ProPublica

Getting your car towed is never fun. But in this week’s “Paper Trail,” we take you to a place where this frustrating but common experience could become a life-altering disaster. That place is called Connecticut. Listen wherever you get your podcasts: propublica.org/podcast/connec…

Alaska telecom companies have received $4.6 billion in subsidies since 2016. Despite all that spending, the state still ranks near the bottom for access to the high-speed internet service the money was meant to deliver. propublica.org/article/alaska…

A new report determined that Gov. Jeff Landry’s proposed increase in prison spending would come at the expense of $165 million in education funding, including $40 million for state colleges and universities and $125 million for K-12 education. propublica.org/article/louisi…

On May 2, agents followed Leonardo Garcia Venegas back to his home because they didn’t believe his claims of citizenship or that the REAL ID he showed them was legitimate. It was familiar territory: He’d already been detained twice. Read more: propub.li/4eXBT2a

After a privately funded border wall in South Texas faced legal issues and claims of shoddy construction, President Donald Trump denounced the project. His administration has handed the company behind it billions to build more of the wall. propublica.org/article/trump-…

Philadelphia lawyers appointed to help people challenge their convictions can instead urge judges to rule against them, and often do so without ever speaking to their clients. How? By filing a letter arguing that the case has “no merit.” propublica.org/article/convic…

The gun chain Range USA has been dogged by accusations of straw sales. One lawsuit alleges that its negligence led to an illegal purchase tied to a 2023 shooting. Store video allegedly showed the shooter directing his girlfriend to buy the gun. propublica.org/article/range-…

Since the Trump administration doesn’t track how many children have been separated from their parents by immigration detention, a Brookings report tried to calculate it — and it cited ProPublica’s reporting. propublica.org/article/trump-…

Oklahoma residents have shown us many ways that oil and gas pollution affects their lives: Thick, black fluid flooding a home. A salty, oily substance from the ice maker. Dead cattle. If you have photos you can share, we’d like to hear from you. propublica.org/getinvolved/ok…

Autopsies show how hard doctors tried to save babies who died after not getting a vitamin K shot: tubes inserted in their airways, blood transfusions. They’re excruciating to read because they underscore how preventable these deaths could have been. propublica.org/article/vitami…

Misappropriated spending by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office includes $4,070 to train and test whether to buy a horse, $3,259 for car washes and $1,261 in travel expenses to research buying a boat — for deputies who work in the desert. propublica.org/article/marico…

After parents called for an investigation into whether officials knew of prior complaints against Jason Agan, the Redwood City school board said it plans to review the district’s hiring process: “Parents deserve to know their kids are safe.” propublica.org/article/redwoo…

Roger Shoffstall spent 3 years in prison for evading income taxes. It hasn’t stopped the FCC from sending him $1M a year to sell obsolete internet service in Alaska. The money comes from a special government subsidy program. You help pay for it. propublica.org/article/alaska…

WATCH: Mike Collins is running for Senate on a promise to make America’s roads safer — by taking commercial driver’s licenses away from noncitizens. ProPublica investigated his trucking business’s safety record: propub.li/3RXkQ6H

What happened to the doors and tires on this Jeep? 👀 Two @ctmirror reporters found out … and uncovered a scheme that was much bigger than they expected. Listen to this Pulitzer Prize-winning story on “Paper Trail”: propub.li/42T4JJP

Our reporting exposed how Kentucky’s Addiction Recovery Care allegedly used its staff to falsely bill Medicaid, which the company denies. We’re still reporting and need your help. If you were or are an ARC client or employee, here’s how to reach out. propublica.org/getinvolved/ar…

When his 7-year-old ran to report a flooded bathroom, Mitch assumed a burst pipe, maybe a backed-up toilet. Then he saw the oily, black fluid covering the floor. The sludge has been gushing through the house’s foundation ever since. propublica.org/article/oklaho…

Ken Paxton once urged SCOTUS to crack down on lawyers seeking favorable courts, saying it “has the pernicious effect of reducing confidence in the fairness and neutrality of our Nation’s justice system.” Now he’s forum shopping in Texas, experts say. propublica.org/article/texas-…

The Trump administration’s process for awarding border wall contracts has been shrouded in mystery after former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem waived dozens of laws regulating financial transparency and competitiveness in government contracting. propublica.org/article/trump-…

The Crime and Justice Institute, a nonpartisan research organization, predicts that by 2034, Landry’s rollback of parole will double the size of Louisiana’s prison population and cost an estimated $2B for new prisons to accommodate the increase. propublica.org/article/louisi…