Molly Parker
@MollyParkerSI
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@capitolnewsIL reporter; 2021-2023 @propublica LRN fellow; Southern Illinois roots; Saluki; mom to twin toddler boys; SIU prof
Carbondale, IL
Joined October 2012
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For the past few weeks, the reporters at our small paper have been accused of fear-mongerimg re: COVID-19 to sell newspapers. 3 reporters on the news side provide coverage across roughly 16 counties in Southern Illinois. On the bright side, we were issued furlough notices today
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Journalism tweet: As a reporter, mostly writer, I’d like to say a thing about photojournalists. We gotta treat them like the equals they are in the creative process. They should be in the planning meetings early and often. The best work is made together, not as an afterthought.
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That likely means for roughly half of the next three months, we will provide the same coverage with 2 instead of 3 of us. Of course my above comment was sarcasm. I’m disappointed. But I refuse to get down. I care about this region SO much. We will keep going.
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And it’s my birthday. God keeps giving me more blessings than I deserve.
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Our rural areas are particularly vulnerable. Even a medium-size outbreak could devastate our hospital systems. And our economies are also especially fragile. The economic city centers will rebound. Will anyone care about rebuilding what crashes here once the world moves on?
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Every day we are bringing our readers in-depth stories on the response specific to our region. But also messages of hope. It was great to hear
@GovPritzker
shout-out to my Sunday story on Southern Illinois’ volunteers yesterday, saying it exemplified the goodness across IL
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I know it’s a hard time for many. Some even more so. Personally, I had to halt some treatments I was undergoing related to fertility. Understandable but disappointing. As I look for silver linings, I know I’m blessed by a (so far) healthy family, awesome co-workers, friends....
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This week, my husband and I welcomed these two new additions to the family. We are in love and exhausted. I dressed them in camo because it’s clear they’ve come prepared for battle :-) Meet Martin and Nolan, named after two Southern Illinois blues musicians
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My struggle every week: Fill the paper with shorter, breaking news stories people want now or spend several days/weeks looking into bigger issues readers have reached out about. People want/need both. With 3 news writers covering 15 counties, we can’t deliver both effectively.
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PSA for journalists:
@propublica
has opened up applications for its Local Reporting Network. If you have an idea, your team should STRONGLY consider applying. I know every single local reporter could knock it out of the park with just a little time. Interested? Keep reading...
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Met this ! kid in East St Louis housing complex. He wondered if I had an extra reporter’s notebook.
#futurereporter
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I’ve had lots of talks with
@HUDgov
folks. I’ve asked (a ton!) of tough ??s, had heart-to-hearts (and some heated exchanges) w/ career staffers, many of whom are dedicated, caring, also frustrated. I know it’s *just Twitter* but this is too far. People, places are truly hurting
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A bit of personal news to share. I'm so grateful for this opportunity, and I would encourage anyone with tips or suggestions to reach out to me at molly.parker
@thesouthern
.com. My hope is to bring more attention to the Southern Illinois region I call home.
Thrilled to announce the inaugural ProPublica Distinguished Fellows:
@kylehopkinsAK
,
@MollyParkerSI
, Rob Perez,
@jsmithrichards
,
@wendi_c_thomas
&
@Kenwardjr
. The program funds reporters’ salaries for 3 years as they produce local investigative projects:
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I’m deploy pained that
@thesouthern
has sold and the new owners aren’t keeping a single reporter. We covered 1/4 of Illinois, went places most rarely did, exposed scandals, celebrated community. It wasn’t perfect but it was so good. It is truly the end of an era.
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This afternoon, a Black Lives Matter rally is planned to take place in Anna. This is a historic moment— our small, rural towns outside of Carbondale joining the movement.
@loganjaffe
’s piece worth a revisit:
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I had a scheduled call/interview with Sen. Tammy Duckworth at 1 p.m. today (at her office's request) that was canceled out of the blue at 1:20 p.m. because she was pulled into another pressing call. I want to know, was I stood up for Joe Biden?
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Mississippi’s infant mortality rate leads the nation. That means babies under age 1 are more likely to die in this state than any other. Want healthy babies? Care for their mothers, too. You can’t have one without the other. Great reporting by
@sarahesmith23
New: Mississippians on Medicaid lose coverage a mere 60 days after childbirth. “When women don’t have that coverage, what happens is they die,” says one expert.
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“It’s happening! It’s happening!” There are more than 100 people out here for the opening of a new grocery store in Cairo, IL. You have to live in a food desert to understand this excitement. Cairo is such a beautiful city. They did this on their own. A community co-op.
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“I’m not black but I mourn with you.” In Anna, a protest of at least 150, the vast majority of whom are white. I grew up just down the road. I never thought I would see this day. The young people are alright.
