NEW: A federal bill would ban private equity firms from investing in youth sports, specifically targeting "vulture practices" like consolidation, bundling and stay-to-play. In announcing the bill Wednesday, lawmakers repeatedly called out Black Bear Sports Group. www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

I joined USA TODAY's The Excerpt to discuss my investigation into Black Bear and Murry Gunty's youth hockey empire. Listen here: art19.com/shows/5-thin...

In the last decade, a private investment firm has consolidated much of youth hockey, turning what was once a community-based activity into a profit machine for wealthy investors. I spent nine months investigating Black Bear Sports Group. Here’s our story: www.usatoday.com/story/news/i...

Retaliation is rampant in youth sports. This hockey mom discovered a theft by a USA Hockey regional governing body leader. She reported it to everyone she could. Little was done. Then the governing body launched an investigation — into her. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

The 50/50 raffle at Nuggets, Avalanche and other pro sporting events was supposed to raise money for a youth hockey nonprofit. But hundreds of thousands of dollars were misspent or are missing. A state agency is investigating in response to USA TODAY’s reporting. www.usatoday.com/story/news/i...

NEW: A man who ran youth hockey in Colorado for a decade used hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for hockey families for his and his business partner’s personal profit. A judge ordered Randy Kanai to pay $579,000 to the USA Hockey nonprofit he used to run. www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Four years ago, I reported on Louisiana colleges' failure to stop a man accused by multiple women of rape. On Friday, one woman's lawsuit ended in a settlement. Damning depositions in the case detail how campus officials ignored a law that should have protected her. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

So much about youth sports is not fun. Great story by @kennyjacoby.bsky.social on how the Dallas Stars first made ice hockey take off in Texas and then made it more expensive and harder to get ice time for everyone else. www.usatoday.com/story/news/i...

"In the business of amateur hockey, ice is power. In the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, the Stars amassed almost all of it." Strong, thorough reporting here from @kennyjacoby.bsky.social: www.usatoday.com/story/news/i...

Unlike the NFL, NBA and MLB, a few NHL teams are intimately involved in running the youth levels of their sport. In Dallas, the Stars spent decades turning youth hockey into a vehicle for profit, bullying families in the process. New investigative reporting: www.usatoday.com/story/news/i...

It's been a while since I've read a story this long, this thoroughly reported, this blunt in laying out its allegations of wrongdoing. My jaw was on the floor from start to finish. @kennyjacoby.bsky.social on how the Dallas Stars "bullied a community on their path to profiting off a youth sport":

He terrorized women. He slipped through the cracks. But one detective refused to give up. 🎧 Listen to Untested, our exclusive true crime podcast series from WITNESS and USA TODAY. Get the entire season ad-free for $4.99 here: buff.ly/9pQpsw9

NEW: Three Dallas Stars executives for years used their positions with the NHL team and atop prominent youth hockey nonprofits to milk hockey families for profit. Legal experts say their “stay-to-play” hotel requirements pose significant conflicts of interest. www.usatoday.com/story/news/i...

AMA: USA Today did a report on problematic world of post-grad football institutions, investigative reporters @chrisquintana.bsky.social & @kennyjacoby.bsky.social will answer your questions about it today @ 11am ET! www.reddit.com/r/CFB/commen...

In one hour, @chrisquintana.bsky.social and I will be doing a Reddit AMA about our reporting on sketchy post-grad football programs, where young athletes pay thousands of dollars to pursue their dreams of playing in college. Join us! www.reddit.com/r/CFB/commen...

Hey y’all, late to the party but here is some work I’ve done in past several years. Our newsroom investigates how Big Ag intersects with labor, the environment and government policy (and we love collaborating!) investigatemidwest.org

So excited to answer the Reddit community's questions about @kennyjacoby.bsky.social and I's deep dive into the unregulated world of post-grad football! Join us!

Meantime, check out their pieces here: www.usatoday.com/story/news/i... www.usatoday.com/story/news/i...

[Upcoming AMA] USA Today did a report on problematic world of post-grad football institutions, investigative reporters @chrisquintana.bsky.social & @kennyjacoby.bsky.social will answer your questions about it this Thurs @ 11am ET! We'll share that link when it's live!

"We have men in power whose cruelty is excused by their contributions to progress and innovation. But just what kind of progress is this?" Alia is a brilliant journalist and social analyst. Her new book couldn't come at a better time. Read it.