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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 23d

We can’t produce fearless investigative journalism without job security and a fair contract. After almost two years of bargaining, we need your help.

Show your support for @propublica.org workers by adding your name to our petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...

Fair Contract Now for ProPublica Guild

We, the workers of ProPublica, provide our readers with deeply researched, unbiased news that holds power to account. This work is more important now than ever, but our staff can’t properly contribute...

actionnetwork.org

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · Aug 12

We’re holding a lunch-out today to demand that @propublica management agree to a fair discipline and performance evaluation system. Just today, a member of our Bargaining Committee and Unit Council was fired as a result of ProPublica's flawed system.

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

Molly Redden @mtredden.bsky.social · Aug 6

Do you have information about Big Law spurning clients who might incur Trump's anger? Get in touch: [email protected] or on Signal at mollyredden.14

Molly Redden @mtredden.bsky.social · Aug 6

New from me: Big Law is fearful of representing anyone Trump sees as his enemies, and it's thwarting challenges to his agenda.

“There are cases that aren’t being brought at a time when civil rights abuses are maybe at the highest they’ve been.” www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Trump’s War on Big Law Means It’s Harder to Challenge the Administration

Some of America’s largest law firms are refusing to take pro bono and paid legal work from groups that seek to hold the government to account on issues like environmental protection, LGBTQ+ rights and...

www.propublica.org

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Joel Jacobs @joeljacobs.bsky.social · Aug 6

NEW from me: The CFPB's consumer complaint system is more popular than ever, fielding over 2.7M complaints last year.

But Republican lawmakers still voted to slash the CFPB's budget, even after referring thousands of their own constituents' issues to the agency.

www.propublica.org/article/cfpb...

These GOP Lawmakers Referred Constituents to the CFPB for Help. Then They Voted to Gut the Agency.

Many of the same Republican lawmakers who have targeted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for cuts have collectively directed thousands of constituents’ complaints about banks, credit cards, lo...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

ProPublica @propublica.org · Aug 6

NEW: Many of the same Republican lawmakers who have targeted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for cuts have collectively directed thousands of constituents’ complaints about banks, credit cards, loans and other products to the agency.

By @joeljacobs.bsky.social

These GOP Lawmakers Referred Constituents to the CFPB for Help. Then They Voted to Gut the Agency.

Many of the same Republican lawmakers who have targeted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for cuts have collectively directed thousands of constituents’ complaints about banks, credit cards,…

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · May 21

NEW: A 700% APR Lending Business Tied to Dr. Phil’s Son Is Dividing an Alaska Tribe
@kylehopkinsak.bsky.social @megomatz.bsky.social @joeljacobs.bsky.social w/ @adn.com

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 ...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · May 8

1/ 🚨 Yesterday, @propublica.org management confirmed that it will again deny steward representation at disciplinary meetings. Our full statement 👇

Thursday, May 8, 2025
ProPublica management continues to deny steward representation
Yesterday morning, ProPublica management confirmed that it will deny steward representation to at least two more bargaining unit members it plans to discipline next week through the issuance of Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs).
This is part of a larger pattern: management has denied steward representation in every meeting where members were placed on PIPs. The plans are the first step in a disciplinary process that often leads to termination.
We have raised this issue repeatedly.
Last Thursday, more than 70% of our unit sent an open letter to ProPublica leadership, urging them to stop resisting core union protections including steward access, just cause and accountability in the disciplinary process.
This week, managers informed two employees that they would be placed on PIPs in meetings next week. Shortly afterward, ProPublica’s general counsel told Guild leadership that stewards will not be allowed in those meetings.
ProPublica’s disciplinary process remains opaque, inconsistently applied and shielded from scrutiny. Blocking stewards from these meetings is out of step with our industry and the principles of fairness and accountability the newsroom claims to uphold.

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · May 6

Trump says he loves vets. He's promised to "put veterans first."

He's also planning to cut the agency that cares for more than nine million of them.

If you're a vet who gets care at VA -- or you work there -- *we want to hear from you.*

www.propublica.org/getinvolved/...

