July 21, 2026 · View in browser

Max Blau spent a year reporting on abuses of farmworkers. It left him wondering: Is the produce he buys at the grocery store part of the problem?

Related Reads: Max Blau has reported at length about the mistreatment of farmworkers who came to the U.S. legally. Revisit some of that work:

• A Farmworkers Visa Promised Her a Better Life. It Was a Trap.
• Farmworkers Are Frequently Exploited. But Few Farms Participate in a Program That Experts Say Could Prevent Abuse.
• The Dramatic Rise of Farm Labor Contractors Has Led to Rampant Abuses. Here’s Why Regulators Have Failed to Stop Them.

Join us for a members-only virtual discussion about America’s farms, how our food is made and where regulations are failing to keep workers and consumers safe. Donate any amount to become a member!

Tuesday, Aug. 4

4 p.m. Eastern time

Events supported by the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation.

On Alaska’s remote Adak Island, it costs more than $340,000 per year to provide internet access to hundreds of buildings — most of which are empty. The money being wasted is yours: It comes from a fee added to nearly every American’s phone bill as part of a Federal Communications Commission subsidy program intended to bring fast, affordable internet to remote towns. 

Reporting this year by the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica has found that the multibillion-dollar Universal Service Fund pays for what often amounts to slow internet access for customers who actually no longer use it. 

The fewer than 100 people still living on the island don’t even benefit from the program. We know this because we flew to the island in June and visited every building the company itself told regulators it serves. We knocked on every door and talked to every person we could find — and not a single one told us they subscribe to the island’s subsidized internet service.

The FCC never responded to our repeated questions about the program.

P.S. We’re still reporting on Alaska internet companies. If you live there, please fill out our quick survey to share how much it costs you to get online and what you think of the service.

This is The Texas Tribune Festival: bold ideas, real accountability, on the record, Sept. 24–26 in downtown Austin.

TribFest brings together the state’s boldest leaders, thinkers and innovators for an up-close look at the issues affecting your life. From education and the economy to energy, healthcare, technology, public safety, culture and the arts, discover conversations you won’t find anywhere else. 

Explore the ideas and actions transforming our state and join in candid, on-the-record conversations with real accountability. Ask questions. Challenge ideas. Make your voice heard — and leave informed, inspired and ready for what’s next. 

Be part of the record. Get tickets now and join us this September. Discounted tickets are available to Texas Tribune members, students and educators.

Was this email forwarded to you from a friend? Subscribe.

This email was sent to [email protected].

ProPublica

155 Ave of the Americas, 13th Floor

New York, NY 10013