Local Reporting Network Archive
All entries from our Local Reporting Network.
How LA’s Illegal Short-Term Rentals Hide in Plain Sight on Booking Sites
Los Angeles officials are struggling to crack down on illegal rentals during a housing crisis. Here’s how to make sure you’re a responsible vacationer.
Decrepit Pipes Put Jackson, Mississippi, on the Edge of Catastrophe. State Regulators Didn’t Act.
For years, Jackson residents endured periods of low water pressure, potentially unsafe drinking water or no water at all. All the while, state inspectors found few problems with the failing pipes that caused those problems.
Struggling to Keep or Find Housing After Maui’s Wildfires? Tell Us Your Story.
We need to hear from anyone who has been touched by what many say is a secondary housing crisis after the fires. Have you faced eviction or a rent increase? Are you a landlord or property manager? Tell us how you’ve been affected.
Maui Residents Have Been Forced From Their Homes to Make Room for Wildfire Survivors. Property Owners Are Profiting.
High prices offered by emergency housing programs have encouraged property owners to chase the money. Housing advocates say state officials haven’t moved aggressively enough to crack down on predatory behavior.
Washington State Solar Project Paused Amid Concern About Native Cultural Sites
The decision comes after an investigation by High Country News and ProPublica found that a land survey funded by the developer omitted more than a dozen sites of archaeological or cultural significance.
In Rural Tennessee, Domestic Violence Victims Face Barriers to Getting Justice. One County Has Transformed Its Approach.
Despite being a rural area that’s steeped in gun culture, Scott County has emerged as a model for the state in trying to prevent domestic violence from escalating.
Utah Supreme Court Rules That Alleged Sexual Assault by a Doctor Is Not “Health Care”
The decision revives a lawsuit filed by 94 women who said their OB-GYN sexually abused them. Previously, a lower court determined that the actions they alleged had to be treated as medical malpractice.
The Government Spends Millions to Open Grocery Stores in Food Deserts. The Real Test Is Their Survival.
The community of Cairo, Illinois, once a food desert, welcomed its new market last year with balloons and cheers. But the store is struggling — exposing problems with the programs set up to help.
How a Washington Tax Break for Data Centers Snowballed Into One of the State’s Biggest Corporate Giveaways
Companies have saved $474 million since 2018, with most of the windfall going to Washington-based tech giant Microsoft. Lawmakers repeatedly expanded who qualifies, and they lowered the number of jobs expected in return.
Why We Investigated Matthew Trewhella, the Far-Right Wisconsin Pastor Influencing Republican Politics
Some people said militant anti-abortion activist Matthew Trewhella was a ’90s figure who’s no longer relevant, but our reporting shows he’s influencing policies, bills and movements today.
Data Centers Demand a Massive Amount of Energy. Here’s How Some States Are Tackling the Industry’s Impact.
As the draw on the grid from these computer warehouses undergoes explosive growth, states that offer tax exemptions to support the industry are considering whether their approach still makes sense.
New Louisiana Law Serves as a Warning to Bystanders Who Film Police: Stay Away or Face Arrest
Louisiana is the fourth state to enact a so-called police buffer law, which allows officers to order people to keep their distance. Journalists say the law will make it harder to document when police use excessive force.
In Los Angeles, Your Chic Vacation Rental May Be a Rent-Controlled Apartment
Amid an affordable housing crisis, dozens of rent-controlled buildings are listed on short-term rental websites. A 2018 law was supposed to stop that, but the city is struggling to enforce it.
Washington Is Giving Tax Breaks to Data Centers That Threaten the State’s Green Energy Push
In 2019, Washington adopted legislation requiring electric utilities to go carbon-neutral in a decade. Yet lawmakers continued to promote the growth of energy-guzzling data centers with generous tax incentives.
A Judge Ruled a Louisiana Prison’s Health Care System Has Failed Inmates for Decades. A Federal Law Could Block Reforms.
The Prison Litigation Reform Act was passed to curtail the number of lawsuits filed by inmates over conditions behind bars. It has kept courts from forcing Louisiana to overhaul the medical system in its largest prison.
In New York, Wage Theft Violators Get Millions in Government Contracts
ProPublica and Documented identified 25 employers that, despite histories of wage theft, have received contracts worth more than a collective $500 million from city and state agencies since 2018.
The Gospel of Matthew Trewhella: How a Militant Anti-Abortion Activist Is Influencing Republican Politics
The Wisconsin pastor was once a political pariah. But now his book is being quoted by politicians and former Trump officials. One activist is using it to disrupt elections.
