December 2017 Archive

Political Ads on Facebook

To make American campaigns more transparent, we’ve built a tool to display political ads that are rarely seen outside their selected audience of Facebook users.

Facebook Allowed Political Ads That Were Actually Scams and Malware

These ads raise doubts about Facebook’s ability to monitor paid political messages. In each case, the ads ran afoul of Facebook’s own guidelines to curb misleading and malicious advertising.

ProPublica Illinois Q&A: Meet Reporter Jason Grotto

Reporter Jason Grotto believes if you’re complacent and just take things at face value, you’re going to miss the truth.

Why America Fails at Gathering Hate Crime Statistics

The FBI relies on local law enforcement agencies to identify and report crimes motivated by bias, but many agencies fumble this task.

A Dubious Arrest, a Compromised Prosecutor, a Tainted Plea: How One Murder Case Exposes a Broken System

One innocent man’s odyssey through the justice system shows the cascading, and enduring, effects of a bad conviction.

The Breakthrough: A Reporter Goes to Ground Zero for Today’s American HIV Epidemic

Linda Villarosa had spent decades covering the spread of AIDS. She thought she was done. Then, she visited Jackson, Mississippi.

More States Hatch Plans to Recycle Drugs Being Wasted in Nursing Homes

After reading ProPublica’s story, lawmakers in Florida and New Hampshire say they plan to follow the example of an Iowa nonprofit that redistributes leftover medications to needy patients.

Carried Interest Reform Is a Sham

Republicans claim they’re fixing a tax loophole that benefits wealthy money managers. Don’t believe them.

Let’s Make a List of Useful ‘Mediathings’ in Illinois

Mom blogs. Prison newsletters. Neighborhood Facebook groups. Help us make a list of where Illinoisans get specific information.

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