Joel Jacobs

Data reporter, @propublica. Past: @PittsburghPG, @washingtonpost, @MedillSchool. Former software engineer.

[ProPublica @propublica]

New: Four senators wrote letters to Experian and TransUnion, requesting information on the companies’ dispute handling processes after ProPublica revealed they have been dismissing more consumer complaints without help. https://t.co/4tqVLNJ2Pf

[ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild]

Our members are on the picket line today demanding a fair contract now! We want a fair disciplinary process, layoff protections & guardrails on artificial intelligence. Support us by donating to our strike fund: https://t.co/mxvk5nUrWR

[ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild]

We’re on strike today! Support our fight for a fair contract by NOT visiting the @propublica website or engaging with ProPublica stories today.

Tell ProPublica’s management you won’t cross the picket line: https://t.co/tN24poWh62

[Vernal @VernalColeman]

New: After returning to the White House, the Trump admin told veterans to expect “the highest quality care." But we found that the VA has since lost hundreds of mental health providers, while many veteran patients wait months for critical therapy. https://t.co/1xiYDBZFJB

[ProPublica @propublica]

New: TransUnion and Experian, two of the three major credit bureaus, have started dismissing a larger share of consumer complaints without help since the Trump administration began dismantling the CFPB. https://t.co/GVVR2LZE3a

[ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild]

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Show your support for @ProPublica’s workers by adding your name to our petition: https://t.co/tN24poWOVA

[Joel Jacobs @jmdjacobs]

NEW from me: The CFPB's consumer complaint system is more popular than ever, fielding >2.7M complaints last year.

But Republican lawmakers still voted to gut the CFPB's budget, even after referring thousands of their own constituents' issues to the agency
https://t.co/9B7dMmuBKx

[Jake Pearson @JakePearsonProP]

FOR IT BEFORE THEY WERE AGAINST IT: @jmdjacobs used FOIA to find GOP reps who voted to defund the CFPB earlier this year had referred their constituents to the agency when they were bilked by banks, lenders, etc…etc…

https://t.co/KEcTNLK6GC

[Megan O'Matz @MegsNewz]

Rep. Darrell Issa of Calif. & Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia voted to reduce the CFPB’s budget.Yet each has referred more than 100 constituents to the consumer agency for help, among the most of any House members. / by ⁦@jmdjacobs⁩ https://t.co/eRHr6aiH91

[Spencer Norris @norris_report]

1 yr ago, I assumed most homeless families in upstate NY were placed in shelters, where they could get beds, food and help finding housing.

I was wrong. ~1/2 of them land in hotels and mostly fend for themselves. Investigation w/ @nysfocus + @propublica: https://t.co/zUTWPxCqff

[Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein]

NEW: These 5 Charts Show How Hotels Became New York’s Response to Homelessness https://t.co/yHX8Cmgptm @norris_report @jmdjacobs w/ graphics by @lhwaldron

[Jake Pearson @JakePearsonProP]

BREAKING: The enforcement chief at America’s consumer watchdog is quitting, @ProPublica has learned. Cara Petersen writes in her sign-off letter that it’s “clear that the Bureau’s current leadership has no intention to enforce the law in any meaningful way.” 1/

[Megan O'Matz @MegsNewz]

Lawsuits allege that Dr. Phil’s son, Jay McGraw, profits from Minto Money, a tribal lender that offers payday-like loans online at exorbitant rates. The business is dividing an Alaska town. // Our @propublica ⁦@adndotcom⁩ story… https://t.co/lyeORbfMYl

[Brett Murphy @BrettMmurphy]

NEW: Explosive memos circulating inside USAID detail how Trump appointees ignored and thwarted the agency's senior leaders who tried to make good on the administration's public promises to keep lifesaving aid operations online. 1/

[Emily Badger @emilymbadger]

On the "wall of receipts" it published yesterday, DOGE claimed $8 billion of savings on one contract.

It was actually an $8 million contract.

[Brett Murphy @BrettMmurphy]

NEW: How did the Trump administration disembowel USAID in less than three weeks? The first step was seizing control of the agency’s IT system — including the personal data of all its employees. This, we were told, may have violated federal law. 1/

[Megan O'Matz @MegsNewz]

Online lenders tied to Native American tribes offer consumers quick cash at exorbitant rates. Tribes argue they aren’t subject to state lending laws, yet backed away from operating in 6 states where attorneys have challenged the enterprises. Our story: https://t.co/yVshPKoheI

[Joel Jacobs @jmdjacobs]

For more, see our full tribal lending series: https://t.co/jBdTqGhIOn

Or check out my thread on our previous reporting 👇
https://t.co/QootRDpNpq

[Joel Jacobs @jmdjacobs]

ICYMI: Last week @MegsNewz 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%.

We’ve been investigating this opaque industry for months: 🧵

[Joel Jacobs @jmdjacobs]

NEW from me and @MegsNewz — tribal lenders offering 600%+ APR loans online argue that sovereign immunity allows them to skirt state lending laws, but we found that they largely backed away from six states where attorneys have acted forcefully to protect consumers

(link below)

[Joel Jacobs @jmdjacobs]

Read the story here: https://t.co/jAJbDt3wib