Jeremy Kohler is a St. Louis-based reporter covering issues in Missouri and the Midwest. He came to ProPublica in January 2021 from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where he worked for more than 20 years. Kohler previously worked as a reporter for the Gloucester County Times, Trentonian and Courier-Post newspapers in New Jersey. He has also served as an adjunct journalism instructor at Washington University since 2003.
Jeremy Kohler
Some Talk but Little Action on Private Policing in St. Louis
Following a ProPublica investigation, a St. Louis official said the city would review private policing in its wealthier neighborhoods. Three months later, that review has yet to begin.
St. Louis Can Banish People From Entire Neighborhoods. Police Can Arrest Them if They Come Back.
A St. Louis ordinance lets courts banish people from huge swaths of the city as a punishment for petty crimes. These neighborhood orders of protection often prevent people from accessing the services they need and raise constitutional questions.
Ohio Lawmakers Seek Strict Rules for “Clean Energy” Lending
A statewide clean-energy lending program in Ohio stalled last year before making any loans. Lawmakers want to add consumer protections in case the program resurfaces.
A Private Policing Company in St. Louis Is Staffed With Top Police Department Officers
St. Louis’ largest private policing firm — hired to serve the city’s wealthier and whiter neighborhoods — is a who’s who of city police commanders, supervisors and other officers.
St. Louis’ Private Police Forces Make Security a Luxury of the Rich
Wealthier neighborhoods in St. Louis have armed themselves with private police, giving them a level of service poor areas can’t afford and fueling racial and economic disparities.
Clean Energy Lender Will Stop Making High-Interest PACE Loans in Missouri
A ProPublica investigation revealed how PACE loans hurt homeowners. Ygrene, one top Missouri lender, said reforms made after our investigation were a factor in its decision to stop making loans in the state.
How Missouri Helps Abortion Opponents Divert State Taxes to Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Abortion foes praise the nonprofit centers for supporting women and presenting alternatives to ending pregnancies, but supporters of abortion say the facilities mislead women by appearing to offer clinical services and unbiased advice.
St. Louis’ Murder Total Has Fallen, but Some Killings Went Uncounted
St. Louis officials are celebrating a big drop in murders while the city’s police classify more and more killings as “justifiable homicides” instead.
GOP Legislators in Missouri Oppose Vaccine Efforts as State Becomes COVID Hotspot
Representative Bill Kidd joked that he didn’t get a vaccine because he’s a Republican. Now he has COVID.
Cities in Ohio Want to Use the Same Clean-Energy Financing Company That Saddled Missouri Homeowners With Debt
An Ohio city had a low-interest loan program for energy-saving home improvements. Now, the officials who run it plan to turn it over to the same company behind Missouri's troubled program.
Missouri Lawmakers Approve Reforms to Controversial Clean-Energy Loan Program
Lawmakers approve consumer protections and oversight to PACE loans that have disproportionately burdened borrowers in Black neighborhoods.
Clean-Energy Loans Trapped Black Homeowners in Debt. The Legislature Just Started Trying to Fix the Problem.
Lawmakers in Missouri are exploring ways to rein in the state’s clean-energy loan program, which ProPublica found disproportionately harms Black homeowners.
State-Supported “Clean Energy” Loans Are Putting Borrowers at Risk of Losing Their Homes
Dozens of Missouri homeowners who used PACE loans to fix up their houses ended up trapped in debt and could soon see their homes sold at auction.
“Sense of Entitlement”: Rioters Faced Few Consequences Invading State Capitols. No Wonder They Turned to the U.S. Capitol Next.
Armed far-right mobs met little law enforcement resistance when they repeatedly attacked state capitols. You can draw a direct line from that kind of impunity to the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6.