One Woman Died on an Alaska Mayor’s Property. Then Another. No One Has Ever Been Charged. Sons of the former mayor had previously been convicted of beating each of them. /
via
@maxeden99
Schools are pressured by inclusion laws to keep disturbed, violent & even psychotic students in traditional classrooms & then tie school staff’s hands when it comes to disciplining them. It’s a recipe for disruptive & dangerous classrooms.
I had an interesting week reporting a Wisconsin story for
@ProPublica
that involves gerrymandered maps, onions, and dinosaurs.
A lawmaker even insulted me via a meme.🧵
Michigan today became the first state to automatically register people to vote as they leave prison. Gov. Whitmer signed House Bill 4983 requiring the secretary of state to coordinate with Corrections to register people upon their release.
Over 1 million people voted for Justice Protasiewicz. But now the GOP is considering impeaching her. Republicans don’t want her sitting on a maps case because she declared during the campaign the maps were “rigged” but couldn’t ever say how she’d rule.
Family Research Council Obtains Church Status From IRS, shielding its finances. When a ProPublica reporter called to inquire about service times, a staffer who answered the phone responded, “We don’t have church service.”
A Penn State student needed a cocktail of costly drugs to control a chronic illness. UnitedHealthcare tried to deny coverage. He fought back, exposing the insurer’s callous inner workings.
#pennstate
/ Reporting by
@propublica
When a plane crashes, a federal agency begins an automatic and immediate investigation. Not so in school shootings like in Michigan where grieving parents have been waiting for answers since 2021. / By
@annaleighclark
@propublica
I was searching for a way to write about the state’s disconnected and oddly shaped electoral maps, when someone mentioned the “T-Rex district” to me. I was intrigued & maybe a little skeptical.
Turns out, it really does look like a dinosaur:
The 73rd Assembly District was held by the Dems for 50 years until GOP drawn maps took effect last year. T-rex chomped out a large Democratic block & added conservative turf.
GOP Rep. Angie Sapik, an onion shipper who cheered on the Jan. 6 rioters on social media, won.
A young girl mistakenly retrieved AirPods at school that she thought were hers. Police ticketed her for “theft” in what was an accidental mixup. Now, in a dramatic example of the impact of school ticketing, the case is headed for a jury trial. — ProPublica
The redrawing of the 73rd District is emblematic of the extreme gerrymandering that has defined Wisconsin for two decades.
The swearing-in of a new Supreme Court last month, though, tilted the high court to the left, jeopardizing the GOP’s hold on power.
A Republican - with an A rating from the NRA - introduced a commonsense gun law after a sheriff deputy’s murder. Then a gun rights group sought to unseat him.
In the dinosaur-shaped district, Sapik posted on Facebook during the 2022 race: “I love the way the lines changed….” She was unhappy with COVID shutdowns & ran for “less laws” and was backed by Americans for Prosperity, a political org set up by the Koch brothers.
Tax returns of billionaire Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins, showed $1.5 billion in earnings from 2008 to 2017, but he didn’t pay a dime in federal income taxes during that time. How? By mining a mountain of losses he claimed for tax purposes.
St. Jude Hoards Billions While Many of Its Families Drain Their Savings. ProPublica identified more than 100 St. Jude families seeking financial help through the online fundraiser GoFundMe, with half of the campaigns started in the past two years.
Leonard Leo, a key architect of the US Supreme Court’s conservative majority, now chairs Teneo, a group devoted to crushing liberal influence across American life. In Wisconsin, he’s put his money behind Dan Kelly for state Supreme Court / by
@AndyKroll
Sapik declined to speak with me about the race or answer questions about controversial tweets she’s written in her past that were preserved by the Democrats at this website.
This Ohio city may demand subsidies back from a company that promised to create 237 jobs making the first ever self-chilling beverage can, winning grants and tax breaks in return. Four years later, there are no jobs & you still put beer in the fridge.
Amid a national housing crisis, private equity firms have been buying up apartment buildings with the help of government-backed Freddie Mac. Meanwhile, tenants say rents skyrocketed. Affordability is supposed to be central to Freddie Mac’s mission.
Hello, today is my first day working for
@propublica
. I'm covering
#Wisconsin
from sunny Fort Lauderdale! (Just until I can relocate to some lovely lake town.) Feel free to contact me with story ideas or tips. Email: megan.omatz
@propublica
.org
Wisconsin hasn’t impeached a judge since 1853!
Judge Levi Hubbell got in trouble over comments he made while presiding over a high-profile murder trial. He’d told a jury that voted to acquit: “May God have mercy on your consciences!” The Senate did not convict Hubbell.
St. Louis police moonlight for a private firm, providing extra security for affluent areas. Meanwhile, poorer communities that need greater police presence don’t get it. / Reporter
@jeremykohler
reveals the extreme inequities in service.
