Joel Jacobs
@joeljacobs.bsky.social
Data reporter @propublica.org. Former software engineer.
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Reposted by Joel Jacobs
We can’t produce fearless investigative journalism without job security and a fair contract. After almost two years of bargaining, we need your help.
Show your support for @propublica.org workers by adding your name to our petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
Show your support for @propublica.org workers by adding your name to our petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
Fair Contract Now for ProPublica Guild
We, the workers of ProPublica, provide our readers with deeply researched, unbiased news that holds power to account. This work is more important now than ever, but our staff can’t properly contribute...
actionnetwork.org
September 15, 2025 at 10:00 PM
We can’t produce fearless investigative journalism without job security and a fair contract. After almost two years of bargaining, we need your help.
Show your support for @propublica.org workers by adding your name to our petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
Show your support for @propublica.org workers by adding your name to our petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
We’re holding a lunch-out today to demand that @propublica management agree to a fair discipline and performance evaluation system. Just today, a member of our Bargaining Committee and Unit Council was fired as a result of ProPublica's flawed system.
August 12, 2025 at 4:02 PM
We’re holding a lunch-out today to demand that @propublica management agree to a fair discipline and performance evaluation system. Just today, a member of our Bargaining Committee and Unit Council was fired as a result of ProPublica's flawed system.
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
Do you have information about Big Law spurning clients who might incur Trump's anger? Get in touch: molly.redden@propublica.org or on Signal at mollyredden.14
New from me: Big Law is fearful of representing anyone Trump sees as his enemies, and it's thwarting challenges to his agenda.
“There are cases that aren’t being brought at a time when civil rights abuses are maybe at the highest they’ve been.” www.propublica.org/article/trum...
“There are cases that aren’t being brought at a time when civil rights abuses are maybe at the highest they’ve been.” www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Trump’s War on Big Law Means It’s Harder to Challenge the Administration
Some of America’s largest law firms are refusing to take pro bono and paid legal work from groups that seek to hold the government to account on issues like environmental protection, LGBTQ+ rights and...
www.propublica.org
August 6, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Do you have information about Big Law spurning clients who might incur Trump's anger? Get in touch: molly.redden@propublica.org or on Signal at mollyredden.14
NEW from me: The CFPB's consumer complaint system is more popular than ever, fielding over 2.7M complaints last year.
But Republican lawmakers still voted to slash the CFPB's budget, even after referring thousands of their own constituents' issues to the agency.
www.propublica.org/article/cfpb...
But Republican lawmakers still voted to slash the CFPB's budget, even after referring thousands of their own constituents' issues to the agency.
www.propublica.org/article/cfpb...
These GOP Lawmakers Referred Constituents to the CFPB for Help. Then They Voted to Gut the Agency.
Many of the same Republican lawmakers who have targeted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for cuts have collectively directed thousands of constituents’ complaints about banks, credit cards, lo...
www.propublica.org
August 6, 2025 at 4:11 PM
NEW from me: The CFPB's consumer complaint system is more popular than ever, fielding over 2.7M complaints last year.
But Republican lawmakers still voted to slash the CFPB's budget, even after referring thousands of their own constituents' issues to the agency.
www.propublica.org/article/cfpb...
But Republican lawmakers still voted to slash the CFPB's budget, even after referring thousands of their own constituents' issues to the agency.
www.propublica.org/article/cfpb...
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
NEW: Many of the same Republican lawmakers who have targeted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for cuts have collectively directed thousands of constituents’ complaints about banks, credit cards, loans and other products to the agency.
By @joeljacobs.bsky.social
By @joeljacobs.bsky.social
These GOP Lawmakers Referred Constituents to the CFPB for Help. Then They Voted to Gut the Agency.
Many of the same Republican lawmakers who have targeted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for cuts have collectively directed thousands of constituents’ complaints about banks, credit cards,…
www.propublica.org
August 6, 2025 at 12:15 PM
NEW: Many of the same Republican lawmakers who have targeted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for cuts have collectively directed thousands of constituents’ complaints about banks, credit cards, loans and other products to the agency.
