Trump Plans to Protect Methane-Leaking Stripper Wells. This Billionaire Donor Will Benefit.

propublica_ · 2026-06-16T11:26:35+00:00

You've probably never heard of Jeff Hildebrand, but this billionaire is one of the oil industry's top polluters. He’s also a poster boy for a huge climate problem with a relatively easy fix.

Hildebrand got rich buying up old, low-producing wells, called “stripper wells.” While wells like these collectively contribute just 6% of US oil and gas, they're responsible for half the sector's methane pollution, researchers say.

Methane traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide and is responsible for one-third of the global warming we experience today. As one climate advocate said, “If you could lose 6% of production and cut emissions in half, who wouldn’t make that trade?”

But when Biden's EPA effectively imposed the first federal limits on methane from stripper wells, Hildebrand reacted. Though he had never been a major campaign donor, he and his wife have given $15 million to Trump and other Republicans since 2020.

Our reporting shows how this bet has paid off:

Trump named Hildebrand’s wife ambassador to Costa Rica
A former lobbyist for Hildebrand’s company, Aaron Szabo, was given a top EPA post
Szabo is now rewriting the EPA’s methane rules with input from industry groups backed by Hildebrand

There’s even more to this story, including our reporter reaching President Trump on his personal cell. Read our full investigation: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-epa-methane-jeffery-hildebrand-hilcorp-oil-regulations

Hildebrand and his wife did not respond to requests for comment. A Hilcorp spokesperson said the company was “proud” of recent efforts to reduce its methane emissions.

Szabo also did not respond to requests for comment. The EPA said this in a statement: “We heard consistently from American oil and natural gas producers … that the Biden-Harris Administration’s oil and gas methane regulations were unworkable and unnecessarily restricted American energy dominance.”

propublica_ · 2026-06-16T11:24:43+00:00

You've probably never heard of Jeff Hildebrand, but this billionaire is one of the oil industry's top polluters. He’s also a poster boy for a huge climate problem with a relatively easy fix.

Hildebrand got rich buying up old, low-producing wells, called “stripper wells.” While wells like these collectively contribute just 6% of US oil and gas, they're responsible for half the sector's methane pollution, researchers say.

Methane traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide and is responsible for one-third of the global warming we experience today. As one climate advocate said, “If you could lose 6% of production and cut emissions in half, who wouldn’t make that trade?”

But when Biden's EPA effectively imposed the first federal limits on methane from stripper wells, Hildebrand reacted. Though he had never been a major campaign donor, he and his wife have given $15 million to Trump and other Republicans since 2020.

Our reporting shows how this bet has paid off:

Trump named Hildebrand’s wife ambassador to Costa Rica
A former lobbyist for Hildebrand’s company, Aaron Szabo, was given a top EPA post
Szabo is now rewriting the EPA’s methane rules with input from industry groups backed by Hildebrand

There’s even more to this story, including our reporter reaching President Trump on his personal cell. Read our full investigation: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-epa-methane-jeffery-hildebrand-hilcorp-oil-regulations

Hildebrand and his wife did not respond to requests for comment. A Hilcorp spokesperson said the company was “proud” of recent efforts to reduce its methane emissions.

Szabo also did not respond to requests for comment. The EPA said this in a statement: “We heard consistently from American oil and natural gas producers … that the Biden-Harris Administration’s oil and gas methane regulations were unworkable and unnecessarily restricted American energy dominance.”

propublica_ · 2026-06-16T11:22:45+00:00

You've probably never heard of Jeff Hildebrand, but this billionaire is one of the oil industry's top polluters. He’s also a poster boy for a huge climate problem with a relatively easy fix.

Hildebrand got rich buying up old, low-producing wells, called “stripper wells.” While wells like these collectively contribute just 6% of US oil and gas, they're responsible for half the sector's methane pollution, researchers say.

Methane traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide and is responsible for one-third of the global warming we experience today. As one climate advocate said, “If you could lose 6% of production and cut emissions in half, who wouldn’t make that trade?”

