For nearly a century, International Women’s Day has recognized the contributions and legacies of women across the world. This year’s theme, “Accelerate Action,” underscores the urgency of breaking down systemic barriers and biases that women face, including lower pay, unequal access to resources, and discrimination. At the current pace, full gender equality won’t be reached […]
Health
Posted inMaternal Health
Black Mamas Matter: Addressing Maternal Health Disparities in Gary
This series was produced as part of the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship. “What can we do to improve Black maternal health?” The question, from a single Gary mom, fell on the empathetic ears of nearly 20 other women at J’s Breakfast Club in Gary. But the query, all too common, has reached far beyond […]
Posted inHealth, Partner Content, Politics & Policy, Reproductive Health, State Government
Condoms, IUDs removed from Indiana bill seeking to expand birth control access
This story was originally published in the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Republican lawmakers on Tuesday removed condoms and long-acting contraceptives from a proposed Indiana program that seeks to increase access to birth control, instead replacing those options with “fertility awareness based methods” like menstrual cycle tracking — also known as the rhythm method. The underlying legislation, […]
Posted inHealth, Politics & Policy, State Government
Indiana’s Black Caucus Pushes Health Plan While Battling DEI Program Cuts
Indiana’s Black Legislative Caucus is launching an ambitious health-focused agenda in a legislative session fraught with political resistance. With a Republican-dominated Statehouse and governor dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, the caucus faces mounting obstacles as it works to address racial and economic inequities. The caucus unveiled its 2025 agenda, “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds,” hoping […]
Posted inEducation, Mental Health, Partner Content
Student Mental Health Needs Are Growing. Will the Legislature Help?
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Doreen Waldbieser, a school counselor in Vigo County, stepped to the microphone Nov. 8 at a Department of Education hearing on diplomas and began alphabetically listing her counseling duties: Attend active shooter training. Analyze transcripts. Answer emails and phone calls. Change schedules. Conduct screenings. Connect students to assistance. […]
Posted inAir Pollution, Health, Maternal Health
Toxic Air, Limited Care: The Risks of Pregnancy in Gary
This series was produced as part of the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship. Kimmie Gordon sat in her car, watching the sky darken as she waited for her 15-year-old son, Kaleb, to finish football practice. It is one of five sports her teenager plays despite living with chronic asthma. Over an hour stretched on, but […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Health
Gary’s Steel Industry Is Linked to Increased Health Risks and Lower Life Expectancy
Growing up in Gary, Dr. Beverly Lewis knew her family’s health issues were severe — but she didn’t know why. It wasn’t until years later, as a medical professional, that she connected the environmental hazards in her hometown to her family’s suffering. Her brother died of asthma. Her father, a former steelworker in East Chicago, […]
Posted inEducation, Health
Gary’s School Board Considers a Proposal for New Cell Towers in the Area. Here’s What Is at Stake.
They are in our homes, at our dinner tables, and on desks. We put them up to our ears, carry them in our hands, and slip them in our back pockets. In many ways, cellphones have become a daily part of our lives. But as the cell towers that power them continue to crop up […]
Posted inHealth, Partner Content, Youth
Girls in Distress: Report Finds Uptick in Homelessness, Mental Health Issues
This story was originally published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle. The average Hoosier girl encounters more bullying and sexual dating violence than her male peers, meaning her caregivers — from parents and schools up to lawmakers — need to better address mental health access barriers and reduce violence in communities, as shared in a new […]
Posted inEducation, Health, Politics & Policy
Indiana Black Legislative Caucus Hosts Gary Town Hall Ahead of Democratic Convention
Days before the Democratic National Convention, Indiana’s Black Legislative Caucus gathered in Gary on Saturday for a community town hall, providing residents with a review of key legislative outcomes from this year and a glimpse of the caucus’s priorities for the upcoming session. At Indiana University Northwest’s Bergland Auditorium, nine of the caucus’s 14 members […]