Corey Johnson
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Articles by Corey Johnson
Top U.S. Health Official Backed a Medication Policy Shift That Benefited a Company She Has Stock In
Last November, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the elimination of “black box” warnings on hormone replacement therapies, aiming to reverse nearly two decades of stigma surrounding a key treatment for menopause symptoms. Among the officials at a press conference about the decision was Alicia Jackson, director of a federal health agency that invests taxpayer money in medical technology and research.
FCC Officials Took Pricey Gifts From Paramount as the Company Needed Approval for Billion-Dollar Deals
1 day ago A dozen states, led by California, are suing to block Paramount from buying Warner Bros. Discovery in a Hollywood mega-merger that would unite some of the nation's largest movie studios, television newsrooms, and other entertainment properties. "The unlawful merger of these two entertainment …
FCC Officials Took Pricey Gifts From Paramount as the Company Needed Approval for Billion-Dollar Deals
The rich and famous who filed into the Kennedy Center’s opera house in December were there to enjoy one of the nation’s most exclusive celebrations of the performing arts: the center’s annual honors gala. The black-tie event, hosted by President Donald Trump, prioritized tickets to people who donated more than $75,000 to the center. This year, it feted Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone, the legendary glam rock band Kiss and the Grammy Award-winning disco pioneer Gloria Gaynor.
Documents reveal a web of financial ties between Trump officials and the industries they help regulate
Thousands of companies are jockeying for billions of dollars in Defense Department contracts to build a shield designed to intercept and destroy missiles launched against the United States. But amid the intense competition, a handful of firms have an important inside connection.
Documents Reveal a Web of Financial Ties Between Trump Officials and the Industries They Help Regulate
Thousands of companies are jockeying for billions of dollars in Defense Department contracts to build a shield designed to intercept and destroy missiles launched against the United States. But amid the intense competition, a handful of firms have an important inside connection.
Six Senators Accuse Deputy Attorney General of “Glaring” Crypto Conflict, Cite ProPublica Investigation
Now The agreement, while scarce on details, is the latest step by Prime Minister Mark Carney to reduce Canada’s reliance on trade with the U.S. Canada, facing U.S. tariffs that threaten its auto industry, announced on Thursday an agreement with South Korea to explore bringing Korean automotive …
Six Senators Accuse Deputy Attorney General of “Glaring” Crypto Conflict, Cite ProPublica Investigation
Six senators accused Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche this week of having a conflict of interest when he shut down investigations into crypto companies, dealers and exchanges and eliminated an enforcement team dedicated to looking for crypto-related fraud and money-laundering schemes. A letter written by Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin and Mazie Hirono and signed by Sens.
Complaint Accuses Trump’s Criminal Attorney of “Blatant” Crypto Conflict in His Role at DOJ
An ethics watchdog group filed a complaint Thursday seeking an investigation into whether President Donald Trump’s criminal defense attorney — now the No. 2 at the Justice Department — broke federal conflict-of-interest law when he issued a new prosecution policy that benefits the cryptocurrency industry.
Complaint Accuses Trump’s Criminal Attorney of “Blatant” Crypto Conflict in His Role at DOJ
1 hour ago Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder wanted by the FBI on murder and money laundering charges in connection to alleged drug trafficking into the United States, has been arrested, federal officials confirmed on Jan. 23. Wedding, 44, had been wanted by the FBI in connection to a "transnational …
Top DOJ Official Todd Blanche Shut Down Crypto Enforcement While Holding Crypto Assets
5 hours ago Just a day and a half before it was set to be broadcast, new CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss pulled a planned 60 Minutes investigative segment centering on allegations of abuses at an El Salvador detention center where the Trump administration sent hundreds of Venezuelan migrants last March. Bari …
A New Lawsuit Alleges the Gun Industry Exploited Firearm Owners’ Data for Political Gain
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Two major law firms accused the National Shooting Sports Foundation this week of violating the privacy rights of millions of gun owners by running a decades-long program that sent their information to political operatives without consent.
Trump Attacks on Law Firms Make It Harder to Challenge the Administration
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Two weeks into President Donald Trump’s second presidency, and just days after he pardoned hundreds of Capitol rioters, officials Trump had placed in charge of the Justice Department made a sweeping demand. They wanted the names of the thousands of FBI employees who had played a role in investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The Trump Administration Is Promoting Its Anti-Trans Agenda Globally at the United Nations
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. It was meant to be a routine discussion on pollution. One by one, delegates at the United Nations expressed support for a new panel of scientists who would advise countries on how to address chemicals and toxic waste. But the U.S. delegate took the meeting in a new direction.
