I’m an award winning investigative reporter, educator and nonprofit newsroom executive.
My work has prompted legislative reform on voting rights in Georgia; exposed a series of racially-biased policing practices that brought Justice Department oversight Chicago’s police department; spurred juvenile justice reforms in Illinois’ legislature and the Cook County’s courts; and touched off the indictments and firings of public officials, to name a few.
I have earned numerous accolades — including a National Headliner Award for Public Service, Sigma Delta Chi, Herman Kogan, Salute to Excellence and Studs Terkel awards — which speak to the depth of my work.
I ’m a specialist at using FOIA, documents, data,
mapping, and other analytical tools to expose injustice, abuses of power and lapses in government oversight.
I have more than a decade of experience telling stories across various platforms — from radio and television to magazines, digital outlets and newspapers.
Criminal Justice
92 deaths, 2,623 bullets: Tracking every Chicago police shooting over 6 years. Chicago Tribune
A wink-and-nod between police and prosecutors has pushed thousands of cases to misdemeanor court, but 8:10 are thrown out, the Reporter found. The Chicago Reporter/ NBC5
Chicago police sobriety checkpoints target Black, Latino neighborhoods. Chicago Tribune
A small group of Chicago cops who have been sued most frequently for misconduct continue to work with impunity. Chicago Tribune
A third of police shootings started with foot chases, Tribune analysis finds. Chicago Tribune
The number of 17-year-olds arrested on felony charges in Chicago equaled Los Angeles, Houston and Philadelphia combined. Most were Black teens charged with non-violent offenses. The Chicago Reporter
Housing/ Environment
Why our water rates are surging – and why black and poor suburbs pay more. Chicago Tribune
Thousands of public housing residents live near the most polluted places in the nation — and the government has done little to protect them. APM Reports/ The Intercept
While upper-middle-class white neighborhoods across Chicago have shed the weight of the housing bust, the recovery has yet to reach pockets like the 6200 block of South Fairfield Ave. The Chicago Reporter
Why Chicago area residents pay millions for water that never reaches their taps. Chicago Tribune
By the C.H.A.'s standard, all arrests - leaseholders, occupants or their guests - can spur a one strike eviction, even though a majority of the charges never led to a conviction. New York Times/ The Chicago Reporter
Voting Rights
Georgia purged an estimated 107,000 people largely for not voting. APM Reports/ WABE/ NPR
How a massive voter purge in Georgia affected the 2018 election. APM Reports/ WABE
The country has its eyes locked on Georgia’s close governor’s race, which has become a battleground for many of America’s most pressing concerns about democracy – from voter suppression to election security. Reveal
A Georgia law prevented 87,000 people from voting last year. And it could have a big impact in 2020. APM Reports/ WABE
After an APM Reports investigation on the removal of thousands of voters, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a reform bill that gives people who haven't voted in several elections more time before their registrations are canceled. APM Reports/ WABE
Former Confederate states lead the nation in purging felons from voting lists. APM Reports/ Pacific Standard