By Abrahm Lustgarten Pro Publica On a 110-degree day several years ago, surrounded by piles of sand and rock in the desert outside of Las Vegas, I stepped into a yellow cage large enough to fit three standing adults and was lowered 600 feet through a black hole into the ground. There, at the bottom, amid pooling water and dripping […]
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By Justin Elliott and Robert Faturechi Pro Publica In November 2017, with the administration of President Donald Trump rushing to get a massive tax overhaul through Congress, Sen. Ron Johnson stunned his colleagues by announcing he would vote “no.” Making the rounds on cable TV, the Wisconsin Republican became the first GOP senator to declare his opposition, spooking Senate leaders who were […]
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By J.C. Bruce There’s an internet meme showing the state of Michigan in pastel shades of yellow and blue contrasted with Florida in glaring fire-engine red. The images are juxtaposed with mugshots of the governors of the respective states. The idea is to contrast how the Democrat in Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, is doing a superior job of managing the coronavirus […]
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By J.C. Bruce I have been assigned by Tropic Press to write this new periodic dispatch from the Gunshine State, an effort to provide a fair and balanced perspective on news emanating from this subtropical paradise that may seem confusing, confounding, and, perhaps, utterly crazy to outsiders. We’ll begin this unbiased and totally objective report with a look at how […]
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The Small Business Administration refuses to give pandemic relief loans to people who have filed for bankruptcy, even if their businesses can survive. By Lydia DePillis ProPublica Like every other storefront in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, the Coffee House — a cavernous student hangout slinging espresso and decadent pastries since 1987 — saw its revenue dry up almost overnight last spring […]
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The cyberbreach at a plant in Oldsmar, Florida, which could have resulted in a mass poisoning, was a reminder of a disturbing reality: Despite a decade of warnings, thousands of water systems around the country are still at risk. By Peter Elkind and Jack Gillum ProPublica On Feb. 16, less than two weeks after a mysterious attacker made headlines around the world […]
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President Biden has promised enough doses for all American adults by this summer. There’s not much even the Defense Production Act can do to deliver doses before then. by Isaac Arnsdorf and Ryan Gabrielson Pro Publica President Joe Biden has ordered enough vaccines to immunize every American against COVID-19, and his administration says it’s using the full force of the federal government to get the […]
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