Author Archive

Isaac Arnsdorf

Reporter, ProPublica

Isaac Arnsdorf is a reporter at ProPublica covering national politics. His reporting on President Trump's agenda for veterans won the Sidney Hillman Foundation's Sidney Award and the National Press Club's Sandy Hume Award, and was an honorable mention for the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting.
Policy

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Buddies Tried to Get the VA to Sell Access to Veterans’ Medical Records

A congressional investigation prompted by ProPublica’s reporting found that wealthy civilians with no U.S. government or military experience pursued a plan to monetize veterans’ medical data.

  • Isaac Arnsdorf, ProPublica
Ideas

Capitol Rioters Planned for Weeks in Plain Sight. The Police Weren’t Ready.

Insurrectionists made no effort to hide their intentions, but law enforcement protecting Congress was caught flat-footed.

  • Logan Jaffe, Lydia DePillis, Isaac Arnsdorf and J. David McSwane, ProPublica
Threats

Most States Aren’t Ready to Distribute the Leading COVID-19 Vaccine

State officials don’t know how they’ll deal with difficult storage and transport requirements, especially in rural areas seeing a spike in infections.

  • Isaac Arnsdorf, Ryan Gabrielson and Caroline Chen, ProPublica
Threats

Missteps at CDC Set Back US Ability to Detect Coronavirus' Spread

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designed a flawed test for COVID-19, then took weeks to release a fix that allowed state and local labs to use it.

  • Caroline Chen, Marshall Allen, Lexi Churchill and Isaac Arnsdorf, ProPublica
Threats

Trump’s New Spy Chief Failed to Report $100,000 from a Group Funded by Hungary

Richard Grenell’s past clients could raise concerns about his access to state secrets, according to his own office’s rules.

  • Isaac Arnsdorf, ProPublica
Ideas

Trump’s New Spy Chief Worked for a Foreign Politician Accused by the US of Corruption

Richard Grenell did not disclose payments for advocacy work on behalf of a Moldovan politician whom the U.S. later accused of corruption. His own office’s policy says that could leave him vulnerable to blackmail.

  • Isaac Arnsdorf