Have You Been Affected by Changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs? Tell Us About It.

Have you experienced setbacks in your care or benefits amid the changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs? ProPublica wants to hear from you.

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · May 6

NEW INVESTIGATION from me and @vernalcoleman.bsky.social:

Internal emails show doctors and others at VA hospitals around the country begging for help as cuts hurt veterans' care, including "live-saving cancer trials."

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Internal VA Emails Reveal How Trump Cuts Jeopardize Veterans’ Care, Including To “Life-Saving Cancer Trials”

Despite a congressional mandate to expand care for veterans, internal Veterans Affairs messages obtained by ProPublica paint a stark portrait of how chaotic cost cutting has already imperiled tests of...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

ProPublica @propublica.org · Mar 11

NEW: The closure effectively hobbles the VA’s efforts to investigate and eliminate long-standing racial inequities that the department itself has acknowledged.

“The consequences will be dire, wide-reaching and deadly,” an advocate for Black veterans said.

By @vernalcoleman.bsky.social

The Office That Investigates Disparities in Veterans’ Care Is Being “Liquidated”

The closure effectively hobbles the VA’s efforts to investigate and eliminate long-standing racial inequities that the department itself has acknowledged. “The consequences will be dire, wide-reaching...

propub.li

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

Lisa Song @lisalsong.bsky.social · Feb 28

“We are really trying very, very hard ... to move our world forward" through "foundational, sometimes groundbreaking research, and then you get flagged and blacklisted because there is a word like ‘female’ in your project.”

My latest, w/the brilliant Agnel Philip

www.propublica.org/article/ted-...

A Study of Mint Plants. A Device to Stop Bleeding. This Is the Scientific Research Ted Cruz Calls “Woke.”

The senator flagged thousands of National Science Foundation grants for using words like “female” and “diversify.” A ProPublica analysis found numerous examples of projects caught up in his crude meth...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

Alejandro Alvarez @aletakesphotos.bsky.social · Feb 27

Strategically parked around the corner …

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

Megan O'Matz @megomatz.bsky.social · Feb 13

Take a listen to my colleague @joeljacobs.bsky.social talk about our @ProPublica tribal lending series on Oregon public radio www.ijpr.org/economy-and-...

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Joel Jacobs @joeljacobs.bsky.social · Jan 15

For more, see our full tribal lending series here: www.propublica.org/series/despe...

Or check out my thread on our previous reporting 👇

Joel Jacobs @joeljacobs.bsky.social · Jan 3

ICYMI: Last week @megomatz.bsky.social and I reported on how the tribal lending industry has survived and thrived offering exorbitant online loans to millions of borrowers — with APRs that can exceed 600%.
www.propublica.org/article/trib...

We’ve been investigating this opaque industry for months:🧵

The Tribal Lending Industry Offers Quick Cash Online at Outrageous Interest Rates. Here’s How It’s Survived.

Despite lawsuits, prosecutions and federal crackdown attempts, the tribal lending industry has adapted for over a decade, providing exorbitant loans to millions of financially vulnerable consumers.

www.propublica.org

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Joel Jacobs @joeljacobs.bsky.social · Jan 15

NEW from me and @megomatz.bsky.social‬ — tribal lenders offering 600%+ APR loans online argue that sovereign immunity allows them to skirt state lending laws, but we found they backed away from six states where attorneys have acted forcefully to protect consumers:
www.propublica.org/article/stat...

Tribal Lenders Say They Can Charge Over 600% Interest. These States Stopped Them.

Online lenders tied to Native American tribes argue that they aren’t subject to state lending laws, but they backed away from operating in six states where attorneys have acted forcefully to protect c...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

Megan O'Matz @megomatz.bsky.social · Jan 15

Federal authorities haven’t shown much interest lately in addressing payday-like lenders tied to Native American tribes, which offer quick cash online at astronomical interest rates. But we found that some states have effectively shut down such lending. www.propublica.org/article/stat...

Tribal Lenders Say They Can Charge Over 600% Interest. These States Stopped Them.

