Investigate Midwest

President Trump ordered federal agencies to identify and cancel contracts promoting 'gender ideology extremism' in 2025. The USDA found only about seven such contracts initially but later canceled additional funding, including a grant for 'food justice for trans people.' Critics questioned the USDA's limited findings, noting its historically conservative stance on gender and minority issues.

Rising energy costs accounted for over 60% of May’s 0.5% increase in U.S. consumer prices, with gasoline prices surging 7% monthly and 40.5% annually. Energy prices rose 23.5% over the past year, outpacing slower food price increases (3.1% annually), while disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz raised concerns about fertilizer supply chains.

Investigate Midwest has added two summer interns: Caspar Dowdy, a reporting intern focused on agriculture and environmental issues, and Paloma Sanchez-McGee, an audience engagement intern working on digital presence and outreach. Both interns are supported by the Gary Marx Journalism Fund and other programs, with Dowdy studying journalism and environmental science at the University of Missouri and Sanchez-McGee holding a journalism degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Three-fourths of Illinois counties have higher-than-average cancer rates and 25% more pesticide use than other state counties. Nationally, 60% of counties with the highest pesticide use also have elevated cancer rates, with similar patterns in Missouri, Iowa, and North Dakota. A 2024 study linked pesticides to cancer risks comparable to smoking, and Illinois lawmakers have proposed but failed to pass regulations on agrichemical use.