Boston 25 News • 26th September 2024

Exclusive: Mass. Sen. Warren’s new bill bans private landlords from using NDAs in military housing

There is a new push in Congress to stop private housing companies from requiring military families to sign non-disclosure agreements in connection with their housing. This comes after our two-year-long investigation exposed widespread housing problems at homes on military bases run by private companies and revealed the use of NDAs when families tried to get housing issues resolved.

The office of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) shared details with us exclusively about her new bill, Restore Milit...

WFTV • 3rd June 2024

Doctors warn Congress about potential link between moldy housing and veteran suicide risk

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Doctors are warning Congress about the potential link between suicide risk for veterans and moldy living conditions for military service members and their families.

For nearly two years, we have reported on military families around the country sounding alarms about mold in military housing. Multiple Congressional investigations and watchdog reports have shed light on concerns about mold in privatized military housing and barracks housing operated by the Defense Department.

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KIRO 7 News Seattle • 12th February 2024

‘This is disgusting:’ Lawmakers grill DoD about poor military housing conditions

Images of overflowing sewage and mold were put on display during a House subcommittee hearing to demonstrate the unsafe living conditions for some service members living on military barracks.

“This is disgusting,” said Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL). “This is unsatisfactory… Would any of you want your children in these kinds of conditions with mold, with feces?”

Waltz is the Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, which questioned officials from the Defense Department last week

WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta • 12th January 2024

‘This is a national security issue:’ New measure to improve military barracks’ conditions

WASHINGTON — From pest infestations to overflowing sewage, some junior enlisted service members living in military barracks have been subjected to these unsafe living conditions.

We told you how these problems were revealed in a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report last year that said the poor conditions “pose potentially serious health and safety risks.”

The report said investigators found mold and mildew growth, inoperable fire systems, and water damage, among other problems.

Boston 25 News • 29th December 2023

Military spouses will be part of new working group to oversee privatized housing problems

From long deployments overseas, to operations in the U.S., active-duty service members make major sacrifices to serve.

Because of those demanding commitments, it’s often their spouses who run things at home.

“The spouses, we’re tough,” said Breanna Bragg, whose husband is in the Army. “I feel like you have to be tough to be a military spouse.”

The Braggs used to live in privatized military housing on a base in Virginia with their two kids.

We told you how they dealt with mold, sewage and dea

Action News Jax • 7th October 2023

Lawmakers press DOD for answers about poor quality military housing

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. military is the most powerful force in the world.

Yet despite the sacrifices of those who serve, many of these service members and their families have been living in unsafe conditions like overflowing sewage and mold.

Over the last year, our Washington News Bureau has reported on safety hazards including pest infestations and mold at privatized military housing where many service members and their families live.

Last week, we told you about this watchdog report fro

WFTV • 27th September 2023

Report reveals poor living conditions at military barracks are impacting readiness, mental health

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Overflowing sewage, mold, and pest infestations – are just some of the poor living conditions active-duty service members are facing while living in military barracks, according to a new watchdog report.

The report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals investigators found mold and mildew growth, inoperable fire systems, and water damage, among other problems.

“Service members reported to GAO that the conditions of barracks affect their quality of life

Boston 25 News • 18th April 2023

Military families say housing problems remain ‘ongoing issue’ at Fort Gordon

WASHINGTON — Military families living on-base at Fort Gordon in Georgia say they’re still dealing with housing problems a year after a bipartisan Senate investigation revealed mistreatment of families in privatized housing on the base.

Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) released the new report Tuesday that details improvements that have been made and gaps that still remain following his investigation last year into housing problems at Fort Gordon and other bases.

The newly released findings are focused on

Boston 25 News • 13th April 2023

‘It’s sickening:’ Military families frustrated DoD will not stop NDAs in housing settlements

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) says it will not put a stop to private housing companies asking military families to sign non-disclosure agreements in settlements over housing problems.

We told you how our reporting uncovered NDAs are used by some private housing companies that run homes on-base when military families are looking to enter settlement agreements to be compensated after facing housing problems like mold, bug infestations and structural problems.

