One possible descendant wants to reclaim their story.

ProPublica ProPublica <[link removed]> Donate <[link removed]>

The Big Story
Mon. Oct 9, 2023

<[link removed]>

A Racist Harvard Scientist Commissioned Photos of Enslaved People. One Possible Descendant Wants to Reclaim Their Story. <[link removed]> The images are among the oldest known photographs of enslaved people in America. Tamara Lanier’s fight to gain control of them shows there is no clear system in place to repatriate remains of captive Africans or objects associated with them. by Jennifer Berry Hawes

VIEW STORY <[link removed]>

How a Grad Student Uncovered the Largest Known Slave Auction in the U.S. <[link removed]> Lauren Davila made a stunning discovery as a graduate student at the College of Charleston: an ad for a slave auction larger than any historian had yet identified. The find yields a new understanding of the enormous harm of such a transaction. by Jennifer Berry Hawes, photography by Gavin McIntyre for ProPublica <[link removed]>

Activists Have Long Called for Charleston to Confront Its Racial History. Tourists Are Now Expecting It. <[link removed]> Surging interest from visitors is contributing to a more honest telling of the city’s role in the American slave trade. But tensions are flaring as South Carolina lawmakers restrict race-based teachings. by Jennifer Berry Hawes, photography by Gavin McIntyre for ProPublica <[link removed]>

More From Our Newsroom

A Lab Test That Experts Liken to a Witch Trial Is Helping Send Women to Prison for Murder <[link removed]> The “lung float” test claims to help determine if a baby was born alive or dead, but many medical examiners say it’s too unreliable. Yet the test is still being used to bring murder charges — and get convictions. by Duaa Eldeib <[link removed]>

We Don’t Talk About Leonard <[link removed]> The conservative legal movement in the United States is more powerful than ever. One largely unknown man has played a significant role in pushing the American judiciary to the right: Leonard Leo. by Andrea Bernstein, Andy Kroll, Ilya Marritz <[link removed]>

It’s Not Personal: Why Clarence Thomas’ Trip to the Koch Summit Undermines His Ethics Defense <[link removed]> Even by Thomas’ own permissive interpretation, the justice’s recently revealed travel to Palm Springs and the Bohemian Grove appear to violate the disclosure law, experts explained. by Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan and Alex Mierjeski <[link removed]>

Southeast Asian Casinos Emerge as Major Enablers of Global Cybercrime <[link removed]> A growing number of casinos in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are engaging in large-scale money laundering, facilitating cyberfraud that is costing victims in America and abroad billions of dollars, according to new research by the United Nations. by Cezary Podkul <[link removed]>

How a Big Pharma Company Stalled a Potentially Lifesaving Vaccine in Pursuit of Bigger Profits <[link removed]> A vaccine against tuberculosis, the world’s deadliest infectious disease, has never been closer to reality, with the potential to save millions of lives. But its development slowed after its corporate owner focused on more profitable vaccines. by Anna Maria Barry-Jester <[link removed]>

Idaho Banned Abortion. Then It Turned Down Supports for Pregnancies and Births. <[link removed]> Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, the state’s GOP-led Legislature has disbanded a maternal mortality committee, failed to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage and turned down federal grants for child care. by Audrey Dutton <[link removed]>

Virginia Law Allows the Papers of University Presidents to Stay Secret, Limiting Public Oversight <[link removed]> A provision in state law exempts college presidents’ “working papers and correspondence” from disclosure even after they step down — as we found out when we asked about one ex-president’s role in campus expansions that uprooted a Black neighborhood. by Brandi Kellam, Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO, and Gabriel Sandoval, ProPublica <[link removed]>

“A Setup for Disaster”: California Legislation Requiring Companies to Pay for Oil and Gas Well Cleanup in Limbo <[link removed]> The bill, which awaits a decision by Gov. Gavin Newsom, follows ProPublica’s reporting on the multibillion-dollar cost to clean up California’s oil and gas industry and the exodus of major companies shifting ownership of thousands of aging wells. by Mark Olalde <[link removed]>

Ruling Confirms Trump Used Fraud to Hype Property Values <[link removed]> In 2019, ProPublica revealed stark inconsistencies between what the Trump Organization had reported to tax authorities and what it told lenders about the finances of one of its towers. A judge this week ruled the company had committed fraud. by Heather Vogell <[link removed]>

Anchorage City Commissioner Charged With Fraudulently Obtaining $1.6 Million in COVID-19 Relief Funds for Her Charity <[link removed]> Despite a history of fraud allegations, Rosalina Mavaega and her husband received one of the city’s largest awards under the American Rescue Plan Act. Prosecutors say the couple spent the funds buying cryptocurrency and on other personal uses. by Kyle Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News <[link removed]>

What You Need to Know About the Philips Respironics CPAP Recall <[link removed]> We found answers to some of the most critical questions about the ongoing recall of millions of CPAP machines, ventilators and other breathing devices. by Debbie Cenziper, ProPublica, and Michael D. Sallah, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette <[link removed]>

Find us on Facebook <[link removed]> Follow us on Twitter <[link removed]> Follow us on Instagram <[link removed]> Watch us on Youtube <[link removed]> Donate <[link removed]>

Get the ProPublica mobile app:
Download on the App Store <[link removed]> Get it on Google Play <[link removed]>
Was this email forwarded to you from a friend? Subscribe. <[link removed]> Want less email? Click here if you only want to receive one ProPublica newsletter each week. This email was sent to [email protected]. Update your email preferences or unsubscribe <[link removed]> to stop receiving this newsletter. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. <[link removed]> ProPublica • 155 Ave of the Americas, 13th Floor • New York, NY 10013 <a href="[link removed]><img src="[link removed]" alt="" border="0" /></a>