Illinois Newsletter
Dive Deeper Into Our Reporting
Each of our email newsletters are written by a ProPublica Illinois journalist, and we also republish each edition here online. One week, you may get a reporter’s take on what’s left out of a recent story. Another week, maybe you’ll read a Q&A between a reporter and a source on a particular topic. Sometimes, we may ask you to weigh in on a specific topic or issue. Your input can help fill gaps in our reporting, as well as shape what we cover and how we cover it. Regardless, it’s unlikely you’ll ever get a lonely, skeletal feed of headlines in your inbox. We’re all people here.
Check out the archive of newsletters on this page. If you really like something we’re doing on here — or really don’t — or if you have ideas that can help shape our newsletter, let us know. We’re all ears.
Sign up to get the newsletter in your email inbox each week.
Use This Tool to Find Potential Conflicts of Interest at Public Universities. We Did.
Researchers at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois and other institutions disclosed potential conflicts totaling at least $4 million, according to our “Dollars for Profs” app.
Inside a Training Course Where School Workers Learn How to Physically Restrain Students
While reporting on the use of physical restraint in schools, I wanted to understand if school workers properly used their training in the classroom. They often did not.
The Best of Us: ProPublica Illinois 2019
In our second(ish) year of existence, here’s a selection of our work that, as a whole, best shows who we are as a newsroom, what we do and why we do it.
My Home Is a Place That Feels Safe. For Too Many Families, That’s Not the Case.
Where we live becomes part of who we are. It affects our quality of life. That’s why I report on low-income housing.
A 7-Year-Old Complained About a Scary Office at School. This Is the Video His Parents Saw — a Month Later.
“I want accountability,” the boy’s father said. The video prompted one of 21 investigations into abuse at an Illinois school that secluded students more than 1,700 times last school year.
Recreational Marijuana Becomes Legal in Illinois on Jan. 1. Here’s How Communities Across the State Are Dealing With the New Law.
After some confusion, Chicago officials said residents who smoke marijuana in their backyard or on their balcony will not be arrested or ticketed.
How People Are Using Our Chicago Parking Ticket Data in Their Research
Close to 1,300 people have downloaded data from our app, The Ticket Trap. We talked with some of them.
Readers Choked Back Tears. Some Struggled to Keep Reading. We Understand.
A day after our reporting, Illinois ended isolated seclusion of children in schools across the state. What happened? Children’s voices were heard.
An Illinois Superhero You’ve Never Heard Of
Michael Gillespie is one of the world’s leading cybercrime fighters, and you’d never know it.
How Much Money Has Your Doctor Received From Drug Companies?
Use ProPublica’s Dollars for Docs database to find out. I did.
I’m Looking for My Next Story
How searching court records, data and talking to people can spark an investigation. I hope.
Where Do Illinois Lawmakers Stand on Impeachment?
Here’s a slice of news around the state this week, via our newsletter.
Here’s What to Expect From Chicago City Council’s Ticket Reform
Chicago became the largest U.S. city to enact major reforms to its system of parking fines and fees. City officials say more changes are coming.
As Students From China Flock to University of Illinois, Lawsuit Alleges Ex-Professor Targeted Female Chinese Students
The allegations came at a time when the flagship campus at Urbana-Champaign was enrolling more Chinese undergraduates during some years than any university in the U.S.
How a Video Gambling Company Helped Bankroll Local Politicians
And updates on the creation of new casinos around the state.
Inside the Illinois House Hearing on the Financial Aid Scandal
Lawmakers described the practice as disturbing, disheartening and shocking.
How We Got the Story About Parents Transferring Guardianship of Their Kids to Win Financial Aid They Wouldn’t Otherwise Qualify For
A tip, and then lots of work — including looking through nearly 2,000 files — over a very short period of time.
She’s Risked Arrest by Driving With a Suspended License for Seven Years. This Week She Got Some Big News.
Some 55,000 Illinoisans could regain their driver’s licenses very soon.
“How in 2019 Do We Not Have Enough Spanish-Speaking Caseworkers?”
Lawmakers respond to DCFS’s repeated violations of a court order to provide Spanish-speaking services to Spanish-speaking families.
