Judge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as Racial Profiling of Latinos Persists by Yana Kunichoff, Arizona Luminaria Co-published with Arizona Luminaria

Judge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as Racial Profiling of Latinos Persists Deputies continue to search and arrest Latino drivers at a higher rate than white drivers, echoing the racial disparities that prompted court oversight of the department nearly two decades ago. by Yana Kunichoff, Arizona Luminaria Co-published with Arizona Luminaria https://www.propublica.org/article/maricopa-county-sheriff-oversight-judge-ruling?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=river

Tennessee Lawmakers Demand Answers on Safety in State Youth Prisons by Paige Pfleger, WPLN/Nashville Public Radio, and Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica Co-published with WPLN/Nashville Public Radio

Tennessee Lawmakers Demand Answers on Safety in State Youth Prisons Lawmakers cited a recent WPLN and ProPublica investigation that found that juvenile justice facilities run by Tennessee businessman Jason Crews repeatedly failed to report abuse and other serious incidents to the state as required. by Paige Pfleger, WPLN/Nashville Public Radio, and Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica Co-published with WPLN/Nashville Public Radio https://www.propublica.org/article/tennessee-private-youth-prisons-dcs-letter?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=river

“A Clear Watering Down”: Drug Transparency Bill Stripped of Critical Provisions Ahead of Senate Vote by Naisha Roy September 18, 2026, 6:00 am

“A Clear Watering Down”: Drug Transparency Bill Stripped of Critical Provisions Ahead of Senate Vote The Clear Labels Act was designed to alert consumers to where their drugs are coming from. After two major changes to the bill, experts worry it won’t be as effective. https://www.propublica.org/article/clear-labels-act-drug-safety-senate-vote by Naisha Roy September 18, 2026, 6:00 am

Oregon Lawmakers Seek to Open Up Affordable Housing Records Following ProPublica’s Reporting by Rob Davis Co-published with Oregon Public Broadcasting and The Oregonian/OregonLive

Oregon Lawmakers Seek to Open Up Affordable Housing Records Following ProPublica’s Reporting Leaders of the state’s House and Senate housing committees said they want to eliminate a law that exempts the detailed financials of subsidized housing projects from public disclosure requirements. by Rob Davis Co-published with Oregon Public Broadcasting and The Oregonian/OregonLive https://www.propublica.org/article/oregon-lawmakers-seek-to-open-housing-records?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=secondary Two Oregon lawmakers want to end an unusual exemption in the state’s records law that has kept the public from learning how hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money is spent on subsidized housing — and the effort has already landed key industry support. Rep. Pam Marsh, chair of Oregon’s House Committee on Housing and Homelessness, told us she plans to introduce legislation next year to eliminate a law that shields key details of state spending on low-income housing. The southern Oregon Democrat said she didn’t realize the documents were being kept secret until reading about it in our story about the carve-out, which was co-published with Oregon Public Broadcasting and The Oregonian/OregonLive. A lobbying group for low-income housing developers, lenders and related businesses said it strongly supports repealing the secrecy provision. Oregon Housing and Community Services, the state agency that persuaded lawmakers to create the records exemption in 1997, cited the law in redacting major sections of developers’ cost reports we requested in May. The agency’s current executive director, Andrea Bell, told us in July that she’s committed to transparency but that the agency is following the law as it stands today. Asked to comment about whether the agency would support efforts to change the law, a spokesperson said by email that state agencies don’t take positions on bills. “OHCS appreciates the opportunity to review the legislation” that’s introduced in 2027, the spokesperson wrote. https://www.propublica.org/article/oregon-lawmakers-seek-to-open-housing-records?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=secondary

Arizona Lowered the Bar for Its English Fluency Test. Experts Say It Will Harm Students in the Long Run. by Rafael Carranza, Arizona Luminaria Co-published with Arizona Luminaria

Arizona Lowered the Bar for Its English Fluency Test. Experts Say It Will Harm Students in the Long Run. When students score high enough on a state test, they’re considered fluent in English. But experts say thousands of students are leaving Arizona’s program for teaching English before they know the language well enough to succeed. by Rafael Carranza, Arizona Luminaria Co-published with Arizona Luminaria https://www.propublica.org/article/arizona-english-language-test-azella?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=secondary The number of Arizona students enrolled in English-learning classes dropped dramatically this year, in part because the state’s Department of Education made it easier for students to pass its standardized fluency test. Experts warn this change will do lasting harm to tens of thousands of students who will exit the state’s structured English immersion program before they know the language well enough to succeed. Such students are already part of the lowest-performing group on standardized tests, and the loss of specialized instruction could further harm their long-term academic success, according to education researchers. The Arizona Department of Education said its decision to make it easier to pass the test came after it administered the test last year to 600 native English speakers. Outgoing Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, who approved the changes, was unavailable for an interview.

The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way by William Turton, Avi Asher-Schapiro, Molly Redden and Kirsten Berg September 22, 2026, 5:00 am

The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way by William Turton, Avi Asher-Schapiro, Molly Redden and Kirsten Berg September 22, 2026, 5:00 am https://www.propublica.org/article/fbi-susan-collins-navatek-campaign-donations-investigation?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=feature After the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump administration dismantled the unit handling the inquiry.

California governor calls for 'kill switch' for AI models By LIA ZHU in San Francisco | China Daily | Updated: 2026-09-21 08:56

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202609/21/WS6ab080c6e4b06d4aa055f1ff.html California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Friday directing state agencies to advance plans for an AI "kill switch" that could shut down advanced AI models during emergencies, following a series of safety and security incidents. The order accelerates the implementation of new third-party oversight of safety and security risks in AI systems, as well as independent audits. It also directs the Government Operations Agency, in consultation with the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, to convene national experts and produce recommendations within two months on ways to strengthen California's AI safety laws.