APM Reports - Investigations and Documentaries from American Public Media

Recent Stories

August 12, 2020

Postal delivery scores in five battleground states are missing targets as mail voting increases

by Tom Scheck, Geoff Hing, and Dee J. Hall

Large cities in key states — Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee — have sub-par delivery records; a former deputy postmaster general estimates tens of thousands of mailed ballots will be at risk for late delivery.

August 6, 2020

Many kids struggle with reading – and children of color are far less likely to get the help they need

by Emily Hanford

A false assumption about what it takes to be a skilled reader has created deep inequalities among U.S. children, putting many on a difficult path in life.

July 29, 2020

On the Navajo Nation, college students navigate a curfew and digital dead zones

by Sasha Aslanian

The pandemic is making getting through college harder for students on the wrong side of the digital divide. In rural Arizona, when campuses closed, some students couldn’t log on from home, because they had no access to the internet. A local sheriff flew laptops and hotspots to community college students on the Navajo Nation.

July 29, 2020

Some colleges that weathered the Great Depression and two world wars won't survive Covid-19

by Stephen Smith and Sasha Aslanian

The long tradition of students attending small, residential liberal arts colleges around the country was already shaky before the pandemic. Students are choosing less expensive options and more practical degrees. Experts warn that 10 percent of American colleges — about 200 or more institutions — are on the verge of going under. The pandemic is accelerating that trend.

July 29, 2020

A Florida university plans to reopen with a mandatory screening app, fewer people in classrooms, and a pilot study of virus-sniffing dogs

by Sasha Aslanian

Colleges and universities are under pressure to reopen, but bringing students back on campus safely means dealing with dizzying logistics. As the virus surges in Miami, a large commuter campus gets ready.

July 23, 2020

A national forewarning: Wisconsin's high absentee volume and ballot errors

by Tom Scheck, Geoff Hing, and Dee J. Hall

Voters there missed the fine print and the elections staff was overwhelmed. As November nears, a by-mail vote surge — due to virus safety — will spotlight the ballot counting in other presidential battleground states with slim voting margins.

July 15, 2020

How Washington, D.C., mishandled its response to the coronavirus

by Christopher Peak

In a city with some of the most glaring health disparities in the country, District officials were slow to help Black residents deal with the pandemic.

June 30, 2020

What happened at Minneapolis' 3rd Precinct — and what it means

by Angela Caputo, Will Craft, and Curtis Gilbert

Faced with angry, violent protesters after George Floyd’s death, Minneapolis city leaders made the unprecedented decision to abandon a police station. It marked not only the further erosion of the department’s relationship with the community, but perhaps the beginning of a shift in American policing.

June 18, 2020

After boy's death, Hennepin County finally severs ties with troubled facilities

by Curtis Gilbert

County officials had kept kids in out-of-state residential treatment centers despite reports of abuse.

June 17, 2020

Atlanta cop who killed Rayshard Brooks had prior controversial shooting

by Curtis Gilbert

Officer Garrett Rolfe was involved in a questionable and bizarre 2015 incident.

June 11, 2020

Episode 6: Delta State

College football is practically a religion in Mississippi. And for the players, it's life. As Covid-19 upended their world, the teammates at Delta State struggled to find structure and purpose for an off-season like no other.

May 28, 2020

Episode 5: Geno

As the coronavirus swept into the Mississippi Delta, a judge in the small city of Indianola decided to release every inmate she had in jail. That is, every inmate except one.

Postal delivery scores in five battleground states are missing targets as mail voting increases

Many kids struggle with reading – and children of color are far less likely to get the help they need

In the Dark: Coronavirus in the Delta

Featured Projects

The latest updates on the Curtis Flowers case

Opposition to the Vietnam War among active duty GIs and veterans

How the EPA has left Americans exposed to lead in drinking water

The 1950s plan to erase Indian Country

A Georgia law prevented 87,000 people from voting last year. And it could have a big impact in 2020

The invention of a disease and the pursuit of one molecule

How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers

Tasers are less reliable than their maker has claimed. The results can be deadly

In cities on the Great Lakes, water pipes are crumbling and poor people are paying the price

The Educate Podcast

Black at Mizzou: Confronting race on campus

What the Words Say

Covid on Campus

Same Pandemic, Unequal Education (from Us & Them podcast)

Recent Stories

Postal delivery scores in five battleground states are missing targets as mail voting increases

Many kids struggle with reading – and children of color are far less likely to get the help they need

On the Navajo Nation, college students navigate a curfew and digital dead zones

Some colleges that weathered the Great Depression and two world wars won't survive Covid-19

A Florida university plans to reopen with a mandatory screening app, fewer people in classrooms, and a pilot study of virus-sniffing dogs

A national forewarning: Wisconsin's high absentee volume and ballot errors

How Washington, D.C., mishandled its response to the coronavirus

What happened at Minneapolis' 3rd Precinct — and what it means

After boy's death, Hennepin County finally severs ties with troubled facilities

Atlanta cop who killed Rayshard Brooks had prior controversial shooting

Episode 6: Delta State

Episode 5: Geno