The View From Here: Rethinking What Local News Can and Should Be

In a series of live virtual events, ProPublica asked news leaders from Phoenix, Atlanta and Detroit to share their thoughts about the local news ecosystem in their communities. From trends to challenges, here’s what they had to say.

Outrage Grows Over Jailing of Children as Tennessee University Cuts Ties With Judge Involved

In the days following a ProPublica and Nashville Public Radio report on juvenile justice in Rutherford County, the president of Middle Tennessee University told staff that Judge Donna Scott Davenport “is no longer affiliated with the University.”

Trump Won the County in a Landslide. His Supporters Still Hounded the Elections Administrator Until She Resigned.

Michele Carew, an elections administrator with 14 years of experience, has resigned after a monthslong campaign by Trump loyalists to oust her. “I’m leaving on my own accord,” she said.

A Secretive Counterterrorism Team Interrogated Dozens of Citizens at the Border, Government Report Finds

A report by a federal watchdog shows how the Trump administration flagged at least 51 citizens for interrogation at the border based on evidence as flimsy as once having ridden in a car with someone suspected of aiding the migrant “caravan.”

Black Children Were Jailed for a Crime That Doesn’t Exist. Almost Nothing Happened to the Adults in Charge.

Judge Donna Scott Davenport oversees a juvenile justice system in Rutherford County, Tennessee, with a staggering history of jailing children. She said kids must face consequences, which rarely seem to apply to her or the other adults in charge.

A Guantanamo Detainee’s Case Has Been Languishing Without Action Since 2008. The Supreme Court Wants to Know Why.

Thirteen years ago, suspected terrorist Abu Zubaydah filed a petition challenging the legality of his detention. In a Supreme Court hearing about state secrets, justices asked why federal courts have declined to rule on the case.

We’re Losing Our Humanity, and the Pandemic Is to Blame

“What the hell is happening? I feel like we are living on another planet. I don’t recognize anyone anymore.”

Recent White House Study on Taxes Shows the Wealthy Pay a Lower Rate Than Everybody Else

When ProPublica compared the richest Americans’ wealth gains to the taxes they paid, we found a system that benefits billionaires. White House economists recently used a similar method to calculate tax rates, revealing stark inequality.

Few Masks. Sick Kids. Packed ERs. How One District’s First Four Weeks of School Went Bad.

In their own words, parents, faculty and a student chronicle the beginning of the school year in Georgia’s Cobb County, where leadership loosened COVID-19 protocols and a wave of children were infected.

McKinsey Never Told the FDA It Was Working for Opioid Makers While Also Working for the Agency

The consulting giant was helping Purdue Pharma and Johnson & Johnson fend off FDA regulations even as it helped shape FDA drug policy.

In a California Desert, Sheriff’s Deputies Settle Schoolyard Disputes. Black Teens Bear the Brunt.

Deputies in California’s Antelope Valley are disproportionately citing Black teens, often for minor infractions, like getting in fights or smoking. “They’re turning the principal’s office into the police station,” said one lawyer.

More Than Half of US's 100 Richest People Dodge Estate Taxes Via Special Trusts

The estate tax can be easily avoided by exploiting a loophole unwittingly created by Congress three decades ago.

ACLU Calls On Federal Prosecutors to Investigate the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office

Despite years of complaints against the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the DOJ has not stepped in to help. Following our investigation, the ACLU renews the call to action and has asked the DOJ to launch an investigation.

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Buddies Tried to Get the VA to Sell Access to Veterans’ Medical Records

A congressional investigation prompted by ProPublica’s reporting found Trump’s “Mar-a-Lago crowd,” wealthy civilians with no U.S. government or military experience, pursued a plan to monetize veterans’ medical data.

“They Saw Me and Thought the Worst”

For years, Black residents of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, have voiced complaints about abuses and a lack of accountability within its Sheriff’s Office. Unlike in neighboring New Orleans, no one has stepped in to help.

January 6 Select Committee Subpoenas Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Other Top Aides

Citing a June ProPublica report, the committee says there is “credible evidence” of Meadows’ involvement in events leading up to the attack on the Capitol.

The Government Gave Free PPP Money to Public Companies Despite Warning Them Not to Apply

At least 120 publicly traded companies that received large PPP loans grew their revenues last year and have been allowed to keep the money anyway, according to a ProPublica analysis. The program was built to help small businesses.

How to Avoid Being Scammed on Facebook Marketplace

From suspiciously low prices to sellers who demand payment in gift cards, there are multiple warning signs a Marketplace listing might be fraudulent.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Proposes Further Traffic Ticket Reforms to Help Low-Income Motorists

In 2018, ProPublica reported on how vehicle tickets in Chicago disproportionately harm low-income, Black residents. This latest set of reforms proposes lowering ticket costs and providing debt relief for low-income residents.

Entergy Resisted Upgrading New Orleans’ Power Grid. When Ida Hit, Residents Paid the Price.

The power company failed to build a stronger system after hurricanes repeatedly pummeled Louisiana. Then Ida knocked out power for more than a week. “I don’t think it’s just Mother Nature,” said one resident. “This is neglect.”