By @joeljacobs.bsky.social
By @joeljacobs.bsky.social
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
NEW: A 700% APR Lending Business Tied to Dr. Phil’s Son Is Dividing an Alaska Tribe
@kylehopkinsak.bsky.social @megomatz.bsky.social @joeljacobs.bsky.social w/ @adn.com
@kylehopkinsak.bsky.social @megomatz.bsky.social @joeljacobs.bsky.social w/ @adn.com
A 700% APR Lending Business Tied to Dr. Phil’s Son Is Dividing an Alaska Tribe
Tribal lender Minto Money has boosted the economy of its Alaska town. But some tribal members are appalled by the millions it’s made off desperate borrowers — much of which, lawsuits allege, has gone ...
www.propublica.org
May 21, 2025 at 2:02 PM
NEW: A 700% APR Lending Business Tied to Dr. Phil’s Son Is Dividing an Alaska Tribe
@kylehopkinsak.bsky.social @megomatz.bsky.social @joeljacobs.bsky.social w/ @adn.com
@kylehopkinsak.bsky.social @megomatz.bsky.social @joeljacobs.bsky.social w/ @adn.com
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
1/ 🚨 Yesterday, @propublica.org management confirmed that it will again deny steward representation at disciplinary meetings. Our full statement 👇
May 8, 2025 at 8:41 PM
1/ 🚨 Yesterday, @propublica.org management confirmed that it will again deny steward representation at disciplinary meetings. Our full statement 👇
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
Trump says he loves vets. He's promised to "put veterans first."
He's also planning to cut the agency that cares for more than nine million of them.
If you're a vet who gets care at VA -- or you work there -- *we want to hear from you.*
www.propublica.org/getinvolved/...
He's also planning to cut the agency that cares for more than nine million of them.
If you're a vet who gets care at VA -- or you work there -- *we want to hear from you.*
www.propublica.org/getinvolved/...
Have You Been Affected by Changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs? Tell Us About It.
Have you experienced setbacks in your care or benefits amid the changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs? ProPublica wants to hear from you.
www.propublica.org
May 6, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Trump says he loves vets. He's promised to "put veterans first."
He's also planning to cut the agency that cares for more than nine million of them.
If you're a vet who gets care at VA -- or you work there -- *we want to hear from you.*
www.propublica.org/getinvolved/...
He's also planning to cut the agency that cares for more than nine million of them.
If you're a vet who gets care at VA -- or you work there -- *we want to hear from you.*
www.propublica.org/getinvolved/...
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
NEW INVESTIGATION from me and @vernalcoleman.bsky.social:
Internal emails show doctors and others at VA hospitals around the country begging for help as cuts hurt veterans' care, including "live-saving cancer trials."
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Internal emails show doctors and others at VA hospitals around the country begging for help as cuts hurt veterans' care, including "live-saving cancer trials."
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Internal VA Emails Reveal How Trump Cuts Jeopardize Veterans’ Care, Including To “Life-Saving Cancer Trials”
Despite a congressional mandate to expand care for veterans, internal Veterans Affairs messages obtained by ProPublica paint a stark portrait of how chaotic cost cutting has already imperiled tests of...
www.propublica.org
May 6, 2025 at 10:47 AM
NEW INVESTIGATION from me and @vernalcoleman.bsky.social:
Internal emails show doctors and others at VA hospitals around the country begging for help as cuts hurt veterans' care, including "live-saving cancer trials."
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Internal emails show doctors and others at VA hospitals around the country begging for help as cuts hurt veterans' care, including "live-saving cancer trials."
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
NEW: The closure effectively hobbles the VA’s efforts to investigate and eliminate long-standing racial inequities that the department itself has acknowledged.
