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COVID-19 Inequities in Chicago

Investigating Inequity Amid the Pandemic

ProPublica’s Midwest reporters examine the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Chicago’s most vulnerable communities, including the disproportionate deaths among Black people living on the city’s West and South Sides, the treatment of temporary and factory workers, the isolation of seniors in public and subsidized housing, and the spike in opioid overdoses.

9 stories published since 2020

Two ProPublica Projects Named Finalists for Driehaus Awards

by ProPublica,

Opioid Overdoses Keep Surging in Chicago, Killing Black People on the West Side

by Duaa Eldeib and Melissa Sanchez,

Senior Citizens in Subsidized Housing Have Been Dying Alone at Home, Unnoticed Because of Coronavirus Distancing

by Mick Dumke and Haru Coryne,

Overdose Deaths Have Skyrocketed in Chicago, and the Coronavirus Pandemic May Be Making It Worse

by Melissa Sanchez and Duaa Eldeib,

COVID-19 Took Black Lives First. It Didn’t Have To.

by Duaa Eldeib, Adriana Gallardo, Akilah Johnson, Annie Waldman, Nina Martin, Talia Buford and Tony Briscoe,

In Chicago, Urban Density May Not Be to Blame for the Spread of the Coronavirus

by Haru Coryne, ProPublica Illinois,

What Happens When the Workers Who Make Hand Soap Get COVID-19? They Protest.

by Melissa Sanchez,

At Least 19 Children at a Chicago Shelter for Immigrant Detainees Have Tested Positive for COVID-19

by Melissa Sanchez,

“Essential” Factory Workers Are Afraid to Go to Work and Can’t Afford to Stay Home

by Melissa Sanchez,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

Photo of Sharon Lerner
Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

Photo of Andy Kroll
Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

Photo of Melissa Sanchez
Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

Photo of Jesse Coburn
Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch.

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    Threat in Your Medicine Cabinet: The FDA’s Gamble on America’s Drugs

    A ProPublica investigation found that for more than a decade, the FDA gave substandard factories banned from the United States a special pass to keep sending drugs to an unsuspecting public.

    by Debbie Cenziper, Megan Rose, Brandon Roberts and Irena Hwang,

    Overpolicing Parents

    New York Bans Anonymous Child Welfare Reports

    New legislation will require callers to the state child abuse hotline to identify themselves. ProPublica’s reporting in 2023 found that many anonymous callers made false allegations that led to intrusive investigations of families’ lives.

    by Eli Hager,

    “The Intern in Charge”: Meet the 22-Year-Old Trump’s Team Picked to Lead Terrorism Prevention

    One year out of college and with no apparent national security expertise, Thomas Fugate is the Department of Homeland Security official tasked with overseeing the government’s main hub for combating violent extremism.

    by Hannah Allam,

    100 Students in a School Meant for 1,000: Inside Chicago’s Refusal to Deal With Its Nearly Empty Schools

    Declining school enrollment has left 30% of Chicago public schools at least half-empty. The city’s failure to address this problem has come at a high cost to the district — and its students.

    by Mila Koumpilova, Chalkbeat, and Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica,

    Life of the Mother

    A Pregnant Teenager Died After Trying to Get Care in Three Visits to Texas Emergency Rooms

    It took three ER visits and 20 hours before a hospital admitted Nevaeh Crain, 18, as her condition worsened. Doctors insisted on two ultrasounds to confirm “fetal demise.” She’s one of at least two Texas women who died under the state’s abortion ban.

    by Lizzie Presser and Kavitha Surana,