Toxic gaslighting.
The Big Story
Mon. May 20, 2024
Toxic Gaslighting: How 3M Executives Convinced a Scientist the Forever Chemicals She Found in Human Blood Were Safe
Decades ago, Kris Hansen showed 3M that its PFAS chemicals were in people’s bodies. Her bosses halted her work. As the EPA now forces the removal of the chemicals from drinking water, she wrestles with the secrets that 3M kept from her and the world.
by Sharon Lerner, photography by Haruka Sakaguchi, special to ProPublica
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🎧 Texas conservative fights back against school board extremism

School board elections used to rarely make national news, but in recent years conservative groups have made these races into political battlegrounds.

ProPublica reporter Jeremy Schwartz recently took a deep dive into one such election in rural Texas, where Courtney Gore campaigned as a GOP hard-liner. She won, but while she served her term, she became alarmed by her party’s extremism. Now, she’s part of a group of disillusioned local Republicans pushing back against a far-right faction of the party.

You can hear Gore in her own words in an interview with WBUR’s “Here & Now” about the story.
More From Our Newsroom
Kristi Noem Said She Is Proud to “Support Babies, Moms, and Families.” Her Record Shows Otherwise, Critics Say.
As South Dakota governor, Noem has rejected programs and millions of dollars in federal funds that would have benefited parents and children and provided care during pregnancy. Critics say her rhetoric is “all hat and no cattle.”
by Jessica Lussenhop
Segregation Academies Still Operate Across the South. One Town Grapples With Its Divided Schools.
Seventy years after Brown v. Board, Black and white residents, in Camden, Alabama, say they would like to see their children schooled together. But after so long apart, they aren’t sure how to make it happen.
by Jennifer Berry Hawes
Illinois School Districts Sent Kids to a For-Profit Out-of-State Facility That Isn’t Vetted or Monitored
A state law was meant to help families by allowing the use of public money to fund students’ tuition at special education boarding schools around the country. But in solving one problem, lawmakers created another.
by Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards
Albuquerque Is Throwing Out the Belongings of Homeless People, Violating City Policy
The city has violated a court order and its own policies by discarding the personal property of thousands of homeless people, who have lost medications, birth certificates, IDs, treasured family photos and the ashes of loved ones.
by Nicole Santa Cruz
Former Far-Right Hard-Liner Says Billionaires Are Using School Board Races to Sow Distrust in Public Education
The largesse from billionaires Tim Dunn and brothers Farris and Dan Wilks has made its way into local politics across Texas. Courtney Gore, a Republican school board member in Granbury, says it’s part of their strategy to build support for vouchers.
by Jeremy Schwartz
She Campaigned for a Texas School Board Seat as a GOP Hard-Liner. Now She’s Rejecting Her Party’s Extremism.
Courtney Gore, a Granbury ISD school board member, has disavowed the far-right platform she campaigned on after finding no evidence that students were being indoctrinated by the district’s curriculum. Her defiance has brought her backlash.
by Jeremy Schwartz
Minnesota AG Sues Contract-for-Deed Seller Who Allegedly Targeted Muslim Community
The complaint, which alleges violations of lending law and religious discrimination, follows a ProPublica and Sahan Journal investigation.
by Jessica Lussenhop
Even When a Cop Is Killed With an Illegally Purchased Weapon, the Gun Store’s Name Is Kept Secret
A 2003 law pushed by the gun industry limits the information shared by federal agents and shields gun shops from public scrutiny, but ProPublica was able to identify the store that sold the gun used in the shooting of a Chicago police officer.
by Vernal Coleman, photography by Sarahbeth Maney
Mississippi Lawmakers Move to Limit the Jail Detentions of People Awaiting Mental Health Treatment
Supporters say the measure is a step forward in curbing the number of people jailed during civil commitment. But some local officials say the impact will be limited unless the state makes other changes, including adding psychiatric beds.
by Kate Royals, Mississippi Today
IRS Audit of Trump Could Cost Former President More Than $100 Million
The tax agency concluded in its long-running investigation that Trump effectively claimed the same massive write-off twice on his failed Chicago tower.
by Paul Kiel, ProPublica, and Russ Buettner, The New York Times
Georgia Promised to Fix How Voter Challenges Are Handled. A New Law Could Make the Problem Worse.
SB 189, which goes into effect in July, will give Georgia residents more time to contest the eligibility of fellow citizens’ inclusion on voter rolls and make it easier to use questionable evidence in those challenges.
by Doug Bock Clark
Plastic, Plastic Everywhere — Even at the UN’s “Plastic Free” Conference
At a conference meant to address the plastic crisis, pro-plastic messaging was inescapable. Meanwhile, industry insiders — some positioned as government delegates — were given access to vital negotiations.
by Lisa Song
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