Audio reveals the gun lobbying group enacting a plan that would conceal payments for fancy hotels, limousines and other luxury expenses connected to its longtime CEO for a decade.

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

The Big Story
Thu. Jan 11, 2024

<[link removed]>

Secret Recording Shows NRA Treasurer Plotting to Conceal Extravagant Expenses Involving Wayne LaPierre <[link removed]> Audio obtained by The Trace and ProPublica reveals, in real time, the gun lobbying group enacting a plan that would conceal payments for fancy hotels, limousines and other luxury expenses connected to its longtime CEO for a decade. by Mike Spies, The Trace

VIEW STORY <[link removed]>

Under the Gun

Inside the Notorious Gun Shop Linked to Hundreds of Chicago Guns <[link removed]> The story of one Indiana store demonstrates how the more than 60,000 gun retailers in America have little financial incentive to say no to questionable buyers and face limited penalties for failing to prevent illegal transactions. by Vernal Coleman <[link removed]>

“Someone Tell Me What to Do” <[link removed]> Across the country, states require more training to prepare students and teachers for mass shootings than for those expected to protect them. The differences were clear in Uvalde, where children and officers waited on opposite sides of the door. by Lomi Kriel and Lexi Churchill, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, and Jinitzail Hernández, The Texas Tribune <[link removed]>

How a Maine Businessman Made the AR-15 Into America’s Best-Selling Rifle <[link removed]> Neither a gun enthusiast nor a right-wing ideologue, Richard Dyke used political connections and lobster giveaways to build Bushmaster, the company that popularized assault-style rifles. by James Bandler and Doris Burke <[link removed]>

How Tennessee’s Justice System Allows Dangerous People to Keep Guns — With Deadly Outcomes <[link removed]> Michaela Carter was one of at least 75 people killed in domestic violence shootings in Nashville since 2007. Nearly 40% were shot by people who were legally barred from having a gun. by Paige Pfleger, WPLN/Nashville Public Radio, with research by Mariam Elba, ProPublica <[link removed]>

⚡️ Impact Alert

<[link removed]>

Idaho Governor Proposes $2 Billion in Funding for School Buildings Over Next 10 Years <[link removed]>

Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Monday proposed spending $2 billion over 10 years to help school districts repair and replace their aging buildings. This would mark the largest investment in school facilities in state history, he said.

The proposal, announced during the governor’s annual State of the State address, follows an Idaho Statesman and ProPublica investigation <[link removed]>, which showed how Idaho’s restrictive school funding policies and the Legislature’s reluctance to make significant investments in school facilities have impacted students and teachers. Hundreds of students, teachers and administrators shared photos, videos and stories with the publications about the conditions they deal with on a daily basis.

Read More <[link removed]>

More From Our Newsroom

How Many of Your State’s Lawmakers Are Women? If You Live in the Southeast, It Could Be Just 1 in 5 <[link removed]> A record number of women were elected to statehouses last year. But in the Southeast, where some legislatures are more than 80% male, representation is lagging as lawmakers pass bills that most impact women, like near-total abortion bans. by Jennifer Berry Hawes <[link removed]>

As the U.S. Struggles With a Stillbirth Crisis, Australia Offers a Model for How to Do Better <[link removed]> Australia has emerged as a global leader in the effort to lower the number of babies that die before taking their first breaths. It’s an approach that could benefit America, which lags behind other wealthy nations in reducing stillbirths. by Duaa Eldeib <[link removed]>

Health Plans Can’t Dodge Paying for Expensive New Cancer Treatments, Says Michigan’s Top Insurance Regulator <[link removed]> After ProPublica reported on a health insurer that refused to cover the only medicine that could save a cancer patient’s life, Michigan insurance regulators clarified that, by law, many plans must pay for any clinically proven treatments. by Robin Fields and Maya Miller <[link removed]>

Staff Warned About the Lack of Psychiatric Care at a VA Clinic. They Couldn’t Prevent Tragedy. <[link removed]> Two veterans sought psychiatric care at a VA clinic in Chico, California. They were bounced between virtual providers and struggled to get support in the threadbare system. A staffer worried, “We are going to kill someone.” Then tragedy struck. by Kathleen McGrory and Neil Bedi, ProPublica, photography by Loren Elliott for ProPublica <[link removed]>

How the VA Fails Veterans on Mental Health <[link removed]> A ProPublica analysis of 313 studies conducted by the agency’s inspector general in recent years shows repeated failures in behavioral care. The breakdowns have had fatal consequences. by Kathleen McGrory and Neil Bedi <[link removed]>

Skipping School: America’s Hidden Education Crisis <[link removed]> Absenteeism has nearly doubled since the pandemic. With state and federal governments largely abdicating any role in getting kids back into classrooms, some schools have turned to private companies for a reimagined version of the truant officer. by Alec MacGillis <[link removed]>

Utah Bills Itself as “Family-Friendly” Even as Lawmakers Have Long Neglected Child Care <[link removed]> Federal relief had improved access to child care. But when funding expired, the state rejected proposals to replace it. Some advocates say the historical influence of the LDS church has added to the resistance. by Nicole Santa Cruz, photography by Sarahbeth Maney <[link removed]>

In the Scar of New Mexico’s Largest Wildfire, a Legal Battle Is Brewing: What Is Victims’ Suffering Worth? <[link removed]> A wildfire accidentally started by the federal government drove them from their homes and destroyed the things they loved most about their land. The government will pay them only for things with a price tag. by Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico, and Byard Duncan, ProPublica <[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>