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The Librarian Who Retired and Only Got Busier

A hero to toddlers and seniors, Logan Ragsdale can’t help himself from helping others.

by Sharon Grigsby

Welcome to The Lab Report

Our journalism is actionable and drives real-world impact. Explore our investigations, explainers, and data to see how.

OUR REPORTING

They Spent Weeks Housing the Homeless, Then Police Showed Up

Service providers launched a new initiative in South Dallas to provide apartments to people in encampments, but that didn’t stop police from making arrests.

by Kelli Smith

Public Services

The Public Won’t Be Seeing the State’s Report on Foster Care Problems

A judge this week allowed a report on North Texas’ troubled foster care provider to be sealed.

By Claire Ballor

Public Services

How Texas’ Foster Care Fix Fell Apart in Dallas

Lawmakers tried to help abused and neglected kids by privatizing the system. But in North Texas, many problems persist.

by Claire Ballor and Sharon Grigsby

Criminal Justice

How Dallas Police Ramped Up Homeless Enforcement

In the last eight months, officers have raided dozens of encampments and detained hundreds of people. Service providers are concerned about how it will affect their ability to help.

by Kelli Smith

Public Services

A New Park Is Coming Near You

The Trust for Public Land is juggling 300-acre nature preserves and smaller neighborhood parks across Dallas. Its Texas director explains why both matter.

by Matt Goodman

The U.S. homicide rate is falling, but domestic killings are not

The nation is on pace to record its lowest number of homicides in decades. But domestic violence deaths remain stubbornly high, and family annihilations — in which four or more relatives are killed — are on the rise. (Paywall)

Kelli Smith

What Youth Aging Out of Foster Care Need: Supportive Housing

Twenty percent of the about 20,000 youths who leave foster care at 18 immediately become homeless. The federal government is paying attention. Now is the time for states and developers to do the same.

Sharon Grigsby

Can we code our way out of gentrification?

Dallas residents will recognize the strangulation creeping into Denver neighborhoods as houses become bigger and more expensive. One solution? Zoning code changes making it more likely for new homes to be sold at price points closer to existing homes.

Sharon Grigsby

Housing

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In Dallas County, Stalled Paperwork Keeps Teens Homeless

Many young people aging out of foster care can’t access housing assistance because of the failures of government officials.

by Sharon Grigsby

Dallas’ Juvenile Justice System Was Broken. Have County Leaders Fixed It?

This Is What It Takes to Keep the Jail From Overflowing

The Present Danger of Foster Care in North Texas

How a Humble Tax Tool Protects Neighborhoods

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

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What’s Really at Stake in November

Good morning and congratulations. You made it through the primary elections. Your phone should stop vibrating through your pocket any day now—except for, maybe, the voters who will return to the polls in the May runoff to determine candidates like attorney general. The Dallas results came late: The county GOP’s decision to hem voters into…

by Matt Goodman, Kelli Smith and Sharon Grigsby