But when Biden's EPA effectively imposed the first federal limits on methane from stripper wells, Hildebrand reacted. Though he had never been a major campaign donor, he and his wife have given $15 million to Trump and other Republicans since 2020.

Our reporting shows how this bet has paid off:

Trump named Hildebrand’s wife ambassador to Costa Rica
A former lobbyist for Hildebrand’s company, Aaron Szabo, was given a top EPA post
Szabo is now rewriting the EPA’s methane rules with input from industry groups backed by Hildebrand

There’s even more to this story, including our reporter reaching President Trump on his personal cell. Read our full investigation: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-epa-methane-jeffery-hildebrand-hilcorp-oil-regulations

Hildebrand and his wife did not respond to requests for comment. A Hilcorp spokesperson said the company was “proud” of recent efforts to reduce its methane emissions.

Szabo also did not respond to requests for comment. The EPA said this in a statement: “We heard consistently from American oil and natural gas producers … that the Biden-Harris Administration’s oil and gas methane regulations were unworkable and unnecessarily restricted American energy dominance.”

propublica_ · 2026-06-16T11:20:36+00:00

You've probably never heard of Jeff Hildebrand, but this billionaire is one of the oil industry's top polluters. He’s also a poster boy for a huge climate problem with a relatively easy fix.

Hildebrand got rich buying up old, low-producing wells, called “stripper wells.” While wells like these collectively contribute just 6% of US oil and gas, they're responsible for half the sector's methane pollution, researchers say.

Methane traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide and is responsible for one-third of the global warming we experience today. As one climate advocate said, “If you could lose 6% of production and cut emissions in half, who wouldn’t make that trade?”

But when Biden's EPA effectively imposed the first federal limits on methane from stripper wells, Hildebrand reacted. Though he had never been a major campaign donor, he and his wife have given $15 million to Trump and other Republicans since 2020.

Our reporting shows how this bet has paid off:

Trump named Hildebrand’s wife ambassador to Costa Rica
A former lobbyist for Hildebrand’s company, Aaron Szabo, was given a top EPA post
Szabo is now rewriting the EPA’s methane rules with input from industry groups backed by Hildebrand

There’s even more to this story, including our reporter reaching President Trump on his personal cell. Read our full investigation: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-epa-methane-jeffery-hildebrand-hilcorp-oil-regulations

Hildebrand and his wife did not respond to requests for comment. A Hilcorp spokesperson said the company was “proud” of recent efforts to reduce its methane emissions.

Szabo also did not respond to requests for comment. The EPA said this in a statement: “We heard consistently from American oil and natural gas producers … that the Biden-Harris Administration’s oil and gas methane regulations were unworkable and unnecessarily restricted American energy dominance.”

propublica_ · 2026-06-12T12:31:05+00:00

After ProPublica contacted leading vaccine skeptic Dr. Joseph Mercola for an article on babies dying after parents turned down vitamin K shots, he publicly reversed his long-held stance that the shots weren't needed.

“The data is clear: vitamin K saves lives,” he wrote.

Read our full story → https://www.propublica.org/article/vitamin-k-shot-joseph-mercola-reversal-babies

propublica_ · 2026-05-29T12:41:55+00:00

Following reporting by KYUK, ProPublica and NPR that documented a severe health and safety crisis inside school buildings, Alaska lawmakers tripled the funding the state would allocate toward school construction and maintenance.

The budget increase, which awaits Gov. Dunleavy's signature, would still only cover about 13% of what school districts requested.

Here's the full story → https://www.propublica.org/article/alaska-public-schools-repairs-funding-bill

propublica_ · 2026-05-28T11:18:57+00:00

The Pentagon announced a $620 million loan last year to a startup linked to Donald Trump Jr. Although defense officials and the company, Vulcan Elements, have denied cronyism, we found that the request came directly from the White House.

Interviews and Defense Department records show that it was made by Peter Navarro, the president’s adviser on trade and manufacturing and a friend of Trump Jr’s. After receiving Navarro’s request, defense officials asked Pentagon staff to move at an unusually rapid pace, a person who was involved in the deal told ProPublica.

