Posted in Housing

How your shadow credit score could decide whether you get an apartment

The vast tenant screening industry is subject to less regulation than credit scoring agencies, even though experts warn that algorithms could introduce racial or other illegal biases that can prevent people from getting housing. by Erin…

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Posted in Investigations News

Jan. 6 Logs Show 457-Minute Gap in Trump Calls

‘Coverup?’ “Nixon had an 18.5-minute gap in his White House tapes,” noted one watchdog group. “Trump has a 7.5-hour gap in phone logs from January 6th.” by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams March 29, 2022 Internal White…

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Posted in Immigration Investigations

More migrants are dying along the US-Mexico border

A Spanish-language sign warns migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border against explsing themselves to the dangerous elements in the desert.  David Howells/Corbis via Getty Images by Courtney Riggle-van Schagen, George Washington University and Elizabeth Vaquera, George Washington…

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Posted in Analysis Arizona Insurrection 2021

Now every day in Arizona Is January 6

Arizona’s latest voter restriction law will remove an estimated 100,000 eligible voters from its early voting mailing list. by Steven Harper February 1, 2022 Former President Donald J. Trump and his Republican allies are using three…

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Arianna Bermudez comforts her son, David, in their apartment at the Phoenix Rescue Mission.
Posted in Arizona Investigations

A mother needed Welfare. Instead, AZ used welfare funds to take her son.

Arizona spends a majority of its welfare budget on the Department of Child Safety. The agency then investigates many poor parents, sometimes removing their children for reasons stemming from their poverty. by Eli Hager, photography by…

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Posted in Analysis Journalism

Why we urgently need media outlets for the common good

These are dangerous times, and news organizations putting profits over democracy is a sure path to America ending up like Hungary with a corrupt, strongman “conservative” running the country. by Thom Hartmann December 9, 2021 Donald…

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Kimberly Guilfoyle at a campaign event for then-President Donald Trump at Xtreme Manufacturing in Henderson, Nevada, on Sept. 13, 2020 Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Posted in Analysis Insurrection 2021

Texts show Kimberly Guilfoyle bragged about raising millions for rally that fueled Capitol riot

Text messages reviewed by ProPublica represent the strongest indication yet that members of the Trump family inner circle were involved in financing and organizing the Jan. 6 “Save America” rally, which immediately preceded the Capitol riot….

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Illustration by Leland Foster, special to ProPublica
Posted in Hospitals Investigations Safety Net

St. Jude hoards billions while patient families drain their savings

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital promises not to bill families. But the cost of having a child at the hospital for cancer care leaves some families so strapped for money that parents share tips on spending…

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Alex Bandoni/ProPublica. Source Images: Getty Images Education The Federal Government Gave Billions to America’s Schools for COVID-19 Relief. Where Did the Money Go? The Education Department’s limited tracking of $190 billion in pandemic support funds sent to schools has left officials in the dark about how effective the aid has been in helping students.
Posted in Analysis Coronavirus Education Restart 2020

The Federal Government gave billions to America’s schools for COVID-19 relief. Where did the money go?

The Education Department’s limited tracking of $190 billion in pandemic support funds sent to schools has left officials in the dark about how effective the aid has been in helping students. by Annie Waldman and Bianca…

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Posted in Food Investigations Pro Publica Public Safety

America’s food safety system failed to stop a Salmonella epidemic. It’s still making people sick.

For years, a dangerous salmonella strain has sickened thousands and continues to spread through the chicken industry. The USDA knows about it. So do the companies. And yet, contaminated meat continues to be sold to consumers….

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Posted in Investigations News

Scammers are using fake job ads to steal people’s identities

From Facebook to LinkedIn to Indeed, ads are popping up that promise well-paying jobs — if applicants provide their Social Security numbers and other details up front. Scammers then use the information to apply for unemployment…

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Posted in Investigations Pro Publica

“The Liberty Way”: How Liberty University discourages and dismisses students’ reports of sexual assaults

The school founded by evangelist Jerry Falwell ignored reports of rape and threatened to punish accusers for breaking its moral code, say former students. An official who says he was fired for raising concerns calls it…

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Posted in Investigations News

The Trump Administration used its Food Aid program for political gain: Congressional investigation

