ProPublica, links to articles

Nature Is Not Healing






California is burning, laying bare the truth that climate change is happening right now. Reporter Elizabeth Weil, who calls the state home, spoke with former Gov. Jerry Brown about California’s converging apocalypses.
Hazardous air pollutants, a type of emission produced by many chemical plants in Louisiana’s industrial corridor, are correlated with increased coronavirus deaths, according to a SUNY-ProPublica study. West Baton Rouge Parish, for example, ranks among the top 3% of U.S. counties with at least 30 deaths. Several of its neighboring parishes also rank near the top of the list.





Who Is This Helping?






One pandemic. Two stories. The CEO of an aerospace company saw eye-popping profits thanks to billions in help from the U.S. government. Thirty stories below him, a man doubts his small, 20-year-old shop will survive the pandemic economy. It’s a classic story of the big corporate rescue and the America that’s too small to save.
Less than two months into Rick Perry’s tenure as energy secretary, he worked on a big Ukrainian gas deal from which his friends and political donors stood to benefit, a six-month investigation by reporters from Time, WNYC and ProPublica found. The biggest deal was worth an estimated $20 billion, according to sources. Two ethics experts say Perry’s efforts were violations of federal regulations.





Abuses of Power






Alaska’s lieutenant governor propositioned Jody Potts in a hotel room. Forty-eight hours later, he resigned. The story of what happened has never been publicly told until now. Potts opened up to reporters from our Local Reporting Network partner newsroom, the Anchorage Daily News, about what went down that afternoon.
Christopher McCormack is one of the NYPD’s highest-ranking officers. He ascended to that position despite the fact that over a dozen Black and Latino men accused him of humiliating and invasive strip-searches. He’s just one of many high-ranking NYPD officers who have risen despite allegations of misconduct in their records.

Thanks for reading. In a few days, I’ll meet my niece for the first time and I’ve channeled this excitement to fuel me through a particularly long week. What’s been your source of motivation?

— Jan Byun

Story Production Fellow





WHAT ELSE WE PUBLISHED THIS WEEK



The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Confirms a Pattern of Age Discrimination at IBM
A sweeping decision by the EEOC could cost the tech giant millions in settlements or make it the target of a federal age-discrimination lawsuit. Its findings echo those of a ProPublica investigation.
by Peter Gosselin, special to ProPublica



The FTC Is Investigating Intuit Over TurboTax Practices
The probe, spurred by ProPublica reporting, centers on whether Intuit tricked customers into paying for tax filing when they should have been able to file for free.
by Justin Elliott



Hundreds of Children Are Stuck in Psychiatric Hospitals Each Year Despite the State’s Promises to Find Them Homes
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services promised to rescue children languishing in psychiatric hospitals for weeks and sometimes months beyond medical necessity. But the state hasn’t delivered and the problem has only gotten worse.
by Duaa Eldeib



Please Tell Us If You Have Any Trouble Voting This Year
Are you a voter? A poll worker? An election administrator? We want to hear from you about any problems you’re experiencing or witnessing in the voting process.
by Rachel Glickhouse



Electionland 2020: Voting Begins, Facebook Rules, Pandemic Election Plans and More
This week's headlines on mail ballots, studies on voting and Trump's latest election rhetoric.
by Rachel Glickhouse