Chinese Mafias and the U.S. Black Market for Marijuana
A quadruple murder at an illegal marijuana farm in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, opened a window into a disturbing reality. Chinese criminal networks have taken over much of the illicit marijuana market in the U.S., stoking a wave of crime that includes violence, money laundering and human trafficking. And authorities suspect some of those involved have links to powerful forces in the Chinese state.
Featured Reporting
Gangsters, Money and Murder: How Chinese Organized Crime Is Dominating America’s Illegal Marijuana Market
A quadruple murder in Oklahoma shows how the Chinese underworld has come to dominate the booming illicit trade, fortifying its rise as a global powerhouse with alleged ties to China’s authoritarian regime.
A Marijuana Boom Led Her to Oklahoma. Then Anti-Drug Agents Seized Her Money and Raided Her Home.
A year after authorities arrested Qiu He, the Chinese immigrant has yet to be charged with a crime. She and others say anti-Asian bias plays a role in the state’s crackdown on the pot industry: “I don’t feel secure here.”
The EPA Has Done Nearly Everything It Can to Clean Up This Town. It Hasn’t Worked.
Despite years of air monitoring, inspections and millions in penalties for petrochemical plants, the air in Calvert City, Kentucky, remains polluted. The EPA’s inability to fix it is an indictment of the laws governing clean air, experts say.
The Chief Prosecutor in Elkhart, Indiana, Is Accused of Misconduct for Making Contradictory Allegations
A man serving 55 years has filed a motion to overturn his conviction, arguing that the state prosecuted him for giving a gun to a drive-by shooter even though another man had already pleaded guilty to giving the same gun to the shooter.
Local Reporting Network
The Flooding Will Come “No Matter What”
The complex, contradictory and heartbreaking process of American climate migration is underway.
After Decades of Imprisoning Patients, Idaho Approves Secure Mental Health Facility
The Idaho Legislature has approved funding for a 26-bed facility after ProPublica found that state lawmakers and officials ignored repeated warnings about the practice of locking up mentally ill patients who hadn’t been convicted of a crime.
Chinese Organized Crime’s Latest U.S. Target: Gift Cards
Chinese crime rings already dominate the illegal marijuana trade in the U.S. and launder cocaine and heroin profits. Now a federal task force is investigating their role in a burgeoning form of gift card fraud.
I Got Mailers Promoting Toddler Milk for My Children. I Went on to Investigate International Formula Marketing.
Health experts say formula marketing often makes misleading claims and prompts some mothers to prematurely give up breastfeeding. Yet the U.S. government has opposed advertising restrictions on the product around the globe.
After CPAP Recall, Philips Must Institute New Safeguards in Agreement With U.S. Justice Department
The settlement comes nearly three years after the company acknowledged that an industrial foam fitted inside its machines could degrade and release toxic substances into the masks worn by patients.
The Influential Conservative Group Making it Harder for Idaho Districts to Fix Their Schools
The Idaho Freedom Foundation has gone beyond the education culture wars by targeting local bond and levy elections, which districts rely on heavily to build and repair schools.
Local Reporting Network
New Utah Law Prioritizes Child Safety in Custody Courts
The legislation, which limits the use of reunification therapies and increases scrutiny of expert witnesses, follows ProPublica’s reporting on courts’ handling of custody cases involving allegations of violence.
Trump’s Lawyers Told the Court That No One Would Give Him a Bond. Then He Got a Lifeline, but They Didn’t Tell the Judges.
An appeals court reduced Trump’s bond by more than 60% after his attorneys claimed it was a “practical impossibility” to pay the full amount. Their failure to disclose a proposal from a billionaire financier may have violated ethics rules.
What to Know About the Roiling Debate Over U.S. Maternal Mortality Rates
A new study challenged the accuracy of public health data on deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth — and the narrative of high and rising U.S. maternal mortality rates. An unusual public dispute has ensued.
As Elections Loom, Congressional Maps Challenged as Discriminatory Will Remain in Place
With control of the House of Representatives hanging in the balance, the time-consuming appeals process means elections in multiple districts will take place using maps that have been challenged as discriminatory to voters of color.
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