This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with MLK50: Justice Through Journalism. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. When Reggie Williams turned 18 two decades ago, his mother entrusted him with his birth certificate. Keep it on you at all times, […]
Justice Department
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics & Policy
From Fighting the Klan to Fighting DEI: The Justice Department’s Shift on Civil Rights
WASHINGTON — Consent decrees meant to hold police departments accountable for misconduct have been dismantled in several cities. Voting rights cases have been thrown out and replaced with investigations into alleged voter fraud. Civil rights laws have been used to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Black Lives Matter Facing Financial Scrutiny — Again
The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc. denied on Friday being “a target of any federal criminal investigation” in light of a report that the federal government was looking into fraud allegations. The response comes after anonymous sources told the Associated Press that the U.S. Justice Department was investigating whether leaders in the Black […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice, Policing
Officer Convicted in Breonna Taylor Case Sentenced to 33 Months
A former Louisville, Kentucky, officer was sentenced Monday to 33 months in prison for violating the civil rights of Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a no-knock raid in 2020. The officer, Brett Hankison, fired 10 bullets that did not strike or kill Taylor, who was a 26-year-old first responder. Yet, he was indicted in […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
DOJ Under Trump Shuts Down Police Reform Cases Sparked by Floyd, Taylor Deaths
Just days before the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, the Justice Department said they will dismiss police investigations launched during former President Joe Biden’s administration. Harmeet Dhillon, the leader of the department’s Civil Rights Division, announced Wednesday plans to withdraw pending federal lawsuits against police departments in Louisville, Kentucky, following the death of Breonna […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
What Trump’s Cabinet Picks Mean for Black Americans as Hearings Continue
President Donald Trump’s picks for key positions in his second administration continue their Senate confirmation hearings, which began on Jan. 14. Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for Secretary of the Department of State, was the first to win confirmation, gliding through the process. On the other hand, Pete Hegseth, selected to be the Secretary of the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
What a ‘Pardon Czar’ Could Accomplish During a Trump Administration
Newly appointed “pardon czar” Alice Marie Johnson’s role has been met with cautious optimism from decarceration advocates, given President Donald Trump’s unpredictable stance on criminal justice reform. Johnson, a prominent figure in efforts to reform federal mandatory minimum sentences, will advise Trump on clemency decisions, multiple media outlets have reported. “I am deeply grateful for […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Anti-DEI Assault Gains Momentum Under New DOJ Leadership
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is bringing the U.S. Department of Justice in line with President Donald Trump’s platform, as she continues the administration’s anti-diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility purge and appears to reverse the pro-civil rights agenda of her predecessor. On Wednesday — her first day in office — she issued a litany of […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
What a Second Trump Presidency Could Mean for Pending DOJ Investigations
The clock is ticking for the Justice Department and federal prosecutors trying to resolve civil rights investigations and complaints against law enforcement agencies accused of mistreating Black and brown communities. This form of accountability can produce a court-ordered agreement — a consent decree — to enforce departments to overhaul their policing practices that Black Americans […]
Posted inInfrastructure, Unsafe Water
The Sewage Crisis Drowning America’s Poorest Town
Each time it rains, even if it’s just a light rainfall, the streets of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, flood. But that’s not all. Those floodwaters bring in a nightmarish brown tide, a disgusting slurry that engulfs the area, dragging with it the stench of human excrement and decay. With such constant and high floodwaters, people have […]