Two men investigated by the Center for Public Integrity for a story about groups that fundraise for causes like childhood leukemia but keep virtually all the money have been charged in connection with “schemes to defraud donors,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Richard Zeitlin, 53, and Robert […]
Posted inInequality
‘Disability is an often forgotten piece of the court’s docket’
In the past year, the Supreme Court has made several decisions that have radically reshaped essential rights for Americans spanning from abortion access to gun rights to the separation of church and state. The higher court rulings have prompted an array of analyses of how some of these decisions will disproportionately impact some already marginalized […]
Posted inInside Public Integrity
Public Integrity podcast honored with NABJ award
Season 2 of the Center for Public Integrity’s podcast, “The Heist,” has won a 2023 Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. “The Wealth Vortex,” which confronted America’s racial wealth gap through the story of an Iowa woman attempting to open the country’s first Black-owned bank in decades, was recognized by […]
Posted inInside Public Integrity
Public Integrity wins Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence
The Center for Public Integrity has won a 2023 national Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence. It recognizes a body of work by the nonprofit investigative newsroom that confronts widening inequality in the U.S. through reporting that’s rooted in innovative data analysis, powerful storytelling, historical context and collaboration with local journalists and sources closest […]
Posted inInstitution of One
Public Integrity event explores “What is Home?” with storytellers and panel
One of Leah Mapstead’s favorite things about living independently is decorating her own space. Her condo offers a unique and adventurous theme in each room, from an African safari living room to an ocean bathroom. But Mapstead’s sense of home goes beyond the physical space of her Phoenix condo, located in a gated community for […]
Posted inInstitution of One
Disabled storytellers share what ‘home’ means to them
Leah Mapstead lives by herself. She likes decorating her home in different ways. Her living room looks like an African safari. Her bathroom has an ocean theme. But home is more than just her space. Leah said: “Home is not just a place.” Leah also said: “It’s loved ones, memories, somewhere to feel safe and […]
Posted inInstitution of One
In their own words: Disabled storytellers share what ‘home’ means to them
The Center for Public Integrity held an event on July 26 — the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act — called “What is Home?” that explored the challenges of finding safe homes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. At the event, there were four storytellers with disabilities who shared what “home” means […]
Posted inInside Public Integrity
Public Integrity nominated for ‘general excellence’ Online Journalism Award
The Center for Public Integrity is a finalist for the Online Journalism Awards’ coveted general excellence award. The nonprofit investigative news organization is one of three finalists in the small newsroom category, alongside Honolulu Civil Beat and The Markup. Finalists in the award’s larger categories include The New York Times and The Washington Post. Public […]
Posted inWatchdog newsletter
How guaranteed basic income can reduce infant mortality
A city’s infant mortality rate indicates the general health of a population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is especially the case in Philadelphia, which has the highest infant mortality and poverty rates among the nation’s 10 most populous cities. In their first year, Black infants die at more than triple […]
Posted inInside Public Integrity
Public Integrity launches effort to support local investigative reporting
The Center for Public Integrity is setting out to strengthen local investigative reporting across the country, through partnerships with local newsrooms designed to systematically exchange knowledge and provide ongoing support. The initiative will prioritize news organizations serving communities that are traditionally under-resourced yet have the potential to produce groundbreaking stories exposing systemic inequalities affecting their […]
Posted inWatchdog newsletter
Renters less likely to be kicked out where eviction filing fees are higher
Places with higher fees for filing eviction cases have lower eviction rates — even when other factors are considered, new research from the Eviction Lab at Princeton University shows. The research, published in the journal Housing Policy Debate in May, showed higher filing fees motivate landlords to work with tenants rather than turning to the […]
Posted inInside Public Integrity
Public Integrity’s Jin Ding named AAJA Member of the Year
Center for Public Integrity Chief of Staff and Operations Jin Ding was named 2023 Member of the Year by the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) at the organization’s annual convention on Saturday. Ding’s contributions to AAJA and support of fellow journalists have had a far-reaching impact. Ding first joined AAJA in 2017 while working at […]
Posted inHigh Courts, High Stakes
‘Lose the courts, lose the war’: The battle over voting in North Carolina
This story also appeared in USA TODAY NEW BERN, N.C. — As the daylight faded on April 12, 2018, a Craven County sheriff’s deputy pulled over a white pickup. Heather French was sitting in the passenger seat. The deputy began tailing the truck on the other side of the Trent River, in a location he […]
Posted inHigh Courts, High Stakes
State high courts get limited attention. Here’s how to change that.
