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Mollie Simon

Mollie Simon is a research reporter at ProPublica.

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Mollie Simon is a research reporter at ProPublica. A graduate of the University of Georgia, she previously worked as a researcher for LegiStorm and as a reporter for the Anderson Independent-Mail and Greenville News in South Carolina. She was also a Scripps Howard Foundation research fellow at ProPublica.

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.”

Committed to Jail

Jailed for Their Own Safety, 14 Mississippians Died Awaiting Mental Health Treatment

Local officials often say they have no choice but to jail people awaiting treatment for mental illness and substance abuse — even if they’re not charged with a crime. But some people have died in the system that's supposed to protect them.

Local Reporting Network

Emails Reveal How a Hospital Bowed to Political Pressure to Stop Treating Trans Teens

The Medical University of South Carolina initially said it wouldn’t be affected by a law banning use of state funds for treatment “furthering the gender transition” of children under 16. Months later, it cut off that care to all trans minors.

A Racist Harvard Scientist Commissioned Photos of Enslaved People. One Possible Descendant Wants to Reclaim Their Story.

The images are among the oldest known photographs of enslaved people in America. Tamara Lanier’s fight to gain control of them shows there is no clear system in place to repatriate remains of captive Africans or objects associated with them.

Committed to Jail

Mississippi Remains an Outlier in Jailing People With Serious Mental Illness Without Charges

At least a dozen states have banned the practice of jailing people without charges while they await mental health treatment. But Mississippi routinely keeps people in jail during the civil commitment process.

Local Reporting Network

Committed to Jail

Their Families Said They Needed Treatment. Mississippi Officials Threw Them in Jail Without Charges.

In Mississippi, serious mental illness or substance abuse can land you in jail, even if you aren’t charged with a crime.

Local Reporting Network

The Title Pawn Trap

TitleMax Demands High-Interest Payments From Borrowers in Bankruptcy

In Georgia, borrowers looking to alleviate debt through Chapter 13 bankruptcy can’t escape their high-interest title pawns thanks to a legal loophole that TitleMax helped secure.

Local Reporting Network

The Ugly Truth

Senators, Regulator Call for More Scrutiny of “We Buy Ugly Houses” Company

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s head said the Department of Justice and state attorneys general should be made aware of predatory house-flipping practices, following ProPublica reporting on HomeVestors of America.

The Ugly Truth

Five Stories of Lives Upended After Dealing With the “We Buy Ugly Houses” Company

ProPublica found that HomeVestors franchises often target the homes of people in vulnerable or desperate situations. These are the stories of five people who found themselves in unwanted deals with a cash home buyer.

The Ugly Truth

HomeVestors Praised ProPublica’s Reporting, Then Tried to “Bury It”

The “We Buy Ugly Houses” company held a virtual meeting for its franchises to outline a plan to “minimize visibility” of our investigation.