How Joe Ocol makes kings and queens in Englewood

By Austin Berg

05/08/2017

Joe Ocol is taking his South Side chess team to one of the nation’s premier tournaments. But he needs help paying their way.

TAGS: budget, education, Joe Ocol

Illinois Corruption Watch: November 2015

12/14/2015

November saw Chicago’s City Council let the term of the legislative inspector general, who is tasked with overseeing City Council, expire without hiring a replacement, as well as several other instances of breach of public trust and influence peddling around the state.

TAGS: corruption

Illinois Attorney General asks for federal probe of Chicago Police Department

By Mark Fitton

12/02/2015

Madigan’s letter to the Justice Department came on the same day Chicago’s police superintendent, Garry McCarthy, resigned at the request of Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

TAGS: Chicago, CPD: Chicago Police Department, Lisa Madigan, Rahm Emanuel

Black men hit hardest by Illinois’ manufacturing losses

By Michael Lucci

06/30/2015

For inner-city families without the luxury of a private education, an Illinois manufacturing job is and always has been the first rung up the economic ladder.

TAGS: jobs, losses, manufacturing

Corruption Watch: April 2015

By Shawn Tonge

05/08/2015

April saw two major players in Illinois education ensnared in charges of cronyism, among more than 60 other corruption-related stories.

TAGS: good government

Corruption watch: March 2015

By Shawn Tonge

04/08/2015

April showers bring May flowers, but all March gave us was 53 new corruption stories in Illinois.

TAGS: good government

10 things Illinoisans should know about their state’s criminal-justice system

By Bryant Jackson-Green

03/10/2015

Rife with problems, it’s ripe for change.

TAGS: criminal justice reform

Corruption Watch: January 2015

By Shawn Tonge

02/11/2015

The start of a new year always comes with resolutions for improvement, but only time will tell if they translate into effective action.

TAGS: good government

Waukegan, beleaguered, needs school choice for a comeback

08/01/2014

Chicago’s North Shore is synonymous with million-dollar homes and top-notch schools. For decades, families have left Chicago to raise their families and educate their children in the North Shore suburbs. But tucked away within those wealthy villages is a city with schools on the other end of the spectrum. Waukegan, with a population of more...

Illinois should strive for better marks on hair-braiding regulations

By Bryant Jackson-Green

07/18/2014

The state of Illinois received a near-failing grade for the quality of its natural-hair-braiding licensing rules, according to a new study released by the Institute for Justice. The study overviews natural-hair-braiding (a popular beauty practice among African and African-American communities in the U.S.) regulations in every state in the country, ranking each one based on...

TAGS: licensing, occupational licensing, regulations, small business

African Americans

How Joe Ocol makes kings and queens in Englewood

Illinois Corruption Watch: November 2015

Illinois Attorney General asks for federal probe of Chicago Police Department

Black men hit hardest by Illinois’ manufacturing losses

Corruption Watch: April 2015

Corruption watch: March 2015

10 things Illinoisans should know about their state’s criminal-justice system

Corruption Watch: January 2015

Waukegan, beleaguered, needs school choice for a comeback

Illinois should strive for better marks on hair-braiding regulations

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students