Archive - Illinois
A Vexing To-Do List for Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer
As the governor, now a rising Democratic star, finishes out her final term, key populist pledges have been unfulfilled and her presidential resume is still being written.
Cookie & Zo’e: A Georgia Family Wrestles With School Choice 60 Years After the Start of Desegregation
In a new ProPublica short documentary, Samaria “Cookie” Mitcham Bailey and her great-granddaughter Zo’e Johnson reflect on their experiences in a town where schools are still largely segregated.
In a Town Full of Segregation Academies, One Black Family Grapples With the Best School Choice for Their Daughter
Schools in Macon, Georgia, are still largely segregated. Zo’e Johnson’s family is torn over whether they can afford for her to stay at her mostly white private school — and whether the cost makes sense.
Facing a National Shortage of Baby Formula, Trade Officials Opposed a Plan to Boost Imports
When the U.S. supply of baby formula collapsed in 2022, federal trade officials repeatedly argued against lifting the tariff on imports. Among their concerns: that it would raise “lots of questions from domestic dairy producers.”
Trump Assassination Attempt Laid Bare Long-standing Vulnerabilities in the Secret Service
A Spotlight PA, ProPublica and Butler Eagle investigation found the process for securing campaign events was susceptible to attack for years.
Missouri Outlawed Abortion, and Now It’s Funding an Anti-Abortion Group That Works in Other States
With millions in expanded tax credits and direct state funding going to anti-abortion groups, the nonprofit Coalition Life has expanded its operations beyond Missouri and into states where the procedure is still legal.
Election Deniers Secretly Pushed Rule That Would Make It Easier to Delay Certification of Georgia’s Election Results
On Monday, the GOP-controlled State Election Board is poised to adopt the rule, which would potentially allow county officials, including one who secretly backed the rule, to throw the election results of the swing state into chaos this fall.
Armed and Underground: Inside the Turbulent, Secret World of an American Militia
Rounding up migrants. Lists of “friendly” sheriffs. Debating political assassinations. Internal messages reveal AP3’s journey from Jan. 6 through the tumultuous lead-up to the 2024 election. One member predicts: “It’ll be decided at the ammo box.”
Decrepit Pipes Put Jackson, Mississippi, on the Edge of Catastrophe. State Regulators Didn’t Act.
For years, Jackson residents endured periods of low water pressure, potentially unsafe drinking water or no water at all. All the while, state inspectors found few problems with the failing pipes that caused those problems.
Escaping Oklahoma: A Worker’s Story From Inside an Illegal Marijuana Operation
Menacing guards, threats at gunpoint, workers held against their will and never paid — a Chinese immigrant describes the harsh and violent conditions on an illegal pot farm. Three years after he escaped, he still lives in fear.
When Is “Recyclable” Not Really Recyclable? When the Plastics Industry Gets to Define What the Word Means.
Companies whose futures depend on plastic production are trying to persuade the federal government to allow them to put the label “recyclable” on plastic shopping bags and other items virtually guaranteed to end up in landfills and incinerators.
As Millions of Acres Burn, Firefighters Say the U.S. Forest Service Has Left Them With Critical Shortages
The agency recently said that it had reached 101% of its firefighter hiring goal for 2024, but those on the front lines say the agency is understating how badly depleted their ranks are, especially for experienced firefighters.
Uvalde Police Failed to Turn Over All Body Camera Footage From Robb Elementary Shooting, Department Says
After an officer noticed that part of his bodycam footage was absent from a recently released trove of records, an audit found “several additional videos” that were not included. It’s unclear if prosecutors previously had access to this video.
Struggling to Keep or Find Housing After Maui’s Wildfires? Tell Us Your Story.
We need to hear from anyone who has been touched by what many say is a secondary housing crisis after the fires. Have you faced eviction or a rent increase? Are you a landlord or property manager? Tell us how you’ve been affected.
Maui Residents Have Been Forced From Their Homes to Make Room for Wildfire Survivors. Property Owners Are Profiting.
High prices offered by emergency housing programs have encouraged property owners to chase the money. Housing advocates say state officials haven’t moved aggressively enough to crack down on predatory behavior.
Historic Gun Suit Survives Serious Legal Threat Engineered by Indiana Republicans
A judge ruled that a law passed by Indiana’s GOP supermajority that tried to retroactively prevent cities from suing gun manufacturers goes too far. The decision allows one city’s decadeslong suit against gunmakers to continue.
After Nike Leaders Promised Climate Action, Their Corporate Jets Kept Flying — and Polluting
Nike has staked a claim as a corporate leader on sustainability. Yet company disclosures show that its jets emitted almost 20% more carbon dioxide last year than in 2015. It’s one small factor in Nike’s failure to slash emissions as promised.