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A public official called me a gnat. Gnats (I’ve read) are disproportionately annoying for something so small. The best way to get rid of them is by cleaning up the source of what’s attracting their attention! At least I wasn’t called a bedbug.
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This photo of John Lewis was taken in Cairo, Illinois. Lewis trained & inspired a generation of young Black leaders to fight for freedom and equality in Little Egypt. They successfully integrated the pool only to watch it get filled with concrete a few years later.
“The young people kneeling today are following a long tradition.” - John Lewis
#GoodTrouble
#JohnLewis
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These folks have covered Southern IL for years with tremendous dedication. They all lose their jobs in 10 days as the newspaper sale closes out. They are all class acts. They will find work because of their talents. I don’t know what will become of news in the lower 1/4 of IL.
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My husband took care of his boss, WXAN station manager Harold Lawder, for the past three years. He became our family. Harold died today at 91. Our hearts are heavy. But Harold’s faith in the Lord was unshakable. I know he’s home and his burdens lifted.
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Nearly 820 properties failed recent inspections. 44 percent of them experienced score drops of 20-plus points
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1/ I’m Molly Parker, reporter at
@thesouthern
. I’m diving into the public housing crisis facing small and mid-size cities w/ the
@ProPublica
Local Reporting Network.
My reporting on housing in small cities raises questions for
@HUDgov
and Congress.
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A lot of so-called public-private housing partnerships seem to be the private sector using public $ to pay off their debt+pocket a profit
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I knew almost nothing about babies. And then we had two. It’s been shocking and life rearranging and pretty darn awesome, too. I can’t help but be a bit proud of all of us for making it to month 3!
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Quick personal update: I’m excited to be one of four new members of
@LeeEntNews
’ Midwest public service team offering investigative & enterprise journalism in the overlooked rural towns and small cities of the Heartland
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@LynnePatton
@charlesornstein
@HUDgov
If I were the only one who felt ignored, I would give up. I’m not.
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When you work at a little paper, your colleagues are like family. Much of the staff here to watch the final run
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The boys and I ran our first 5k together today. I was slow but it still felt good to cross the finish line 6 months after carrying twins, C section, lots of sleepless nights, returning to work, etc. It’s the little things that make you say, ‘everything is gonna be all right’
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The husband/mayor is greeting
@POTUS
for visit. My mother-in-law protesting and I’m an on-call reporter for the unexpected
#smalltownUSA
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It’s my first day —an exciting day — teaching investigative journalism
@SIUC_SoJ
. This is where my love of the craft began. The years can make you forget just how magical it was starting out, hungering to be part of something bigger than yourself. Send all the teaching tips!
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Wow, thanks so much for the support for all of us at The Southern. Much appreciated.
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Thread: 17 months after
@HUDgov
announced that Cairo families had to go, the last residents turned in their keys TODAY. For some families, there have been positive changes. But it's always too little, too late for the Cairos of the USA. Cairo's neglect is an all-American story
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Soaking in all the little blessings like the this view of Golconda. God bless Southern Illinois.
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Journalists should adopt people-first language. Instead of the poor, the mentally ill, the disabled, etc. say people who are low-income, people with mental illness, etc.. A few extra words can go a long way toward shattering stereotypes. People are worth it.
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New
@ProPublica
class includes 2”genius grant” fellows. A)Local newsrooms pick the projects B)We can hold our own
OUTRAGEOUS.
ProPublica, a left-wing activist group funded by the likes of George Soros, is now funding . . . "investigative reporting" at the
@courierjournal
.
Is this the future of journalism?
Who is holding the Courier-Journal accountable?
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I’ll take “Really Dumb Ideas That Would Totally Harm Southern Illinois for $1000,” Alex:
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The government moves heaven and earth — sand, in this case — to save (mostly) wealthy beachfront communities
A ProPublica analysis of 16 North Carolina communities directly behind beaches that have received federal funds shows they’re 94% white on average; a quarter of owner-occupied housing in these areas is worth more than $500,000.
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I spent a week in East St. Louis in April talking to residents of
@HUDgov
funded housing here. The East St. Louis Housing Authority was under federal control for 32 years. Click to hear tenants describe living conditions. Then read the story
@thesouthern
:
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That time I photobombed Obama & ended up in his televised biography
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@pelfreyduryea
@HUDgov
It’s so discouraging. I have a great sense of humor, mostly toward myself. But I am also not the only one feeling *ignored* by HUD right now. My questions come from the places I cover. That people fail to see this as an emergency confuses me. Your home shouldn’t make you sick.
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I’m in Benton today where a BLM rally is scheduled for noon. Someone posted a sign in front of the courthouse today that says it’s “Ok to be white.” I’ve also included the front page of The Southern Illinoisan from 1995. That’s not a typo. 1995.
