Lucas Waldron

Graphics Editor

Photo of Lucas Waldron

Lucas Waldron is a graphics editor. Previously, he was a visual investigations producer on ProPublica’s video team.

Waldron’s work includes creating data visualizations, animations and motion graphics for ProPublica stories. He has also co-reported stories on issues related to transgender and nonbinary communities.

Waldron is a graduate of UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. Previously, he worked at KQED and The New York Times.

What the Data Reveals About U.S. Immigration Ahead of the 2024 Election

Recent years have seen a big increase in migrants crossing the U.S. border. But that’s not the most significant change. It’s that many are coming from new countries and with more legal ways to be here. All this is shaping the 2024 election.

In a State With School Vouchers For All, Low-Income Families Aren’t Choosing to Use Them

Working-class parents often express interest in vouchers. But in Arizona, the nation’s school choice capital, these families aren’t using them due to the inaccessibility of private schools and the costs of transportation, meals and uniforms.

What No One Tells You About Car Loan Deferments

When you defer a car payment, you’ll likely end up owing more at the end of your loan. Our free auto loan calculator tool was built to help borrowers figure out their final payment amount and understand how car loan extensions work.

One of the Nation’s Largest Auto Lenders Told Customers, “We’re Here to Help.” Then It Took Their Money and Their Cars.

CarMax partner Exeter Finance makes high-interest loans to people with troubled financial histories. It allows borrowers to skip payments but often adds thousands of dollars in new charges — costs that customers say Exeter didn’t tell them about.

The Delusion of “Advanced” Plastic Recycling

The plastics industry has heralded a type of chemical recycling it claims could replace new shopping bags and candy wrappers with old ones — but not much is being recycled at all, and this method won’t curb the crisis.

Microsoft Chose Profit Over Security and Left U.S. Government Vulnerable to Russian Hack, Whistleblower Says

Former employee says software giant dismissed his warnings about a critical flaw because it feared losing government business. Russian hackers later used the weakness to breach the National Nuclear Security Administration, among others.

Documents Show Internal Clash Before U.S. Officials Pushed to Weaken Toddler Formula Rules

Government documents obtained by ProPublica show a stark rift between trade and health officials over international efforts to regulate toddler milk. The records provide a rare, candid glimpse into U.S. policymaking around children's health.

How Many of Your State’s Lawmakers Are Women? If You Live in the Southeast, It Could Be Just 1 in 5.

A record number of women were elected to statehouses last year. But in the Southeast, where some legislatures are more than 80% male, representation is lagging as lawmakers pass bills that most impact women, like near-total abortion bans.

“Uprooted” Explores How University Expansion and Eminent Domain Led to Black Land Loss

The short documentary “Uprooted” examines a Black community’s decadeslong battle to hold onto their land as city officials wielded eminent domain to establish and expand Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.

“Someone Tell Me What to Do”

Across the country, states require more training to prepare students and teachers for mass shootings than for those expected to protect them. The differences were clear in Uvalde, where children and officers waited on opposite sides of the door.

A Top Mutual Fund Executive Made Millions for Himself Trading the Same Stocks His Giant Fund Was Trading

Confidential IRS data reveals that David Hoeft, chief investment officer of mutual fund giant Dodge & Cox, was one of many investment managers who bought and sold the same stocks their company was trading.

Wisconsin’s Legislative Maps Are Bizarre, but Are They Illegal?

Wisconsin’s gerrymandering case has garnered national attention. But a little-explored aspect of the suit — the pervasive presence of “Swiss cheese” districts — could have huge ramifications for the outcome.

Erasing the “Black Spot”: How a Virginia College Expanded by Uprooting a Black Neighborhood

Sixty-plus years ago, the white leaders of Newport News, Virginia, seized the core of a thriving Black community to build a college. The school has been gobbling up the remaining houses ever since.

How School Board Meetings Became Flashpoints for Anger and Chaos Across the Country

In the first wide-ranging analysis of school board unrest, ProPublica found nearly 60 incidents that led to arrests or criminal charges. Almost all were in suburban districts, and nearly every participant was white.

The Colorado River Flooded Chemehuevi Land. Decades Later, the Tribe Still Struggles to Take Its Share of Water.

The Chemehuevi’s reservation fronts about 30 miles of the Colorado River, yet 97% of the tribe’s water stays in the river, much of it used by Southern California cities. The tribe isn’t paid for it.

Have You Faced Barriers to Getting Gender-Affirming Care? Help Us Investigate.

Gender-affirming care is medically necessary but can be hard to access. ProPublica is investigating the ways transgender people are blocked from getting quality health care related to gender transitions.

This Georgia County Spent $1 Million to Avoid Paying for One Employee’s Gender-Affirming Care

Officials in Houston County, Georgia, said gender-affirming surgery for sheriff’s deputy Anna Lange was too costly. They spent more than $1 million on private lawyers in a fight to keep transition-related care from being covered by their health plan.

Wildfires in Colorado Are Growing More Unpredictable. Officials Have Ignored the Warnings.

A year after the deadly Marshall Fire drove thousands of Coloradans from their homes, the state’s densest communities aren’t preparing for the next climate-driven wildfire.

She Wanted an Abortion. A Judge Said She Wasn’t Mature Enough to Decide.

As abortion access dwindles, America’s “parental-involvement” laws place further restrictions on teenagers — who may need to ask judges for permission to end their pregnancies.

The Hidden Fees Making Your Bananas, and Everything Else, Cost More

A cadre of ocean carriers are charging exorbitant, potentially illegal, fees on shipping containers stuck because of congestion at ports. Sellers of furniture, coconut water, even kids’ potties say the fees are inflating costs.

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