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ENVIRONMENT
In the ‘Rubber Capital of the World,’ Health Consequences Linger
In Akron, Ohio, toxic exposures to benzene and asbestos made people sick and cut lives short.
In the ‘Rubber Capital of the World,’ Health Consequences Linger
In Akron, Ohio, toxic exposures to benzene and asbestos made people sick and cut lives short.
Featured
COMMUNITY
One Woman’s Quest to Defy the Odds of Addiction
Jenny Justice’s daughter died of a drug overdose in 2020. The Illinois mother wants to help others avoid the same fate.
CULTURAL STUDIES
Painting a Future for North Braddock
An upcoming art show asks of Braddock, Pennsylvania, 'Where do we think this is going?'
HISTORY
Listening to America with Studs Terkel
The Studs Terkel Radio Archive provides an entry point into his wide-ranging and influential work.
CITY LIFE
Corner Stores of Akron
A visual ode to these anchors of neighborhood life.
Corner Stores of Akron
A visual ode to these anchors of neighborhood life.
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More Stories
The End of Green Bay’s Oldest Operating Paper Mill–and Its Union
Georgia-Pacific, a national papermaking giant, plans to close Green Bay’s oldest union paper mill amid a labor revitalization.
The History and Future of Rust Belt Labor Power
A conversation with Kim Kelly, author of 'Fight Like Hell.'
City of Cod
In Pittsburgh, Lenten fish fries remain a proudly local, idiosyncratic, and fraternal tradition.
“We’ve Got to Get Gaming Out of Our Blood”
Tribes contemplate the future beyond casinos.
A New Fertilizer Mine has Michigan Residents Worried
The largest potash mine in the country is coming to Central Michigan. But at what cost?
My American Windows
"I didn’t know it then, but I needed those windows...that wall of blue between my heart and the world."
Minnesota Sound
What does it mean to sound like a place?
Sometimes it S n o w s in A p r i l
"The snow f e l l like a miffed god took bites of cumulus clouds—spat them down / from heaven, o n t o my Midwest."
The Growing Fight Over a Trash Station in West Chicago
Concerns over transparency and environmental racism are fueling backlash in majority Latino West Chicago.
On Hope, History, and Storytelling in Flint
Kelsey Ronan’s 'Chevy in the Hole' reimagines the city some of us never knew.
Ukrainian Pittsburgh in Five Acts
Pittsburgh and Ukraine are inextricably linked—in history, culture, and spirit.
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From the Archives
Climate Emergency and Environmental Justice in the Rust Belt
Stories on climate change, industrial legacies, and planning for a just future.
The Rubber Industry’s Toxic Legacy in Akron
The stories of workers and their families reveal "unintended consequences" for life and health in the community.
Recipe: Rudy’s Humble Paczki
A Fat Tuesday tradition.
Recipe: Slovenian Sauerkraut Soup (Jota)
Feeding the holiday spirit.
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