Archive - Midwest
What to Do If Your Electricity Is Shut Off in Michigan
During the pandemic, Michigan’s largest utility provider shut off power to people behind on their bills hundreds of thousands of times. Here’s what to know about your rights when it comes to energy companies, and what to do if they’ve been violated.
She Said Her Husband Was Abusive. A Judge Took Away Her Kids and Ordered Her Arrest.
The judge in Julie Valadez’s custody case found her disruptive, questioned her credibility and put out a warrant for her arrest. A rare appellate victory is now giving her case a fresh look, but Valadez still is fighting for her four children.
Baker College Threatens Legal Action Against Former Teacher Who Talked to Reporters
Jacqueline Tessmer spoke out about students who left school without jobs or degrees, saying Baker “ruined” lives. And she’s not retracting her statements.
The Nonprofit College That Spends More on Marketing Than Financial Aid
Baker College promises students a better life. But few ever graduate, and even those who do often leave with crushing debt and useless degrees. No one — not the board, nor the accreditors, nor the federal government — has intervened.
Chicago’s “Race-Neutral” Traffic Cameras Ticket Black and Latino Drivers the Most
A ProPublica analysis found that traffic cameras in Chicago disproportionately ticket Black and Latino motorists. But city officials plan to stick with them — and other cities may adopt them too.
When Dangerous Strains of Salmonella Hit, the Turkey Industry Responded Forcefully. The Chicken Industry? Not So Much.
Consolidation in the poultry industry may be fueling widespread salmonella outbreaks. Turkey companies worked with researchers to eradicate one. So why can’t the chicken industry do the same?
They Were the Pandemic’s Perfect Victims
The pandemic killed so many dialysis patients that their total number shrunk for the first time in nearly half a century. Few people took notice.
Chicago’s Last Black-Owned Bank Got Millions in Government Deposits — Then Had to Give Them Back
As Black-owned banks disappear, politicians are under increasing pressure to save them. Big deposits are a ready solution, but sometimes they burden the banks more than they help.
What’s Gone Wrong at Chicago’s Last Black-Owned Bank?
Despite government intervention and new owners, GN Bank fights for survival while customers worry about losing their homes.
The Dirty Secret of America’s Clean Dishes
The world’s largest chemical maker, BASF, produces ingredients for America’s most popular products, from soaps to surface cleaners to dishwasher detergent. Emissions from their U.S. plants elevate cancer risks for an estimated 1.5 million people.
Purdue President Condemns Tactics Used to Censor Chinese Students on U.S. Campuses
After a ProPublica story showed how China is censoring dissenting students on U.S. campuses, including Purdue, university President Mitch Daniels vowed to sanction students who report classmates for exercising free speech.
When Home Is a Toxic Hot Spot
More than a thousand people talked to ProPublica about living in hot spots for cancer-causing air pollution. Most never got a warning from the EPA. They are rallying neighbors, packing civic meetings and signing petitions for reform.
Legislator Pushes for Law Requiring Illinois Hospitals to Report All Assaults to Police
In response to a ProPublica investigation, Illinois State Sen. Julie Morrison said she will propose a law mandating that hospitals notify police about suspected patient-on-patient sexual assaults.
Storm Drains Keep Swallowing People During Floods
An alarming number of people (especially children) have drowned after disappearing into storm drains during floods. The deadly problem should be easy for federal, state and local government agencies to fix, but tragedy strikes again and again.
A Patient in a Psychiatric Ward Was Seen on Video Possibly Being Sexually Assaulted. No One Reported It.
Roseland Community Hospital in Chicago kept quiet about a possible sexual assault of one patient by another in its psychiatric unit. Only after ProPublica asked questions did Illinois’ public health officials alert law enforcement.
Lawmakers Call for Immediate Action at Chicago Shelter Housing Afghan Children
After ProPublica’s report that Afghan children at a Chicago shelter were hurting themselves, Sen. Dick Durbin asked federal officials to investigate. In the meantime, Heartland Alliance, the facility’s operator, now has interpreters in its shelters.
Dozens of Traumatized Afghan Kids Struggle Inside a Shelter That’s Ill-Equipped to Care for Them
Some Afghan children at a Chicago shelter have hurt themselves or others, leaving workers overwhelmed. Employees say the shelter has never experienced this level of chaos and isn’t equipped to provide kids with services they need.
Conservationists See Rare Nature Sanctuaries. Black Farmers See a Legacy Bought Out From Under Them.
In Pembroke, the well-intended efforts of mostly white nature conservationists overlook one thing: The township’s Black farming community has never fully supported them. Now, a generations-old way of life is threatened by the push for conservation.
The View From Here: Rethinking What Local News Can and Should Be
In a series of live virtual events, ProPublica asked news leaders from Phoenix, Atlanta and Detroit to share their thoughts about the local news ecosystem in their communities. From trends to challenges, here’s what they had to say.
We’re Losing Our Humanity, and the Pandemic Is to Blame
“What the hell is happening? I feel like we are living on another planet. I don’t recognize anyone anymore.”
