Archive - Midwest
Skipping School: America’s Hidden Education Crisis
Absenteeism has nearly doubled since the pandemic. With state and federal governments largely abdicating any role in getting kids back into classrooms, some schools have turned to private companies for a reimagined version of the truant officer.
Illinois Judge Closes Juvenile Detention Center After “Facility in Crisis” Fails to Meet New State Standards
The Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center abruptly closed on Dec. 31. The judge who ordered the closure said staffing shortages made it difficult to meet state standards for caring for youth in custody.
They Were Wrongfully Convicted. Now They’re Denied Compensation Despite Michigan Law.
The state can provide the wrongfully convicted compensation of $50,000 for each year of incarceration, but the law’s narrow criteria and confusion over eligibility leave former prisoners facing another system that seems stacked against them.
DTE Energy Facing Oversight of “Hardship-Inducing” Debt Collection Practices
The large utility must turn over details of its sales of customer debt, which previously were kept in the dark, but has fought off a ban on the practice.
Cuando se lesionan, pocos inmigrantes que trabajan en las granjas lecheras reciben compensación laboral
La exención para granjas pequeñas de Wisconsin es una de las muchas exclusiones federales y estatales que históricamente han dejado a los trabajadores agrícolas—y de la industria lechera en particular—con menos derechos y protecciones que otros
When Immigrant Dairy Farm Workers Get Hurt, Most Can’t Rely on Workers’ Compensation
Wisconsin’s exemption for small farms is one of many federal and state carve-outs that have historically left farm workers — and dairy workers in particular — with fewer rights and protections than others.
“Una vez que ya no les sirves a ellos, te botan”
Los trabajadores inmigrantes son esenciales en la industria lechera de Wisconsin. Pero cuando se lesionan, frecuentemente son descartados.
“Once You’re No Good to Them, They Get Rid of You”
Immigrant workers are essential to Wisconsin’s dairy industry. But when they get injured, they’re often cast aside.
“It Looks Like the Railroad Is Asking for You to Say Thank You”
After brakeman Chris Cole lost both his legs on the job, railroad officials removed evidence before state regulators could see it, omitted key facts in reports and suspended him from a job he could never return to.
Michigan Enacts Laws to Reform Its Juvenile Justice System
In the aftermath of revelations from ProPublica, a government task force pushed for changes. New laws aim to keep low-level offenses out of court, provide more resources to young offenders and eliminate fines.
Inside the Notorious Gun Shop Linked to Hundreds of Chicago Guns
The story of one Indiana store demonstrates how the more than 60,000 gun retailers in America have little financial incentive to say no to questionable buyers and face limited penalties for failing to prevent illegal transactions.
A Retired Detective Says He’s Too Sick to Testify at Murder Trials. Now Those Cases Are Falling Apart.
In St. Louis, murder investigations often rely on a single detective, making them vulnerable if the detective is unable or unwilling to come to court. But a former homicide investigator said he has no obligation to cooperate, claiming that “retirement is meant to be retirement.”
There Were Warning Signs of Sexual Abuse at a Youth Center. Indiana Kept Sending Boys and Money Anyway.
Inadequate and potentially illegal policies allowed supervisors at Pierceton Woods Academy to ignore what one psychologist called an “assembly-line” of abuse, according to court depositions and government records.
Wisconsin’s Legislative Maps Are Bizarre, but Are They Illegal?
Wisconsin’s gerrymandering case has garnered national attention. But a little-explored aspect of the suit — the pervasive presence of “Swiss cheese” districts — could have huge ramifications for the outcome.
Insurance Executives Refused to Pay for the Cancer Treatment That Could Have Saved Him. This Is How They Did It.
A Michigan law requires coverage of cancer drugs. One insurer came up with a “defensible” way to avoid paying for treatments that offered Forrest VanPatten his last chance for survival. “We crossed the line,” says a former executive.
La OSHA rara vez investiga las granjas pequeñas. Por eso los defensores de los obreros no reportan muertes o lesiones.
Un mosaico irregular en la implementación de las normas laborales a través del país significa que muchas muertes y lesiones de los trabajadores en las granjas no son investigadas por oficiales de seguridad del gobierno.
OSHA Investigates Small Dairy Farms So Rarely That Many Worker Advocates Don’t Bother to Report Deaths and Injuries
Worker advocates say the federal agency’s patchwork of enforcement across the country is fundamentally unfair. Many don’t contact OSHA over safety incidents because they’ve heard so frequently that small farms can’t be investigated.
Aprueban $8 millones para viviendas para obreros de granjas. La policía intentará cerrar las brechas lingüísticas.
Funcionarios electos del Condado Dane en Wisconsin dijeron que las reformas responden a la investigación de ProPublica sobre la muerte de un niño nicaragüense en una granja lechera en 2019.
Officials Approve $8 Million for Housing for Immigrant Dairy Workers in Wisconsin. Sheriff’s Office Will Try to Close Language Gaps.
Dane County lawmakers cited ProPublica reporting for the moves to improve the lives of dairy workers in southern Wisconsin.
Inside Illinois’ Youth Lockups, Children Go Without Basic Services and Face “Excessive” Punishments
State audits point to troubling conditions in juvenile detention centers, but no agency has strong enough oversight to bring about change.
