How our journalism spurred change in 2024<a href="[link removed]><img src="[link removed]" alt="" border="0" /></a>

 

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Dear Reader,

So far in 2024, the journalism produced by our newsroom has spurred impact from the Environmental Protection Agency, state governments all over the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission and much more. We've summarized it here for you, in our latest Impact Report.

Read the Report <[link removed]>

The work showcased is striking in its scope, and we are proud to share the impact it has prompted. For example:

“Sacrifice Zones,” our 2021 investigative series that mapped toxic air pollutants across the country, continues to spur impact. The series revealed that residents across the country, notably in areas populated by people of color, are being exposed to toxic industrial emissions linked to increased cancer risk. In March, the EPA issued a rule to slash toxic emissions from commercial sterilization facilities <[link removed]> that release fumes of ethylene oxide, labeled by the agency as “one of the most potent cancer-causing chemicals.” The new rule will eventually eliminate about 80% of annual emissions of the gas nationwide, according to the EPA.

Spurred by our reporting, the Idaho Legislature approved $2 billion for school districts to repair and replace aging and overcrowded buildings <[link removed]> — the largest investment in school facilities in state history. Last year, ProPublica and Local Reporting Network partner Idaho Statesman revealed that Idaho spends less, per student, on schools than any other state, and that restrictive policies created a funding crisis that left rural schools with collapsing roofs, deteriorating foundations and freezing classrooms. Citing our reporting, Gov. Brad Little announced in his January State of the State address that he wanted to make funding for school facilities “priority No. 1.”

In January, the FTC ordered Intuit, the company behind TurboTax, to stop what it called years of widespread deceptive advertising for “free” tax-filing software <[link removed]>. The order was accompanied by a 93-page opinion that harshly criticized the company. In a statement, Intuit said it planned to appeal the order in federal court. “There is no monetary penalty in the FTC’s order, and Intuit expects no significant impact to its business,” the statement said, adding that the company “has always been clear, fair, and transparent with its customers.” The order caps off a process that started four years ago when the FTC launched an investigation in response to a series of ProPublica stories documenting Intuit’s ad tactics. Our reporting revealed how millions of Americans were systematically tricked into paid tax preparation products even though they were eligible to file for free through a government-sponsored program. Over the years, our reporting also led to an investigation by state attorneys general that resulted in a $141 million settlement with Intuit and the development of an experimental online tool that would allow Americans to file taxes directly with the IRS for free.

And this month, Justice Clarence Thomas acknowledged for the first time in a new financial disclosure filing that he should have publicly reported two free vacations he received from billionaire Harlan Crow <[link removed]>. The pair of 2019 trips, one to Indonesia and the other to the Bohemian Grove, an all-male retreat in northern California, were first revealed <[link removed]> in ProPublica’s Pulitzer Prize-winning series on ethics at the Supreme Court. Last year, Thomas argued that he did not need to disclose such gifts. “Justice Thomas’s critics allege that he failed to report gifts from wealthy friends,” his lawyer previously said in a statement issued on the justice’s behalf. “Untrue.”

Impact like this is at the heart of ProPublica’s mission to use the moral force of investigative journalism to spur real-world change, and it would not be possible without the support of our readers. I encourage you to read the full report <[link removed]> to learn more about these stories and many, many more.

Thank you.

Robin SparkmanPresident, ProPublica <[link removed]>

Read the Report <[link removed]>

  
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