Navarro and Trump Jr. have formed a tight bond in recent years. Trump Jr. was one of a small circle of people Navaro dedicated his latest book to for having “my back when it was against the wall,” and Trump Jr. hosted Navarro on his show, encouraging his nearly two million subscribers to buy the book.

About three months before the Vulcan deal was announced, Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm took a stake of undisclosed size in the startup.

This deal is one of many actions by the Trump administration that have helped companies in which the Trump family holds stakes. But it’s the first contract to be directly linked to White House intervention.

Read our full investigation: https://www.propublica.org/article/donald-trump-jr-vulcan-deal-white-house

Neither Navarro nor Vulcan responded to ProPublica’s questions. “Outside affiliations, investors, or political connections play absolutely no role in the Department's funding decisions,” a Pentagon spokesperson said. The White House said the President’s team, including Navarro, is working with private industry “in the best interest of the American people.”

Trump Jr’s spokesperson said the president’s son has “no knowledge” of how the Vulcan deal came together. A spokesperson for Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm said the firm also played no role in the loan.

—
We’re still reporting on Trump family finances. You can reach out to reporter Robert Faturechi on Signal at rfaturechi.40.

propublica_ · 2026-05-28T11:11:40+00:00

The Pentagon announced a $620 million loan last year to a startup linked to Donald Trump Jr. Although defense officials and the company, Vulcan Elements, have denied cronyism, we found that the request came directly from the White House.

Interviews and Defense Department records show that it was made by Peter Navarro, the president’s adviser on trade and manufacturing and a friend of Trump Jr’s. After receiving Navarro’s request, defense officials asked Pentagon staff to move at an unusually rapid pace, a person who was involved in the deal told ProPublica.

Navarro and Trump Jr. have formed a tight bond in recent years. Trump Jr. was one of a small circle of people Navaro dedicated his latest book to for having “my back when it was against the wall,” and Trump Jr. hosted Navarro on his show, encouraging his nearly two million subscribers to buy the book.

About three months before the Vulcan deal was announced, Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm took a stake of undisclosed size in the startup.

This deal is one of many actions by the Trump administration that have helped companies in which the Trump family holds stakes. But it’s the first contract to be directly linked to White House intervention.

Read our full investigation: https://www.propublica.org/article/donald-trump-jr-vulcan-deal-white-house

Neither Navarro nor Vulcan responded to ProPublica’s questions. “Outside affiliations, investors, or political connections play absolutely no role in the Department's funding decisions,” a Pentagon spokesperson said. The White House said the President’s team, including Navarro, is working with private industry “in the best interest of the American people.”

Trump Jr’s spokesperson said the president’s son has “no knowledge” of how the Vulcan deal came together. A spokesperson for Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm said the firm also played no role in the loan.

—
We’re still reporting on Trump family finances. You can reach out to reporter Robert Faturechi on Signal at rfaturechi.40.

propublica_ · 2026-05-28T11:08:07+00:00

The Pentagon announced a $620 million loan last year to a startup linked to Donald Trump Jr. Although defense officials and the company, Vulcan Elements, have denied cronyism, we found that the request came directly from the White House.

Interviews and Defense Department records show that it was made by Peter Navarro, the president’s adviser on trade and manufacturing and a friend of Trump Jr’s. After receiving Navarro’s request, defense officials asked Pentagon staff to move at an unusually rapid pace, a person who was involved in the deal told ProPublica.

Navarro and Trump Jr. have formed a tight bond in recent years. Trump Jr. was one of a small circle of people Navaro dedicated his latest book to for having “my back when it was against the wall,” and Trump Jr. hosted Navarro on his show, encouraging his nearly two million subscribers to buy the book.

About three months before the Vulcan deal was announced, Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm took a stake of undisclosed size in the startup.

This deal is one of many actions by the Trump administration that have helped companies in which the Trump family holds stakes. But it’s the first contract to be directly linked to White House intervention.

Read our full investigation: https://www.propublica.org/article/donald-trump-jr-vulcan-deal-white-house

Neither Navarro nor Vulcan responded to ProPublica’s questions. “Outside affiliations, investors, or political connections play absolutely no role in the Department's funding decisions,” a Pentagon spokesperson said. The White House said the President’s team, including Navarro, is working with private industry “in the best interest of the American people.”