Trump administration halted lawsuits targeting civil rights abuses of prisoners and mentally ill people
The Trump administration has halted litigation aimed at stopping civil rights abuses of prisoners in Louisiana and mentally ill people living in South Carolina group homes. The Biden administration filed lawsuits against the two states in December after Department of Justice investigations concluded that they had failed to fix violations despite years of warnings.
Trump Administration Halted Lawsuits Targeting Civil Rights Abuses of Prisoners and Mentally Ill People
‘Not a Damned Penny.’ Texas Flood Survivors Look for Help As soon as the raging waters receded on July 4 in Central Texas, Mike Richards led a group of volunteers to his property along the Guadalupe River to search for survivors. Instead, they found corpses, 10 of them, including a man that appeared to have bled to death as he waited for help. Mr. …
Gun owners group calls for federal inquiry into firearms industry’s secret sharing of customer data
More in this series A group representing firearms owners has asked three federal agencies to investigate how the gun industry’s main lobbying group secretly used the intimate details of weapons buyers for political purposes.
Gun Owners Group Calls for Federal Inquiry Into Firearms Industry’s Secret Sharing of Customer Data
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. A group representing firearms owners has asked three federal agencies to investigate how the gun industry’s main lobbying group secretly used the intimate details of weapons buyers for political purposes.
Gun Owners Group Calls for Federal Inquiry Into Firearms Industry’s Secret Sharing of Customer Data
1 hour ago FBI agents burst into an Atlanta house with flash-bang grenades and guns drawn, but victims have struggled to hold the government accountable for their actions. WASHINGTON — When Toi Cliatt heard a loud bang in his Atlanta home in the early hours of Oct. 18, 2017, his first instinct was to grab the …
Connecticut DMV Never Set Up System to Enforce a Century-Old Towing Law
This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with The Connecticut Mirror. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. This year, the head of Connecticut’s Department of Motor Vehicles made a startling public admission, telling lawmakers that the agency, which regulates the towing industry, has never enforced a century-old law meant to protect drivers whose cars are towed.
Connecticut Lawmakers Seek Overhaul of Towing Laws
This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with The Connecticut Mirror. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. The Connecticut legislature is working to overhaul the state's towing laws to protect consumers and lengthen the time before a towed vehicle can be sold. Drivers, landlords and towing industry leaders testified at the state Capitol on Monday during a public hearing before the state Transportation Committee.
The Housing Loophole That Lets Wealthy Investors Raise Rents on Poor Tenants
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Four and a half years ago, a newly formed corporate entity purchased a low-income housing complex with 264 apartments in Phoenix. The property had received more than $4 million in federal tax credits and, in exchange, was supposed to remain affordable for decades.
Tennessee Lawmakers Push to Change How the State Disarms Dangerous People to Better Protect Domestic Violence Victims
This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with WPLN/Nashville Public Radio. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. Two Republican state lawmakers in Tennessee have filed legislation that aims to protect domestic violence victims by requiring more transparency from people who’ve been ordered by a court to give up their guns.
Memory-Holing Jan. 6: What Happens When You Try to Make History Vanish?
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. On Jan. 10, the U.S. Department of Justice released a 123-page report on the 1921 racial massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which claimed several hundred lives and left the thriving Black neighborhood of Greenwood in smoldering ruins.
“We Feel Terrorized”: What EPA Employees Say About the Decision to Stay or Go Under Trump
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. In the face of the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to reshape the Environmental Protection Agency and drive out its workers, more than 300 career employees have left their jobs since the election, according to a ProPublica analysis of personnel data.
Three Months After Missouri Voted to Make Abortion Legal, Access Is Still Being Blocked
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. Three months after Missouri voters enshrined reproductive rights in the state constitution, abortion remains unavailable as the state’s main provider fights legal hurdles to resume offering the procedure.
Gun Lobbyists and Cambridge Analytica Weaponized Gun Owners’ Private Details for Political Gain
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story. Arthur Douglas has been passionate about guns his entire life. He spent his childhood hunting, then amassed a treasured collection of firearms, including antique rifles he considers priceless.
