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Brain Drain Ep. 1 | Tomorrow Never Came
Brain Drain Ep. 1 | Tomorrow Never Came
Welcome to episode one of Brain Drain, a Midstory podcast that explores the city of Toledo through the eyes of the people who’ve left it behind. In this episode, we untangle Toledo in its past and present — and perhaps most importantly, in all its dissonance.
‘The Paper’ Is Set in Toledo, Ohio. Here’s What Toledoans Think.
‘The Paper’ Is Set in Toledo, Ohio. Here’s What Toledoans Think.
“The Paper,” the spinoff mockumentary series to “The Office,” is set in Toledo, Ohio. It might seem like an odd setting for a sitcom, but the story of a declining newspaper has quite a bit in common with the Glass City’s trajectory.
How Cleveland Forged the Man of Steel: The (Actual) Origin Story of Superman
How Cleveland Forged the Man of Steel: The (Actual) Origin Story of Superman
Superman has become one of the world’s most recognizable pop culture icons, but you may not know that his story started with two teenagers from Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland’s influence on the character’s early comics may have been forgotten as years passed and ownership of the character shifted, but today, the city is staking its claim to the Man of Steel and securing the legacy of his creators.
What Can We Learn From 200,000 Historical Markers?
What Can We Learn from 200,000 U.S. Historical Markers?
A crowdsourced database chronicles the dates, locations and content of over 200,000 U.S. historical markers — and that number is growing. But behind these numbers is a larger story about how cities and towns choose to commemorate their past.
Ohio Is Where Basketball Dreams Are Made (Literally)
Ohio Is Where Basketball Dreams Are Made (Literally)
Ohio will go down in NBA history as the birthplace of LeBron James, but that's not the state's only claim to basketball fame. Cincinnati-based Robbins Sports Surfaces manufactures courts for nearly every team in the league — from the Lakers to the Spurs.
How American’s Quintessential Battleground Broke Down
How American's Quintessential Battleground Broke Down
As Ohio goes, so goes the nation. At least, it used to. In each presidential election between 1964 and 2016, the candidate that won Ohio also won the presidency. Ohio’s streak stands as the longest in American history. During this period, Ohio was not only a bellwether, but also the quintessential swing state, with candidates focusing their time and resources on the Buckeye State in election after election to punch their ticket to the White House. But not anymore. What happened?
America has a fresh water problem. Here’s why.
America has a fresh water problem. Here’s why.
America's fresh water is in danger. The Great Lakes hold roughly 20% of the world’s surface freshwater, and Lake Erie alone provides drinking water to more than 11 million residents in the United States. But serious water quality, access and infrastructure problems are threatening our fresh water future.
The Tractor Pull Isn’t Just for Farmers Anymore
The Tractor Pull Isn’t Just for Farmers Anymore
The tractor pull has fascinated and enticed Midwesterners for over half a century, cementing itself as a pastime of the rural Midwest. But the tractor pull of today isn’t the same as the pull of your papa. Tractors have ballooned in size, power and budgets as the county fair sideshow evolves into a motorsport of its own right.
How the Van Aken District Brought New Life to Shaker Heights: An Illustration Essay
How the Van Aken District Brought New Life to Shaker Heights: An Illustration Essay
The Van Aken District was once a glorified strip mall with more parking space than storefronts, but thanks to a strategic plan designed to help improve Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, the District has been revitalized into a vibrant, welcoming space for dining, shopping and community gatherings.
Thrilling Tornado Tours Are Taking the Midwest by Storm
Thrilling Tornado Tours Are Taking the Midwest by Storm
From the magical “Wizard of Oz” tornado to the massive tornadoes in 2024’s “Twisters,” storms have captured the American imagination for centuries. But outside of fiction, storm chasing has quickly become a popular activity for thrill seekers. In the Midwest, where giant storms are common, people from all walks of life are facing beautifully destructive tornadoes in storm-chasing adventures of their own.
What Does a Changing Climate Mean for Ohio? Colors of Climate Change, Episode 1
What Does a Changing Climate Mean for Ohio?
Colors of Climate Change, Episode 1
As climate change becomes an increasingly important issue in our nation and world, how might Ohio be uniquely impacted — both its landscape and its communities? In this first installment, we explore the lay of the land: what does a changing climate mean for Ohio?
Minding the Gap on the St. Louis MetroLink
Minding the Gap on the St. Louis MetroLink
In Transit is a podcast that brings you dispatches from the cusp of a new era in Midwest public transportation. In this episode, we travel to St. Louis, where the city’s light rail is undergoing a comprehensive security upgrade. Transit officials claim that the Secure Platform Plan will finally address the public safety concerns that have hampered the system for decades, but some riders wonder who these changes are really meant to serve.
