Archive - Midwest
How Jessica Logan’s Call for Help Became Evidence Against Her
After her baby died in the night, a young mother called 911. Police thought they could read her mind just by listening. Now she’s haunted by the words she chose.
What the Disability Community Told Us About Sheltered Workshops
Reporter Madison Hopkins tells us how she learned the context behind what she was hearing from Missouri’s disabled workers and their families.
What Happened to Rezwan
When Kabul fell, Biden promised to rescue Afghan allies. For 14-year-old Rezwan Kohistani and his family, that meant being sent to a remote Missouri town where no other Afghans lived. “We’d been left alone,” said Rezwan’s father.
Michigan’s Largest Utility Wants a Rate Hike as It Disconnects a High Number of Customers for Nonpayment
DTE Energy has cut off power to customers more times in 2022 than in any nine-month period since the state began tracking shut-offs.
In Missouri’s Sheltered Workshops, Disabled Workers Make Low Wages For Years
Sheltered workshops in Missouri pay disabled workers very low wages. They rarely help workers move on to higher-paying jobs.
The Landlord & the Tenant
A young mother rents a house near Milwaukee. The previous tenant tells her, “Baby, they shouldn’t have let you move in.”
Missouri Allows Some Disabled Workers to Earn Less Than $1 an Hour. The State Says It’s Fine If That Never Changes.
Sheltered workshops are meant to employ disabled adults as they prepare to enter the regular workforce. In Missouri, these workers rarely graduate to higher-paying jobs.
Report Finds “Code of Silence” at Mental Health Facility Where Staff Abused and Neglected Patients
A newly released report from an agency watchdog echoes reporting published earlier this year that revealed widespread collusion to cover up misconduct at the Illinois facility.
Chicago Officials Withhold Key Financial Information as City Hands Public Housing Land Over to Wealthy Ally of the Mayor
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has pushed a plan to lease public housing land to the Chicago Fire soccer team. But as the deal awaits federal approval, the Chicago Housing Authority has kept key details hidden from the public and other officials.
Ohio Lawmakers Seek Strict Rules for “Clean Energy” Lending
A statewide clean-energy lending program in Ohio stalled last year before making any loans. Lawmakers want to add consumer protections in case the program resurfaces.
That Cardboard Box in Your Home Is Fueling Election Denial
A previously unreported boom in profits for the shipping supply giant Uline has provided the funds for a deeply conservative Midwestern family to bankroll anti-democracy causes around the country.
What One Photographer Captured in Wisconsin’s Changing Election Climate
Sausage, speeches and anger: Political events and an unusual court case shape the mood in Wisconsin as Election Day approaches.
Tim Ryan: The Working-Class-Jobs Candidate in the Era of Resentment
Democrat Tim Ryan has long emphasized manufacturing jobs, a stance his party has lately begun to embrace. How he fares in his Senate race in Republican-dominated Ohio could reveal a lot about his party’s future prospects.
The Chicago Housing Authority Keeps Giving Up Valuable Land While HUD Rubber-Stamps the Deals
Despite being years behind on obligations to build more homes, the city’s public housing agency gets permission to sell, lease and swap its property in gentrifying neighborhoods.
Deaths Linked to Neglect, Error Raise Concerns About Quality of Care at This Safety Net Hospital
Roseland Community Hospital promises the “best quality care” for Chicago’s South Side, but a whistleblower complaint and a rash of fatalities, lawsuits and negative federal inspection reports suggest the situation had become dire during COVID-19.
Chilling Audio Provides Rare Glimpse Into Abuse at Troubled Illinois Residential Facility
No one was charged when staff were caught on a 911 tape threatening violence against a Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center resident who has developmental disabilities. New reporting shows a culture of cover-ups at the facility.
Election Deniers Failed to Hand Wisconsin to Trump but Have Paved the Way for Future GOP Success
The stolen election myth has helped reshape this battleground state for the upcoming midterms and the 2024 presidential race.
New Air Monitors Among Major Impacts of ProPublica Toxic Air Pollution Reporting
Communities identified as “Sacrifice Zones” in a ProPublica analysis of toxic air pollution scored major wins this month. In one, the EPA will start monitoring the air. In another, a judge withdrew permits from a giant petrochemical complex.
Michigan’s Largest Utility Faces Pushback on Debt Sales and Shut-Offs as Company Asks for Rate Hike
As DTE Energy pushes for a rate increase, the state is taking a closer look at its sale of customer debt to collection agencies. The company’s use of shut-offs and response to outages are also drawing criticism.
A Land Deal Benefiting a Billionaire’s Soccer Team Is Muscled Through Despite Objections
A zoning committee initially rejected the mayor’s plan to lease public housing property to the Chicago Fire. Less than 24 hours later, a new vote reversed a rare mayoral defeat.