“The consequences will be dire, wide-reaching and deadly,” an advocate for Black veterans said.
By @vernalcoleman.bsky.social
“The consequences will be dire, wide-reaching and deadly,” an advocate for Black veterans said.
By @vernalcoleman.bsky.social
The Office That Investigates Disparities in Veterans’ Care Is Being “Liquidated”
The closure effectively hobbles the VA’s efforts to investigate and eliminate long-standing racial inequities that the department itself has acknowledged. “The consequences will be dire, wide-reaching...
propub.li
March 11, 2025 at 8:41 PM
NEW: The closure effectively hobbles the VA’s efforts to investigate and eliminate long-standing racial inequities that the department itself has acknowledged.
“The consequences will be dire, wide-reaching and deadly,” an advocate for Black veterans said.
By @vernalcoleman.bsky.social
“The consequences will be dire, wide-reaching and deadly,” an advocate for Black veterans said.
By @vernalcoleman.bsky.social
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
“We are really trying very, very hard ... to move our world forward" through "foundational, sometimes groundbreaking research, and then you get flagged and blacklisted because there is a word like ‘female’ in your project.”
My latest, w/the brilliant Agnel Philip
www.propublica.org/article/ted-...
My latest, w/the brilliant Agnel Philip
www.propublica.org/article/ted-...
A Study of Mint Plants. A Device to Stop Bleeding. This Is the Scientific Research Ted Cruz Calls “Woke.”
The senator flagged thousands of National Science Foundation grants for using words like “female” and “diversify.” A ProPublica analysis found numerous examples of projects caught up in his crude meth...
www.propublica.org
February 28, 2025 at 3:42 PM
“We are really trying very, very hard ... to move our world forward" through "foundational, sometimes groundbreaking research, and then you get flagged and blacklisted because there is a word like ‘female’ in your project.”
My latest, w/the brilliant Agnel Philip
www.propublica.org/article/ted-...
My latest, w/the brilliant Agnel Philip
www.propublica.org/article/ted-...
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
Strategically parked around the corner …
February 27, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Strategically parked around the corner …
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
Take a listen to my colleague @joeljacobs.bsky.social talk about our @ProPublica tribal lending series on Oregon public radio www.ijpr.org/economy-and-...
February 13, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Take a listen to my colleague @joeljacobs.bsky.social talk about our @ProPublica tribal lending series on Oregon public radio www.ijpr.org/economy-and-...
NEW from me and @megomatz.bsky.social — tribal lenders offering 600%+ APR loans online argue that sovereign immunity allows them to skirt state lending laws, but we found they backed away from six states where attorneys have acted forcefully to protect consumers:
www.propublica.org/article/stat...
www.propublica.org/article/stat...
Tribal Lenders Say They Can Charge Over 600% Interest. These States Stopped Them.
Online lenders tied to Native American tribes argue that they aren’t subject to state lending laws, but they backed away from operating in six states where attorneys have acted forcefully to protect c...
www.propublica.org
January 15, 2025 at 4:20 PM
NEW from me and @megomatz.bsky.social — tribal lenders offering 600%+ APR loans online argue that sovereign immunity allows them to skirt state lending laws, but we found they backed away from six states where attorneys have acted forcefully to protect consumers:
www.propublica.org/article/stat...
www.propublica.org/article/stat...
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
Federal authorities haven’t shown much interest lately in addressing payday-like lenders tied to Native American tribes, which offer quick cash online at astronomical interest rates. But we found that some states have effectively shut down such lending. www.propublica.org/article/stat...
Tribal Lenders Say They Can Charge Over 600% Interest. These States Stopped Them.
Online lenders tied to Native American tribes argue that they aren’t subject to state lending laws, but they backed away from operating in six states where attorneys have acted forcefully to protect c...
www.propublica.org
January 15, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Federal authorities haven’t shown much interest lately in addressing payday-like lenders tied to Native American tribes, which offer quick cash online at astronomical interest rates. But we found that some states have effectively shut down such lending. www.propublica.org/article/stat...
