Archive - Midwest
The Child Care Industry Was Collapsing. Mrs. Jackie Bet Everything on an Impossible Dream to Save It.
Jackie Thomas was $29,134 in debt and in trouble with state regulators. She hadn’t slept in days. If a judge ruled against her, she’d fail the mothers who could only keep their jobs thanks to the 24-hour child care she offered.
State-Supported “Clean Energy” Loans Are Putting Borrowers at Risk of Losing Their Homes
Dozens of Missouri homeowners who used PACE loans to fix up their houses ended up trapped in debt and could soon see their homes sold at auction.
Barreras falsas: estas cosas no deberían impedirle vacunarse contra COVID-19
Se supone que las vacunas contra el coronavirus son gratuitas y están disponibles para todos en Estados Unidos, independientemente de su seguro o de su situación migratoria. Para algunos, no ha sido así.
False Barriers: These Things Should Not Prevent You From Getting a COVID Vaccine
Vaccinations for the coronavirus are supposed to be free and available to all Americans regardless of insurance or immigration status. For some, that isn’t how it has been playing out. Here are common false barriers to look out for.
The City That Pinned Its Renewal on a Self-Chilling Beverage Can Wants Its Money Back
A company promised to create 237 jobs making the first ever self-chilling beverage can, winning big public subsidies in return. Four years later, there are no jobs and you still put your beer in the fridge. The city may demand the subsidies back.
The Murder Chicago Didn’t Want to Solve
In 1963, a Black politician named Ben Lewis was shot to death in Chicago. Clues suggest the murder was a professional hit. Decades later, it remains no accident authorities never solved the crime.
Why Opening Restaurants Is Exactly What the Coronavirus Wants Us to Do
Governors continue to open indoor dining and other activities before vaccinations become widespread. Experts warn this could create superspreading playgrounds for dangerous variants and squander our best shot at getting the pandemic under control.
After Hundreds of Meatpacking Workers Died From COVID-19, Congress Wants Answers
A key House subcommittee cited reports by ProPublica and other news outlets in launching an investigation into how the country’s meatpacking companies handled the pandemic, which has killed hundreds of workers to date.
Has Your Family Paid Fees or Fines to a Juvenile Justice System?
Has your family faced financial hardship as a result of a delinquency case? We’d like to hear from you.
The Unfinished Business of Flint’s Water Crisis
Criminal charges and a class-action settlement may seem like the last chapter in Flint’s story, but many of the most important reforms at the root of the city’s water crisis remain undone.
How Many Vaccine Shots Go to Waste? Several States Aren’t Counting.
The CDC says health facilities should report unused and spoiled COVID-19 vaccines, but many are failing to do so. At a time when there aren’t enough shots to meet demand, significant numbers may be going in the trash.
Thousands of Illinois Drivers Would Get Their Licenses Back Under a Criminal Justice Reform Bill
If Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs the measure that lawmakers passed this week, motorists will no longer lose their licenses for unpaid red-light and speed camera tickets.
Bill Banning Locked Seclusion and Face-Down Restraints in Illinois Schools Stalls as Lawmakers Run Out of Time
Illinois lawmakers pledge to try again to prohibit what one called “horrific and barbaric” methods of controlling students.
She Photographed Police Abuse at a 2014 BLM March Then Watched the Image Go Viral During Capitol Riot
The much-shared pairing of photojournalist Natalie Keyssar’s image of a peaceful Black man being assaulted against a photo of white rioters walking free in the Capitol “represents the rage and sadness I feel.”
These Cities Tried to Tackle Disinvestment. Here Are Lessons From What Happened.
Local governments have made efforts to revive commerce in neglected Black neighborhoods around the country. It hasn’t always worked. But Chicago can learn from their experiences.
Judges Are Locking Up Children for Noncriminal Offenses Like Repeatedly Disobeying Their Parents and Skipping School
Michigan’s juvenile justice system is archaic. Counties act with little oversight, and the state keeps such poor data it doesn’t know how many juveniles it has in custody or what happens to them once they’re in the system.
How the History of Waterloo, Iowa, Explains How Meatpacking Plants Became Hotbeds of COVID-19
Waterloo was the site of a historic battle for labor rights and racial justice. But as the meatpacking industry changed, the workforce lost its power and was primed for an outbreak. This is how we got here.
As COVID-19 Ravaged This Iowa City, Officials Discovered Meatpacking Executives Were the Ones in Charge
Meatpacking was once a path to the middle class in Waterloo, where workers led the fight for civil rights. But by the time the pandemic hit, a transformed industry had assembled a workforce from the most vulnerable parts of the world. The stage had been set.
