabell has previously written about economic issues, labor, immigration and trade. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist.
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Michael Grabell is a senior editor with ProPublica. Grabell has previously written about economic issues, labor, immigration and trade. He has reported on the ground from more than 35 states, as well as some of the remotest villages in Alaska and Guatemala. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic and The New York Times and on Vice and NPR.
Grabell has won two George Polk awards and has twice been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize — in 2021, as part of a team covering COVID-19, and in 2019, with Ginger Thompson and Topher Sanders, for stories that helped expose the impact of family separation at the border and abuse in immigrant children’s shelters. The latter work also won a Peabody award and was a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting.
He previously won the Gerald Loeb Award for business journalism for his investigation into the dismantling of workers’ compensation and an ASNE award for reporting on diversity for his series on the growth of temp work in the economy.
Oklahoma’s Top Court: Companies Can’t Set Own Rules for Injured Workers
A national campaign led by Walmart, Lowe’s and other big companies to let employers opt out of workers’ comp insurance was dealt a blow after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled such plans unconstitutional.
Split Decision on NYPD’s X-ray Vans
A state appeals court said the NYPD doesn’t have to tell the public about how it has used X-ray vans to detect explosives or how much they cost. But it does have to tell them about radiation risks.
Corporate Campaign to Ditch Workers’ Comp Stalls
An Oklahoma commission ruled that a state law allowing companies to “opt out” of workers’ comp and write their own plans was unconstitutional while similar bills in other states lose steam.
The TSA Releases Data on Air Marshal Misconduct, 7 Years After We Asked
Federal air marshals were arrested nearly 150 times between late 2002 and early 2012. Why did it take the Transportation Security Administration seven and a half years to release the data?
‘All of This Because Somebody Got Hurt at Work’
Hummer limos, go-go dancers, a live alligator and glowing aliens in spandex at the national workers’ comp and disability expo. Journey into the little-known workers’ comp industrial complex.
Tyson Foods’ Secret Recipe for Carving Up Workers’ Comp
Over the past 25 years, the giant meatpacking company has taken a lead in pushing for changes in workers’ comp in state after state — often to the detriment of workers.
State Lawmakers to Investigate Workers’ Comp Opt Out
In response to a ProPublica and NPR investigation, the National Conference of Insurance Legislators said it will look into an effort by some of the biggest names in corporate America to opt out of workers’ comp.
U.S. Lawmakers Call for More Oversight of Workers’ Comp
In response to a ProPublica and NPR investigation, members of Congress are urging the labor secretary to come up with a plan to protect injured workers and taxpayers.
Price Check: How Companies Value Body Parts
Benefits for the same body part can differ dramatically depending on which company you work for.
Inside Corporate America’s Campaign To Ditch Workers’ Comp
One Texas lawyer is helping companies opt out of workers’ compensation and write their own rules. What does it mean for injured workers?