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Today
@GovPritzker
called East STL a “forgotten” city. But it’s not forgotten. Tomes have been written about its plight. Maybe the better word is ignored or avoided or maligned or misused. Forgotten implies an accident. Looking the other way is on purpose
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There is no anonymity in community journalism. You write stories about people you run into at the grocery store. My heart is in
#Annapolis
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Some of my oldest FOIAs pending with HUD date back to September 2017. I called to check on them as they have been in the "being reviewed" status for months. At one point, the FOIA officer (who was very polite but unable to explain the delay) asked me, "Do you have any hobbies?"
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A crime against humanity and the most important story you could read today by
@MSTODAYnews
@propublica
:
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The people of Cairo have persevered through racism, corruption & neglect for years. Cairo is the story of America
Cairo, an impoverished city that's 70% black, was forced to plead for its worth as water leaked into the city.
A big thank you to
@MollyParkerSI
for help w/sources, and
@jilliankumagai
for producing late into the night.
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I’m 40 today. And it’s good to be alive. Here’s to the hills over which we climb on the way to bigger ones. My twin boys turned 1 yesterday. Life has plenty of hard but I have so much I’m thankful for today!
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This
@GlennThrush
story explains who is hardest hit by the government shutdown: the poor and vulnerable.
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I'm transcribing a tape from an interview and my dog is barking in the background on the tape. He hears this recording of himself barking and starts barking again to warn me about the dog he must think is in the house (even though it's his own recorded bark)
#workingathome
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.
@wendi_c_thomas
is at the top of my much-watch local journalists list. And she’s only 3 hours away, so I consider her a neighbor of sorts. Congrats and well deserved.
Today's good news: I'll spend 2020 like I spent 2019: Investigating systems that keep poor people poor. Excited to work again with ProPublica's amazing team, especially my editor Charlie Ornstein. To progress!
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This issue is infuriating. People say: but the parents don't have to let them in-True. But then there's a strong likelihood they will take the kids. And then months might pass before you get them back, even if a judge finds the case without merit. So what good comes from that?
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Kayaking the Big Muddy on this beautiful Saturday Southern Illinois evening. There’s a bald eagle directly over my head.
#littleegypt
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Funny? I'm doing an interview with someone about rural development needs in southernmost Illinois and every third word is lost because she has only one bar on her cell phone. I feel like that pretty much sums it up.
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Honored to win two IPA awards for Cairo coverage—of power prices and
@HUDgov
housing—today with
@ismithreports
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But it’s not “nearly abandoned.” More than 2,000 people still live in Cairo, of similar size to many of our towns
Cairo, Illinois. Once thriving town at the intersection of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Now nearly abandoned, with over 80% population decline from its peak.
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Thanks to my Twitter followers who helped make my account award winning! Selected for best use of social media by ILAPME for keeping heat on
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My husband rescued Chicken from the roadside 9 yrs ago, but you’d a thought she was born to royalty. She lived her best life-everyday. She was the smartest, kindest person I’ve ever known. Our hearts broke when she passed. Today, I’m pledging to live my life more like Chicken!
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It’s been a rewarding yet heartbreaking year covering forgotten people and places affected by housing challenges
In the midst of an affordable housing crisis,
@HUDgov
is sometimes forced to choose between looking the other way at unsafe conditions or forcing tenants to move, with few better alternatives.
This has paralyzed HUD,
@MollyParkerSI
writes.
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I’m not above public pleading. If someone has a solution to help local news rebuild in Southern Illinois, please reach out. I know it’s been done elsewhere. There are models but I’m not an expert. Those models seem risky or dependent on limited resources not all can access
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I opened my Media Ethics class by asking students whether they believed most journalists acted ethically in gathering the news. **Almost all** said they did *not*. This is a massive problem!
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My husband let me steal away for an hour; just reflecting. My heart is full, my head too busy. The day care closed for 4 wks & I’m on deadline. I’ve worked between feeds and naps, at 4 am before everyone wakes. I’m tired. I feel “alone” sometimes. I know I’m one of the lucky ones
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As the virus spreads to rural America, it’s interesting to me how the national media narrative shifts largely from one focused on victims of the disease to one largely blaming the perceived country bumpkins for not taking it seriously, etc. There’s more to the story.
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Day made. A very passionate 91-year-old reader of
@thesouthern
called. She complimented the paper. Says she's been a subscriber for years. "The only thing I hate is that you stopped printing a Sunday and Monday paper," she said. "I can't hardly get out of bed on those days."
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Baby Me and the late US Sen Paul Simon, who as a professor at SIU had a considerable impact on my life. Credit: Throwback Thursday photo from the Simon Institute.
