Archive - Midwest
Billy Long, Trump’s Nominee to Lead the IRS, Touts a Credential That Tax Experts Say Is Dubious
The former representative from Missouri, who once pushed to abolish the IRS, has marketed himself as a certified tax and business advisor after attending only a three-day seminar.
A Tribal Lender Charging 800% APR Has Agreed to Stop Operating in Minnesota
The Lac du Flambeau tribe of Wisconsin settled a civil suit filed by Minnesota’s attorney general that alleged its triple-digit interest rates violated state caps. The tribe is under increasing legal pressure nationally over its lending practices.
Illinois’ AG Said It’s Illegal for Schools to Use Police to Ticket Students. But His Office Told Only One District.
Despite the attorney general’s declaration that Illinois schools should stop using police to discipline students, officers statewide continue to ticket kids with costly fines. One lawmaker will again pursue legislation to end the practice.
In Five Years, Chicago Has Barely Made Progress on Its Court-Ordered Police Reforms. Here’s Why.
Chicago police agreed to judicial oversight in 2019. Since then, a series of mayors and police chiefs let efforts languish and no one in a position of oversight has pushed forcefully to keep the process on track, WTTW News and ProPublica found.
Finding Focus: How a Visual Storyteller Gets the Right Image — and the Right Tone
Photography is a powerful journalistic tool, providing visual evidence and evoking emotions that urge us to understand the experiences of others. Here, ProPublica’s Sarahbeth Maney offers suggestions for aspiring visual storytellers.
El jefe de policía y el inmigrante
Antes de que Springfield, Ohio, se convirtiera en un punto central en el debate sobre la inmigración, Trump instrumentalizó la solicitud de recursos de un jefe de policía para asegurar que Whitewater sufría una “invasión”. La verdad es más compleja.
In Minnesota, the Mayo Clinic Sometimes Called the Shots With Gov. Tim Walz
The governor’s ties to the Mayo Clinic raise questions about the world-renowned hospital’s potential influence on federal health care reform.
Election Skeptics Are Targeting Voting Officials With Ads That Suggest They Don’t Have to Certify Results
The ads, which have been placed in swing states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, come from a new group with deep ties to activists who have challenged the legitimacy of recent elections.
The Small Midwestern Cities That Could Play a Pivotal Role in This Year’s Elections
For all the talk about big-city Democrats and rural Republicans, it’s the voters in overlooked places like Sandusky, Ohio, and Racine, Wisconsin, who could decide everything from key congressional races to the presidency.
What Happened in Whitewater
How immigration is affecting one small Wisconsin city.
“Not Medically Necessary”: Inside the Company Helping America’s Biggest Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Care
When companies like Aetna or UnitedHealthcare want to rein in costs, they turn to EviCore, whose business model depends on turning down payments for care recommended by doctors for their patients.
Who’s Mailing the Catholic Tribune? It’s Not the Church, It’s Partisan Media.
ProPublica has traced these mass-mailed newspapers to a “pink slime” network known for misinformation and its financial ties to right-wing super PACs and billionaires.
Opponents of Missouri Abortion Rights Amendment Turn to Anti-Trans Messaging and Misinformation
Facing poll numbers showing support for a proposed amendment that would ensure reproductive rights in the state, abortion opponents have poured more than $1 million into a last-minute campaign to undermine support leading up to the election.
Right-Wing Activists Pushed False Claims About Election Fraud. Now They’re Recruiting Poll Workers in Swing States.
Experts say these poll workers could sow distrust in democracy and bolster court cases challenging the election. ProPublica and Wisconsin Watch reviewed dozens of hours of trainings and presentations in which activists discussed their plans.
Battle Over Ballot Drop Boxes Rages On in Wisconsin as Officials Put Them at Center of Election Integrity Debate
After court rulings that first outlawed the boxes and then made them legal again, conspiracy theories continue to stir opposition that will result in heightened surveillance at sites this election. The hijacking of one box reflects the controversy.
Fossil Fuel Interests Are Working to Kill Solar in One Ohio County. The Hometown Newspaper Is Helping.
A retired gas industry executive, a shadowy “grassroots” group and a controversial media company are spreading misinformation while turning residents against a proposed solar farm — and each other.
Maylia and Jack: A Story of Teens and Fentanyl
Police knew she was selling fake Percocet but did not stop her. His mother sought the right treatment for his addiction but could not find it. Two teens got caught up in a system unprepared to handle kids on either side of the drug trade.
Desperate Times Led Wisconsin Tribe to High-Interest Lending, Dubious Partnerships and Legal Jeopardy
Facing financial ruin, the Lac du Flambeau tribe began offering short-term loans online with annual rates often over 600%. But as the tribe rose in an industry derided for predatory practices, it put its reputation at risk and drew costly lawsuits.
Emails Reveal How Walz Struggled to Deal With Unrest, Reach Consensus With Critics After Police Killings
Spring 2021 saw escalating tensions in Minnesota: Police had killed Daunte Wright less than a year after George Floyd. Caught between the demands of Black organizers and Republican lawmakers, Tim Walz struggled to chart a course for police reform.
In an Unprecedented Move, Ohio Is Funding the Construction of Private Religious Schools
The state is giving millions in taxpayer dollars directly to private schools to help them renovate and expand their campuses. It may be the next frontier in the push to increase the use of school vouchers, proponents say.
