Michael R. Sisak, Associated Press
Michael R. Sisak reports for the Associated Press on law enforcement, courts and prisons, with a consistent focus on how the justice system treats powerful figures, major companies and government institutions. His work follows complex criminal and civil cases from charging documents and hearings through verdicts and settlements, explaining what court decisions mean for executives, investors and public agencies. He connects the daily progress of trials and investigations to wider questions about accountability in the federal justice system, including the operation of prisons and the reach of financial and regulatory enforcement.
Corporate crime and executive prosecutions
Sisak regularly covers criminal cases involving corporate leaders and their companies, detailing how prosecutors and judges handle allegations tied to business conduct. His reporting on Luigi Mangione, accused in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, tracks both the state and federal proceedings, noting how judges postpone trials and manage parallel cases in different courts.
He follows pretrial disputes over evidence in the Mangione matter, describing efforts by the defense to exclude material and the court’s approach to terrorism-related charges in a corporate-related homicide.
In this coverage, he sets out the charging theories, the procedural turns and the language judges use to accept or reject expansive definitions of terrorism in a business context. He also brings in scene and process detail, such as the route from the courtroom to the place of arrest, while still centering the legal framework that will decide the outcome.
Trump legal cases and government power
Sisak devotes substantial reporting to the legal and civil cases involving Donald Trump, treating them as tests of legal norms around political and charitable conduct. He covers Trump’s misuse of his charitable foundation, outlining how a judge imposes a $2 million fine to be paid to charities as a consequence of using the foundation to further political and business interests. In his reporting on writer E. Jean Carroll’s case, he explains a federal judge’s order allowing Carroll to collect $5.8 million held in escrow after a jury finds that Trump sexually abused and defamed her, clarifying the mechanics of collection and the role of prior verdicts. His own description of his work notes that he leads the Associated Press’ coverage of Trump’s New York hush money case from investigation through felony conviction, framing it as a central criminal proceeding involving a former president.
Beyond individual lawsuits, he follows cases at the intersection of Trump, government agencies and the media, including courtroom wins for Voice of America when a judge blocks efforts to curb its independence and disputes over subpoenas issued to reporters at another outlet. He also reports on Trump’s selection of Todd Blanche, his hush money trial lawyer, to become a senior Justice Department official, showing how courtroom actors move into policymaking roles. Across these stories, he consistently highlights the legal reasoning, the institutional stakes and the way court orders reshape political and media environments.
Federal justice system and prisons
Sisak’s own professional description emphasizes an ongoing investigation into the federal prison system, the largest law enforcement agency within the Justice Department.
That work scrutinizes deep, previously unreported flaws inside the Bureau of Prisons, focusing on how secrecy and internal culture affect safety, transparency and accountability. The investigation is presented as a long-term project with another Associated Press reporter, designed to uncover structural problems rather than single incidents and to show how those problems interact with federal prosecutions and sentencing. This strand of his beat complements his courtroom reporting by following what happens after conviction, where federal policy and prison management determine real-world outcomes for defendants and staff.
Global securities cases and regulatory enforcement
Sisak extends his courts coverage into global business and securities enforcement, especially when allegations involve major investors and multinational executives. His reporting on Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and Adani Green Energy Ltd examines both civil and criminal tracks in a sprawling solar energy project tied to India’s power grid. In one story, he sets out the Securities and Exchange Commission’s lawsuit accusing Adani and his nephew of hiding an alleged bribery scheme by promising hundreds of millions of dollars to Indian officials in exchange for inflated-rate energy contracts, while raising several billions of dollars from Wall Street investors on assurances of robust anti-bribery compliance.
He then follows the proposed settlement in which Adani agrees to pay $6 million in civil penalties and his nephew agrees to pay $12 million, noting the absence of any admission of guilt and the company’s public denial of the allegations.
