Molly Parker — ProPublica

The Floods Kept Coming. He Needed to Grow a Crop That Would Thrive in Water — or to Quit.

One Illinois man’s decadeslong fight to convert his fields into rice paddies demonstrates how it’s possible to bring diversity to the Corn Belt, but improbable so long as federal farm policy remains focused on soybeans and corn.

September 5, 2025, 7:00 am EDT

The Federal Farm Policy Trap: Why Some Farmers Are Stuck Raising Crops That No Longer Thrive

September 4, 2025, 7:00 am EDT
A University, a Rural Town and Their Fight to Survive Trump’s War on Higher Education

March 27, 2025, 6:00 am EDT
We Found Widespread Abuse of Disabled Patients at an Illinois Facility. The DOJ Is Investigating.

March 24, 2025, 6:00 am EDT
Illinois Has Virtually No Homeschooling Rules. A New Bill Aims to Change That.

March 3, 2025, 7:00 am EST
Five Big Obstacles to Opening Child Care Facilities in Rural Illinois

January 21, 2025, 9:00 am EST
“All Our Future Money Is Gone”: The Impossible Task of Providing Child Care in Rural Illinois

January 10, 2025, 7:00 am EST
The Government Spends Millions to Open Grocery Stores in Food Deserts. The Real Test Is Their Survival.

August 9, 2024, 9:00 am EDT
How Illinois’ Hands-Off Approach to Homeschooling Leaves Children at Risk

June 5, 2024, 8:00 am EDT
In Crisis, She Went to an Illinois Facility. Two Years Later, She Still Isn’t Able to Leave.

February 8, 2024, 8:00 am EST
Illinois Judge Closes Juvenile Detention Center After “Facility in Crisis” Fails to Meet New State Standards

January 4, 2024, 11:00 am EST