AC: Life After COVID

Uncovering dramatic effects of the pandemic

In this INN collaboration, member newsrooms reveal how the pandemic affected policies and practices related to a range of issues, and examined what more needs to be done.

Read stories in the collaboration below.

IMPACT REPORT

Largest INN collaboration to date uncovers dramatic effects of COVID

AC: Life After COVID was INN’s most ambitious editorial collaboration to date. The series ran from June 28 through July 9, 2021, and included 21 stories.

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Showing 21 results of 21

July 9, 2021

Suburban high school district confronts Catch-22 — stress, F’s and more stress

As the pandemic raised student stress levels, the percent of Black and Brown students getting F’s increased and may have added more stress.

July 9, 2021

Two Suburban School Districts Addressed COVID-19’s Social/Emotional Impact on Students

High school districts in Evanston and Oak Park balanced physical safety and social-emotional well-being when looking to re-open schools.

July 9, 2021

Advocates say pandemic proves lower jail populations possible

The pandemic prompted jail administrators to push for changes to limit the number of incarcerated people. The result is a major…

July 8, 2021

Jail as a last resort: Evidence-based decision making takes a front seat amid COVID-19 pandemic

The pandemic caused officials in Marathon County, Wisconsin, to take a serious look at overcrowding in jails.

July 7, 2021

Vaccine Disparity Grows in Chicago’s South Suburbs

Black and Latinx communities on the South Side of Chicago face systematic barriers to accessing pandemic resources.

July 7, 2021

Cook County’s Sizable Vaccination Disparity Remains in Black and Brown Suburbs

Despite allocation of federal funding, vaccines are still hard to get for many in this Illinois county.

July 7, 2021

Community Leaders in Cicero Step Up to Address Vaccination Disparities

Although vaccination rates have improved, Cicero still lags behind the Cook County averages for fully and partially vaccinated individuals.

July 7, 2021

Incarceration after COVID: how the pandemic could permanently change jails and prisons

When the pandemic hit, it spurred as a long-range plan to find answers to the jail overcrowding problem.

July 6, 2021

Even When Kansas Citians Find Housing, Dangerous Building Conditions Make Them Sick

Experts advised people to stay home during the pandemic, but hundreds of families in Kansas City live in unhealthy and dangerous places.

July 2, 2021

A Child Mental Health Fix Takes Early Action, More Help. Here Are 7 Ideas

These ideas and legislative plans could help more young people in the Midwest access critical mental health resources.

July 1, 2021

Emergency rooms confront ‘tidal wave of sadness’ among young patients

A shortage of child psychiatrists and inpatient beds mean ER nurses and doctors find themselves doubling as guardians and care coordinators.

July 1, 2021

While Waiting for Mental Health Care, Children Suffer

Families seeking treatment for a child with mental illness can quickly become overwhelmed in a maze of insurance and government bureaucracy.

July 1, 2021

As More Kansas Citians Lose Housing, People Struggle To Stay Healthy Without Safe Shelter

Many people without homes in Kansas City go without checkups, medicines and even bandages. The pandemic made things worse.

June 30, 2021

Filling Our Plates: Detroit food security innovations

Organizers, volunteers and programs that tackled food insecurity and helped Detroiters survive the pandemic.

June 30, 2021

With no stove, no car, no money for rent, a single mom found a neighborhood lifeline

Mutual aid projects large and small have launched online all over the United States to help fill in systemic gaps.

June 30, 2021

Why pandemic-induced anxiety over food security sent many Detroiters back to the land

Detroiters joined a national surge in home gardening in 2020 — to soothe anxiety over food supply issues is just one reason.

June 30, 2021

She lost her job while on maternity leave. A free online grocery store kept her family fed

An innovative Detroit emergency food distribution model empowered recipients through choice.

June 30, 2021

This retired hospital worker started a free food fair on her block — with food that would have gone into a landfill

A Detroit nonprofit is using an Uber-like app to connect businesses and feed neighbors in need.

June 30, 2021

Mental health crisis: Children at breaking point during COVID

The Upper Peninsula has no child psychiatrists. This lack is the norm across the Midwest. For these families, the strain can seem unbearable.

June 29, 2021

Kansas City’s Housing Crisis Forced This Couple Into An Extended Stay Hotel. And It’s Only Getting Worse

A shortage of affordable housing in Kansas City is not a new problem. But the pandemic made it worse, and exposed the region’s failure to act.

June 28, 2021

Too much work or not enough: Latinos in Minnesota describe one pandemic but two very different economies

Latinos, more than any other racial or ethnic group, remained in the state workforce. But many found themselves on divergent paths.

The collaboration participants are INN members The Beacon/KCUR; Bridge Michigan/Side Effects Public Media; Cicero Independiente/South Side Weekly; Detour Detroit/Planet Detroit/Tostada Magazine; Evanston RoundTable/Growing Community Media; Madison 365/Wausau Pilot & Review and MinnPost/Sahan Journal.

This project was made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; INN’s Amplify News Project, whose funders include the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and the Joyce Foundation; and the Solutions Journalism Network.