The year in Popular Information
Social Security cancels plan to decimate service after Popular Information expose. On March 17, Popular Information exclusively published an internal Social Security Administration (SSA) memo that revealed plans to significantly limit phone service beginning April 1. The memo said the plan would flood already overburdened field offices with millions of additional people, creating “service disruption,” “operational strain,” and “budget shortfalls.”
After the publication of Popular Information’s report, major national news outlets, including Axios, The Washington Post, CNN, USA Today, and Newsweek, picked up the story. Popular Information was featured on The Rachel Maddow Show and Democracy Now! to discuss our report. Millions of people read the story online. Powerful advocacy groups, including the AARP, blasted the proposal. On April 9, the SSA announced it was scrapping their plans and would continue to “allow all claim types to be completed over the telephone.”
Protecting the integrity of a key election in North Carolina. On April 15, Popular Information reported that at least 29 people had their ballots in the 2024 general election wrongly discarded by the North Carolina Supreme Court. The state’s highest court ruled that about 260 ballots must be tossed because they were cast by people who were “never residents” of the state. The ballots — and thousands of others — were challenged by Jefferson Griffin, a Republican candidate for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court who lost by 734 votes to Democrat Allison Riggs.
On April 16, the North Carolina Board of Elections filed a notice in federal court, citing Popular Information’s reporting, stating that the votes of people who were wrongly identified would be restored. On May 5, the federal court took things one step further and ordered the North Carolina Board of Elections to certify Riggs as the winner. Griffin conceded two days later.
Pulling back the curtain on a $5 million political payoff. On August 4, Popular Information broke the news that President Trump’s Super PAC accepted a $5 million donation from Extremity Care, a company that sells expensive bandages made from dried placentas, days before the Trump administration delayed a rule that would have prevented Medicare from covering its products. Medicare is spending billions on Extremity Care products, which can cost more than $10,000 per square inch, even though much cheaper alternatives—unlike Extremity Care’s—are backed by scientific evidence. On August 11, the New York Times covered the scandal on its front page, crediting Popular Information’s reporting.
Revealing how Trump’s Argentina bailout enriched one well-connected billionaire. Popular Information revealed that the Trump administration’s $20 billion bailout of Argentina would benefit hedge fund billionaire Robert Citrone, a personal friend and former colleague of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Popular Information’s reporting became national news, with outlets like CNN, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and CNBC picking up the story. Our work was also cited in a letter from over 50 members of Congress demanding answers from Secretary Bessent about his ties to Citrone.
Accountability for DOGE. On February 3, Popular Information broke the news that DOGE staff at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) received unprecedented access to databases containing sensitive personal information for millions of federal employees. A week later, a coalition of labor unions representing federal workers sued OPM, citing Popular Information’s report seven times. On March 24, a federal judge issued an injunction, blocking DOGE’s access to the databases.
Unearthing corporate complicity with white supremacy. Popular Information uncovered that Rocket Money, a $50 billion financial services company, was continuing to sponsor Tucker Carlson’s podcast as the host mainstreamed white supremacy. Carlson fawned over Nick Fuentes, an unrepentant racist, antisemite, and misogynist, during a recent two-hour interview. The day after Popular Information’s story, Rocket Money canceled its sponsorship.
Exposing the NIH’s illegal funding freeze. On February 11, Popular Information revealed that the Trump administration was still prohibiting National Institutes of Health (NIH) staff from issuing virtually all grant funding, in violation of two federal court injunctions. On February 13, NIH leadership issued a memo, also obtained by Popular Information, acknowledging the injunctions and directing staff to immediately resume funding grants.
Quantifying the massive spike in ICE’s spending on weaponry. Popular Information broke the news that, during the Trump administration, ICE has increased its spending on guns, chemical weapons, and other small arms by 600 percent. The story went viral and was picked up by The Daily Beast, The Independent, Wired, Mother Jones, and other outlets. Based on a detailed analysis of government contracting data, our reporting brought renewed scrutiny to violent tactics deployed by federal agents as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown.
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