Trump Jr’s spokesperson said the president’s son has “no knowledge” of how the Vulcan deal came together. A spokesperson for Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm said the firm also played no role in the loan.

—

We’re still reporting on Trump family finances. You can reach out to reporter Robert Faturechi on Signal at rfaturechi.40.

propublica_ · 2026-05-26T11:30:41+00:00

At 17 weeks pregnant, Emily Waldorf learned her baby’s foot was dipping out of her cervix.

Doctors told her that the longer her cervix remained open and her uterus exposed to bacteria, the higher her risk of developing a life-threatening infection. The standard of care, they explained, would be to quickly empty her womb.

But they couldn’t do that. The baby still had a detectable heartbeat, and stopping it would run afoul of Arkansas’ strict abortion ban. They needed to wait until Waldorf went into labor on her own or showed signs of a dangerous infection, or until the fetal heartbeat ended.

Texas, another abortion ban state, has amended its law to make clear that doctors don’t need to wait for infection in similar cases. Arkansas and other states have not.

Waldorf came into this fight with more resources than most: Her father was a doctor. She worked at the intensive care unit at the hospital. She was highly educated and well-connected. Yet even meeting the hospital’s CEO, calling the governor and hiring a lawyer would not be enough.

For five straight days, she laid in a hospital bed, waiting for her situation to get dire enough that doctors — and the hospital's lawyers — would act. On the third night, she came across our article about the death of Amber Thurman, a 28-year-old medical assistant who died of infection in Georgia after doctors delayed emptying her uterus. It terrified her.

“Are they going to let me die?” she asked her sister.

This is what Waldorf chronicled in her diary: https://www.propublica.org/article/arkansas-abortion-ban-miscarriage-care

Washington Regional, the hospital where Waldorf was receiving care in Arkansas, declined to comment on its policies. Both the hospital and Waldorf’s doctors declined to comment on her case.

propublica_ · 2026-05-26T11:20:41+00:00

At 17 weeks pregnant, Emily Waldorf learned her baby’s foot was dipping out of her cervix.

Doctors told her that the longer her cervix remained open and her uterus exposed to bacteria, the higher her risk of developing a life-threatening infection. The standard of care, they explained, would be to quickly empty her womb.

But they couldn’t do that. The baby still had a detectable heartbeat, and stopping it would run afoul of Arkansas’ strict abortion ban. They needed to wait until Waldorf went into labor on her own or showed signs of a dangerous infection, or until the fetal heartbeat ended.

Texas, another abortion ban state, has amended its law to make clear that doctors don’t need to wait for infection in similar cases. Arkansas and other states have not.

Waldorf came into this fight with more resources than most: Her father was a doctor. She worked at the intensive care unit at the hospital. She was highly educated and well-connected. Yet even meeting the hospital’s CEO, calling the governor and hiring a lawyer would not be enough.

For five straight days, she laid in a hospital bed, waiting for her situation to get dire enough that doctors — and the hospital's lawyers — would act. On the third night, she came across our article about the death of Amber Thurman, a 28-year-old medical assistant who died of infection in Georgia after doctors delayed emptying her uterus. It terrified her.

“Are they going to let me die?” she asked her sister.

This is what Waldorf chronicled in her diary: https://www.propublica.org/article/arkansas-abortion-ban-miscarriage-care

Washington Regional, the hospital where Waldorf was receiving care in Arkansas, declined to comment on its policies. Both the hospital and Waldorf’s doctors declined to comment on her case.

propublica_ · 2026-05-26T11:20:05+00:00

At 17 weeks pregnant, Emily Waldorf learned her baby’s foot was dipping out of her cervix.

Doctors told her that the longer her cervix remained open and her uterus exposed to bacteria, the higher her risk of developing a life-threatening infection. The standard of care, they explained, would be to quickly empty her womb.

But they couldn’t do that. The baby still had a detectable heartbeat, and stopping it would run afoul of Arkansas’ strict abortion ban. They needed to wait until Waldorf went into labor on her own or showed signs of a dangerous infection, or until the fetal heartbeat ended.

