Midwest Newsroom

As the cost to buy a home continues to rise in the Midwest, real estate experts say the regional rental market offers affordable housing options and biding your time before buying may be the smart move in 2025.

The Midwest Newsroom and its partners asked police departments and sheriff offices in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska to tell us whether they will cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies as part of the Trump White House “mass deportation” plan.

In our series “Unhoused/Unschooled,” The Midwest Newsroom and its regional partners explored the complicated federal system designed to support K-12 public school students experiencing homelessness, particularly in rural communities.

Urban and suburban school districts may have a funding and staffing edge when it comes to implementing laws to support students with unstable housing. But, homeless education liaisons in small rural districts say close-knit communities make for efficient identification and support for students eligible for services.

The case hinges on whether Sniper 1’s safety outweighs the public’s interest in knowing the name of the Joplin, Missouri, police officer who killed two-year-old Clessie Crawford in Baxter Springs, Kansas.

In the past year, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) has promoted a “journey to inclusion,” as a better way to teach students with disabilities. It’s a newer practice for Nebraska schools, and administrators are confident it will work.

Police accountability advocates say it’s important to remember that Golubski is not just “one bad apple,” and that his case reveals a law enforcement system that often fails to protect the most vulnerable.

States had until the end of September to distribute federal rescue funds to school districts to help students struggling with housing get equal access to education. Barring extensions, most states will leave money on the table — including several in the Midwest.

President of the United States is not the only consequential race to watch in the Nov. 5 election.

The Midwest Newsroom analyzed the funders behind high-profile proposed ballot measures and the amount they’re spending. Abortion and sports betting campaigns are the leading targets for out-of-state money.