How Toledo, Ohio Revolutionized the Coffee Industry
How Toledo, Ohio Revolutionized the Coffee Industry
Toledo has a long history of roasting and selling coffee. When mass production of coffee in the United States first began, Toledo was at the forefront of the industry on an international level, and locally, coffee was a special part of shopping for many Toledoans. Today, Toledo's rich heritage in coffee production lives on in the image of a lion and through local roasters reviving the tradition.
Asian in Ohio
This project presents an interactive gallery of Asian American individuals who have made Ohio their home, and serves as an open archive depicting another side of the American story — one often whitewashed and rendered invisible. Explore maps, watch curated videos and interact with colorful and moving narratives.
Safeguarding Ukraine’s Artistic Heritage on Chicago’s West Side
Safeguarding Ukraine’s Artistic Heritage on Chicago’s West Side
Generations of Ukrainian immigrants have called Chicago’s Ukrainian Village home. An explosion of avant garde creativity in the area in the ‘60s and ‘70s gave birth to an art museum whose mission seems prescient today. Now, the art that hangs in the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art's galleries serves as a small but mighty protest against Russia’s attempts to erase Ukrainian culture.
A Taste of Central Asia in Central U.S.A.
A Taste of Central Asia in Central U.S.A.
In Chicago, an ancestrally nomadic people settle down and bring their food traditions with them. A historical journey of empires, conquests, cultural diffusion and migrations, all captured in the spices, textures and ingredients of Kyrgyz cuisine.
What is the Midwest?
Some distinctions are clear-cut: California is iconically West Coast, New York unabashedly screams East Coast and Mississippi just sounds right when said with a Southern twang. But move toward the middle of the U.S. and boundaries may not be as simple as you think.
Remembering Elektro, Mansfield and the “World of Tomorrow”
Remembering Elektro, Mansfield and the “World of Tomorrow”
For nearly two decades, a futuristic robot and his robo-dog sidekick amazed the nation — a spectacular vision of the world to come. Then, they disappeared. Fast forward half a century and a basement, storage room and retired Westinghouse truck later, and Elektro and his pup reappeared, restored, in their birthplace of Mansfield, Ohio.
A Symbol of Great Lakes Winemaking, the Historic Lonz Winery Crafts its Future
A Symbol of Great Lakes Winemaking, the Historic Lonz Winery Crafts its Future
Countryside vineyards and centuries-old cellars bring to mind the elegant wineries of France or the rolling hills of California with their idyllic combination of warmth, sun and tradition. But at one point in time, Ohio produced a third of all wine in the United States, and the historic Lonz Winery on Middle Bass Island still stands as a testament to the history — and potential — of Great Lakes viticulture.
How Wisconsin Ginseng Became a Globally Coveted Commodity
How Wisconsin Ginseng Became a Globally Coveted Commodity
Wisconsin is the number one producer of ginseng in the U.S. with ginseng products that are coveted nationally and internationally. The healing herb highlights the unique commercial and cultural interconnectedness of Asian communities across the globe with communities in the rural Midwest.
Hidden in Plain Sight the GBS
The Quiet Revolution of Midwestern Speech
The Quiet Revolution of Midwestern Speech
For decades, the Midwest was the example of perfect, accent-less English. Now, increasing dialectic quirks are changing that perception, and with it, Midwestern identity.
Brain Drain Ep. 1 | Tomorrow Never Came
Brain Drain Ep. 1 | Tomorrow Never Came
‘The Paper’ Is Set in Toledo, Ohio. Here’s What Toledoans Think.
‘The Paper’ Is Set in Toledo, Ohio. Here’s What Toledoans Think.
How Cleveland Forged the Man of Steel: The (Actual) Origin Story of Superman
What Can We Learn From 200,000 Historical Markers?
What Can We Learn from 200,000 U.S. Historical Markers?
Ohio Is Where Basketball Dreams Are Made (Literally)
Ohio Is Where Basketball Dreams Are Made (Literally)
How American’s Quintessential Battleground Broke Down
How American’s Quintessential Battleground Broke Down
America has a fresh water problem. Here’s why.
America has a fresh water problem. Here’s why.
The Tractor Pull Isn’t Just for Farmers Anymore
The Tractor Pull Isn’t Just for Farmers Anymore
How the Van Aken District Brought New Life to Shaker Heights: An Illustration Essay
Thrilling Tornado Tours Are Taking the Midwest by Storm
Thrilling Tornado Tours Are Taking the Midwest by Storm
What Does a Changing Climate Mean for Ohio? Colors of Climate Change, Episode 1
What Does a Changing Climate Mean for Ohio?
