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Democracy

The Right to Read

Examining the Toll of America’s Literacy Crisis

One in five American adults struggles to read at a basic level. ProPublica examines the causes and consequences of America’s literacy crisis to illuminate a path forward.

17 stories published since 2022

ProPublica Project Receives Emmy Nomination

America’s Adult Education System Is Broken. Here’s How Experts Say We Can Fix It.

A Fifth of American Adults Struggle to Read. Why Are We Failing to Teach Them?

How to Help People Vote in the 2022 Midterm Elections

For Helping Voters Who Can’t Read, She’s Been Criminally Charged — Twice. That Hasn’t Stopped Her.

New Voting Restrictions Could Make It Harder for 1 in 5 Americans to Vote

Meet the Woman Fighting for the Rights of Voters Who Can’t Read

ووٹ ڈالنے کا طریقہ: ایک فوری اور آسان رہنمائی

كيفية التصويت: دليل سريع وبسيط

如何投票?請收好這份指南

如何投票?请收好这份指南

কীভাবে ভোট দিতে হয়: একটি দ্রুত এবং সহজ গাইড

वोट देने के बारे में जानकारी: संक्षिप्त और आसान गाइड

투표 방법: 간단하고 쉬운 안내서

Paano Bumoto: Isang Mabilis at Madaling Gabay

Cómo votar: una guía rápida y sencilla

Cách bỏ phiếu: Bản hướng dẫn nhanh chóng và dễ dàng

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

Photo of Sharon Lerner
Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

Photo of Melissa Sanchez
Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

Photo of Jesse Coburn
Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch.

Most Read

    RFK Jr. Wants to Change a Program That Stopped Vaccine Makers From Leaving the U.S. Market. They Could Flee Again.

    The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program stabilizes the nation’s childhood immunization system while paying those harmed by rare side effects. If the program topples, it could threaten access to vaccines.

    Texas Officials Say They Didn’t See the Flood Coming. Oral Histories Show Residents Have Long Warned of Risks.

    After a tragedy, records from local archives can help us understand how a community understands itself. Here’s some of what we learned following the devastating July 4 flooding in Texas.

    Unattended

    He Was Accused of Killing His Wife. Idaho’s Coroner System Let Clues Vanish After a Previous Wife’s Death.

    Clayton Strong had a history of domestic unrest in two marriages. The women’s families say a more thorough investigation of Betty Strong’s death in Idaho might have saved the life of his next wife, Shirley Weatherley, in Texas.

    Zero Trust

    A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers

    The Pentagon bans foreign citizens from accessing highly sensitive data, but Microsoft bypasses this by using engineers in China and elsewhere to remotely instruct American “escorts” who may lack expertise to identify malicious code.

    The NYPD Files

    Former NYPD Commissioner Accuses Mayor Adams of Running “Criminal Enterprise” and Cites ProPublica Investigation

    A lawsuit filed by former Commissioner Thomas Donlon alleges that the NYPD’s Community Response Team was a “rogue” unit that answered “only to City Hall.” The complaint draws extensively from ProPublica’s reporting.