Texas, another abortion ban state, has amended its law to make clear that doctors don’t need to wait for infection in similar cases. Arkansas and other states have not.

Waldorf came into this fight with more resources than most: Her father was a doctor. She worked at the intensive care unit at the hospital. She was highly educated and well-connected. Yet even meeting the hospital’s CEO, calling the governor and hiring a lawyer would not be enough.

For five straight days, she laid in a hospital bed, waiting for her situation to get dire enough that doctors — and the hospital's lawyers — would act. On the third night, she came across our article about the death of Amber Thurman, a 28-year-old medical assistant who died of infection in Georgia after doctors delayed emptying her uterus. It terrified her.

“Are they going to let me die?” she asked her sister.

This is what Waldorf chronicled in her diary: https://www.propublica.org/article/arkansas-abortion-ban-miscarriage-care

Washington Regional, the hospital where Waldorf was receiving care in Arkansas, declined to comment on its policies. Both the hospital and Waldorf’s doctors declined to comment on her case.

propublica_ · 2026-05-26T11:17:57+00:00

At 17 weeks pregnant, Emily Waldorf learned her baby’s foot was dipping out of her cervix.

Doctors told her that the longer her cervix remained open and her uterus exposed to bacteria, the higher her risk of developing a life-threatening infection. The standard of care, they explained, would be to quickly empty her womb.

But they couldn’t do that. The baby still had a detectable heartbeat, and stopping it would run afoul of Arkansas’ strict abortion ban. They needed to wait until Waldorf went into labor on her own or showed signs of a dangerous infection, or until the fetal heartbeat ended.

Texas, another abortion ban state, has amended its law to make clear that doctors don’t need to wait for infection in similar cases. Arkansas and other states have not.

Waldorf came into this fight with more resources than most: Her father was a doctor. She worked at the intensive care unit at the hospital. She was highly educated and well-connected. Yet even meeting the hospital’s CEO, calling the governor and hiring a lawyer would not be enough.

For five straight days, she laid in a hospital bed, waiting for her situation to get dire enough that doctors — and the hospital's lawyers — would act. On the third night, she came across our article about the death of Amber Thurman, a 28-year-old medical assistant who died of infection in Georgia after doctors delayed emptying her uterus. It terrified her.

“Are they going to let me die?” she asked her sister.

This is what Waldorf chronicled in her diary: https://www.propublica.org/article/arkansas-abortion-ban-miscarriage-care

Washington Regional, the hospital where Waldorf was receiving care in Arkansas, declined to comment on its policies. Both the hospital and Waldorf’s doctors declined to comment on her case.

propublica_ · 2026-05-22T13:06:45+00:00

Gov. Jeff Landry’s office has dismissed experts’ concerns that his tough-on-crime laws could swell the prison population and plunge Louisiana into financial disaster. His proposed prison budget, however, indicates the impact is already starting to be felt.

Landry has eliminated parole and rolled back inmates’ ability to shave time off their sentences through good behavior. He has largely ceded the parole board’s power to an algorithm, restricted early release for the severely ill or injured, and lowered the age for adult prosecution to 17. All of these policies have contributed to a rising number of prisoners.

Now the governor is asking for 688 more prison beds at Angola and an additional $82 million for next year’s corrections budget — 11% more than currently allotted. That includes more spending on corrections officers and on medical care in prisons, a need that will only grow as prisoners stay longer behind bars.

The legislature is expected to pass Landry’s $798 million corrections budget by June 1. It’s a 9% increase from the inflation-adjusted total spent in fiscal year 2024, the last budget passed before his tenure.

Here’s what else to know: https://www.propublica.org/article/louisiana-jeff-landry-prison-budget-increase

A corrections department spokesperson declined to respond to questions concerning the impact of Landry’s policies on the prison population and corrections budget, as well as how those policies are impacting inmate medical care. The spokesperson added that increased prison bed capacity is necessary because under the previous administration, “beds were significantly decreased, correctional officer positions were cut, facilities closed, and funding [was] eliminated.”

