He Became Convinced the School Board Was Pushing “Transgender Bullshit.” He Ended Up Arrested — and Emboldened.
Eric Jensen, a parent in North Carolina, had grievances to air about library books “trying to convert kids to gay,” and about mask and vaccine mandates. So he joined an activist group and headed to a school board meeting.
Reporting From the South
ProPublica’s seven-person reporting unit, based in Atlanta, covers North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. The region plays a pivotal role in national issues including political representation, racial equity and environmental justice.
The Student Protesters Were Arrested. The Man Who Got Violent in the Parking Lot Wasn’t.
College students arrested. A parking lot altercation. A retired teacher waking up to a broken window. Events at a school district in Conway, Arkansas, illustrate the alarming trend of unrest at school board meetings across the country.
Coverage of Gender-Affirming Care Is an Unequal Patchwork
Lawsuits brought by transgender employees show how state agencies fight against paying for gender-affirming care for some people while others are covered.
How South Carolina Ended Up With an All-Male Supreme Court
An abortion ban struck down. The lone female justice retiring. And a majority-male legislature rallying behind the one male candidate to replace her. This is how South Carolina ended up with an all-male Supreme Court as new abortion legislation looms.
South News Staff
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- Max Blau, Nicole Carr, Doug Bock Clark, Jennifer Berry Hawes, Aliyya Swaby and Seth Freed Wessler
Local Reporting Network Partners
ProPublica is supporting local and regional newsrooms as they work on important investigative projects affecting their communities. Some of our past and present partners in the region:
- MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Mountain State Spotlight
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- Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
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West Virginia Governor’s Coal Empire Sued by the Federal Government — Again
The lawsuit, filed by the Justice Department, seeks millions in unpaid environmental fines as Gov. Jim Justice begins his campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Feds Say Jefferson Parish Deputies May Have Violated Law in Death of Autistic Teen
Officers sat on the 16-year-old’s back for nine minutes before he died. They claim they needed to do so because he posed a threat.
ProPublica Partner Sues Mississippi County for Blocking Access to Search Warrants
A joint investigation found that many Mississippi courts thwart public scrutiny of search warrants. Experts say that violates long-standing norms of public access and the state’s public records law.
Clyburn’s Role in South Carolina Redistricting May Be Examined as Supreme Court Hears Racial Gerrymandering Case
The NAACP successfully challenged the state’s new congressional maps as racially motivated. Republicans argued that they fielded requests from the powerful Black Democrat before redrawing district lines.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice Runs for Senate Amid Stacks of Unpaid Bills
As Big Jim hopes to take on Sen. Joe Manchin, Justice’s family businesses face allegations of unpaid debts, overdue environmental fines and conflicts of interest.
How Rep. James Clyburn Protected His District at a Cost to Black Democrats
Facing the possibility of an unsafe district, South Carolina’s most powerful Democrat sent his aide to consult with the GOP on a redistricting plan that diluted Black voting strength and harmed his party’s chances of gaining seats in Congress.
Why Are Prices Still So High? Follow a Tire to Find Out.
From a rubber plantation in Southeast Asia to a repair shop in Mississippi, the story of a tire highlights the turmoil of the post-pandemic economy and its uncertain future.
This Pharmacist Said Prisoners Wouldn’t Feel Pain During Lethal Injection. Then Some Shook and Gasped for Air.
A Florida pharmacist serves as an expert witness on behalf of states defending lethal injection protocols, often speaking about a drug that he has no authority to prescribe. His testimony has helped pave the way for executions across the country.
Tennessee’s Governor Calls for Expanding a Gun Dispossession System Already Failing Domestic Violence Victims
After the Covenant School shooting, Gov. Bill Lee went beyond state Republicans in calling for reform. But the system he is embracing already allows violent people to hold on to their weapons.
How We Measured the Environmental Cost of Bankrupt Mines
Using data from Kentucky and West Virginia environmental regulators, ProPublica and Mountain State Spotlight found that mines that have gone through multiple bankruptcies in the past decade had a higher median number of environmental violations than nonbankrupt mines.
How Bankruptcy Helps the Coal Industry Avoid Environmental Liability
Jeff Hoops built Blackjewel into the nation’s sixth largest coal company by acquiring bankrupt mines. When it declared bankruptcy, he pivoted to other ventures, leaving polluted streams and mud-shrouded roads in his wake.
New Law Aims to Save Oysters on the Mississippi Coast
As Mississippi’s oyster population continues its freefall, state leaders turn to a model that has helped in Louisiana.
Some Are Jailed in Mississippi for Months Without a Lawyer. The State Supreme Court Just Barred That.
Criminal justice reformers have long complained that the state’s rules on appointing public defenders leave poor defendants without a lawyer as they wait to be indicted.
Billionaire Harlan Crow Bought Property From Clarence Thomas. The Justice Didn’t Disclose the Deal.
The transaction is the first known instance of money flowing from Crow to the Supreme Court justice. The sale netted the GOP megadonor two vacant lots and the house where Thomas’ mother was living.
Thousands of Katrina Survivors Were Freed From Debt to the State. Those Who Already Paid Are Out of Luck.
The state said it was no longer suing residents who had improperly used hurricane recovery money. That doesn’t change anything for the 425 who already paid.