Colors of Climate Change, Episode 1
Minding the Gap on the St. Louis MetroLink
Minding the Gap on the St. Louis MetroLink
How Toledo, Ohio Revolutionized the Coffee Industry
How Toledo, Ohio Revolutionized the Coffee Industry
Asian in Ohio
Safeguarding Ukraine's Artistic Heritage on Chicago's West Side
Safeguarding Ukraine’s Artistic Heritage on Chicago’s West Side
A Taste of Central Asia in Central U.S.A.
A Taste of Central Asia in Central U.S.A.
What is the Midwest?
Remembering Elektro, Mansfield and the “World of Tomorrow”
Remembering Elektro, Mansfield and the “World of Tomorrow”
A Symbol of Great Lakes Winemaking, the Historic Lonz Winery Crafts its Future
How Wisconsin Ginseng Became a Globally Coveted Commodity
How Wisconsin Ginseng Became a Globally Coveted Commodity
Hidden in Plain Sight
Hidden in Plain Sight: the Great Black Swamp of Northwest Ohio
In 2014, more than half a million people were left without clean drinking water for three days after a harmful algal bloom took over Lake Erie. But behind the bloom is a history long-forgotten and a hopeful future of coexistence and collaboration. This film is the result of a 2019 collaboration with WGTE Public Media.
The Quiet Revolution of Midwestern Speech
The Quiet Revolution of Midwestern Speech
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The Latest Creative Multimedia Storytelling + Solutions-oriented Projects
[The Onion’s Midwestern Homecoming](/content/the-onions-midwestern-homecoming/ "The Onion’s Midwestern Homecoming"/index.html)
[The Onion’s Midwestern Homecoming](/content/the-onions-midwestern-homecoming/ "The Onion’s Midwestern Homecoming"/index.html)
Tim Keck was short a few hundred dollars for his rent and tuition at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
So he got creative.
It was 1988. Keck, the son of a Chicago media bigwig and an investigative reporter focusing on environmental issues, decided to turn to his family business, starting with a monthly calendar created in collaboration with a cartoonist on campus.
"It...
[Elias Leung-Brown](/content/author/elias-leung-brown/ "View all posts by Elias Leung-Brown"/index.html) and [Casey He](/content/author/casey-he/ "View all posts by Casey He"/index.html)-June 9, 2026
[Ep. 6 | Poultry and Eggs](/content/greenerpastures-6/ "Ep. 6 | Poultry and Eggs"/index.html)
[Ep. 6 | Poultry and Eggs](/content/greenerpastures-6/ "Ep. 6 | Poultry and Eggs"/index.html)
Welcome to the final episode of Greener Pastures, a Midstory podcast on the future of farming in the Midwest. In this episode, we’re talking about eggs and the chickens that lay them, and how they have become one of the most resilient commodities within the agricultural industry. Profits and productivity are climbing even as other sectors struggle to stay afloat. How does the poultry industry stay winning, and how does it affect what the future farms and farmers of America will look like?
the Midstory Team-June 5, 2026
[On Toledo’s Riverfront Lies a Rich Cultural Heritage](/content/upriver/ "On Toledo’s Riverfront Lies a Rich Cultural Heritage"/index.html)
[On Toledo’s Riverfront Lies a Rich Cultural Heritage](/content/upriver/ "On Toledo’s Riverfront Lies a Rich Cultural Heritage"/index.html)
In a gentle bend of the Maumee River, nestled between Front and Main streets in Toledo, Ohio, sits a plot of land that has gone by many names — most recently, International Park. Fast forward over 40 years later, and a new vision for the park is being realized.
the Midstory Team-June 2, 2026
[Ep. 5 | Fish](/content/greenerpastures-5/ "Ep. 5 | Fish"/index.html)
[Ep. 5 | Fish](/content/greenerpastures-5/ "Ep. 5 | Fish"/index.html)
Welcome to episode five of Greener Pastures, a Midstory podcast on the future of farming in the Midwest. In this episode, dive into Michigan’s fishery, an industry that put the state on the map, but has since begun to flounder. In response to rampant overfishing in the mid-20th century, the state’s Department of Natural Resources limited what commercial fishing operations could catch, and gave more freedom to recreational fishers to access and steward the resource. Today, only a handful of licensed fishing businesses remain in operation. What exactly are they up against, and is there a future for commercial catch in the Great Lakes State?