State supreme courts have the final word on interpreting state constitutions. Their decisions have massive implications for abortion access, taxes, LGBTQ+ rights, labor, policing and other issues that affect people’s lives. So why do these courts fly under the radar? That’s partly by design. Justices rarely seek public attention, preferring to let their opinions do […]
Posted inHigh Courts, High Stakes
How Republicans flipped America’s state supreme courts
This story also appeared in USA TODAY In 2018, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the state constitution included a right to abortion, finding that “nothing could be more fundamental to the notion of liberty.” Just four years later, the court reversed itself. Iowa’s constitution does not, the justices decided, guarantee a right to abortion […]
Posted inWatchdog newsletter
Memoir: The ER reveals “unvarnished truth” of broken system
Dr. Thomas Fisher’s memoir, “The Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago ER,” offers a firsthand critique of the country’s unequal healthcare system. The Chicago South Side native has been an emergency room doctor at the University of Chicago Medical Center for two decades. Thomas’ vivid account of the early days of […]
Posted inCriminalizing kids
Fighting back against racial bias in school policing
Two U.S. agencies are urging school districts “to confront the issue of race discrimination in student discipline,” releasing a report highlighting federal investigations that found evidence of bias in school policing over the past decade. “Discrimination in student discipline forecloses opportunities for students, pushing them out of the classroom and diverting them from a path […]
Posted inAccountability
One simple solution to tackle the gender pay gap
Millions of job seekers may soon have access to closely guarded information about pay. Six states recently approved wage transparency laws that require most employers to include pay ranges in job ads. Colorado debuted the policy in 2021 as a strategy to help shrink the persistent gender wage gap. California and Washington enacted similar laws […]
Posted inLive Events
What is home? Public Integrity event will feature disabled storytellers
This event is called “What is Home?” It will take place on July 26 at 7 p.m. Eastern time. The event will have: Amy Silverman will lead the event. Amy wrote a story for the Center for Public Integrity last year. The story was about how hard it was to find safe homes for people […]
Posted inDemocracy
A Gen Z voting activist discusses the ‘war on youth’
Santiago Mayer moved to Southern California from Mexico City in 2017, around the time President Donald Trump’s “Muslim ban” was sparking nationwide protests. “I kept wanting to talk about it with people in my classes and with my friends,” Mayer said recently. “And I realized that many people either didn’t know what was happening, or […]
Posted inInequality
Abortion care has become a patchwork of state laws that deepen inequalities
In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling struck down the constitutional right to abortion, society has been seeing the results of a post-Roe world. While there is no law in the U.S. that regulates what a man can do with his body, the reproductive health of women is now more […]
Posted inInside Public Integrity
‘American Whitelash’: Lowery examines how white grievance drives violence
The election of America’s first Black president was expected to begin a post-racial period where communities would work together to address systemic racism and ensure that racial prejudice became a social problem of the past. But that never happened. Barack Obama’s election became a trigger for white grievance and violence over Black progress. In his […]
Posted inInside Public Integrity
Public Integrity’s ‘The Heist’ wins Excellence in Financial Journalism award
The Center for Public Integrity has won the 2023 Excellence in Financial Journalism Award for best audio reporting for Season 2 of its podcast, “The Heist.” “The Wealth Vortex,” produced in partnership with Transmitter Media, follows Iowa entrepreneur ReShonda Young as she tries to start a Black-owned bank to help address the racial wealth gap […]
Posted inInequality
Why the way we measure poverty matters
The ability of millions of Americans to make ends meet hinges on how we measure poverty. But the “how” may shift after a national panel recommended changes to one of the Census Bureau’s poverty measures. Designing a fair and accurate measure is no simple matter. It’s also surprisingly political because it drives public policy and […]
Posted inLive Events
What is home? Public Integrity will host event featuring disabled storytellers
Join the Center for Public Integrity, USC Annenberg’s Center for Health Journalism and State of Mind, a partnership between Slate and Arizona State University, on July 26 at 7 p.m. Eastern for a unique storytelling event and panel. The discussion will be lead by Amy Silverman, whose award-winning reporting for the Center for Public Integrity […]
Posted inEnvironment
Planning for environmental justice for all
This story was published as a partnership between the Center for Public Integrity and Fresnoland When Arlin Benavides Jr. set out to hear residents’ environmental concerns in one of the most marginalized parts of a region facing water scarcity, groundwater contamination, extreme heat and other woes, he wasn’t sure if people would open their doors, […]
Posted inInside Public Integrity
Data journalism pioneers join IRE’s Ring of Honor
The impact of two data journalism pioneers, including a former Center for Public Integrity data editor, will be honored at the Investigative Reporters & Editors annual conference in Orlando June 24. The late David Donald and Tom Torok will be inducted into IRE’s Ring of Honor, “celebrating members who have made a significant contribution to […]
Posted inInside Public Integrity
Dateline Awards honor Public Integrity stories on homelessness, disabilities
Investigations by the Center for Public Integrity into student homelessness and community-based care of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were recognized with 2023 Dateline Awards by the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists Wednesday. With “Institution of One,” which was named best online non-breaking news story, reporter Amy Silverman painted a […]
Posted inImmigration
How outdated visa policies drive illegal immigration
Luis Alfredo Galindo, a music professor and mariachi from Bogota, Colombia, began looking for ways to immigrate legally to the U.S. in 2019 and find a safe place for his wife and two kids away from the violence of his home country. He talked to attorneys and scoured the internet, but he couldn’t find any […]
Posted inInequality
‘Young people are being harmed’: the effect of anti-trans legislation
So far this year, legislators in nearly every state have introduced over 550 anti-transgender bills — more than in the past eight years combined.