Donald Trump has promised a transformational second term. Change is coming to almost every aspect of American policy.
No matter who had won the election, Investigate Midwest was poised to aggressively cover the new administration like we always have. As an investigative newsroom that covers agribusiness, issues like the environment, immigration, corporate influence and related government regulations have always been part of our focus.
As Trump returns to the White House, we will be centered on uncovering power dynamics, industry influence and regulatory changes that impact the nation’s agricultural landscape.
That approach includes connecting with sources who have firsthand knowledge. Your contributions help us report with depth and impact.
Here’s how to reach our team.
Sky Chadde is Investigate Midwest’s senior reporter. His areas of expertise include the meat industry, farm labor, visa labor, the farm bureau, Department of Labor issues and the USDA.
Email: sky.chadde@investigatemidwest.org
Cellphone: 773-318-3406
More details on Sky
Sky has covered the agriculture industry for Investigate Midwest since 2019 and spent much of 2020 focused on the crisis of COVID-19 in meatpacking plants, which included collecting and analyzing data on case counts. He also served as the newsroom’s first managing editor, and is now a full-time reporter.
Sky graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism in 2019 with a master’s degree in investigative reporting. While there, he covered Missouri state government for the Columbia Missourian and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Before grad school, he was a reporter in Texas, reporting on local governments and law enforcement.
Jennifer Bamberg is Investigate Midwest’s Illinois government reporter, specializing in agribusiness. Her areas of expertise include public health, urban farms, labor, LGBTQ communities, and police misconduct.
Email: jennifer.bamberg@investigatemidwest.org
Cellphone: 312-757-1374
More details on Jennifer
Jennifer previously worked as a freelance reporter in Chicago, covering labor, housing, police misconduct and public health. She has been published by the Illinois Answers Project, In These Times Magazine, Block Club Chicago and the Chicago Reader.
She holds a master’s in investigative journalism from the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University, and was a former reporting fellow with City Bureau, where she covered urban agriculture. She grew up in the Central Valley of California and worked as an ironworker before becoming a journalist.
John McCracken covers industrial agriculture and the meat industry for Investigate Midwest. His areas of expertise include the meat industry, climate change, biogas, ethanol, and water pollution.
Email: john.mccracken@investigatemidwest.org
Cellphone: 608-558-9696
More details on John
John has experience reporting at the intersection of agriculture, environmental pollution and climate change. He is a former Midwest reporting fellow for Grist, a national nonprofit newsroom focused on climate change, environmental justice, and solutions.
His past reporting won a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award and a Wisconsin Newspaper Association investigative reporting award. His work has been published or republished in Detroit Public Television, Michigan Public Radio, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, Wisconsin State Journal, The Capital Times, MSN, WIRED, Modern Farmer, Fast Company and more. He lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Mónica Cordero is a Report for America corps member and part of the Mississippi River Basin and Ag & Water Desk team. Her areas of expertise includes the environment, the LGBTQ community, the intersection between religion and politics, immigration issues, and environmental justice.
Email: mcordero@investigatemidwest.org
Cellphone: 929-217-6201
More details on Monica
Her expertise includes data analysis with Python and SQL, and reporting under the Freedom of Information Act.
Cordero has covered business, technology, agriculture, environment, politics, religion, and issues affecting the LGBTQ community, and has been involved in cross-border investigation projects. Her work has been published by Univision, Bloomberg Businessweek, La Noticia, Radio Ambulante, NPR, openDemocracy and The New York Times.
Cordero is a graduate of the University of Costa Rica and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.
Ben Felder is Investigate Midwest’s first editor in chief. He was hired in 2023 to cover agribusiness and the meat industry in Oklahoma. His areas of expertise include political coverage, data journalism, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and other state agencies.
Email: ben.felder@investigatemidwest.org
Cellphone: 405-414-0013
More details on Ben
Felder previously worked for The Oklahoman as a political enterprise reporter blending narrative storytelling, data analysis and investigative reporting to cover the state’s political leaders, the influences behind them, and their impact on everyday Oklahomans. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, and a graduate of Trevecca University in Nashville, Felder lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Lori, and son, Satchel.
Lauren Cross is Investigate Midwest’s assistant editor and audience engagement. She was hired in August 2024 to expand the newsroom’s reach, manage the website and developing innovative ways to engage with readers. Her areas of expertise include digital storytelling, social media strategy, audience engagement, and digital illustrations.
Email: lauren.cross@investigatemidwest.org
More details on Lauren
Before joining Investigate Midwest, Lauren spent eight years at Lee Enterprises, where she tackled stories on public policy, environmental issues, and social justice across the Midwest and distinguished herself as a prolific, highly-read reporter driving some of the highest user and page view numbers. She approaches all her work with empathy and sensitivity to the human impacts behind the issues.
Her investigative work on the lead contamination and poisoning crisis in East Chicago, Indiana, earned her top national awards and recognition.
Lauren graduated with a master’s degree in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois-Springfield in 2013. Based in downstate Illinois, she balances her career with a love for photography and hiking.
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