In a later piece, he reports that U.S. prosecutors seek to dismiss fraud and conspiracy charges against Adani, quoting Justice Department filings that say the department has decided not to devote additional resources to those criminal allegations. He notes that Adani was never arrested or brought to trial in the United States and explains how the request for dismissal fits into the broader resolution of the case after the SEC settlement. Across this coverage, he concentrates on the language of court documents and regulatory filings, laying out what they say about investor protection, bribery claims and the limits of U.S. criminal enforcement against prominent foreign executives.
Violent incidents, civil rights and public safety
Alongside white-collar and political cases, Sisak reports on violent incidents and civil-rights-related matters that test law enforcement practices and public safety.
He co-writes coverage of a Cornell University fraternity gang-rape case, describing how allegations and investigations reveal troubling details about campus culture and institutional responses. In another story, he reports on a former U.S. Army soldier who sets off fireworks, lights a fire and fires a pellet gun outside a Manhattan federal office building while carrying an anti-ICE sign, documenting the injuries, the security response and the FBI’s account of the incident.
These pieces keep the focus on official narratives, charging decisions and investigative findings, while situating them within broader debates over sexual violence, immigration enforcement and the security of federal facilities.
4 more business journalists.
Aaron Karp
Aaron Karp is distinct for connecting airline networks, airport infrastructure, air cargo and policy. He is a senior editor at Air Transport World and has covered aviation since 1999. He has also worked as an editor for cargo-focused and daily aviation publications. His real beat is how airlines and airports respond to growth, regulation, trade conditions, sustainability pressures and technology changes. He covers route planning, network development, airport capacity, infrastructure, cargo flows, trade lanes, safety, air traffic control and future technology. He reports through news, features, opinion pieces, briefings and podcasts. He uses data, executive insight and industry conference reporting to explain market changes. His work links cargo metrics and trade policy to carrier strategy, and connects infrastructure and sustainability decisions to resilience, costs and long-term growth.
Adrienne Roberts
Adrienne Roberts is a business journalist at the Detroit Free Press who covers how policy, regulation and corporate decisions affect Michigan’s cannabis market, jobs, universities and health systems. She has a sustained focus on cannabis taxes, licensing, sales, product rules, consumer safety and local tax revenue. She also reports on unemployment, worker protections, corporate settlements, hiring, higher education, student safety, housing, data centers, health care access and economic forecasts. Roberts joined the Detroit Free Press in 2020 after covering automotive retail, dealers and labor issues for The Wall Street Journal. She explains complex business and regulatory changes with data, legal detail and on-the-ground voices. Her stories focus on practical effects for workers, students, consumers and communities, showing both the numbers and the people behind them.
Alex Bronzini-Vender
Alex Bronzini-Vender is a business reporter who focuses on how economic forces and corporate decisions shape specific communities and industries. He covers business for the Washington Monthly, writing reported pieces at the intersection of commerce and public life. His work reflects the magazine’s emphasis on linking markets and money to power, policy, and everyday experience. He treats business not as balance sheets and deals but as choices that affect local realities. In “Fear and Loathing in Palo Alto,” he uses a city tied to the tech sector to examine how a powerful industry influences a community. He grounds his business beat in on-the-ground consequences rather than treating corporate and financial developments in isolation.
Alex DeMarban
Alex DeMarban stands out for tracking major energy projects over time while showing how economic shifts affect local businesses. He reports for the Anchorage Daily News on business, oil and gas, and general assignments. His coverage focuses on Alaska LNG, long-haul energy projects, mining, ports, transportation infrastructure, and the everyday businesses that keep the state running. He examines financing, tax legislation, labor agreements, regulatory approvals, timelines and costs, and connects government and corporate decisions to workers, communities and consumers. He also reports on restaurant closures, grocery stores, breweries, meaderies, parking and trade disputes. His past coverage includes an open-pit mine near the proposed Ambler road, federal port grants and competitive elections. He reports through dollar figures, project details, public records, business owners and affected workers, showing how policy and resource development play out on the ground.