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Pressure Mounts for Hospice Reform

As part of a growing national dialogue around hospice abuse, trade groups and government watchdog agencies are pushing regulators to make changes.

Watchdog Seeks Harsher Penalties in Wake of Abuse at Illinois Mental Health Center

The official cited investigations into a center for people with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities, where workers lied or conspired to thwart patient abuse inquiries.

Maryland AG Seeks to Preserve Massive Set of Sexual Assault Evidence

Samples saved by a Baltimore doctor have been used to solve more than 80 cold cases, but evidence from 1,800 cases remains untested. The state's new attorney general and some lawmakers are acting to protect this evidence trove from destruction.

These Documents Reveal Abuses and Breakdowns in Rogue System of Global Diplomacy

As countries call for change, nine documents from around the world show how journalists in an international reporting effort built the first comprehensive account of wrongdoing by volunteer diplomats known as honorary consuls.

Arizona’s Governor-Elect Chooses Critic of Racial Disparities in Child Welfare to Lead CPS Agency

Matthew Stewart will become the first Black leader of the Department of Child Safety, which ProPublica and NBC News found had investigated the families of 1 in 3 Black children in metro Phoenix during a recent five-year period.

Porn, Piracy, Fraud: What Lurks Inside Google’s Black Box Ad Empire

Google’s ad business hides nearly all publishers it works with and where billions of ad dollars flow. We uncovered a network containing manga piracy, porn, fraud and disinformation.

A Texas Superintendent Ordered School Librarians to Remove LGBTQ Books. Now the Federal Government Is Investigating.

The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights has opened what appears to be the first-of-its-kind investigation into the Granbury Independent School District after it banned school library books dealing with sexuality and gender.

Congress and Industry Leaders Call for Crackdown on Hospice Fraud

Following a ProPublica-New Yorker investigation into the hospice industry, members of the Comprehensive Care Caucus and national trade groups are demanding reform.

Congress Passes Bill to Rein in Conflicts of Interest for Consultants Such as McKinsey

President Joe Biden is expected to sign the legislation, whose Senate sponsors cited ProPublica’s reporting on McKinsey’s conflicts in working for both the FDA and opioid makers like Purdue Pharma.

Toxic Salmon Reporting “Deeply Troubling,” Lawmaker Says, Demanding Changes to Protect Pacific Northwest Tribal Health

Citing a ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting investigation into toxic contamination in salmon, state and federal lawmakers across the Pacific Northwest are calling for policy changes and more funding but are lacking details on next steps.

Washington State Proposes Reforms for Special Education Schools

Education officials cite Seattle Times/ProPublica investigation that showed state failed to address complaints about abuse, lack of academics.

Wealthy Governor’s Company to Pay Nearly $1 Million for Chronic Air Pollution Violations

Bluestone Coke, owned by the family of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, signed a consent decree that could allow its Birmingham plant to reopen under stricter oversight.

Public Health Leaders Question Whether Asbestos Facilities Should Be Exempt From Surprise Inspections

The American Public Health Association raised concerns that plants “game the system” to hide asbestos problems and called for scrutiny from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Workers Across America Break Their Silence on Decades of Asbestos Exposure

New accounts from workers contrast sharply with what chemical giants have said on the record about worker safety at their facilities. At an Olin plant outside of McIntosh, Alabama, workers recall decades of asbestos exposure.

Governments Call for Reforms to Centuries-Old Honorary Consul System

Authorities launch probes and propose overhauls following ProPublica and ICIJ’s global “Shadow Diplomats” investigation.

Fintechs Made “Massive Profits” on PPP Loans and Sometimes Engaged in Fraud, House Committee Report Finds

An investigation that began after reporting by ProPublica finds lax anti-fraud standards, executives who cashed in for themselves and contempt for small loan applications that would generate minimal fees. “Delete them,” one executive wrote.

City Receives Half a Million Dollars for Air Monitoring After Report Reveals Elevated Cancer Risk

After years of resident complaints of toxic fumes and health issues, the EPA has funded Mississippi to conduct air monitoring in Pascagoula. This comes a year after a first-of-its-kind analysis by ProPublica into “sacrifice zones” across the country.

Department of Justice Opens Investigation Into Real Estate Tech Company Accused of Collusion with Landlords

The DOJ will examine whether RealPage helped landlords coordinate rent increases. Questions also swirl around a 2017 merger deal with its largest competitor.

Complaint Filed Against Mississippi Judge for Failing to Hand Over Search Warrants to Clerk

The judge has signed a number of no-knock search warrants that have been challenged in court, but they weren’t on file at the clerk’s office.

More Senate Democrats Seek Investigation of Tech Firm Accused of Colluding With Landlords to Hike Apartment Rents

Sen. Amy Klobuchar and other leading Democrats have asked the Department of Justice to examine Texas-based RealPage, which sells software to help landlords set apartment rental prices across the country.

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