Protests are raging across America after George Floyd’s death at the hands of an officer of the Minneapolis Police Department, another in a series of killings of unarmed black people by law enforcement officials. In several cities, police have met protesters with brutal force, and conflicts have escalated into mass unrest. All of this, of course, is happening while COVID-19 continues to spread.

At the root of the protests is a deeply troubled relationship between law enforcement agencies and black and brown communities across the U.S. To help you understand how that relationship came to be so damaged, here’s a sampling of Reveal investigations that can offer some context:

• Bound by statute: Reporters Ko Bragg and Melissa Lewis found that nearly 5,000 kids – almost 75% of them black – have been charged as adults in Mississippi over the past 25 years.

• Pushed out: Coverage of youth incarceration often focuses on boys. But Bragg found that school-age girls are being pushed into jails at an alarming rate.

• The secret list of convicted cops: We partnered with dozens of journalists to report on a list of police officers with criminal convictions.

• To protect and slur: Reporters Will Carless and Michael Corey found hundreds of current and former law enforcement officials who were members of extremist groups on Facebook. 

Home Schooled

“We're spending a lot of money – we're just not spending it efficiently, and we're not spending it democratically,” said Christopher Ali, an associate professor in media studies at the University of Virginia. Ali said a significant portion of funds allocated for broadening broadband access went to the nine biggest telecom companies, which used antiquated technologies to fulfill their commitments.

In 2015, two of the nation’s biggest internet service providers, CenturyLink and Frontier Communications, won a combined $3.2 billion over four years to build rural broadband networks. CenturyLink admitted in January that it was failing to meet contractual deadlines in most states in which the company was working. In April, Frontier, which was failing to meet its commitments in 13 states, filed for bankruptcy protection. 

“Neither Frontier nor CenturyLink have been reprimanded or punished by the FCC in any way, shape or form for taking billions of dollars from taxpayers and not building the networks they promised,” said Gigi Sohn, a lawyer who worked for the Federal Communications Commission during the Obama administration.

For most of the families that don’t have broadband at home, the problem isn’t infrastructure – it’s cost. The FCC’s Lifeline program is one initiative that’s supposed to address this. But the program gives families only $9.25 per month to put toward paying for internet access, which surveys suggest is a fraction of the typical cost. E-Rate, another FCC program aimed at expanding broadband access, is heavily used toward rural deployment of broadband, leaving urban households with less help.

In May, the House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act, which would provide up to $50 a month for low-income families to pay for internet access at home. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the bill has “no chance of becoming law.”

For more on the digital divide, listen to this week’s episode of Reveal.
 

Reproducing racism

We didn’t send a newsletter last week because of the Memorial Day holiday, but we don’t want you to miss the show that aired over that weekend. Here’s the description:

As racial disparities in health come into the spotlight amid COVID-19, we explore how the legacy of racism affects maternal health in the United States. 

First, we hear the story of Amber Rose Isaac, a woman who died in childbirth in New York, and how her death has become a rallying cry for black maternal health activists.

Reporter Priska Neely explores the complicated legacy of J. Marion Sims, the “father of modern gynecology,” who experimented on enslaved women in the 1840s.

Reporter Julia Simon takes a look at a commonly used calculator that may be leading black and Latina women to C-sections they don’t need. 

We end with a conversation between two activist physicians from different generations. We hear their reflections on balancing outrage with optimism and fighting for justice for all parents and babies.

Go to revealnews.org to hear the full episode.
 

What we’re reading

Minnesota cities, counties paid $60.8M in police misconduct claims in past decade

“A common thread for the surge in payouts is the proliferation of surveillance cameras, bodycams, patrol car cameras and cellphones, which can sometimes provide an alternative narrative to the written reports filed by police.”

Before George Floyd’s death, Minneapolis police failed to adopt reforms, remove bad officers

“Even as officials have made some changes, law enforcement agencies have lacked either the authority or the will to discipline and remove bad officers from patrol. They have also failed to set clear criteria on the use of force and de-escalation.”

– Matt Thompson, editor in chief

City Hall turns to temps to swiftly staff contact tracing squad

Solid reporting by The City on how New York is going about hiring contact tracers. Said one recent hire: ‘It was very crazy. I’ve never been made an offer five to 10 minutes after applying for something before.’ ”

– Sumi Aggarwal, director of collaborations

ER visit for COVID-19 symptoms stuck man with a $3,278 bill

“From NPR’s story: ‘The Regans knew they had a high deductible, and they try to avoid unnecessarily using the ER. But with physician offices not seeing patients with COVID-19 symptoms in April, Timothy said he had little choice when Denver Health directed him first to its urgent care and then to its ER.’ ”

– Priska Neely, reporter/producer

Hidden video and whistleblower reveal gruesome mass-extermination method for Iowa pigs amid pandemic

During the pandemic, mass slaughter has become commonplace at factory farms, even though many of these farms are not where large-scale killing is meant to occur. 

– Najib Aminy, associate producer

Fact-based journalism is worth fighting for.