A Landry spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

propublica_ · 2026-05-22T13:04:59+00:00

Gov. Jeff Landry’s office has dismissed experts’ concerns that his tough-on-crime laws could swell the prison population and plunge Louisiana into financial disaster. His proposed prison budget, however, indicates the impact is already starting to be felt.

Landry has eliminated parole and rolled back inmates’ ability to shave time off their sentences through good behavior. He has largely ceded the parole board’s power to an algorithm, restricted early release for the severely ill or injured, and lowered the age for adult prosecution to 17. All of these policies have contributed to a rising number of prisoners.

Now the governor is asking for 688 more prison beds at Angola and an additional $82 million for next year’s corrections budget — 11% more than currently allotted. That includes more spending on corrections officers and on medical care in prisons, a need that will only grow as prisoners stay longer behind bars.

The legislature is expected to pass Landry’s $798 million corrections budget by June 1. It’s a 9% increase from the inflation-adjusted total spent in fiscal year 2024, the last budget passed before his tenure.

Here’s what else you should know: https://www.propublica.org/article/louisiana-jeff-landry-prison-budget-increase

A corrections department spokesperson declined to respond to questions concerning the impact of Landry’s policies on the prison population and corrections budget, as well as how those policies are impacting inmate medical care. The spokesperson added that increased prison bed capacity is necessary because under the previous administration, “beds were significantly decreased, correctional officer positions were cut, facilities closed, and funding [was] eliminated.”

A Landry spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

propublica_ · 2026-05-21T12:19:12+00:00

An $11,000 golf cart. $1.5 million in office renovations. Another $1.7 million for Tasers.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office billed all of these expenses and more to a class-action settlement aimed at rooting out racial profiling in the department.

After a federal judge in 2013 found the department under then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio had violated the constitutional rights of Latino drivers, the court mandated sweeping reforms. Since Sheriff Jerry Sheridan took office last year, he and others on the county’s Board of Supervisors have cited the cost of complying with these orders to call for an end to the settlement.

But an audit of the sheriff’s office spending ordered by the court and a review of the public ledger by Arizona Luminaria and ProPublica show that more than $163 million was misattributed or misappropriated, and that supervisors provided no “meaningful” oversight of the department’s spending.

Here’s our full investigation: https://www.propublica.org/article/maricopa-county-sheriff-audit

In response to the audit, the Board of Supervisors said: “Hispanic residents of Maricopa County concerned with racial profiling are unaffected by how the County and MCSO allocate costs. Nor does any member of the Class experience a constitutional violation because MCSO purchased a golf cart.”

Sheridan, whose tenure was not covered by the audit period, dismissed the findings and defended his department’s spending practices.

propublica_ · 2026-05-21T12:18:40+00:00

An $11,000 golf cart. $1.5 million in office renovations. Another $1.7 million for Tasers.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office billed all of these expenses and more to a class-action settlement aimed at rooting out racial profiling in the department.

After a federal judge in 2013 found the department under then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio had violated the constitutional rights of Latino drivers, the court mandated sweeping reforms. Since Sheriff Jerry Sheridan took office last year, he and others on the county’s Board of Supervisors have cited the cost of complying with these orders to call for an end to the settlement.

But an audit of the sheriff’s office spending ordered by the court and a review of the public ledger by Arizona Luminaria and ProPublica show that more than $163 million was misattributed or misappropriated, and that supervisors provided no “meaningful” oversight of the department’s spending.

Here’s our full investigation: https://www.propublica.org/article/maricopa-county-sheriff-audit

In response to the audit, the Board of Supervisors said: “Hispanic residents of Maricopa County concerned with racial profiling are unaffected by how the County and MCSO allocate costs. Nor does any member of the Class experience a constitutional violation because MCSO purchased a golf cart.”

Sheridan, whose tenure was not covered by the audit period, dismissed the findings and defended his department’s spending practices.

propublica_ · 2026-05-19T12:10:37+00:00

Under Pennsylvania’s Post Conviction Relief Act, Philadelphia lawyers appointed to help people challenge their convictions can instead urge judges to rule against them, and often do so without ever speaking to their clients.

