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Forced Out; For Many Poor Americans, Eviction Never Ends [The New Yorker]
Even in the most desolate areas of American cities, evictions used to be rare enough to draw crowds…These days, evictions are too commonplace to attract attention…In Milwaukee, a city of fewer than a hundred and five thousand renter households, landlords legally evict roughly sixteen thousand adults and children each year. As the real-estate market has recovered in the wake of the foreclosure crisis and the ensuing recession, evictions have only increased.

Muslim Refugees In Buffalo Defy Stereotypes [Middle East Eye]
Though refugees are often derided as unschooled, work-shy scroungers, there is much evidence to the contrary. Buffalonians point to the once-derelict and crime-ridden West Side of Buffalo where many refugees have rebuilt their lives.

Indiana Culture War Over Gay Rights Worries Business Leaders [Columbia Daily Tribune]
Chamber of Commerce business Republicans say Indiana must join most of the nation in guaranteeing gay rights to show it is an open-minded place. The state’s numerous Christian conservatives just as fiercely believe that such a step would threaten their religious liberty.

Lima In Black And White: Is The Midwest The New South For Civil Rights Movement? [Lima News]
Now that spotlight has swung around to Midwestern cities such as Ferguson, Missouri, and Cleveland. With the attention comes the opportunity to expose and heal a different type of segregation, one that shows up in wide socioeconomic inequities and offers a new front in the civil rights movement.

For Its Pittsburgh Outpost, Ace Hotel Taps A Booming Rust-Belt Design Scene [Fast Company]
“The city’s historical identity is deep, and we’ve done our best to honor it throughout our building, down to smallest detail.”

Downtown Cincinnati Icon House Of Adam To Close [Cincinnati.com]
Online retailers have hurt brick-and-mortar stores. Apparel stores have particularly struggled in Downtown Cincinnati…Clothing stores for men, women and children had some of the biggest declines between 1998 and 2013 in the 45202 ZIP code…The number of men’s clothing stores dropped 53 percent to 7 during that period.

Banner photo of Lima, Ohio by Alvin Trusty.

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