Meredith Newman

Join us for Investigate the State, a virtual conference bringing together news leaders across the Midwest to discuss, share strategies and forge partnerships to bolster Investigative journalism in every community. Learn more and register here: illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

Chicago Cop Who Inadvertently Shot and Killed Partner Has Lengthy Disciplinary Record over Short Career Officer Carlos A. Baker has had more than a dozen complaints against him, records show. He has faced three suspensions and two reprimands.

The officer who authorities say accidentally shot + killed his partner had accrued more than a dozen misconduct allegations against him during his 3.5 years as a PO. Five were during his probation period, when CPD could have summarily fired him. Unclear how he ended up on a tac team.

#chicago

Why are so many Illinois families locked out of childcare programs? Illinois puts limits on a national childcare subsidy program (CCAP) that is far stricter than federal recommendations.

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...

'We're at the Mercy of Child Care:' Child Care Costs are Crushing Families — Illinois' Largest Subsidy Excludes Thousands While the state infuses millions of dollars a year into child care programs, the strict eligibility requirements and limitations for its largest child care subsidy exclude tens of thousands of familie...

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...

Detours and Dead Ends on the Path to Opportunity

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

📣 Meet the 2025 Livingston Awards Finalists for Local Reporting! 📣

These outstanding young journalists are shining a light on critical local issues—and shaping the future of news.

👏 Congratulations to all these finalists!

Read their work: loom.ly/LAVASEQ

#livingstonawards #uofm