Online lenders tied to Native American tribes argue that they aren’t subject to state lending laws, but they backed away from operating in six states where attorneys have acted forcefully to protect c...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

ProPublica @propublica.org · Jan 15

NEW: Federal authorities have struggled to regulate tribal lending operations that offer short-term loans at crushing interest rates. But six states have shown that tribal immunity doesn’t prevent state officials from acting to protect consumers.

By @joeljacobs.bsky.social & @megomatz.bsky.social

Tribal Lenders Say They Can Charge Over 600% Interest. These States Stopped Them.

Online lenders tied to Native American tribes argue that they aren’t subject to state lending laws, but they backed away from operating in six states where attorneys have acted forcefully to protect…

propub.li

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

Josh Kaplan @josh-kaplan.bsky.social · Jan 4

THREAD: In 2023, I received an envelope with no return address. Inside was a flash drive containing tens of 1000s of secret files.

It came from a vigilante with a tumultuous past, who'd conducted a years-long undercover operation. He didn’t tell the FBI or his family. He only told me.

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Reposted by Joel Jacobs

Ken Schwencke @schwanksta.com · Dec 27

For the past year, @propublica.org has been reporting on the toll when a city "sweeps" an encampment. We handed out cards so folks could write in their own words what it meant to have their belongings trashed.

We're publishing dozens of those stories here:

projects.propublica.org/impact-of-ho...

“I Have Lost Everything”: The Toll of Cities’ Homeless Sweeps

Cities often take belongings — including important documents and irreplaceable mementos — when they conduct sweeps of homeless encampments. ProPublica gave notecards to people across the country so th...

projects.propublica.org

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Joel Jacobs @joeljacobs.bsky.social · Jan 3

11/ Read more: www.propublica.org/article/trib...

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Joel Jacobs @joeljacobs.bsky.social · Jan 3

10/ Despite lawsuits, prosecutions and federal crackdown attempts, how has the industry managed to persist? With help from powerful lobbying groups that have spent millions.

“This is a very entrenched industry with a lot of dollars at stake,” said UNM law professor Nathalie Martin.

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Joel Jacobs @joeljacobs.bsky.social · Jan 3

9/ In a statement to ProPublica last year, John Johnson Sr., LDF’s president, described the tribe’s lending business as “a narrative of empowerment, ethical business practice, and commitment to community enrichment.”

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Joel Jacobs @joeljacobs.bsky.social · Jan 3

8/ The tribe has since faced state legal action – in November, it agreed to stop lending in Minnesota and forgive debt to MN residents as part of an agreement with the state’s AG: www.propublica.org/article/minn...

A Tribal Lender Charging 800% APR Has Agreed to Stop Operating in Minnesota

The Lac du Flambeau tribe of Wisconsin settled a civil suit filed by Minnesota’s attorney general that alleged its triple-digit interest rates violated state caps. The tribe is under increasing legal ...

www.propublica.org

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Joel Jacobs @joeljacobs.bsky.social · Jan 3

7/ In the Supreme Court case, a borrower with a 741% loan from LDF said that the incessant collection efforts by an LDF business partner — even after he declared bankruptcy — drove him to attempt suicide.

The business partner declined to comment.

Line graph with a single line, labeled “Brian Coughlin’s Three-Month Loan Came With a 741% APR.” The x-axis ranges from the 1st payment to the 7th payment; the y-axis ranges from 0 dollars to $2000. Annotations read: “The original loan was for $900” and “At the end of the loan, Coughlin would have paid over $2,200.”

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Joel Jacobs @joeljacobs.bsky.social · Jan 3

6/ We found that the enterprise helped the Lac du Flambeau tribe avoid financial ruin, but it also led to costly lawsuits — including one that went up to the Supreme Court — and dubious partnerships with outside entities handling much of the daily operations: www.propublica.org/article/wisc...

Desperate Times Led Wisconsin Tribe to High-Interest Lending, Dubious Partnerships and Legal Jeopardy

Facing financial ruin, the Lac du Flambeau tribe began offering short-term loans online with annual rates often over 600%. But as the tribe rose in an industry derided for predatory practices, it put ...

www.propublica.org

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