What We’re Watching
During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.
Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

Sharon Lerner
I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

Andy Kroll
I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

Melissa Sanchez
I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

Jesse Coburn
I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.
If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch.
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Help Us Report on Sexual Assault and Misconduct by the Chicago Police Department
We want to talk to people who have experienced sexual assault or sexual misconduct — which includes sexual harassment and unwanted, inappropriate touching or comments — by Chicago police officers, on or off duty.
Local Reporting Network
Prescient Warnings About Helene Didn’t Reach People in Harm’s Way. Here Are 5 Lessons for the Next Hurricane.
After four months of reporting, ProPublica found that the warnings about Helene were eerily accurate. Yet, local residents remained largely unaware of the enormity of danger approaching as the storm closed in.
A 700% APR Lending Business Tied to Dr. Phil’s Son Is Dividing an Alaska Tribe
Tribal lender Minto Money has boosted the economy of its Alaska town. But some tribal members are appalled by the millions it’s made off desperate borrowers — much of which, lawsuits allege, has gone to outsider Jay McGraw, son of Dr. Phil.
A Teacher Dragged a 6-Year-Old With Autism by His Ankle. Federal Civil Rights Officials Might Not Do Anything.
The Garrison School is part of a special education district that had students arrested at the highest rate in the country. It had pledged to change how it disciplines kids after a ProPublica-Chicago Tribune investigation and subsequent federal probe.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Sold Stocks Two Days Before Trump Announced a Plan for Reciprocal Tariffs
Duffy is the second member of Trump’s Cabinet who sold securities shortly before the president’s tariff announcements sent markets plunging. A spokesperson for Duffy said an account manager made the trades and that Duffy had no input on the timing.
Helene’s Unheard Warnings
As Hurricane Helene barreled toward Yancey County in North Carolina, communities along the Cane River in the Black Mountains were particularly vulnerable. But there were no evacuation orders, and few grasped what was coming.
El Gobierno de Trump prepara una lista de políticos mexicanos sujetos a restricciones de visa por presuntos vínculos con el narco
La lista de mexicanos que pueden ser objeto de restricciones de visa por parte de EE UU incluye a líderes del partido de la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum, gobernadores estatales y exministros de gabinete.
ProPublica Selects 13 Journalists for Investigative Editor Training
The 2025 cohort of nine outside journalists and four ProPublicans will receive intensive training and mentorship from ProPublica editors and staff.
Trump Asked EPA Employees to Snitch on Colleagues Working on DEI Initiatives. They Declined.
EPA staff didn’t use a tip line set up by the Trump administration to identify and assist in slashing programs focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
Texas Lawmakers Push to Enforce Election Transparency Law After Newsrooms Found School Districts Failed to Comply
ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found nearly three dozen school districts were missing required campaign finance reports online. Now lawmakers are pushing to impose steep penalties on local governments that fail to abide by the law.
Democrats Won a North Carolina Supreme Court Seat. But They Lost Control Over the Board That Sets Election Rules.
Republican Jefferson Griffin conceded after a monthslong legal battle. But Democrats suffered a defeat that may be more consequential: losing control of the state board that sets voting rules and adjudicates election disputes.
After Two SpaceX Explosions, U.K. Officials Ask FAA to Change Starship Flight Plans
Facing a significant increase in the number of SpaceX launches, British officials detailed their concerns about the safety of Turks and Caicos and other Caribbean territories after debris from an earlier failed launch littered beaches and roads.
Trump Administration Moves to Block the U.S. Travel of Mexican Politicians Who It Says Are Linked to the Drug Trade
The list of Mexicans who could be targeted for U.S. visa restrictions includes leaders of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s party, state governors and former Cabinet ministers.
How the Trump Administration Is Weakening the Enforcement of Fair Housing Laws
Starting with cases involving sexual orientation and identity, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is hobbling enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. Said one HUD attorney: “People are really being harmed by it.”
The Trump Administration Leaned on African Countries. The Goal: Get Business for Elon Musk.
The State Department has intervened on behalf of Musk’s satellite internet company in five developing nations. In Gambia, U.S. diplomats have lobbied and browbeat at least seven government ministers as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign.
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