This investigation changed US policy.

Two wins, one positive email.   [Mother Jones]( MoJo Reader, Mother Jones exists to do investigative journalism that can advance democracy and justice. It always sounds so overly idealistic to say, but we're all here, staff and readers alike, because we want to make the world a better place and believe independent journalism is one way to do that. And today, I've got two "wins" to share with you as I ask [you to support Mother Jones with a year-end gift if you can right now](—when all online donations will be matched until we hit our $350,000 goal. But first, I need to touch on the fundraising vitals to make sure the urgency isn't lost. December is [make-or-break]( for our online fundraising, and these next four days are when we'll find out whether we end up on the make or the break side of that spectrum. Over the years, the surge of last-minute donations that comes in over these final four days can be upward of $140,000. We are at $145,000 left to go right now. Gulp. It's going to be a nailbiter. We can't afford to leave anything to chance. And we need more help than normal to make sure we don't come up short. If you can right now, [please support Mother Jones' nonprofit journalism with a year-end donation](. No amount is too small—growing our donor base matters a lot. The simple fact is that [support from readers]( is the only way to ensure in-depth, time-intensive journalism can happen in today's [brutal]( media landscape. To wit: "[The High Human Cost of America's Sugar Habit](" is an investigation that was two years in the making and published just over a year ago, in September 2021. It was a deeply reported, on-the-ground look at conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweet treats. Sandy Tolan has been reporting on sugar production for thirty years, and it was that long ago that he first met Lulu, a trafficked 14-year-old boy who needed help escaping. In [last year's story](, Sandy and his reporting partner, Euclides Cordero Nuel, search for what became of Lulu, and along the way illuminate how life has and has not changed for the cañeros. We partnered with the Center for Investigative Reporting, which produces the fantastic podcast Reveal ([here's the episode on YouTube]() because it was a big story, and we pushed hard to ensure it made a big splash. It did. The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade [issued a statement]( in October 2021 urging the federal government to investigate. Later, in July 2022, the subcommittee’s chair, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, [led a congressional delegation]( to visit the Dominican Republic and examine the abuse allegations. Those efforts culminated last month when the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Trade [announced]( it was banning shipments of raw sugar from Central Romana. The federal government can be a slow-moving entity and yet in just over a year, it took decisive action in response to our reporting—that simply would not happen without [support from readers](. And for those of you who ask, rightly, whether we’ve ever investigated Big Sugar’s health impacts—you bet we did! [This]( was a great story, from 10 years ago, that uncovered the industry’s tobacco-like campaign of sowing uncertainty and hiding evidence, including about the impact of too much sugar [on your heart](. (I don’t like to be reminded of that, particularly this time of year, but facts are sometimes a little bitter.) "[The Truth About Stopping Mass Shootings, From Sandy Hook to Uvalde](" is the other story I wanted to highlight to show that change really is possible, even on the toughest issues, when a reporter has the time to go deep. National affairs editor Mark Follman marked the 10-year anniversary of Sandy Hook by reflecting on what he's learned since gun violence became his prime journalistic pursuit. In 2012, before Sandy Hook, the MoJo newsroom realized there was no way to say if mass shootings were on the rise—no one tracked that data. So we started a [first-of-its-kind database](, and made it available for all to use, because reporting always starts with the data. It has since become a go-to source for academics, policymakers, and other journalists. About a year into this reporting—so nine years ago now—Mark started learning about behavioral threat assessment, "a field of violence prevention virtually unknown at the time to the general public," as he puts it. He was the first reporter to dig deep into the promising way experts in mental health, law enforcement, education, and other relevant professions could actually prevent mass shootings—which has likely prevented dozens, if not hundreds, of violent attacks since more professionals and changemakers have learned about it. [Hear him explain it on NPR's Fresh Air earlier this year](. The bottom line that's worth repeating: [Support from readers]( is the only way to ensure that in-depth, time-intensive journalism can be prioritized in today's [brutal]( media landscape. There's simply no way profit-driven media owners will spend 10 years digging into stories like this. And there's simply no way Mother Jones would exist without the support of readers like you who value our reporting that exits to make a difference, not a profit. If you can right now, [please help us come up with the $350,000 we need this month and make a year-end donation today](. Your gift will be matched and go twice as far, and we'll be grateful for sweating out these final four high-stakes days just a bit less with each donation that comes in. Thanks for reading, and for everything you do to make Mother Jones what it is. I hope today's more positive note about our work gives you a nice shot in the arm, seeing that change is possible, like it does for me. [Monika] Monika Bauerlein, CEO Mother Jones [Donate](   [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755