ProPublica

ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. Our work focuses exclusively on truly important stories, stories with “moral force.” We do this by producing journalism that shines a light on exploitation of the weak by the strong and on the failures of those with power to vindicate the trust placed in them.

Web Site: http://propublica.org

Why 58 reps who voted for Hurricane Katrina aid voted against aid for Sandy

When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, Congress passed two relief bills almost unanimously. But when it comes to Hurricane Sandy, some in Congress seem to have had a change of heart.
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Mass shootings do little to change state gun laws

After a mass shooting at an immigration services center in Binghamton, N.Y., where 13 people were killed and four were wounded, the New York State Assembly entertained several bills on gun control. None passed.
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Poisoning the well: How the feds let industry pollute the nation’s underground water supply

EPA records show that portions of at least 100 drinking water aquifers have been written off because exemptions have allowed them to be used as dumping grounds.
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Mapping segregation in Westchester

ProPublica decided to evaluate race and income data for Westchester County to determine whether income alone accounts for the high degree of racial segregation experienced by African Americans there.
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What effect, if any, did voter ID laws have on the election?

In the months leading up to the election, voter ID laws were seen as the biggest threat to voter turnout, but many of these laws, particularly the ones requiring strict photo identification, met setbacks ahead of the election.
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Soft on segregation: How the Feds failed to integrate Westchester County

Despite a court order, HUD hasn't made wealthy Westchester County — home to President Clinton and Gov. Cuomo — remove barriers to African Americans and Latinos moving in.
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Why Freddie Mac resisted refis

Freddie Mac, the taxpayer-owned mortgage giant, made it harder for millions of Americans to refinance their high-interest-rate mortgages for fear it would cut into company profits, present and former Freddie Mac officials disclosed in recent interviews.
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How nonprofits spend millions on elections and call it public welfare

Forget super PACs, their much-hyped cousins, which can take unlimited contributions but must name their donors. More money is being spent on TV advertising in the presidential race by social welfare nonprofits, known as 501(c)(4)s for their section of the tax code, than by any other type of independent group.
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New Study: Fluids from Marcellus Shale likely seeping into PA drinking water

Research has concluded that mineral-rich fluids deep beneath PA's natural gas fields are likely seeping upward into drinking water supplies. Though the fluids are not the byproduct of hydraulic fracturing, the finding suggests that drilling waste and chemicals could migrate in ways previously thought to be impossible.
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