After our report

WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta • 10th April 2023

‘We’re calling out for help:’ Military families demand accountability for housing problems

WASHINGTON D.C. — On military bases around the country, the experiences are frustratingly similar for families living in homes that are run by private housing companies.

Unsafe living conditions like mold, bug infestations, and structural problems cast a shadow over their daily lives while leading to health concerns for these military families.

Raven Roman was living in on-base housing at Fort Belvoir in Virginia with her three daughters and husband in 2018 when they first started experiencing

WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta • 22nd March 2023

Exclusive: Ossoff launches inquiry into health impact on military families in unsafe housing

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators is demanding answers about the links between potential health problems and unsafe housing conditions for military families living in privatized housing.

It comes as we’ve been investigating reports of unsafe living conditions like mold and sewage for military families living in homes operated by private housing companies on-base.

Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) led the bipartisan letter sent to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on March 21.

“We need

Boston 25 News • 23rd February 2023

Sen. Warren demands answers about military housing: ‘I want these contractors in front of me’

After our months-long investigation into unsafe living conditions reported by military families at bases around the country, our Washington News Bureau spoke one-on-one with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) about efforts underway to better protect military families.

We told you how our investigation revealed some military families have been asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to have housing problems like mold, sewage and infestations of bugs resolved through a dispute resolution process

Boston 25 News • 20th December 2022

Exclusive: Senators call on DoD to end use of NDAs in privatized military housing

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A group of U.S. Senators is calling for an end to the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by private housing companies that operate homes on military bases.

It comes after our reporting revealed some of the housing companies are requiring military families to sign an NDA in order to accept a settlement offer over problems with mold, sewage and other unsafe living conditions.

The letter was addressed to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and signed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D

Action News Jax • 10th December 2022

Senators call for end to non-disclosure agreements in military housing settlements

WASHINGTON D.C. — It’s a common practice used by private housing companies running homes on military bases around the country: requiring non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in order for a military family to accept a settlement offer after raising concerns about housing problems.

We brought our findings about the use of these NDAs to the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee because they have the power to address defense matters.

This comes after members of Congress have been investigatin

WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta • 4th December 2022

‘It’s hush money’: Military family rejects $5k settlement over mold, sewage problems at their home

WASHINGTON DC — For the last six months, Breanna Bragg’s family has been displaced because of problems with mold and sewage at their Fort Belvoir home in Virginia.

Bragg’s husband is in the Army, and they have two kids ages 2 and 7.

We obtained records showing multiple inspections that found “actual mold growth” in the bathrooms and dining room.

In October, an inspector determined the home was “uninhabitable due to cross-contamination of suspected fungal growth, the presence of black water (s

WPXI • 6th October 2022

Watchdog report reveals some military families lack rights to dispute housing problems

WASHINGTON D.C. — Some military families living on base in housing run by private landlords still do not have the right to dispute housing concerns, according to a newly released Pentagon watchdog report.

The Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Defense report reveals that of 14 private landlords across 172 installations around the U.S., five of those landlords have not implemented some of the provisions outlined in the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in lease agreemen

WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta • 17th September 2022

‘Why is it acceptable?’: Military families push for accountability for base housing problems

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Frequent shuffling is an expected part of life for active-duty service members and their families.

Breanna Bragg and Rachel Vidot both moved thousands of miles away from their last homes to Fort Belvoir in Virginia around two years ago.

Bragg and her family moved from California most recently; Vidot and her family came from Nevada.

They are both familiar with relocation due to station changes, but they say they are now displaced for a reason they never expected to encounter

WFTV • 26th April 2022

Report: Military housing company put families at risk even after pleading guilty to fraud

WASHINGTON, D.C. — One of the largest providers of privatized military housing is accused of continuing to put the health and safety of military families at risk, even after the company pleaded guilty to fraud in a federal investigation, according to a new report released by a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday.

The report from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations looked into complaints against Balfour Beatty Communities, LLC., which operates more than 43,000 on-base homes in 26 stat

WFTV • 21st August 2024

New bill limits Social Security overpayment claw backs following Channel 9 investigation

WASHINGTON D.C. — Our company-wide investigation in partnership with KFF Health News into Social Security overpayments and efforts by the government to demand the money back from beneficiaries is leading to new action on Capitol Hill.