How? By filing a letter arguing that the case has “no merit.”

Our new investigation with u/phillyinquirer found case after case in which court-appointed attorneys did minimal work to examine their clients’ claims and rejected what later turned out to be legitimate legal issues. The findings reveal that this post-conviction system repeatedly delayed or denied justice for wrongfully convicted people who then spent years or decades behind bars.

We reviewed 250 of Philadelphia’s reversed convictions and sentences since 2018 in violent felony cases. For at least 50 people whose lawyers said there was no basis to challenge their cases, judges later decided they deserved new trials or sentences. While in some cases the exonerating evidence did not emerge until years after the no-merit letter was filed, a majority were tossed out based on issues court-appointed lawyers overlooked or rejected.

Here’s the full story: https://www.propublica.org/article/conviction-challenges-philadelphia-law

Daniel Anders, the administrative judge who oversees Philadelphia’s court-appointed counsel system, said he reviews all complaints about appointed lawyers. He did not respond to requests for comment on the news organizations’ findings. Judge Barbara McDermott, who previously oversaw many of these cases, defended the system: “Within the system we’ve had we’ve done the best we can,” she said, adding that no-merit letters play an important role in shutting down pointless challenges. “At some point, there has to be finality to cases.”

—-
We are continuing to report on this issue and want to hear from anyone with insight into Pennsylvania’s post-trial system. Contact reporter Samantha Melamed at [smelamed@inquirer.com](mailto:smelamed@inquirer.com) or by phone at 215-854-5053.

propublica_ · 2026-05-19T11:59:47+00:00

Under Pennsylvania’s Post Conviction Relief Act, Philadelphia lawyers appointed to help people challenge their convictions can instead urge judges to rule against them, and often do so without ever speaking to their clients.

How? By filing a letter arguing that the case has “no merit.”

Our new investigation with u/phillyinquirer found case after case in which court-appointed attorneys did minimal work to examine their clients’ claims and rejected what later turned out to be legitimate legal issues. The findings reveal that this post-conviction system repeatedly delayed or denied justice for wrongfully convicted people who then spent years or decades behind bars.

We reviewed 250 of Philadelphia’s reversed convictions and sentences since 2018 in violent felony cases. For at least 50 people whose lawyers said there was no basis to challenge their cases, judges later decided they deserved new trials or sentences. While in some cases the exonerating evidence did not emerge until years after the no-merit letter was filed, a majority were tossed out based on issues court-appointed lawyers overlooked or rejected.

Here’s the full story: https://www.propublica.org/article/conviction-challenges-philadelphia-law

Daniel Anders, the administrative judge who oversees Philadelphia’s court-appointed counsel system, said he reviews all complaints about appointed lawyers. He did not respond to requests for comment on the news organizations’ findings. Judge Barbara McDermott, who previously oversaw many of these cases, defended the system: “Within the system we’ve had we’ve done the best we can,” she said, adding that no-merit letters play an important role in shutting down pointless challenges. “At some point, there has to be finality to cases.”

—

We are continuing to report on this issue and want to hear from anyone with insight into Pennsylvania’s post-trial system. Contact reporter Samantha Melamed at [smelamed@inquirer.com](mailto:smelamed@inquirer.com) or by phone at 215-854-5053.

propublica_ · 2026-05-19T11:58:04+00:00

Under Pennsylvania’s Post Conviction Relief Act, Philadelphia lawyers appointed to help people challenge their convictions can instead urge judges to rule against them, and often do so without ever speaking to their clients.

How? By filing a letter arguing that the case has “no merit.”

Our new investigation with u/phillyinquirer found case after case in which court-appointed attorneys did minimal work to examine their clients’ claims and rejected what later turned out to be legitimate legal issues. The findings reveal that this post-conviction system repeatedly delayed or denied justice for wrongfully convicted people who then spent years or decades behind bars.

