This has probably been making the rounds on Mastodon, but dropping here so I can pin: Free U.S. civics courses at Harvard. (Some do require tuition, but most are free for timely reasons.)
government
The “Invasion” Invention: The Far Right’s Long Legal Battle to Make Immigrants the Enemy
The #Trump administration is using the claim that #immigrants have “invaded” the country to justify possibly suspending habeas corpus, part of the constitutional right to due process.
A faction of the far right has been building this case for years.
#Immigration #News #Law #HumanRights #government
https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-administration-immigration-invasion-rhetoric-courts
Lincare is paid to rent oxygen equipment to patients, with HHS covering most of the monthly bills. But those rental fees often add up to many times what it would cost simply to buy the equipment.
(Published Nov. 2024)
https://propub.li/3UNDUms
“BadAss Grandmas” Pushed for an #Ethics Commission. Then the North Dakota Legislature Limited Its Power.
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Led by a bipartisan group of women, North Dakotans voted to create an ethics oversight body six years ago. Since then, the group has received 81 complaints and has not substantiated a single one.
Elon Musk’s Boring Company Is Tunneling Beneath Las Vegas With Little Oversight
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Given Musk’s role advising President-elect Donald Trump on ways to slash regulations and #government oversight, Boring and the Vegas Loop project might be a harbinger for the country.
#News #Trump #Musk #LasVegas #DonaldTrump #ElonMusk #Regulation #Environment #Transit #Traffic
“All Our Future Money Is Gone”: The Impossible Task of Providing Child Care in Rural Illinois
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Though the governor promised to make Illinois “the best state” to raise young children, child care continues to disappear. And, as one couple learned, there’s almost no help for those building a child care facility from the ground up.
Justice Department Sues Six of the Nation’s Largest Landlords in Effort to Stop Alleged Price-Fixing in Rental Markets
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Federal prosecutors allege that the landlords have used RealPage pricing software to collude and artificially raise rents. The legal action is the latest development stemming from a 2022 ProPublica investigation.
The U.S. Department of Education has fined Michigan’s Baker College $2.5 million for years of “substantial misrepresentation” of career outcomes, following a 2022 ProPublica-Detroit Free Press report detailing the college’s low graduation rates and the heavy debt that many students shoulder.
NEW: More Than a Dozen U.S. Officials Sold Stocks Before Trump’s Tariffs Sent the Market Plunging
Records show well-timed trades by executive branch employees and congressional aides. Even if they had no insider information, ethics experts say such trading undermines faith in government and the markets.
#News #Trump #Tariffs #Stocks #Government
https://www.propublica.org/article/us-officials-stock-sales-trump-tariffs
A pregnancy center can bill the state $14 for distributing diapers that cost the center just over $.25. And before parents can get those diapers, they must take a class that the center can bill the state $30 for each hour of class a client attends.
(Published July 2024)
https://propub.li/3PvTPmw
#Texas #Pregnancy #Family #Government #Accountability #Abortion
When the Casners signed the deed for their new child care center, their dreams felt within reach. But even a $600K loan wasn’t enough. They borrowed $200K from their retirement, and it took another 10 months for their doors to open.
Here’s why.
https://propub.li/4j8yNbg
#Illinois #ChildCare #Parenting #Children #Labor #Government
The Air Force revealed earlier this year that a general who oversaw its lobbying before Congress had inappropriate relationships with five women.
Sources say one of the women whose relationship with him was scrutinized was Sen. Joni Ernst.
(Published March 2025)
https://www.propublica.org/article/joni-ernst-congress-military-relationships?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
#News #JoniErnst #Military #Ethics #Government #USPolitics #Congress
Gretchen Whitmer’s Chance for Wide-Ranging Legacy Derailed by Botched Legislative Session
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Michigan Democrats controlled all three branches of government, but party infighting and moderate policy decisions resulted in what some have dubbed “one of the least productive legislative sessions in history.”
IMPACT: Senators Call on DOJ to Investigate Potential DOGE Conflicts of Interest After ProPublica Report
Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden and Jack Reed cited our reporting on how one aide assigned to the CFPB helped oversee the mass layoffs of the agency’s staff while holding as much as $715K in stocks that bureau employees are prohibited from owning.
#News #DOJ #Congress #Senate #Ethics #Government #USPolitics
A Year of Empty Threats and a “Smokescreen” Policy: How the State Department Let Israel Get Away With Horrors in Gaza
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Israel has repeatedly crossed the Biden administration’s human rights red lines. But the U.S. continued to send weapons. Exclusive records and interviews reveal what happened inside the State Department.
#News #Israel #Gaza #Palestine #USPolitics #HumanRights #Government
Tribal Lenders Say They Can Charge Over 600% Interest. These States Stopped Them.
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Online lenders tied to Native American tribes argue that they aren’t subject to state lending laws, but they backed away from operating in six states where attorneys have acted forcefully to protect consumers.
The Second Trump White House Could Drastically Reshape Infectious Disease Research. Here’s What’s at Stake.
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Donald Trump’s pick to lead the federal health agency has vowed to replace hundreds of staffers and shift research away from infectious diseases and vaccines. Such an overhaul could imperil the development of life-saving treatments, experts warn.
#News #Trump #Government #USPolitics #Health #Research #Vaccine
Following a Series of Government Hacks, Biden Closes Out His Administration With New Cybersecurity Order
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The executive order follows a ProPublica investigation that found Microsoft prioritized profit over security, leaving the federal government vulnerable to the largest hack in U.S. history. Vendors must now demonstrate that their products are secure.
#News #Biden #Cybersecurity #Tech #Microsoft #Hacking #Technology #Government
If a bill that would ban almost all abortions moves to the South Carolina Senate, not a single Republican debating or voting on the restrictions will be a woman.
#News #SouthCarolina #USPolitics #Government #Women #Abortion #Election
The DOJ has been investigating Texas AG Ken Paxton since 2020 on allegations that he misused his position to help a political donor. Under Trump, a Paxton ally, the yearslong investigation could come to an end.
Donald Trump’s No. 2 Pick for the EPA Represented Companies Accused of Pollution Harm
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David Fotouhi, a lawyer who recently challenged a ban on asbestos, worked to roll back climate regulations and water protections while serving in the Environmental Protection Agency during Trump’s first administration.
#News #EPA #Environment #Pollution #Climate #Trump #Government
North Dakota Sued the Interior Department at Least Five Times Under Gov. Doug Burgum. Now He’s Set to Run the Agency.
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The state was hostile to Interior Department policies during the Biden administration. A review of its lawsuits under Burgum reveals an aggressively pro-fossil fuel agenda.
#News #NorthDakota #Government #FossilFuels #Energy #Oil #Gas #Climate
This Icebreaker Has Design Problems and a History of Failure. It’s America’s Latest Military Vessel.
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The builder of the icebreaker Aiviq has given more than $7 million to political campaigns, parties and committees since 2012. Under pressure from Congress, the Coast Guard purchased the vessel late last year.
Insurers Failed to Comply With Mental Health Coverage Law, Department of Labor Report Finds
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The probe found widespread noncompliance and violations of federal law in how health plans and insurers cover mental health care, echoing the findings of a recent ProPublica investigation.
More than two years after ProPublica sued the Navy, the Department of Defense is mandating public notice of military preliminary hearings.
Legal experts say the new guidance still falls far short of what is required under federal law.