Texas A&M University fired its football coach but will still pay him $77.5 million. Nationally, tuition is too expensive for many families. Are you an insider unhappy about unreasonable spending at a college? Help guide our reporting…
Wisconsin had a case very similar to the NY subway incident in which a Black man died in a chokehold. But in Wisconsin officials refused to prosecute. That could change as the 2012 case gets a fresh review in a new era. / By
@propublica
At vaccination sites around the country, people have been turned away after being asked for documentation that they shouldn’t need to provide, or asked to pay when they owed nothing.
A chorus of parents protested yesterday after school admins in Waukesha Wisconsin removed the Dolly Parton song “Rainbowland" from an elementary school concert program. They sounded lovely!
When births go horribly wrong,
#Florida
protects obstetricians from malpractice claims, leaving families to struggle for care. After the Miami Herald and ProPublica began investigating, agency officials hired a PR firm to generate favorable press.
Cities try deploying “community violence interrupters.” One helped a 19-year-old who wanted to stop selling drugs procure a copy of his birth certificate, so that he could get regular work.
After the massacre at Wounded Knee, the American Museum of Natural History received children’s toys taken from the site. A 1990 law was meant to “expeditiously return” such items to Native Americans. Descendants are still waiting. / by
@nicolesantacruz
Reporters documented racial disparities in ticketing students in
#Illinois
for minor misbehavior. Now the attorney general will investigate possible civil rights violations. Uncovering injustice:
@Jodiscohen
@jsmithrichards
A former Chicago officer faces charges for perjury and forgery after getting out of dozens of traffic violations by claiming his girlfriend had stolen his car. Now, prosecutors are dropped cases involving arrests he made. / By
@propublica
GOP map-drawer Adam Foltz arrived in Texas from Wisconsin in 2021 to assist in redistricting & was given a $120k state job. Working from a private law firm, Foltz drew maps that later were thrown out. Read how lawmakers keep their work secret...
I first saw this in Wisconsin then in more towns across the US: some in the GOP are working to undermine an iconic organization: the League of Women Voters.
For customers, the Wisc.-based Uline answers the phone faster than 911. But the billionaire owners funneling millions into the far right won’t talk about their agenda or their historic ties to the secretive John Birch Society. /story with
@JustinElliott
A membership roster for the Oath Keepers, a violent extremist group involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection, includes state lawmakers, congressional candidates, local government and GOP officials. One is running to be Arizona's top elections official.
Breaking news:
@UWMadison
makes a deal with the GOP speaker to reduce DEI positions, possibly create a chair for conservative political thought, end a faculty diversity initiative & cut diversity statements in admission applications, in return for millions for buildings & such.🧵
“You know how much money this is? This is how much money I make for the week,” said a school janitor, whose child was ticketed $350 for a vape pen. Has your kid gotten a ticket in school for a minor issue? Contact reporters
@Jodiscohen
@jsmithrichards
Here’s why the taxpayer-funded special counsel -- assigned to investigate Trump’s 2020 loss in Wisconsin – hired a retired hypnotherapist as a consultant.
In 2012, customers at a Milwaukee convenience store subdued an unarmed Black teen, who later died from asphyxia. Tomorrow in a Wisconsin courtroom, a district attorney is expected to report to a judge on whether to bring charges against the men involved. (A thread)
This village brought in $1 million through a ticketing system where the mayor is the judge - a little-known type of small town court found only in Louisiana and Ohio. Is this fair?
New Illinois Law Gives Tribal Nations Repatriation and Reburial Power. It follows publication of a
@propublica
investigation into the delayed return of Native American ancestral remains by universities, museums etc. /By
@loganjaffe
A reporter set out to create a guide to show people how to appeal insurance denials. Instead she became mired in a mind-boggling labyrinth. It’s so complicated few patients appeal. Where are regulators?
A decade ago, Wisconsin had a case very similar to the NY subway incident in which a Black man died in a chokehold. But in Wisconsin officials refused to prosecute. That could change as the case gets a fresh review in a new era of accountability….
Illinois billionaire Ken Griffin Spent $54 Million Fighting a Tax Increase for the Rich. Secret IRS Data Shows It Paid Off for Him./// Comments? Contact
@mickeyd1971
“This is not medical treatment. This is abuse.” - A whistleblower lawsuit reveals the lengths to which Medtronic, the world’s largest medical device company, allegedly “groomed” doctors to overuse its vascular products in patients at a veterans hospital.
Barricaded From Police, Utah Siblings Turn to TikTok While Defying Family Court Order to Return to Father They Say Sexually Abused Them / by
@Hannah_Dreyfus
@propublica
Shortly after the 6-3 vote to retain Broward Schools Superintendent Runcie, the tone-deaf school district put out a press release calling it a “resounding vote of confidence.” But one of those 6 (Brinkworth)was highly critical & one of the three no votes has a dead child.
