ProPublica

Dr. Craig Towers conducted research on pregnant women with opioid addiction, finding that detoxing was less harmful to the fetus than previously feared. This work prompted changes in how doctors treat these patients across several clinics. The study attracted national attention and recognition before its publication, though some specialists questioned the results.

Joan Connor and David Stearns survived devastating floods in Kerr County, Texas, by clinging to a pergola after the Guadalupe River flood. Despite rebuilding their home, they were subsequently flooded again last month. Reporting revealed that Texas has lagged behind other states in passing stringent elevation rules for buildings at risk of flooding.

Missouri Republicans are attempting to repeal abortion rights via a new Amendment 3, which also proposes constitutionally prohibiting gender transition care for minors. This effort builds on prior legislative defeats where voters used citizen initiatives, such as the original passage of Amendment 3, to protect reproductive rights. Republican leaders now argue that Missourians would prefer an abortion ban with limited exceptions when paired with restrictions on gender transition care.

Oregon has spent $1.4 billion on low-income housing with plans for an additional $850 million, but a carve-out in its public records law prevents disclosing financial details of subsidized projects. This lack of transparency thwarts researchers who wish to analyze spiraling construction costs, unlike in states like California. Despite all the state’s spending, Oregon’s homeless population continues to grow.

Youth sports organizations have struggled to protect children from sexual predators, prompting calls for better information for parents. The U.S. Center for SafeSport was set up by Congress in 2018 to investigate allegations of abuse at all levels of sport. This organization can issue sanctions, including temporary or permanent bans, and maintains a public database listing suspended coaches.

Eight Democratic U.S. senators criticized the Trump administration’s demand to access foreign health data as a condition for providing lifesaving aid to other countries. They argued that these demands, exemplified by the agreement with Uganda, are "unprecedented" and raise significant privacy and sovereignty concerns. The senators also pointed out that such requirements appear contrary to the Administration's National Cyber Strategy which emphasizes American data privacy.

The U.S. government appropriated $1 trillion for defense, with major spending items including $32.6 billion for “Other Procurement, Air Force” and $35.2 billion for "Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide." Critics note that the system is not set up to be transparent, creating a 'black box' regarding military funding decisions, which ProPublica plans to investigate.

ProPublica is examining U.S. military budgeting, spending, and contracting because issues like delays and cost overruns are often opaque to taxpayers. Experts are needed as Congress considers increasing the defense budget to a record $1.5 trillion next year. The investigation seeks to untangle how the Pentagon spends taxpayer money.

Measles cases reached a milestone as of July 23, surpassing any year since 1991, with over 4,850 infections reported since last year and three deaths recorded. The article notes that measles is highly contagious and often the first vaccine-preventable disease to strike when immunization rates drop. Concerns are raised over recent governmental shifts that have sown doubt about vaccination safety.

Private '100% schools' receive tuition vouchers funded by taxpayer dollars but operate with fewer standards and oversight than traditional public schools. The article details how institutions, like Atlas Preparatory Academy in Milwaukee, can conduct transactions (such as high compensation to board chairs or related consulting fees) that would be prohibited in a standard public school setting. Furthermore, voucher schools are not required to serve all children with disabilities, unlike public schools.

The federal government scrambled to find criminal cases supporting President Donald Trump’s claims of illegal voting by noncitizens, leading agents from Homeland Security Investigations to work across the country. Joe Teirab reported that after subpoenaing records on about 130 people in Minnesota, only one had been referred for prosecution, noting that the HSI task force was disorganized and the entire process was dysfunctional. ProPublica reviewed internal emails showing Department of Homeland Security’s personnel were tasked with leading this election agenda despite meager results.

Three Wall-Street-affiliated grantmaking giants—Vanguard Charitable, Fidelity Charitable, and Charles Schwab’s DAFgiving360—cut off donor dollars to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) using selective logic. ProPublica investigated these decisions, uncovering troubling inconsistencies in how the groups applied their policies, noting that donors and affected charities are routinely left unaware of the decision-making process.

An investigation by ProPublica and The Washington Post found that the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is failing to adequately protect hundreds of thousands of young athletes from sexual abuse. Despite promising strict safety measures and implementing sweeping reforms after a scandal, the AAU has been misleading the public about its prevention efforts and suppressing allegations.

An artillery plant funded by taxpayers cost $533 million but failed to produce a single usable shell due to frequent equipment malfunctions and factory issues. The U.S. Army ordered work on two production lines halted, and despite the failures, General Dynamics and its key Turkish subcontractor have not been publicly held accountable or forced to repay funds.

Juvenile facilities overseen by Tennessee businessman Jason Crews allegedly failed to report multiple incidents of physical abuse, including an attack on Thomas Jarvis captured on surveillance footage at the Middle Tennessee Juvenile Detention Center. ProPublica investigation revealed systemic failures by Wayne Halfway House leaders in reporting suspected physical and sexual abuse to state officials like the Department of Children’s Services. The article notes that these failures prevented the public from learning about violent attacks occurring across Crews’ facilities.

Filing Freedom of Information Act requests has become an increasingly difficult and chaotic process at agencies like OPM following staff cuts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency in early 2025. This reduction in information specialists has caused massive backlogs, with the average processing time for simple requests more than doubling. The author notes that routine document requests now involve navigating abandoned email inboxes and changing web portals.

More than half the yards in a section of Omaha, Nebraska, near an old lead smelter still show contamination levels that can pose risks to children. Current EPA policy for the Superfund site only requires cleanup when lead concentrations exceed 400 parts per million, even though scientific research shows lower exposures can cause serious health issues like IQ loss and heart attacks.

State Rep. James Talarico accused Ken Paxton of voter fraud, but ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found Talarico voted using his parents’ address after purchasing a nearby home, potentially violating voting laws. Paxton, Talarico’s Senate opponent, also faced similar allegations for voting at an address where he allegedly no longer resides. Both have not fully disclosed their voting histories, and an attorney noted Texas election laws are broadly worded, making fraud determinations challenging.

Residents in Omaha, Nebraska, have found inconsistent responses from the city and EPA regarding lead contamination cleanup in their yards, despite tests showing levels exceeding EPA thresholds. Some properties received retesting and cleanup, while others were denied based on EPA rules or location in non-priority zones.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott criticized Corpus Christi for its stalled desalination project and potential water restrictions, while the Nueces River Authority (NRA), which he appoints, faces funding and financial challenges for its own water project. Abbott has threatened state intervention if Corpus Christi fails to resolve its crisis but has not taken over the NRA's operations.