Gun Lobbyists and Cambridge Analytica Weaponized Gun Owners’ Private Details for Political Gain
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Gun Lobbyists and Cambridge Analytica Weaponized Gun Owners’ Private Details for Political Gain
1 hour ago Reddit has temporarily banned one of its communities - and removed another - after X owner Elon Musk claimed comments made by the site's users about his employees were breaking the law. The r/WhitePeopleTwitter subreddit, which typically invites people to share funny posts from X, has been banned …
Senator Slams Gun Industry’s “Invasive and Dangerous” Sharing of Customer Data With Political Operatives
A U.S. senator this week criticized the gun industry for secretly harvesting personal information from firearm owners for political purposes, calling it an “invasive and dangerous intrusion” of privacy and safety. In a letter sent to the National Shooting Sports Foundation on Tuesday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., questioned the legality of the “covert program” in which firearms manufacturers for years shared sensitive customer information with political operatives.
Senator Slams Gun Industry’s “Invasive and Dangerous” Sharing of Customer Data with Political Operatives
GUNSSenator Slams Gun Industry’s “Invasive and Dangerous” Sharing of Customer Data with Political Operatives Published 20 November 2024 In response to a ProPublica investigation, Sen. Richard Blumenthal demanded answers from the gun industry about its “covert program” to collect information on gun owners for political purposes.
Senator Slams Gun Industry’s “Invasive and Dangerous” Sharing of Customer Data With Political Operatives
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. A U.S. senator this week criticized the gun industry for secretly harvesting personal information from firearm owners for political purposes, calling it an “invasive and dangerous intrusion” of privacy and safety. In a letter sent to the National Shooting Sports Foundation on Tuesday, Sen.
Gun Companies Gave Customers’ Sensitive Personal Information to Political Operatives
For years, America’s most iconic gun-makers turned over sensitive personal information on hundreds of thousands of customers to political operatives. Those operatives, in turn, secretly employed the details to rally firearm owners to elect pro-gun politicians running for Congress and the White House, a ProPublica investigation has found.
Gun Companies Gave Customers’ Sensitive Personal Information to Political Operatives
1 hour ago Update, Oct. 24, 2024: This story, originally published Oct. 22, includes details of new security recommendations issued by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency along with details of the U.K. Government Cyber Essentials scheme. Comedy fans may well recognize “have you tried …
“The Reporting Gave a Number of Us Pause”: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Rethink Funding for Child ID Kits After Investigation
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. This article is co-published with The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan local newsroom that informs and engages with Texans. Sign up for The Brief Weekly to get up to speed on their essential coverage of Texas issues.
Former gun company executive explains roots of America’s gun violence epidemic
From the movie theater to the shopping mall, inside a church and a synagogue, through the grocery aisle and into the classroom, gun violence has invaded every corner of American life. It is a social epidemic no vaccine can stem, a crisis with no apparent end. Visual evidence of the carnage spills with numbing frequency onto TV shows and floods the internet. Each new shooting brings the lists of loved ones lost, the galleries of their smiling photos and the videos of the police response.
Former Gun Company Executive Explains Roots of America’s Gun Violence Epidemic
1 hour ago The president’s had a string of recent wins. So why do his numbers suck? After President Joe Biden delivered the commencement speech at the Air Force Academy’s graduation on Thursday, he tripped over a sandbag and fell flat on his face. But that’s just about the only tumble Biden has taken recently, …
Investigations
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May 9• Investigations & Narratives Times reporters Corey G. Johnson, Rebecca Woolington and Eli Murray were awarded the Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting Monday. They won for their "Poisoned" series, which exposed dangers at a...
By Rebecca Woolington Verified, Bethany Barnes Verified, Corey Johnson Verified, Eli Murray Verified
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Tampa Bay Times
Verified
Tampa clinic where lead workers received flawed care to close
A Tampa health clinic whose medical director failed to warn workers at a local lead factory that the amount of metal in their bodies put them in danger will close next week, the clinic announced. Comprehensive Occupational Medicine for Business & Industry, known as COMBI, has contracted with Gopher Resource since 2013 to provide workers with exams and blood tests mandated by federal rules and to handle workers compensation cases.
Hillsborough County ends pollution alert around Tampa lead factory
Hillsborough County regulators ended an air pollution alert for the community around a Tampa lead factory late Thursday after government testing showed levels of the neurotoxin in the air declined in recent weeks. Gopher Resource, however, will remain under the same increased scrutiny that began after government monitors in January recorded levels of lead outside the company’s factory on East Jewel Avenue that exceeded federal air-quality standards. One test was more than five times the limit.
Poisoned - Goldsmith Awards
Corey G. Johnson, Rebecca Woolington and Eli Murray Hillsborough County had the highest number of adult lead poisonings in all of Florida. Reporters from the Tampa Bay Times set out to discover why. They interviewed more than 100 current and former employees at a local battery recycling plant suspected to be the cause. Johnson, Woolington and Murray gathered over 100,000 pages of documents and hundreds of photos and videos from employees that showed the perilous conditions inside the factory.
