"Whatever else we have going on in our newsroom, investigations have to be a priority." - Todd Eschman

Now: Todd Eschman, EIC at Belleville News Democrat (BND) in downstate IL on"Investigations from a small newsroom perspective" BND had 67 journalists less than a decade ago. Today? 9. "Enterprising journalism has to be baked into the culture of the newsroom." illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

Great insights at our "Investigate the State" virtual conference. Right now: "How to cover Indian Country (and other communities) when there isn't any official data" with Mary Hudetz & Dianna Hunt "I treat every investigation as a mini-beat." - @maryhudetz.bsky.social

Our Investigate the State conference is up and running! If you didn't register, you can still sign up and join this free, virtual conference here: illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

Last chance to register! Come for one session or stay for the whole day. We'll see you there!

Our *virtual* conference is this Thursday. Check out the program and come through for any sessions that interest you. See you soon! illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

In 2023, a Minnesota homeowner argued that the County violated her Fifth Amendment rights by taking her home and pocketing more than the $15,000 she owed in back taxes. Following the ruling, states rushed to reform their laws to avoid legal fallout. All except Illinois. (🖊️ Sidnee King Pineda)

We're hosting a *virtual* conference for Midwest journalists interested in expanding investigative journalism resources in our region. Come through! And share ideas with investigative journalists and news leaders throughout the Midwest. Register here: illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

"Official government numbers don't always provide a complete picture of how many immigrants are in detention. But according to ICE, the number of detained immigrants jumped to more than 61,000 as of Aug. 24. And the new federal budget has allocated $45 billion for immigrant detention."

ICYMI some dogged follow-up to the Loretto Hospital scandal from @bauerjournalism.bsky.social‬ blockclubchicago.org/2025/07/22/t... Read the original investigation from Kelly Bauer and David Jackson here: illinoisanswers.org/2021/04/28/c...

When providers care for Mediciad patients, managed care orgs (MCOs) are supposed to reimburse them in 30-90 days. Instead, they're delaying & denying them at rates as high as 60%. Illinois providers say they have to drop Medicaid patients or go out of business illinoisanswers.org/2025/08/05/m...

“Size in baseball never mattered, and if that doesn’t matter, neither does gender. You don’t have to bench 400 pounds to hit a baseball,” Carlton Hondras said. “In the long run, I want them to be recognized as ballpayers, not just girls playing baseball.” blockclubchicago.org/2025/07/18/c...

While you wait for the City Council vote on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) today, read up on how and why "granny flats" have been such a fraught issue in Chicago: illinoisanswers.org/2025/05/27/g... by @alexnitkin.bsky.social

How segregated are your local private schools? With our database, look up the demographics of private schools across the country and see how they compare to the public schools nearby. By @cerealcommas.bsky.social @natlash.bsky.social @bxroberts.org

After investigating the decades of sewage flooding in Cahokia Heights, state investigative reporter @jayohday.bsky.social is back w/ a look into sewage flooding in Carterville & why a new wastewater treatment plant approved years ago still hasn't been built. illinoisanswers.org/2025/07/15/a...

Here at the National Public Housing Museum, where we're talking about our "Making it in Chicago" project. We've got storytelling sessions on affordable housing, violence interrupters, child care subsidies, & student loan debt. First up is Marisa Novara in conversation with @alexnitkin.bsky.social

Officer Carlos A. Baker had over a dozen misconduct complaints by the time he inadvertently shot Krystal Rivera, the 1st Chicago officer killed by “friendly fire” in 40 years. @ctoner.bsky.social @peternickeas.bsky.social and @schuba.bsky.social report. illinoisanswers.org/2025/06/27/c...

Cahokia Heights has been in the news before. The residents there have dealt with sewage flooding their homes for *decades*. But the flooding continues. @jayohday.bsky.social explores what's been done to fix it & why it's still happening throughout S. Illinois. illinoisanswers.org/2025/06/17/w...

Five dozen Southern Illinois towns saw a third of the state’s sewer overflows over the last decade—but shrinking populations and red tape make fixes elusive. Read the investigation: illinoisanswers.org/2025/06/17/w...

Thread to follow on hearing over National Guard deployment in CA

Happening now, State and Madison: Rainbow PUSH coalition members protesting outside the goth Target. Couple dozen people marching a picket line, singing. Reported while waiting to hear how much the company intends to cut our reporting staff. Moments like this demand more journalism, not less.

In case anyone else needed to be enabled this morning

"Granny Flats" have been illegal to build in Chicago for decades, but studies show that it can make an impact in creating affordable housing. For one family, it helped relieve some child care expenses too... @alexnitkin.bsky.social reports on what's been stalling legislation to legalize it.

Listen to @jimdaleywrites.bsky.social talk violence prevention on the West Side with @citycastchicago.bsky.social this morning. #makingitinchicago chicago.citycast.fm/podcasts/how...

Achieving economic mobility has become difficult for many Chicagoans. That’s among the key findings in a recent and wide-ranging series of stories from the Illinois Answers Project.

@jimdaleywrites.bsky.social analyzed the data and found that the Chicago communities with the most fatal shootings are also the city's poorest. Then he talked to the people in those communities interrupting that violence through block clubs, job training, and hands-on intervention.

