Welfare Is No Substitute for a Child Tax Credit

Some in Congress say the child tax credit isn’t needed because Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is a success. Our reporting found it’s marked by repeated failures.

He Donated His Kidney and Received a $13,064 Bill in Return

Living organ donors are never supposed to be billed for transplant-related care. NorthStar Anesthesia charged one donor over $13,000 and nearly sent his bill to collections.

Colorado Homeowners: Do You Have Experience Dealing With an HOA? Help Us Investigate.

HOAs can help keep common areas clean and pay for upkeep, but residents who fall behind on dues or run afoul of the rules can find themselves at risk of losing their home.

Internal Investigation Confirms Border Patrol Failures Leading Up to a 16-Year-Old’s Death on the Floor of His Cell

A Border Patrol agent logged welfare checks that didn’t happen. Only one medical professional was caring for 200 sick migrants. The government hasn’t said whether anyone is being punished.

Senators Ask JPMorgan Chase to Explain Its Lawsuit Blitz Against Credit Card Customers

Citing ProPublica’s reporting that Chase had returned to the controversial practice of robo-signing in lawsuits nationwide, six Senate Democrats have asked Chase CEO Jamie Dimon to explain the bank’s practices.

School District Where Toxic Chemicals Lingered for Years Offers $34 Million Settlement to Families

The settlement would go to nearly 200 students and parents at a Seattle-area school where PCBs are still being cleaned up eight years after they were discovered.

When Private Equity Becomes Your Landlord

Amid a national housing crisis, giant private equity firms have been buying up apartment buildings en masse to squeeze them for profit, with the help of government-backed Freddie Mac. Meanwhile, tenants say they’re the ones paying the price.

A Push to Remove LGBTQ Books in One County Could Signal Rising Partisanship on School Boards

A Texas county’s refusal to remove two books from the children’s section of the library sparked a yearslong political battle. Now school board races have taken on a deeply partisan tone, and elections serve as a purity test for far-right politics.

Flood Insurance Premiums in Louisiana Are Rising. Help Us Investigate.

The National Flood Insurance Program is making big changes that will affect homeowners’ premiums. We want to hear about yours.

Suicide Bomber Who Killed U.S. Troops and Afghans “Likely” Used Unguarded Route to Kabul Airport Gate

Paths left unsecured by U.S. military sped the evacuation of American citizens and Afghan allies. The attack killed 13 U.S. service members and scores of civilians.

How the Sugar Industry Makes Political Friends and Influences Elections

A city commissioner race in Florida provides a window into how the sugar industry cultivates political allies, who help protect its interests.

Reno Seeks to Purchase Motels as Affordable Housing Instead of Letting Developers Demolish Them

The mayor of Reno did little to stop the razing of motels that housed low-income residents or to replace lost units. Following a ProPublica investigation, that may change.

A Police Car Hit a Kid on Halloween 2019. The NYPD Is Quashing a Move to Punish the Officer.

Civilian investigators found that officers engaged in serious misconduct, including hitting one boy with a car, pointing a gun at another and wrongly arresting three teens. Then the NYPD intervened.

What Germany’s Effort to Leave Coal Behind Can Teach the U.S.

The German government agreed to a commitment to transition away from the fossil fuel for environmental reasons. But the obstacles are steep.

Baker College Threatens Legal Action Against Former Teacher Who Talked to Reporters

Jacqueline Tessmer spoke out about students who left school without jobs or degrees, saying Baker “ruined” lives. And she’s not retracting her statements.

EPA Rejects Texas’ More Lenient Standard for Highly Toxic Air Pollutant

In the wake of an investigation by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune into the widely used chemical ethylene oxide, the EPA has moved to reject a less protective standard crafted by Texas regulators and backed by the chemical industry.

A Former Hacker’s Guide to Boosting Your Online Security

More stolen personal data is available online than ever before. A man who once ran a website that prosecutors called the Amazon of stolen identity information offers his tips on the best ways to protect your data.

EPA Takes Action to Combat Industrial Air Pollution

The EPA announced a raft of targeted actions and specific reforms including stepped-up air monitoring and scrutiny of industrial polluters in the wake of ProPublica’s investigation into toxic hot spots.

Despite Decades of Hacking Attacks, Companies Leave Vast Amounts of Sensitive Data Unprotected

A surge in identity theft during the pandemic underscores how easy it has become to obtain people’s private data. As hackers are all too happy to explain, many of them are cashing in on it.

Toxic PCBs Festered at This Public School for Eight Years as Students and Teachers Grew Sicker

The EPA and others warned about potential contamination as far back as 2014. But Washington state law does not require schools or health departments to act on those findings.