She Warned the Grain Elevator Would Disrupt Sacred Black History. They Deleted Her Findings.
A whistleblower says a plan to build a grain elevator on an old plantation would disrupt important historic sites, and that her firm tried to bury her findings.
Reporting From the South
ProPublica’s seven-person reporting unit, based in Atlanta, covers North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. The region plays a pivotal role in national issues including political representation, racial equity and environmental justice.
The State Behind Roe’s Likely Demise Also Does the Least for New Parents in Need
Mississippians on Medicaid lose coverage a mere 60 days after childbirth. “When women don’t have that coverage, what happens is they die,” says one expert.
How a Powerful Company Convinced Georgia to Let It Bury Toxic Waste in Groundwater
Documents reveal Georgia Power went to great lengths to advocate for risky waste storage. After a ProPublica investigation exposed this practice, the EPA is trying to block the move.
Tennessee Judge Who Illegally Jailed Children Plans to Retire, Will Not Seek Reelection
Since 2000, Judge Donna Scott Davenport has overseen juvenile justice in Rutherford County. Following reporting from Nashville Public Radio and ProPublica, public outcry and a bill seeking to oust the judge, Davenport announced her retirement.
South News Staff
- South Editor
- Mara Shalhoup
- Reporters
- Max Blau, Nicole Carr, Doug Bock Clark, Sarah Smith, Aliyya Swaby and Seth Freed Wessler
Local Reporting Network Partners
ProPublica is supporting local and regional newsrooms as they work on important investigative projects affecting their communities. Some of our past and present partners in the region:
- MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Mountain State Spotlight
- West Virginia
- Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
- Tupelo, Mississippi
- Sun Herald
- Biloxi, Mississippi
- AL.com
- Birmingham, Alabama
- The Palm Beach Post
- Palm Beach, Florida
- Miami Herald
- Miami, Florida
- Richmond Times-Dispatch
- Richmond, Virginia
Air Monitors Alone Won’t Save Communities From Toxic Industrial Air Pollution
Calvert City, Kentucky, has long had what people in other toxic hot spots have been begging for: monitors to prove they’re being exposed to toxic industrial air pollution. Regulators have years of evidence, but the poison in the air is only growing.
Liberty University’s Handling of Sexual Assaults Under Investigation by Department of Education
ProPublica previously detailed how the evangelical school had dismissed reports of rape and threatened to punish accusers for running afoul of its moral code. Investigators are now looking into whether Liberty violated federal law.
Louisiana Lawmakers Could Limit Solitary Confinement for Teens Following Alarming Revelations
An investigation by ProPublica, NBC News and The Marshall Project found that youth in a Louisiana lockup were held in solitary around the clock for weeks.
Conditions at Mississippi’s Most Notorious Prison Violate the Constitution, DOJ Says
“The problems at Parchman are severe, systemic, and exacerbated by serious deficiencies in staffing and supervision,” the report said.
Biden Promised to Prioritize People Over Polluters. This Official Is Struggling to Deliver.
Biden’s pick to protect Americans from toxic chemicals, Michal Freedhoff, is facing a bare-bones budget, demoralized staff and increasingly angry advocates.
Lawmakers Approve Payments to Parents of Children Who Died of Catastrophic Brain Injuries
A year after reforming a program for children who suffered devastating brain injuries at birth, Florida lawmakers voted to extend help to families whose children died.
Shackled and in Solitary
Teens at Louisiana’s newest juvenile lockup, Acadiana Center for Youth at St. Martinville, were held in solitary confinement around the clock, shackled with leg irons and deprived of an education. “This is child abuse,” one expert said.
When Private Equity Becomes Your Landlord
Amid a national housing crisis, giant private equity firms have been buying up apartment buildings en masse to squeeze them for profit, with the help of government-backed Freddie Mac.
Did You Get the Help You Needed After a Hurricane or Tropical Storm? We’re Investigating Disaster Relief.
Catastrophes don’t affect all Americans equally. We want to hear about your experiences applying for aid and paying for flood insurance.
How the Sugar Industry Makes Political Friends and Influences Elections
A city commissioner race in Florida provides a window into how the sugar industry cultivates political allies, who help protect its interests.
EPA Takes Action to Combat Industrial Air Pollution
The EPA announced a raft of targeted actions and specific reforms in the wake of ProPublica’s investigation into toxic hot spots.
华裔科学家钱卓：无国可归的才情
发现自己受到学校和美国政府的调查后，著名科学家钱卓（Joe Tsien）决定留在中国避风头。他说自己是针对亚裔种族歧视的受害者，但他的故事并非这么简单。
A Visionary Without a Country
Celebrated scientist Joe Tsien retreated to China after his university and the U.S. government began investigating him. He says he’s a victim of anti-Asian discrimination, but key parts of his story don’t add up.
Senate Finance Chair to Billionaire Developers: Explain How Opportunity Zone Tax Break Is Helping the Poor
Citing ProPublica’s reporting, letters to Jorge Perez of Related, Kushner Companies and others request details on projects in opportunity zones created during the Trump administration.
New Documents Prove Tennessee County Disproportionately Jails Black Children
Newly obtained reports show that Black children in Rutherford County are locked up more than twice as often as population size would suggest. And as the rest of the country has made progress on racial disparities, the county has gotten far worse.