Peep my girl @meredithnewman.bsky.social breaking down the strict eligibility requirements locking over 100,000 families out of the state's largest subsidy on @wbez.org 's Reset. Then read our investigation at makingitinchicago.illinoisanswers.org www.wbez.org/reset-with-s...

As part of @IllinoisAnswers' series "Making it in Chicago," @_MJHopkins and I investigated the cost of child care in Cook County. We found the state's largest child care subsidy doesn’t provide enough relief for many families and providers. illinoisanswers.org/2025/05/27/w...

Major series out today from Illinois Answers Project! Check it out for detailed pieces on: - child care costs - gig work - affordable housing - medical debt - aging in place - student loan debt - violence interrupters Great to see reporting at this level of detail being done on this scale.

Upward mobility is increasingly out of reach for many Chicagoans as the cost of living skyrockets. We investigated the barriers that stand in the way of getting ahead in Chicago and explored some of the efforts to mitigate them. Read the series here: makingitinchicago.illinoisanswers.org

Excited to have done illustrations for this comprehensive reporting project from @illinoisanswers.bsky.social led by @cplhouse.bsky.social 🚧🚧

After a community listening tour last fall, we charged ahead, reporting on topics as big as... child care costs affordable housing & healthcare student loans Gig work violence interrupters and aging in place. Our series "Making it in Chicago" is the result: makingitinchicago.illinoisanswers.org

Brilliant collab between @ctoner.bsky.social, photographer Sebastian Hidalgo and Miles Bryan

For over a year, Illinois Answers Project investigated the use & abuse of restraint chairs in Illinois. Now, we look at how other states are addressing misuse, incld a ban in Pennsylvania, investigation in Iowa, & statewide reform after a man died in California illinoisanswers.org/2025/05/15/h...

Illinois Answers Project won 5 of the 7 Lisagor Awards we were nominated for last night! A strong showing for our small newsroom of just 8 reporters & 3 editors. So proud of y'all! Read the winning reporting here: @illinoisanswers.bsky.social

“This firearm was part of a St. Sabina Weapon Turn In event back in December 2023 … But was ‘lost’ at the event at some point. Then it was used in a few shootings and recovered again…” The memo ends with a single word: “Yikes.” illinoisanswers.org/2025/05/02/g...

@kmbc9.bsky.social's investigation into restraint chair use across the U.S. and the deaths that resulted from them aired last night. An important expansion of @illinoisanswers.bsky.social's "Strapped Down" investigation into restraint chair uses and abuses in Illinois: www.kmbc.com/article/chro...

So proud of @gracehauck.bsky.social, @meredithnewman.bsky.social and @jayohday.bsky.social for their work on the "Strapped Down" investigation. And thrilled to see that work honored as a finalist for the Livingston Awards for "Excellence in Local Reporting." wallacehouse.umich.edu/announcing-t...

Hey Southern Illinois, we're coming to you! www.wsiu.org/community-up...

The state requires jails to report when they use restraint chairs. For 874 cases from 2019 to 2023, Cook County Jail didn't report a single one. After @gracehauck.bsky.social's statewide investigation into restraint chair use, the jail began reporting them. illinoisanswers.org/2025/04/22/r...

Some City Council members temporarily increase staffers’ salaries to pay them year-end bonuses. Last year, one saw a hike of $30k. There is little documentation & no formal process, troubling some good government advocates. @alexnitkin.bsky.social reports. illinoisanswers.org/2025/04/14/c...

In case anyone else was looking for the full audio of Cory Booker's speech. youtu.be/v-GcnM7Laps?...

How to leak to a journalist. TL;DR — Personal devices only — Don’t leak from work, on a work device, or from work Wi-Fi — Use Signal and Signal’s camera — The reporter should recreate any image you leak before displaying it to the public. www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/how-...

A gun went missing from CPD's gun buyback program... and wound up in the hands of a 16-year-old kid. It's not the first time a buyback gun has gone missing. @ctoner.bsky.social, @peternickeas.bsky.social & @schuba.bsky.social report. illinoisanswers.org/2025/04/04/g...

The Lisagor finalists are out! If you haven't already, check out all the brilliant stories nominated as finalists! Our @illinoisanswers.bsky.social team is nominated 8 times! SO proud of y'all! Congrats to all the finalists! headlineclub.org/2025/03/28/t...

The Illinois child welfare agency failed to produce legally required public reports after examining what went wrong in hundreds of cases of child deaths and thousands of serious injuries. @peternickeas.bsky.social explains on @abc7chicago.bsky.social abc7chicago.com/post/illinoi...

Great time at #FoiaFest today! Thanks to everyone who came to our panel on managing collaborations and major projects. Collaboration is more essential than ever these days as newsrooms continue to see staffing cuts & resource loss. So, a good time to reshare this: go.bsky.app/6j5Dm7J

"Crump noted during the news conference that a recent @illinoisanswers.bsky.social investigation into jails’ use, misuse, and abuse of restraint chairs found Madison County was an outlier in the state." Story by Lexi Cortes ↓ www.bnd.com/news/local/a...

When a child dies or is seriously injured, the Department of Children & Family Services is legally required to produce a report giving insight into what may have gone wrong. DCFS hasn't produced reports for over 1200 deaths. @peternickeas.bsky.social reports illinoisanswers.org/2025/03/18/a...