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Y'all. I love you. But I'm going on mandated furlough for a week, and so I am going to make the most of it and clear my mind. Lately, it seems like every morning I've been shot out of a cannon. And social media can make my brain feel like a dumpster fire. I bet you can relate
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Citing reporting by
@thesouthern
as part of
@propublica
’s Local Reporting Network,
@SenatorDurbin
&
@SenDuckworth
cosponsor legislation w/
@KamalaHarris
that would pump $70B into building, repairing
@HUDgov
-funded public housing:
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This story out of Decatur, Illinois, is stunning in the questions it asks and the issues it raises:
This is a stupendous piece of investigative journalism that left me shaking.
@BrettMmurphy
examines the junk science known as "911 call analysis." It helped send a mother to prison after she found her baby nonresponsive and called for help.
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Over the past few days, I have traveled from one end of Illinois to the other. It’s a state full of interesting cities of all sizes, and these places have far more in common than their people realize!
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My tiny paper’s editor pulls double shifts on night desk to give us time off. He coaches baseball and rewards A+ work with burgers and beer
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A message from the owners of 17th Street in Murphysboro. The BBQ folks know how to lead.
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I’m wondering if downstate reporters should team up to identify the state’s best Italian beef sandwich outside of Chicago. I can cover the lower 20 counties.
One reporter tries more than 50 to crown the king:
The 20 best Italian beefs in Chicago
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I'm thrilled to join
@ProPublica
's Local Reporting Network to enhance our investigative housing work
@thesouthern
.
I couldn’t be more excited to lead this effort. Meet the Seven Reporters Joining ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network
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I can't stop laughing. Listening to Gov. Jim Edgar on Zoom talk about the budget crisis in Illinois with SIU Simon Institute and his dogs start going crazy....which cause my two dogs to start going crazy. I could not sum up the IL budget situation any better if I tried
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This is one of the most self-involved national reporter tweets I've seen in a while. The lead byline on the report is a freelancer, from Southern Illinois, who worked his tail off to elevate Anna's historic protest to a national platform. I'm sure he has no say in such decisions.
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I spent months investigating
@HUDgov
inspections. Spox said we asked more questions than anyone in HUD’s history
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HUD OIG: HUD could and should have done more to help families living in Cairo public housing:
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Based in Chicago ... but the best thing about this is they know the state runs all the way to its southern border
A year ago we launched
@ProPublicaIL
So proud of all that has been accomplished, and excited about what lies ahead
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My husband took our puppy Sugar Foot to his radio station workplace today in Ava. She’s delivering the news. It was flawless
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Have you ever climbed this tower in Southern Illinois? Points for anyone who can name the location
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This guy right here is one of the best in the biz. Unless you’ve been a community paper editor or worked for one, you can’t appreciate fully all Tom did for us. Not sure what business model gets rid of a guy like this. But alas, here we are. Chin up, they say, but I’m struggling
Turns out my time at
@thesouthern
is done. I’ll be fine, but please support the great people I consider family. I will miss each and every one of them. And buy a damn paper.
#supportlocaljournalism
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I made a driving error and someone showed their disapproval with a thumbs down rather than the bird. I appreciated that. It was like the hand gesture version of ‘fudge’
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🧵In 2014, after staff beat a disabled man inside a state-run facility, an employee later texted a colleague. “we just got done strappin Blaine in… I fucked his world up this morning.” It wasn't the end of the horror inside these walls.
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American recipe: Call govt bad. Gut it. When it’s needed by electorate, righteously declare it incompetent. Never mention how you gutted it. Blame failure on bloat or laziness. Say magic words “We should run this like a business.” Privatize it. Make rich off failure you created!
Those crazy, long waits for unemployment benefits? That's a product of *policy.*
It's a policy of gutting the unemployment system.
In NC, the GOP slashed benefits *and* admin funding.
The result? Less than 10% of unemployed people actually get UI.
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The DMV should ask for your “ideal weight” or “goal weight” for your license. I went ahead and gave them mine in anticipation of the change
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Quick professional update. Starting July 19, I’ll be joining the formidable reporting team at
@CapitolNewsIL
. I’ll also be joining SIU as an asst J prof. I’m blessed by a great run with
@thesouthern
and Lee Enterprises. If you’re not yet, give us a follow for all things Illinois!
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Sometimes people ask me why I write so many housing stories. I wrote this little essay trying to answer that question for
@propublica
&
@thesouthern
. I appreciate both so much for supporting this work:
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I worked on this story for two weeks. Days before it was set to publish, the CEO of Chester’s largest private employer died from COVID-19 (Note: Gilster-Mary Lee is a store-brand food manufacturer & the exclusive provider of chicken coating to Chick-fil-A)
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An unbelievable story about a school in south-central Illinois:
Garrison school is supposed help kids w/ behavioral disabilities
Instead it's summoning police to handcuff them.
Stunning work by
@Jodiscohen
@jsmithrichards
reveals a national anomaly & a local tragedy. Kids arrested for tossing a shoe or spitting.
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