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The Met Will “More Thoroughly” Investigate Artwork Origins With Hire of Provenance Researchers
The museum announced this week that it will hire additional experts to look more deeply into the histories of works in its collections. The plans follow news reports and criminal investigations on the origins of some items.
Library Official Resigns After Publication of Her Secretly Recorded Inflammatory Comments
Judy Eledge, deputy director of the Anchorage Public Library, is leaving her post after ProPublica and the Anchorage Daily News documented her history of offensive comments and social media posts about Native Alaskans and the LGBTQ+ community.
States Prepare to Send Checks to Consumers Tricked Into Paying for TurboTax
A year after a $141 million settlement with Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, that emerged from an investigation sparked by ProPublica’s reporting, 4.4 million customers will receive compensation.
Colorado Lawmakers Mandate Audit of Halfway Houses Following ProPublica Investigation
The facilities often lack adequate employment training and effective drug treatment while residents are burdened with debt. A lack of transparency, limiting lawmakers’ ability to gauge their effectiveness, has been a barrier to reform.
Blocked Crossings Crisis Draws Local and National Calls for Action
After seeing images of kids crawling under trains, regulators ask companies to address blocked crossings, lawmakers demand consequences, residents clamor for solutions and Norfolk Southern’s CEO calls a mayor to work out a fix.
Washington State Legislature Strengthens Oversight of Private Special Education Schools
In response to a Seattle Times and ProPublica series, the state is getting more power to regulate schools for students with disabilities.
Senate Committee Probes Top Universities, Museums Over Failures to Repatriate Human Remains
U.S. senators want five institutions to explain why they continue to hold thousands of Native American remains and belongings, following reporting from ProPublica and NBC News. “It’s immoral, it’s hypocritical, and it has to stop,” one senator said.
Another Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Punching Handcuffed Man
The conviction is the latest development in the extensive fallout from an investigation into the criminal justice system in Elkhart, Indiana, by ProPublica and the South Bend Tribune.
EPA Proposes Major Air Pollution Reforms to Lower Residents’ Cancer Risk Near Industrial Facilities
The EPA has proposed tougher air pollution rules for chemical plants and other industrial facilities after ProPublica found an estimated 74 million Americans near those sites faced an elevated risk of cancer.
Ethics Watchdog Urges Justice Department Investigation Into Clarence Thomas’ Trips
In pushing to kick-start an inquiry into Thomas’ lavish travel provided by a GOP megadonor, the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center wrote that the ethics issue has “historic implications far beyond one Supreme Court justice.”
Congress Members Announce Hearing, Demand Chief Justice Investigate Clarence Thomas’ Trips
The lawmakers said the chief justice was duty-bound to conduct a “swift, thorough, independent and transparent investigation” of Thomas’ undisclosed travel with billionaire Harlan Crow in order to “safeguard public faith in the judiciary.”
Feds Advance Portable Generator Safety Rule to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Saying that manufacturers failed to make generators safer, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is moving forward with proposed regulations to bolster protections. The proposal comes after reporting by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News.
Major Chemical Company Changes Tune on Asbestos, No Longer Opposes EPA Ban
In a letter to the EPA, Olin Corp., one of the few U.S. manufacturers still using asbestos, signaled newfound support for a federal ban on the deadly mineral and said it could halt imports as soon as this week.
Lawmakers Have Renewed the Effort to Ban Asbestos
They said ProPublica’s recent reporting on unsafe conditions in factories that use asbestos underscores the need for action.
Sweeping Repatriation Reform Bill Unanimously Passes Illinois House of Representatives
If signed into law, the legislation would create a protected cemetery for the reburial of repatriated Native American ancestors and establish a committee of tribal leaders to review state projects that may disturb culturally significant sites.
A Scammer Who Tricks Instagram Into Banning Influencers Has Never Been Identified. We May Have Found Him.
OBN, a mysterious fraudster, says he made hundreds of thousands of dollars by exploiting Instagram’s security gaps. He’s eluded Meta and law enforcement, but we followed his trail to Las Vegas.
EPA Asks for More Public Input on Asbestos After ProPublica and Others Reveal New Information
In an unusual move, the EPA opened a new public comment period on its proposed asbestos ban to get input regarding new information, including ProPublica findings that workers were “swimming” in the deadly substance.
Senators Had Questions for the Maker of a Rent-Setting Algorithm. The Answers Were “Alarming.”
After a ProPublica investigation, RealPage answered questions from lawmakers about its product. In response, the senators sent a letter to the Justice Department.
Judge Pauses Order to Return Siblings to Father They Say Abused Them
Utah lawmakers call for examination of court-ordered reunification after a judge was persuaded by the theory of “parental alienation” to order Ty and Brynlee Larson back into their father’s custody.
Officials Move to Address Problems Facing Immigrant Workers on Wisconsin Dairy Farms
A ProPublica investigation showed how language barriers contributed to authorities wrongly blaming a dairy farm worker for his son’s death. Lawmakers have responded.
