Absenteeism has nearly doubled since the pandemic.

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The Big Story
Mon. Jan 8, 2024

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Skipping School: America’s Hidden Education Crisis <[link removed]> Absenteeism has nearly doubled since the pandemic. With state and federal governments largely abdicating any role in getting kids back into classrooms, some schools have turned to private companies for a reimagined version of the truant officer. by Alec MacGillis

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Staff Warned About the Lack of Psychiatric Care at a VA Clinic. They Couldn’t Prevent Tragedy. <[link removed]> Two veterans sought psychiatric care at a VA clinic in Chico, California. They were bounced between virtual providers and struggled to get support in the threadbare system. A staffer worried, “We are going to kill someone.” Then tragedy struck. by Kathleen McGrory and Neil Bedi, ProPublica, photography by Loren Elliott for ProPublica <[link removed]>

Utah Bills Itself as “Family-Friendly” Even as Lawmakers Have Long Neglected Child Care <[link removed]> Federal relief had improved access to child care. But when funding expired, the state rejected proposals to replace it. Some advocates say the historical influence of the LDS church has added to the resistance. by Nicole Santa Cruz, photography by Sarahbeth Maney <[link removed]>

Illinois Judge Closes Juvenile Detention Center After “Facility in Crisis” Fails to Meet New State Standards <[link removed]> The Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center abruptly closed on Dec. 31. The judge who ordered the closure said staffing shortages made it difficult to meet state standards for caring for youth in custody. by Molly Parker, Capitol News Illinois <[link removed]>

In the Scar of New Mexico’s Largest Wildfire, a Legal Battle Is Brewing: What Is Victims’ Suffering Worth? <[link removed]> A wildfire accidentally started by the federal government drove them from their homes and destroyed the things they loved most about their land. The government will pay them only for things with a price tag. by Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico, and Byard Duncan, ProPublica <[link removed]>

New York Closed Psych Beds for Youth in Crisis. Now, Foster Care Programs and Host Towns Are Being Pushed to the Limit. <[link removed]> Bucolic Pleasantville, N.Y., is seeing a showdown between leaders of a century-old children’s residence unequipped to treat acute mental health challenges and locals tired of troubled young people disturbing the peace. What happens to the kids? by Abigail Kramer, THE CITY <[link removed]>

They Were Wrongfully Convicted. Now They’re Denied Compensation Despite Michigan Law. <[link removed]> The state can provide the wrongfully convicted compensation of $50,000 for each year of incarceration, but the law’s narrow criteria and confusion over eligibility leave former prisoners facing another system that seems stacked against them. by Anna Clark, photography by Sarahbeth Maney <[link removed]>

Philips Recalled Breathing Machines in 2021. Chemicals of “Concern” Found in Replacement Machines Raised New Alarm. <[link removed]> Amid a massive recall in 2021, the medical device maker Philips raced to overcome troubling questions about its replacement machines as customers waited for help. by Debbie Cenziper, ProPublica; Michael D. Sallah and Evan Robinson-Johnson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; and Margaret Fleming, Medill Investigative Lab <[link removed]>

When Alabama Police Kill, Surviving Family Can Fight Years to See Bodycam Footage. There’s No Guarantee They Will. <[link removed]> Alabama is among the most restrictive states for disclosing body-camera footage when police kill loved ones. Surviving family members often must go to court to get access to the video, and even if successful, they usually can’t share it publicly. by Umar Farooq <[link removed]>

Reports Analyzing the Police Response to a Mass Shooting Can Leave Unanswered Questions — if They’re Released at All <[link removed]> Even if an after-action investigation is released, a lack of national standards leads to wide variability in the detail of information in reports, ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and FRONTLINE found. by Lexi Churchill and Lomi Kriel <[link removed]>

The University Uprooted a Black Neighborhood. Then Its Policies Reduced the Black Presence on Campus. <[link removed]> Black enrollment at Virginia’s Christopher Newport University fell by more than half under longtime president Paul Trible, a former Republican senator who wanted to “offer a private school experience.” By 2021, only 2.4% of full-time professors were Black. by Brandi Kellam and Louis Hansen, Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO, and Gabriel Sandoval, ProPublica <[link removed]>

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