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
NEW: Federal authorities have struggled to regulate tribal lending operations that offer short-term loans at crushing interest rates. But six states have shown that tribal immunity doesn’t prevent state officials from acting to protect consumers.
By @joeljacobs.bsky.social & @megomatz.bsky.social
By @joeljacobs.bsky.social & @megomatz.bsky.social
Tribal Lenders Say They Can Charge Over 600% Interest. These States Stopped Them.
Online lenders tied to Native American tribes argue that they aren’t subject to state lending laws, but they backed away from operating in six states where attorneys have acted forcefully to protect…
propub.li
January 15, 2025 at 1:00 PM
NEW: Federal authorities have struggled to regulate tribal lending operations that offer short-term loans at crushing interest rates. But six states have shown that tribal immunity doesn’t prevent state officials from acting to protect consumers.
By @joeljacobs.bsky.social & @megomatz.bsky.social
By @joeljacobs.bsky.social & @megomatz.bsky.social
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
THREAD: In 2023, I received an envelope with no return address. Inside was a flash drive containing tens of 1000s of secret files.
It came from a vigilante with a tumultuous past, who'd conducted a years-long undercover operation. He didn’t tell the FBI or his family. He only told me.
It came from a vigilante with a tumultuous past, who'd conducted a years-long undercover operation. He didn’t tell the FBI or his family. He only told me.
January 4, 2025 at 12:48 PM
THREAD: In 2023, I received an envelope with no return address. Inside was a flash drive containing tens of 1000s of secret files.
It came from a vigilante with a tumultuous past, who'd conducted a years-long undercover operation. He didn’t tell the FBI or his family. He only told me.
It came from a vigilante with a tumultuous past, who'd conducted a years-long undercover operation. He didn’t tell the FBI or his family. He only told me.
Reposted by Joel Jacobs
For the past year, @propublica.org has been reporting on the toll when a city "sweeps" an encampment. We handed out cards so folks could write in their own words what it meant to have their belongings trashed.
We're publishing dozens of those stories here:
projects.propublica.org/impact-of-ho...
We're publishing dozens of those stories here:
projects.propublica.org/impact-of-ho...
“I Have Lost Everything”: The Toll of Cities’ Homeless Sweeps
Cities often take belongings — including important documents and irreplaceable mementos — when they conduct sweeps of homeless encampments. ProPublica gave notecards to people across the country so th...
projects.propublica.org
December 27, 2024 at 1:39 PM
For the past year, @propublica.org has been reporting on the toll when a city "sweeps" an encampment. We handed out cards so folks could write in their own words what it meant to have their belongings trashed.
We're publishing dozens of those stories here:
projects.propublica.org/impact-of-ho...
We're publishing dozens of those stories here:
projects.propublica.org/impact-of-ho...
ICYMI: Last week @megomatz.bsky.social and I reported on how the tribal lending industry has survived and thrived offering exorbitant online loans to millions of borrowers — with APRs that can exceed 600%.
www.propublica.org/article/trib...
We’ve been investigating this opaque industry for months:🧵
www.propublica.org/article/trib...
We’ve been investigating this opaque industry for months:🧵
The Tribal Lending Industry Offers Quick Cash Online at Outrageous Interest Rates. Here’s How It’s Survived.
Despite lawsuits, prosecutions and federal crackdown attempts, the tribal lending industry has adapted for over a decade, providing exorbitant loans to millions of financially vulnerable consumers.
www.propublica.org
January 3, 2025 at 12:20 AM
ICYMI: Last week @megomatz.bsky.social and I reported on how the tribal lending industry has survived and thrived offering exorbitant online loans to millions of borrowers — with APRs that can exceed 600%.
www.propublica.org/article/trib...
We’ve been investigating this opaque industry for months:🧵
www.propublica.org/article/trib...
We’ve been investigating this opaque industry for months:🧵