Archive
What We’re Thankful For: Being Able to Make a Difference in Illinois
Our mission is to spur real-world change through journalism. In the last several weeks, we’ve seen change begin to come about on two issues our reporters have brought to light and doggedly pursued.
Member of White Supremacist Group Pleads Guilty to Assaults at 2017 Rally
Tyler Laube is one of the eight members or associates of the Rise Above Movement who were arrested on federal riot charges.
“They Should Have Been Fired on the Spot”: In Elkhart, Indiana, the Talk Is All About the Police and a Video
At a town hall meeting, the Police Department’s second in command defended his officers and criticized reporters. “What’s all this digging?” he said, while accusing the South Bend Tribune and ProPublica of an “ambush” for calling officers to ask for their comment.
Trump Administration Defends Legality of VA Shadow Rulers
In a court filing, government lawyers argued that a Watergate-era sunshine law doesn’t apply to three Trump associates influencing the VA from Mar-a-Lago.
Capitol Words
Members of Congress have plenty to say. We're here to keep track.
You Snooze, You Lose: Insurers Make The Old Adage Literally True
Millions of sleep apnea patients rely on CPAP breathing machines to get a good night’s rest. Health insurers use a variety of tactics, including surveillance, to make patients bear the costs. Experts say it’s part of the insurance industry playbook.
HUD Tallied Numerous Violations in New York City Public Housing. It Still Gave Passing Grades.
Officials said the city’s housing authority used “every trick in the book to conceal building violations from federal inspectors,” but HUD inspection records suggest there’s more to the story.
Your Medical Devices Are Not Keeping Your Health Data to Themselves
CPAP units, heart monitors, blood glucose meters and lifestyle apps generate information that can be used in ways patients don’t necessarily expect. It can be sold for advertising or even shared with insurers, who may use it to deny reimbursement.
9-Year-Old Alleges Staff Member at Chicago Psychiatric Hospital Choked and Restrained Her
The report brings the number of investigations by Illinois’ child welfare agency into allegations of abuse or neglect at Aurora Chicago Lakeshore Hospital to 19 since January.
Oregon Officials Call for Changes of Laws on Criminally Insane
The state’s attorney general said the rate of recidivism among defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity is “too high,” and key lawmakers said they plan to rewrite the state’s laws after an analysis by the Malheur Enterprise and ProPublica.
An Atomwaffen Member Sketched a Map to Take the Neo-Nazis Down. What Path Officials Took Is a Mystery.
Some experts and former officials see the case as part of a larger pattern, evidence that federal agencies are understaffed and out of position in confronting the threat of white supremacist terrorism — even as the FBI’s latest report shows a spike in hate crimes for the third straight year.
Fuel to the Fire
How a U.S. law intended to reduce dependence on fossil fuels has unleashed an environmental disaster in Indonesia.
Photos: An Indonesian Village That’s Fighting for Its Life
In Bea Nehas, the small plots that homes are built on are in constant jeopardy of being burned to the ground and bulldozed. A sprawling plantation that surrounds the village produces huge volumes of palm oil.
Where Do We Find Our Story Ideas?
They’re everywhere. Sometimes, we drive right by them.
Indiana State Police Turn Down Elkhart Mayor’s Request for Broad Review of City’s Police Department
Stories by the South Bend Tribune and ProPublica revealed Elkhart police officers’ misconduct and disciplinary histories. The state police were asked to investigate, but say that’s the job of the U.S. Justice Department.
ACLU of Illinois Demands Removal of Children in DCFS Care From Troubled Chicago Hospital
More allegations of sexual abuse at Aurora Chicago Lakeshore Hospital, already under government scrutiny, have surfaced.
Brothers Whom Authorities Linked to Pittsburgh Shooting Suspect Had Flyer Supporting Neo-Nazi Group, Officials Say
Prosecutors indicated that the contents of the Washington, D.C., house they searched bolstered their fear that Jeffrey and Edward Clark might well have been bent on violence.
“Pretty Much a Failure”: HUD Inspections Pass Dangerous Apartments Filled With Rats, Roaches and Toxic Mold
The system for inspecting federally subsidized properties is failing low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities and undermining the agency’s oversight, The Southern Illinoisan and ProPublica have found.
HUD Inspect
The government inspects taxpayer-subsidized apartment buildings. See which ones passed and failed.
How HUD’s Inspection System Fails Low-Income Tenants Nationwide
Dangerous buildings sometimes pass inspections and scores whipsaw with seemingly little explanation, an analysis by The Southern Illinoisan and ProPublica has found. The system has led to a culture of making cosmetic fixes and avoiding major repairs.