For nearly a year, we’ve told you how millions of people around the country are being told they owe the government money after the Social Security Administration (SSA) mistakenly overpaid billions of dollars. Sometimes people are told they owe the money years or e...

KIRO 7 News Seattle • 29th March 2024

‘There are fixes:’ New SSA Commissioner optimistic about program solvency

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Anyone who works legally in the U.S. pays taxes into Social Security. It’s meant to provide benefits once we retire.

But there are growing concerns about the possibility of that money running low in the next decade.

We spoke with the new head of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Commissioner Martin O’Malley.

O’Malley has a lot to tackle. He’s facing staffing levels at a 27-year low, as the number of people receiving Social Security is at an all-time high.

“If for s

WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta • 13th March 2024

SSA Commissioner planning reforms to fix overpayments, poor customer service

WASHINGTON — The Social Security Administration’s new chief is promising to overhaul the agency’s system of clawing back billions of dollars it claims were wrongly sent to beneficiaries, saying it “just doesn’t seem right or fair.”

SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley said that in the coming days, he would propose changes to help people avoid crushing debts that have driven some into homelessness and caused financial hardships for the nation’s most vulnerable people who rely on monthly checks from

WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta • 14th December 2023

Lawmaker ramps up SSA oversight in effort to fix Social Security overpayments

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Senator is implementing new oversight steps to hold the Social Security Administration accountable following our ongoing reporting on billions of dollars in overpayments and efforts by the government to claw the money back from beneficiaries.

Channel 2 Action News’ Washington Bureau spoke with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which acts as a watchdog of SSA.

“We’re going to have a new approach in terms of oversight,” Wyden said. “We’re going t

Boston 25 News • 28th November 2023

Exclusive: Sen. Hassan leads letter questioning SSA about Social Security overpayments

WASHINGTON, D.C. — There is a new push for answers from the Social Security Administration (SSA) about what is being done to fix the problem of overpayments made to beneficiaries, and efforts by the government to claw the money back.

Our Washington News Bureau exclusively obtained a letter sent by Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to the SSA on Tuesday, which directly links to our reporting on the problem.

Our Cox Media Group investigative reporters across eight cities in

Action News Jax • 7th February 2022

Skyrocketing drug prices: A deep dive into the partisan divide in Congress over how to fix it

Mindy Solango starts every day making sure she has the medication and devices she needs to treat her type 1 diabetes.

“As soon as I wake up, feet hit the floor, check to see where we are,” Salango said.

She takes about seven to eight insulin injections a day and uses a continuous glucose monitor.

“With insulin and everything, it’s about $350 a month,” Salango said.

It was even tougher years ago when she was a single mom with a different insurance plan.

Back then, she paid around $500 a mont

WFTV • 7th May 2021

Reported threats against members of Congress skyrocket following 5-year upward trend

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The world watched the U.S. Capitol come under attack during a Joint Session of Congress on Jan. 6, and new data shows our lawmakers have been the target of a growing number of criminal threats before and after the insurrection.

Reported threats against members of Congress have been going up every year for the last five years, according to data from United States Capitol Police obtained by our Washington News Bureau.

READ: Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol: Planned online, bro

Boston 25 News • 11th November 2020

We asked every member of Congress if they would get a COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s what they said

WASHINTON D.C. — The nation’s leading health experts and the Trump administration have said scientists are getting closer to developing a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, but concerns linger about whether enough people will be willing to take it.

“Only population-wide immunity will stop the spread of COVID-19 and end the pandemic,” said Dr. Bruce Gellin from the Sabin Vaccine Institute during a House committee hearing on July 14.

In the medical community, that’s known as herd immunity.

It

Boston 25 News • 2nd July 2020

Washington Bureau police practices investigation: Body cameras, surplus military equipment

WASHINGTON — The brutality caught on camera with the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has led to a nationwide call for police reform.

There is no national database when it comes to many police practices, so we created our own using responses from local law enforcement agencies and data from the federal government.

Cox Media Group’s Washington D.C. Bureau contacted more than 400 local police departments and sheriff’s offices in areas where CMG stations are located across the country.

We