the Midstory Team-May 29, 2026
Editor's Picks
[Ohio Isn’t as Safe From Extreme Weather as You Think — Colors of Climate Change, Episode 2](/content/colors-of-climate-change-2/ "Ohio Isn’t as Safe From Extreme Weather as You Think — Colors of Climate Change, Episode 2"/index.html)
Interactive June 18, 2024
[Ohio Isn’t as Safe From Extreme Weather as You Think — Colors of Climate Change, Episode 2](/content/colors-of-climate-change-2/ "Ohio Isn’t as Safe From Extreme Weather as You Think — Colors of Climate Change, Episode 2"/index.html)
[Asiatown’s Long History of Providing Community in Cleveland](/content/asiatowns-long-history-of-providing-community-in-cleveland/ "Asiatown’s Long History of Providing Community in Cleveland"/index.html)
Stories March 11, 2022
[Asiatown’s Long History of Providing Community in Cleveland](/content/asiatowns-long-history-of-providing-community-in-cleveland/ "Asiatown’s Long History of Providing Community in Cleveland"/index.html)
[South to Midwest: My Grandfather’s Great Migration](/content/south-to-midwest-my-grandfathers-great-migration/ "South to Midwest: My Grandfather’s Great Migration"/index.html)
Voices July 10, 2020
[South to Midwest: My Grandfather’s Great Migration](/content/south-to-midwest-my-grandfathers-great-migration/ "South to Midwest: My Grandfather’s Great Migration"/index.html)
[Mobility in Crisis, Part III: Can Amtrak Midwest Ride Out the Pandemic?](/content/mobility-in-crisis-part-iii-can-amtrak-midwest-ride-out-the-pandemic/ "Mobility in Crisis, Part III: Can Amtrak Midwest Ride Out the Pandemic?"/index.html)
City Infrastructure September 30, 2020
[Mobility in Crisis, Part III: Can Amtrak Midwest Ride Out the Pandemic?](/content/mobility-in-crisis-part-iii-can-amtrak-midwest-ride-out-the-pandemic/ "Mobility in Crisis, Part III: Can Amtrak Midwest Ride Out the Pandemic?"/index.html)
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Video Videos that explore the post-industrial landscape and the many narratives within
[Midwest Farmers Have Way Too Much Grain. Here’s How They’re Dealing With It.](/content/midwest-farmers-have-way-too-much-grain-heres-how-theyre-dealing-with-it/ "Midwest Farmers Have Way Too Much Grain. Here’s How They’re Dealing With It."/index.html)
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[Midwest Farmers Have Way Too Much Grain. Here’s How They’re Dealing With It.](/content/midwest-farmers-have-way-too-much-grain-heres-how-theyre-dealing-with-it/ "Midwest Farmers Have Way Too Much Grain. Here’s How They’re Dealing With It."/index.html)
[Here’s What ‘The Paper’ Creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman Think About Toledo, Ohio](/content/heres-what-the-paper-creators-greg-daniels-and-michael-koman-think-about-toledo-ohio/ "Here’s What ‘The Paper’ Creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman Think About Toledo, Ohio"/index.html)
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[Here’s What ‘The Paper’ Creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman Think About Toledo, Ohio](/content/heres-what-the-paper-creators-greg-daniels-and-michael-koman-think-about-toledo-ohio/ "Here’s What ‘The Paper’ Creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman Think About Toledo, Ohio"/index.html)
[A City and a River — Toledo Pickle](/content/toledo-pickle/ "A City and a River — Toledo Pickle"/index.html)
[A City and a River — Toledo Pickle](/content/toledo-pickle/ "A City and a River — Toledo Pickle"/index.html)
[A Breath of Fresh Air — Open Air Columbus](/content/open-air-columbus/ "A Breath of Fresh Air — Open Air Columbus"/index.html)
[A Breath of Fresh Air — Open Air Columbus](/content/open-air-columbus/ "A Breath of Fresh Air — Open Air Columbus"/index.html)
[Experts Have Spotted Rare Freshwater Jellyfish in Lake Erie](/content/experts-have-spotted-rare-freshwater-jellyfish-in-lake-erie/ "Experts Have Spotted Rare Freshwater Jellyfish in Lake Erie"/index.html)
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[Experts Have Spotted Rare Freshwater Jellyfish in Lake Erie](/content/experts-have-spotted-rare-freshwater-jellyfish-in-lake-erie/ "Experts Have Spotted Rare Freshwater Jellyfish in Lake Erie"/index.html)
[How Theme Park Mergers Are Reshaping the Amusement Industry](/content/how-theme-park-mergers-are-reshaping-the-amusement-industry/ "How Theme Park Mergers Are Reshaping the Amusement Industry"/index.html)
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[How Theme Park Mergers Are Reshaping the Amusement Industry](/content/how-theme-park-mergers-are-reshaping-the-amusement-industry/ "How Theme Park Mergers Are Reshaping the Amusement Industry"/index.html)
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Midstory is a 501(c)(3) non-profit thinkhub that progresses the narrative of the Midwest by incubating bright, diverse and interdisciplinary thinkers to exchange ideas and envision the future of our region through multimedia storytelling and solutions-oriented research since its founding in 2018.
As an educational media organization, we inform, interpret and inspire in and for the Midwest and believe that our region’s challenges can be our greatest asset to drive renewed interest and human capital into post-industrial cities.
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