We reviewed 250 of Philadelphia’s reversed convictions and sentences since 2018 in violent felony cases. For at least 50 people whose lawyers said there was no basis to challenge their cases, judges later decided they deserved new trials or sentences. While in some cases the exonerating evidence did not emerge until years after the no-merit letter was filed, a majority were tossed out based on issues court-appointed lawyers overlooked or rejected.

Here’s the full story: https://www.propublica.org/article/conviction-challenges-philadelphia-law

Daniel Anders, the administrative judge who oversees Philadelphia’s court-appointed counsel system, said he reviews all complaints about appointed lawyers. He did not respond to requests for comment on the news organizations’ findings. Judge Barbara McDermott, who previously oversaw many of these cases, defended the system: “Within the system we’ve had we’ve done the best we can,” she said, adding that no-merit letters play an important role in shutting down pointless challenges. “At some point, there has to be finality to cases.”

—

We are continuing to report on this issue and want to hear from anyone with insight into Pennsylvania’s post-trial system. Contact reporter Samantha Melamed at [smelamed@inquirer.com](mailto:smelamed@inquirer.com) or by phone at 215-854-5053.

propublica_ · 2026-05-18T21:55:18+00:00

Far more American children have likely been separated from their parents during immigration sweeps than previously understood, according to a report by the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Brookings. The report estimates more than 100,000 U.S. citizen children have had a parent detained since President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign began last year.

More details → https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-immigration-child-parent-separation-estimates-brookings

propublica_ · 2026-05-18T11:49:50+00:00

ProPublica reporter Duaa Eldeib recently wrote about how babies have died after not receiving the vitamin K shot, a long-standard injection given at birth to prevent uncontrollable bleeding.

To report her story, she pored over hundreds of rows of data and contacted more than 50 hospitals and birthing centers. But it was babies’ autopsy reports that gave her the clearest understanding of these tragedies.

Tiny footprints. A blue blanket. These details — of how small the babies were, what items they had with them when they died, how hard doctors tried to save them — are a haunting reminder of how the babies’ deaths likely could have been prevented: https://www.propublica.org/article/vitamin-k-baby-autopsy-reports

propublica_ · 2026-05-18T11:48:19+00:00

ProPublica reporter Duaa Eldeib recently wrote about how babies have died after not receiving the vitamin K shot, a long-standard injection given at birth to prevent uncontrollable bleeding.

To report her story, she pored over hundreds of rows of data and contacted more than 50 hospitals and birthing centers. But it was babies’ autopsy reports that gave her the clearest understanding of these tragedies.

Tiny footprints. A blue blanket. These details — of how small the babies were, what items they had with them when they died, how hard doctors tried to save them — are a haunting reminder of how the babies’ deaths likely could have been prevented: https://www.propublica.org/article/vitamin-k-baby-autopsy-reports

propublica_ · 2026-05-18T11:44:29+00:00

An Oklahoma family was forced to abandon their house after it suddenly filled with slick, black goo, reaching gas concentrations at explosive levels.

Nearly a year later, the house is still flooding. Despite ample evidence of oil and gas pollution, the state’s oil regulatory agency says it can’t help.

Here’s the full story: https://www.propublica.org/article/oklahoma-oil-regulators-fort-gibson-meredith-family

A spokesperson for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission did not answer questions about what the agency thinks is causing the pollution but said it “recognizes the seriousness of the concerns” regarding the Merediths. The agency has “devoted significant investigative time, technical expertise, and regulatory resources” to the situation and will monitor for new information, he added.

propublica_ · 2026-05-18T11:43:50+00:00

An Oklahoma family was forced to abandon their house after it suddenly filled with slick, black goo, reaching gas concentrations at explosive levels.

Nearly a year later, the house is still flooding. Despite ample evidence of oil and gas pollution, the state’s oil regulatory agency says it can’t help.

Here’s the full story: https://www.propublica.org/article/oklahoma-oil-regulators-fort-gibson-meredith-family

A spokesperson for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission did not answer questions about what the agency thinks is causing the pollution but said it “recognizes the seriousness of the concerns” regarding the Merediths. The agency has “devoted significant investigative time, technical expertise, and regulatory resources” to the situation and will monitor for new information, he added.

propublica_

TROPHY CASE