County Cautions Public About High Lead Around Tampa factory
In the distance, the Gopher Resource lead plant's smokestacks tower above Kenly Elementary School. (Martha Asencio-Rhine | Tampa Bay Times) In partnership with: February 20, 2022 by Local regulators issued an air pollution precaution late Friday warning residents near a Tampa lead factory to limit outdoor activity after government testing showed elevated concentrations of the neurotoxin in the air.
Tampa Lead Factory Faces $518,000 Fine for Environmental Violations
The Gopher Resource lead plant is seen at the end of a street, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 in Tampa. In partnership with: January 22, 2022 by A Tampa lead factory is facing $518,000 in additional fines following a two-month inspection by local environmental regulators prompted by a Tampa Bay Times investigation.
Tampa lead factory faces $518,000 in more fines for environmental violations Original
A Tampa lead factory is facing $518,000 in additional fines following a two-month inspection by local environmental regulators prompted by a Tampa Bay Times investigation. If finalized, the penalty against Gopher Resource would be the largest in the history of the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission, said Sterlin Woodard, the lead investigator on the case.
A Tampa Lead Factory Hurt Workers. Here’s How to Avoid a Repeat.
The Gopher Resource lead smelter on Nov. 7, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Martha Asencio-Rhine | Tampa Bay Times) In partnership with: December 24, 2021 by Over the past year, the Tampa Bay Times found unsafe conditions inside and outside of Gopher Resource’s Tampa lead factory. Workers were exposed to dangerously high levels of lead in the air. A company doctor failed to warn them of their risk. Government regulators missed opportunities to intervene. And the factory polluted the surrounding community.
UNC studies policies on public e-mail
By Corey G. Johnson Staff writer The chairman of the state university system’s governing body said Monday that he will examine the board’s use of private e-mails to ensure that records are being kept in compliance with state law. Jim Phillips, chairman of the UNC Board of Governors, said he talked with UNC administrators, including system President Erskine Bowles, about whether switching to state-regulated e-mail would be complicated, hard or expensive to do.
Regulators to Step Up Monitoring of Tampa Lead Factory
Government regulators monitor the air quality around Gopher Resource’s Tampa smelter using devices that resemble birdhouses. (Martha Asencio-Rhine | Tampa Bay Times) In partnership with: December 11, 2021 by A Tampa lead factory will face increased government scrutiny after a Tampa Bay Times investigation found it took steps to limit pollution when it knew environmental regulators were watching.
Corey G. Johnson
Corey G. Johnson Investigative reporter I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA and I’ve tasted every flavor of professional sports choking known to man. I proudly walked the hills of Florida A&M University, but this is my first time south of Tallahassee. People say they’ve never seen me or Columbo in the same place, at the same time, but hey — let’s not get distracted by rumors. Just know my heart and mind are open. I care about suffering and I chase stories that matter.
Envenenados. Parte 3: Efectos colaterales
Tampa Bay Times TAMPA — En el extremo este de Tampa, las chimeneas de la fábrica de plomo se elevan sobre el acogedor bungaló de Josefina Zepeda. Los montones de desechos alcanzan los 130 pies en el cielo, más alto que cualquier otra cosa a su alrededor, y exhalan columnas llenas de gases tóxicos y metal. Todo corresponde a la fábrica de plomo. Zepeda y su hijo de 21 años, Gustavo Araujo, han vivido a 500 pies de la fábrica durante más de una década. Han sentido su zumbido día y noche.
Gopher Resource promised changes at Tampa’s old lead factory. It kept polluting.
For decades, Tampa’s lead factory repeatedly ran afoul of environmental regulations. Gopher Resource bought the facility in 2006 and vowed to be different. But records show the pattern of polluting continued. Under Gopher’s ownership, the plant released too much lead into the air, polluted local waterways and improperly dumped hazardous waste. If the name of the company sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve reported on it before.
Tampa’s lead factory promised changes. It kept polluting.
Part 3: THE FALLOUT Gopher Resource promised changes at Tampa's old lead factory. It kept polluting. On the eastern edge of Tampa, smokestacks rise above Josefina Zepeda’s cozy bungalow. The stacks reach 130 feet into the sky, higher than anything else around them, and exhale plumes filled with toxic gases and metal. They belong to the lead factory. Zepeda and her 21-year-old son, Gustavo Araujo, have lived within 500 feet of the factory for more than a decade. They’ve felt its buzz day and night.
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