Investigations in the Midwest at ProPublica. Past: Chicago Tribune by way of OH/GA/NY/WV. Enthusiastic about FOIA data. Tell me everything.

Joined September 2008
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Illinois law bans schools from fining students as discipline. So police have been doing it for them. @Jodiscohen and I explain how kids have been punished with thousands of tickets in 3 years for school fights, profanity and other teenage behavior. chicagotribune.com/investiga…

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HECK YES! Glad to see this, and solidarity with my former newsroom.
It’s a huge day for the journalists of The Columbus Dispatch and The Newark Advocate. Here’s why we are unionizing. cwalocals.org/columbusdispat…
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Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
Canary on the prairie? Oklahoma looks to be the lab where Christianity & patriotism mix to create something that doesn't look like a separation of church and state — or convey a conventional rendering of history. Deep reporting by @jsmithrichards. propublica.org/article/trump…
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Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
12 Oct 2025
Educators & parents: • Are public schools in your area losing funding or changing curriculum? • Are low-income, ESL or disabled students losing access to programs? • Are more families in your area sending students to private schools? Help us report ⬇️ propublica.org/getinvolved/h…
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The ex-Chicago cop who got out of dozens of tickets by repeating a bogus story — that his girlfriend stole his BMW — pleaded guilty. But there’s more: @Jodiscohen and I tracked pending court cases based on his policing. More than 90 have been dropped. propublica.org/article/chica…
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UPDATE: The rural Ohio solar project that fossil fuel interests fought hard against (in part by using the local newspaper) was approved by the state today. Frasier Solar can move forward. Here's our previous story about this fight, for reference. propublica.org/article/ohio-…
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An update, three years after this investigation published: the Illinois legislature passed a bill to end police ticketing of students at school. propublica.org/article/illin…
Illinois law bans schools from fining students as discipline. So police have been doing it for them. @Jodiscohen and I explain how kids have been punished with thousands of tickets in 3 years for school fights, profanity and other teenage behavior. chicagotribune.com/investiga…
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Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
"Embarrassing" "Tragedy" "Tipping point" "Waste of time and money" Disheartening quotes run thru this story by @HeatherCherone @VernalColeman. In sum: Chicago police consent decree has been an embarrassing waste of money, a tragedy in the making. propublica.org/article/chica…
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Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
NEW: Private schools across the South that were established for white children during desegregation are now benefiting from tens of millions in taxpayer dollars flowing from rapidly expanding voucher-style programs, a @propublica analysis found. propublica.org/article/segre…
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Six. Years. These fine journalists held strong, stuck together, and stood tall against Alden to win a contract. Kudos to my friends.
FINALLY: After six years, we at the Chicago Tribune Guild have won our first contract. We are so proud of what we ratified today with near unanimous support: raises, bonuses, salary minimums, AI protections, seniority rights & more. How did we get this done? (1/7)
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Co-sign. I'm also on Signal.
2 Nov 2024
Are you a current or former government employee? Sign up to be a source for our reporters. We may contact you with questions related to your area of experience. Your insights will be incredibly important to our work post-election. propublica.org/tips/federal-…
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Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
5 Nov 2024
It’s Election Day! ProPublica reporters live & work in 26 states. Today, our reporters are on the ground, on the lookout for what’s going right and what isn’t. Got a tip? Contact us at propublica.org/tips. You can also text, call or Signal message us: 917-512-0201
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Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
This story from @msanchezMIA and @mrym_jml should be required reading for every U.S. voter. It's a rigorously reported, tender and ultimately heartbreaking look at what immigration REALLY is all about. I can't recommend it strongly enough. propublica.org/article/immig…
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