The Food to Families program, touted by Ivanka Trump, gave tens of millions of dollars to unqualified firms and was also used to promote then-President Trump. by Bianca Fortis, ProPublica October 25, 2021 A $6 billion…

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Posted in Corruption News

Top Dem calls for removal of Postal Service chiefs

‘DeJoy and Bloom Are Bandits’ Demand follows new reporting that DeJoy purchased up to $305,000 in bonds of company where Bloom—described as his “quasi-boss” and overseer at USPS—is a managing partner. by Jon Queally, Common Dreams…

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Posted in Black Lives Matter Policing

Feds targeted BLM activists to foil racial justice protests

“The federalization of protest-related charges was a deliberate and cynical effort to target and discourage those who protested in defense of Black lives.” by Kenny Stancil, Common Dreams August 19, 2021 As Black Lives Matter protests…

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A protester holds a banner reading "The KKK and Neo-Nazis Are Domestic Terrorists" during a rally against then-U.S. President Donald Trump on August 14, 2017 in New York City. (Photo: Mohammed Elshamy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Posted in Analysis Democracy

US military document puts socialists in same category as Neo-Nazis

The Intercept releases story ‘Disturbing’ The Navy’s new counterterrorism training guide says that socialists are “political terrorists,” just like neo-nazis. “Whoever is directing the Navy anti-terror curriculum would rather vilify the left than actually protect anything,”…

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Lisa Larson-Walker/ProPublica. Photos: Elon Musk (Tristar Media/Getty Images), Jeff Bezos (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images), Michael Bloomberg (Joshua Lott/AFP via Getty Images), Warren Buffett (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
Posted in Analysis Pro Publica Taxes Wealth

The Secret IRS files: Trove of never-before-seen records reveal how the wealthiest avoid income tax

ProPublica has obtained a vast cache of IRS information showing how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett pay little in income tax compared to their massive wealth — sometimes, even nothing. by Jesse…

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Photo illustration by Shoshana Gordon/ProPublica, source images: Shaun Griswold and Marjorie Childress/New Mexico in Depth, Ewingdo via Wikimedia Commons and Nathan Gibbs via Flickr
Posted in Hospitals Investigations Pro Publica

The Two Hospitals Have Similar Infant Death Rates — Until You Look at Extremely Premature Babies

Lax state oversight leaves unanswered questions about the deaths of extremely preterm babies at Albuquerque’s Lovelace Women’s Hospital, which markets itself as a state-of-the-art newborn facility. Experts say transparency could save lives. by Bryant Furlow, New…

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Posted in Analysis Pro Publica Water

America’s drinking water is surprisingly easy to poison

The cyberbreach at a plant in Oldsmar, Florida, which could have resulted in a mass poisoning, was a reminder of a disturbing reality: Despite a decade of warnings, thousands of water systems around the country are…

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Posted in Analysis Investigations Pro Publica Voter suppression

After a wave of violent threats against election workers, Georgia sees few arrests

For nearly a year, election administrators across the country weathered the pandemic while facing attacks and threats — leading many officials to resign or retire. In Georgia, little was done to prevent it from happening again….

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Posted in Analysis Toxic Chemicals Waste

Lawsuit Reveals New Allegations Against PG&E Contractor Accused of fraud

Former PG&E employees are accused of taking bribes to funnel business to a waste-hauling company. by Scott Morris, Bay City News Foundation Co-published with Bay City News Foundation. Feb. 26, 5 a.m. EST Utility giant Pacific…

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Posted in Investigations News

Report of illegal $80 million arms transfer by Erik Prince to Libyan warlord raises question of who’s backing former Blackwater CEO

Prince has “been linked to the Trump administration, the Emirati leadership, and the Russians,” noted one expert. by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Saturday, February 20, 2021 Erik Prince, the founder and former CEO of the mercenary…

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Posted in Columns Wade Rathke

Father Vincent O’ Connell deserves better than a smear

by Wade Rathke Thursday, February 18, 2021 New Orleans    This was random. A friend and comrade got it in her mind to memorialize Father Vinnie O’Connell, one of the rare and now vanished labor priests,…

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Posted in Investigations IRS

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. by Lydia DePillis, ProPublica Kathy Brenneman hears plenty of taxpayer horror stories in…

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