University of Illinois - Investigate Midwest

Trump could bail out farmers hurt in his trade war, again. Here’s what happened the first time.

In 2018 and 2019, the first Trump administration paid more than $20 billion to farmers who lost market access after tariffs were implemented. The money was unequally distributed.

By Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest

/ 21 Oct 2025

Trump could bail out farmers hurt in his trade war, again. Here’s what happened the first time.

US grain growers face deepening losses

After a brief boom, soaring costs and weak markets are threatening corn and soybean farms, prompting warnings from industry groups.

By Juan Vassallo, Investigate Midwest

/ 9 Sep 2025

Student journalist wins University of Illinois award for livestock investigation

2 Investigate Midwest journalists were also honored by NAAJ for investigative stories on groundwater loss in the plains and poultry farmers left behind after Tyson plant closures.

By Lauren Cross, Investigate Midwest

/ 11 Apr 2025

Student journalist wins University of Illinois award for livestock investigation

Concerns about brain cancer cases in Piatt County grow, but Illinois public health agency yet to investigate

Lessie Ann Patterson lived in Monticello, Illinois, for 25 years before dying in 2015 from glioblastoma, a rapidly advancing brain cancer with an average survival time of 12 to 18

By Molly Hughes, Stephanie Orellana and Nazala Salauddin, for Investigate Midwest

/ 17 Mar 2025

Concerns about brain cancer cases in Piatt County grow, but Illinois public health agency yet to investigate

A giant investment firm paid a university to study one of its biggest assets — farmland

In 2013, mammoth U.S. investment company TIAA-CREF gave $5 million to the University of Illinois — to study an area of investment where the company has made a, sometimes controversial, name for itself.

By Dana Cronin, Illinois Public Media and Johnathan Hettinger, Investigate Midwest

/ 16 Nov 2021

A giant investment firm paid a university to study one of its biggest assets — farmland

Corporate money keeps university ag schools ‘relevant,’ and makes them targets of donor criticism

Large donors can put universities in potentially awkward positions when faculty conclusions conflict with the interests of those benefactors. Data collected by Harvest Public Media and Investigate Midwest shows corporations have given at least $170 million to ag colleges in the past decade.

By johnathan-hettinger-and-sky-chadde-investigate-midwest-dana-cronin-katie-peikes-and-seth-bodine-harvest-public-media, Johnathan Hettinger, Investigate Midwest, Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest, Dana Cronin, Illinois Public Media, Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio/Harvest Public Media and Seth Bodine, Harvest Public Media

/ 15 Nov 2021

Corporate money keeps university ag schools ‘relevant,’ and makes them targets of donor criticism

Additional campus COVID complaints show more unsafe, unhealthy and outlandish behavior

These were the events among the roughly 200 complaints sent to university officials in the latter part of the fall semester in 2020 at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

By Dylan Tiger, CU-Citizen Access

/ 11 Mar 2021

Additional campus COVID complaints show more unsafe, unhealthy and outlandish behavior

COVID on Campus: Tracking and isolating students was hit-and-miss

Students report a wide variety of experiences after testing positive for COVID-19 on Midwest campuses. Some were held in university facilities where food was scarce; others were placed in hotels with regular meals. Some said their personal contacts were notified; others say no one even asked who the

By Hali Tauxe, Danielle Duclos, Chris Martucci, Gavin Good and Julia Morrison, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 26 Jan 2021

COVID on Campus: Tracking and isolating students was hit-and-miss

COVID on Campus: Unprecedented challenges, mixed results

But an analysis of the efforts at four major Midwestern universities shows that no matter what schools tried — whether it was Illinois’ much-touted testing program or Missouri’s lack of comprehensive or random testing — the results were much worse than predicted. At those campuses and the flagship u

By Danielle DuClos/For The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 24 Jan 2021

COVID on Campus: Unprecedented challenges, mixed results

Scientists engineer shortcut for photosynthetic glitch, boost crop growth by 40 percent

Researchers from the University of Illinois and U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service report in the journal Science that crops engineered with a photorespiratory shortcut are 40 percent more productive in real-world agronomic conditions.

By RIPE/University of Illinois

/ 24 Jan 2019

Scientists engineer shortcut for photosynthetic glitch, boost crop growth by 40 percent

‘No Taxpayer Dollars’ for coaches at the University of Illinois? It’s a lie

While taxpayer money doesn’t technically go to pay the coaches’ actual salary lines, taxpayer money does pay for the salary packages for most every UI coach, trainer, and full-time athletic department staff member. That’s because UI athletic department employees are UI employees, so they receive the

By Jay Rosenstein, University of Illinois professor of Media and Cinema Studies

/ 27 Dec 2017

Lagging crop conditions could be preview of future Illinois climate

The weather that led to the below-average conditions could be a preview of future climate conditions, according to a new study from the University of Illinois.

By Johnathan Hettinger, Investigate Midwest

/ 20 Jun 2017

Lagging crop conditions could be preview of future Illinois climate