If you're facing jail you're given an attorney. But an abused mom who may well lose her 4 kids in family court is unrepresented. Her ex has a $300/hr attorney pro bono. Waukesha Judge Ramirez on Wed fined the mom for interrupting him: $75 or 15 minutes of her ex's atty fee.
New: The judge in Julie Valadez’s custody case found her disruptive, questioned her credibility and put out a warrant for her arrest. A rare appellate victory is now giving her case a fresh look, but Valadez still is fighting for her four children.
Unvaccinated pregnant women who got COVID were at a higher risk of stillbirths. The vaccine could have saved their babies. But it was not widely used: buried under doubt & polluted by disinformation. / Story is by my caring colleague
@deldeib
Many moms who allege abuse in custody cases are losing their children because of a discredited theory called "parental alienation" that judges nonetheless accept. Here's a close look at how that happens and the devastating effects./ by
@Hannah_Dreyfus
In Minnesota, a jail nurse ignored an inmate on the floor foaming at the mouth. He died; 5 yrs later she still has her nursing license.
@propublica
found the state’s professional disciplinary process is dangerously slow. / by
@indyemapolis
@jeremykohler
“It’s not about winning or preventing fraud,” a Wisconsin elections official said of the conspiracy theorists’ motives. “It’s about getting publicity or attention. It’s about grifting, convincing others to donate to their cause.”
@propublica
and The Texas Tribune have submitted about 70 requests to state and local agencies for documents about the response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary. Agencies are fighting the release of the records.
A major gerrymandering case will be heard by the Wisconsin Supreme Court next week. It won’t center on political engineering, though, but on the meaning of the word “contiguous.” / We explain, with a cool visualization of the maps by
@lhwaldron
Due to
@propublica
reporting: the Federal Government Is Investigating an Illinois School Where Students With Disabilities Were Frequently Arrested. No other school district in the country had a higher student arrest rate. / by
@Jodiscohen
@jsmithrichards
Read how South Carolina ended up with an all-male Supreme Court. Consequences are especially pronounced in the state, which consistently ranks at the bottom of lists measuring women’s well-being. By
@propublica
A Catholic-led law firm is sowing doubts about election integrity as part of its long-term strategy to battle abortion rights. / My latest story for
@propublica
…
UPDATE: Legal experts to examine if a dubious “lung float” test used to convict women of murder in possible stillbirth cases is reliable. Researcher: “This is entirely due to the ProPublica report,” by
@deldeib
Naperville Illinois stopped ticketing students after a ProPublica story. Yet the city refuses to abandon a three-year case against a young woman in a mixup over AirPods. / by
@Jodiscohen
@jsmithrichards
The EPA appears poised to finally outlaw
#asbestos
. If the agency fails to ban the harmful substance, it would raise serious doubts about the EPA’s ability to protect the public from any toxic chemicals. // By
@kmcgrory
@_neilbedi
Some “We Buy Ugly Houses” franchisees used deception and targeted the elderly, infirm and those so close to poverty that they feared homelessness would be a consequence of selling. / By
@propublica
In Washington, a bipartisan group of lawmakers hope to advance a new bill to fund stillbirth prevention, crediting
@ProPublica
/
@deldeib
for bringing to light how the US is falling short in making sure expected babies don't die needlessly.
#countthekicks
Years later, he’s still upset by what he saw at a Wisc. food mart. “Three men thought they were going to be heroes that day because a 16-year-old was shoplifting. There could have been many different ways to restrain him other than choking him to death.”
UPDATE: After 4 years of litigation, 887 documents & an appellate court reversal, the new Family Court judge in this Wisconsin divorce case plans to conduct yet another costly trial -- refusing to immediately reunite four children with their mother.
In Illinois, the well-intended efforts of mostly white nature conservationists overlooked one thing: The township’s Black farming community has never fully supported them. Now, a generations-old way of life is threatened by the push for conservation.
Many many stillbirths don’t have to happen. Why then aren’t doctors & the government doing more to prevent them!? Education & research is key - & taking moms’ concerns seriously,
@propublica
reporter
@deldeib
found in a groundbreaking story.
The Billionaire Playbook: How Sports Owners Use Their Teams to Avoid Millions in Taxes. One example: Leonard Wilf, who owns the Minnesota Vikings with family members, has taken $66 million in losses from his minority stake in the team.
Trump's Tax Law Enlarged a Loophole That Let Top Executives Net Millions by Slashing Their Own Salaries. The wages of Dick Uihlein, the GOP megadonor & chairman of the
#Wisconsin
shipping supplies Uline, fell from $5.1 million to $2.1 million, for example
A Billionaire Got the Chicago Mayor’s Support to Lease Public Land. Then He Wrote Her Campaign a $25,000 Check. Calls emerge for an ethics investigation after reporting by
@mickeyd1971
of
@propublica
Indiana kept sending kids and money to a faith-based Youth Center despite multiple allegations of staff sexually assaulting kids or acting inappropriately with boys there, an investigation by IndyStar &
@indyemapolis
@propublica
found.