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Cash and the Coronavirus






Trump’s coronavirus vaccine czar is refusing to give up stock in a drug company involved in his government role. The Trump administration calls Moncef Slaoui, a former pharmaceutical executive, a “contractor” to sidestep rules against personally profiting from government positions. He currently owns $10 million in stock of a company working with his team to develop the vaccine.
Meet the COVID-19 charmer. Here’s how a self-described felon convinced election officials to try to help him profit from the pandemic.





What's going on with voting?






Foreign hackers crippled a Texas county’s email system, raising election security concerns. The malware attack spotlights an overlooked vulnerability in counties that don’t follow best practices for computer security.
Who is Hans von Spakovsky? Oh, just a leading purveyor of discredited voting fraud claims. Why did top Ohio election officials consult him before limiting ballot drop boxes? Mike Spies and Jake Pearson investigate.
Mail-in ballots from Black voters in North Carolina were much more likely to be rejected than those from any other race. This disparity — similar to gaps in other states — raises concerns about the equity of ballot counting and whether systemic racism and voter disenfranchisement may be tainting elections. ProPublica’s Sophie Chou and WRAL News’ Tyler Dukes have the story.





Meanwhile, in...






California: Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state is cracking down on oil spills and defended his administration’s record on petroleum regulation. But our reporting shows many dangerous spills are still flowing.
To learn more about how oil companies like Chevron are profiting from illegal spills (and how the state lets them), read our first story.
New Jersey: Police officers accused of violence, sexual misconduct and more have walked free in deals that dodge a tough sentencing law. Now, New Jersey lawmakers want to eliminate it.
Want to go deeper into the story? Learn about our methodology.
Georgia: Ronnie Rollins wanted to fix rural America’s broken nursing homes. But now, taxpayers may be on the hook for $76 million. Here’s how one man and a controversial Medicaid loophole got Georgia caught up in a multimillion dollar dispute.

Thanks for sticking with us week after week. It’s hard to believe summer has come to an end. But I’m looking forward to the changing leaves, sweater weather and my guilty pleasure: pumpkin-spice things. (I know, call me basic.) Have a favorite pumpkin-spice treat or autumn recipe? Share it with me by replying to this email.

Yours,

— Maya Eliahou

Audience Fellow, ProPublica