Bringing Stories From the Midwest
Deep breath. What a year.
Thank you to everyone who has read the Prospect these past 12 months. I am truly so grateful to work with this small team of dedicated reporters and editors, who inspire me day in and day out. A few writer shout-outs: Naomi Bethune, our newest writing fellow, who writes about how the Trump administration’s cuts hit some groups harder than others, including Black women, disabled Americans, and young people in public schools. James Baratta, who brings his deep understanding of finance and business to report on the affordability issues that the country faces. And Whitney Curry Wimbish, who has a deep-rooted sense of justice that shines through her reporting. Read their work, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
This year, I’ve taken to calling myself the Prospect’s Midwest correspondent. It just so happens that I live in Chicago, which is probably the greatest city in America, and which this year spent months under siege by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). I did my best in 2025 to bring the stories of the Midwest to our readers, whether it was a protest in Chicago, a policy change in Indiana, or an election in Wisconsin.
Two Months of ICE Terror in Chicago
If you’re looking for a primer on what life in Chicago was like this summer and fall, start here. The piece is a dispatch from living and reporting in the city. You’ll find reporting from violent protests outside an ICE detention facility, information about how unhoused Chicagoans are particularly vulnerable, and glances into the grassroots networks that continue to resist ICE. Read the story.
How ICE Hides Detainees From Their Lawyers
Here’s another piece about ICE in Chicago. I came across this story while reporting on protests at ICE’s Broadview detention facility. I was sheltering from the September heat in the shade of a telephone pole when a lawyer walked up to the detention facility and knocked on its boarded-up door. Over the course of multiple conversations, he told the story of his client, who had been arrested by ICE and essentially disappeared. It’s a disturbing nationwide trend: ICE arrests someone and then rapidly moves them from state to state, away from legal oversight. Read the story.
Do SNAP Food Restrictions Help Health, or Punish Poor People?
In addition to reporting on the ICE crisis in Chicago, I continued to follow food policy and its intersections with the MAHA movement. That brought me down to Indiana, where the state has banned the purchase of sugary drinks with SNAP dollars—while also cutting programs that connect SNAP recipients to healthy foods. I spoke to farmers, grocers, and urban garden community advocates to get a sense for how these policy changes will impact the people of Indiana. In 2026, I’ll continue reporting on SNAP and MAHA, whether it be on the local, state, or federal level. Read the story.
Selling the Poor on Spending Like They’re Rich
Finally, I’ll leave you with one of my more recent articles, which appeared in our December issue on affordability. In this article, I wrote about the cultural and psychological factors that keep us spending money, even when we are struggling to afford necessities. After this piece came out, I got a number of emails from readers who disagreed with my argument and think that consumer spending and debt are largely due to individual failures. (We’ve heard it before: “If you millennials didn’t buy so many matchas, maybe you could afford a house!”) While I understand their argument, I wanted to highlight some of the external factors that push us to spend more money: easy access to credit, marketing strategies, the influencer economy, and more. So give it a read and form your own opinion. And feel free to let me know what you think. Read the story.
I wish everyone an immensely restful end of the year. I hope to return to work in 2026 with even more energy and drive to keep reporting on my city, poverty, power, and politics. I hope you’ll keep reading.
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