Integrity Out Loud

Republican-led efforts to dismantle free-speech protections on college campuses could reshape the geography of higher education

States across the country resort to punitive policies that make it harder for people to pay off their tax debt, from license suspensions to less help for low-income residents than the IRS.

A misinformation campaign has politicized the exploitation of immigrant children as policies fail them.

North Carolina's Supreme Court chief justice heard cases despite a conflict of interest. Experts say judicial ethics at state high courts everywhere don't receive the scrutiny they deserve.

In the U.S., funding to shelter teens and young adults experiencing homelessness is far outstripped by the need.

Communities of color bear the brunt of U.S. pollution. Conservatives are targeting the civil-rights law that could change that.

El calentamiento global está fomentando una próspera y poco regulada industria de restauración post desastres impulsada por mano de obra inmigrante. Sin protección, los trabajadores están expuestos a toxinas mortales que los enferman mucho tiempo después de las labores de limpieza.

A warming planet is creating a booming and loosely-regulated disaster restoration industry fueled by immigrant labor. Without protection, workers are exposed to lethal toxins making them sick long after the cleanup.

Specially trained sexual assault nurses are scarce, and the federal government is ignoring a law requiring a national directory to search for them.

Pennsylvania schools tried to disenroll students who said they were homeless. ‘Being punished for poverty just does not seem right,' one parent wrote.

States' taxes lean most heavily on poorer residents. These states are trying to change that.

State taxes take a bigger share of income from poorer residents than wealthier ones. Nineteen states are making it worse.

Republicans seized the state Supreme Court after changing how judges are elected. The political implications — and ramifications for everyday life — are huge.

State supreme courts were once dominated by Democrats. A concerted effort by right-wing groups has changed that — with massive implications for abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and elections.

It's not just a problem of the past. Here's what you can do to protect everyone's future.

The only way to stop long-lasting harms is to end exposure. And that's possible — with the right actions.

La única manera de acabar con los daños persistentes de la contaminación por plomo es eliminar la exposición. Es posible lograrlo con las medidas adecuadas.

An insufficient mental health care system pushes some families to give up custody of their children for care. States look for better solutions.

State and local governments often tax economic activity on tribal land, reducing what tribes can collect to fund services for their citizens. It's the latest variation on centuries of wealth extraction.

This is the plain language version of our story on finding safe homes for people with disabilities.

Despite strides in community-based services for people with disabilities, staff shortages and lack of training mean that individuals aren't getting the services they need.

An investigation by Public Integrity and Newsy found a disturbing pattern of workplace violence in an industry that has tried to recruit more women but failed to protect them from sexual assault. Warning:  This story has graphic descriptions of rape and sexual assault that some might find disturbing. If you need support, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673 or access its online chat at online.rainn.org.

Federal law promises homeless children an equal shot at education. Many fall through the cracks.

Laws, court rulings and local decisions have targeted this method of voting in at least a dozen states as disinformation rages

Nearly half of the country lives in states restricting access. A similar share is in states expanding it. Democracy hangs in the balance, experts warn.

Los estados podrían contribuir a reducir la desigualdad, pero sus sistemas tributarios la empeoran, señala este reportaje del Center for Public Integrity. En casi todos los residentes de menos recursos pagan una proporción mayor de sus ingresos que los más adinerados. 

All but a few states take a greater share of income from poor people than the wealthy. Systems designed by white supremacists are part of the reason.

In Louisiana, the Isle de Jean Charles project is a test case for how the government could voluntarily resettle communities threatened by climate change. It hasn't gone smoothly.

With complicated applications and long wait times, the government's primary effort to move people out of harm's way falls woefully behind in the era of climate change.

Acosadas por inundaciones, incendios forestales y otros fenómenos, las comunidades varadas en la primera línea de la crisis climática necesitan ayuda para reubicarse. El gobierno de Estados Unidos no está preparado para ayudarlas.

Communities stuck on the front lines of the climate crisis need help relocating. The U.S. government isn't prepared.

In Akron, Ohio, toxic exposures from tire-industry jobs made people sick and cut lives short

Despite limited access to information and tribally controlled media, Indigenous journalists persevere in their reporting — and gradually promote transparency and accountability. 

As states set out to redraw political districts, some have worked to better integrate the needs of Native communities.

The Department of Housing and Community Development's effort is designed to keep low-income residents in their houses. Some homeowners watch damages get worse. Others die waiting for fixes.

Las investigaciones del Departamento del Trabajo no le han seguido el ritmo al gran aumento en la demanda de trabajadores con visas H-2A y H-2B.

Labor Department investigations haven't kept pace with the increase in demand for workers.

In places where rental assistance has been slow to be delivered, eviction cases are piling up. No one's tracking it.

Dozens of statutes restricting the right to protest have been enacted around the country since 2017, and many more are pending. This year saw the highest number yet of such bills, which are often introduced in response to prominent protest movements, such as protests against pipelines or the racial justice protests around the country since the murder of George Floyd.

Trabajadores del Servicio Postal de Estados Unidos temen que, una vez más, no recibirán la compensación adecuada por las horas extras trabajadas en esta época. Según muestran laudos arbitrales, el robo de salario es un problema que se repite en USPS.

Louisiana expanded Medicaid. Mississippi didn't. How are lives changed as a result? 

The USPS has a habit of shorting workers on pay, private arbitration awards show.

Trabajadores inmigrantes, que de por sí realizan trabajos mal remunerados, están entre los más perjudicados por las empresas que los emplean.

Immigrant workers performing low-paying jobs are among the most victimized by businesses that employ them.

Los centros escolares remiten cada año a decenas de miles de estudiantes a las fuerzas del orden público. Los niños negros, con discapacidades y, en muchos estados, también los hispanos y los nativos americanos, se llevan la peor parte, de acuerdo con una investigación del Center for Public Integrity. 

Schools refer tens of thousands of students to law enforcement every year. Black children and students with disabilities get the brunt of it.

Docenas de supervisores postales han sido agarrados cambiando las planillas de horarios.

Wage theft tactics like changing time cards and shorting paychecks have been a problem with the USPS over years, despite private arbitration, lawsuits and audits. 

In Uniontown, Ohio, outside of Akron, residents and officials have clashed over cleanup of the Industrial Excess Landfill.

During the pandemic, states are continuing to deduct money from tax refunds to collect delinquent debts, burdening those who have suffered the most from COVID-19 recession.

Arizona tried to take the partisanship out of its political maps. The partisans aren't having it.