4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap

By LyLena Estabine

01/13/2026

Causes, costs, how to set the state free

Chicago gets $16.6B budget after mayor refuses to veto

By Brad Weisenstein, Ravi Mishra

12/23/2025

Chicago avoided a city shutdown when Mayor Brandon Johnson accepted the alternative budget aldermen passed despite his wishes.

TAGS: Chicago, taxes

Chicago adopts $16.6B budget, adds $535M in taxes

By Ravi Mishra

12/20/2025

Chicago aldermen for the first time pushed through their own budget, rejecting the mayor’s effort to impose a job-killing head tax. There are other taxes.

TAGS: Chicago, taxes

Cook County property taxes funding pensions more than service

By LyLena Estabine

12/15/2025

Cook County homeowners face rising property taxes. Three-fourths of that money is going to police and fire pensions instead of services.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, pensions, property taxes

Report offers $1B in fixes as Chicago budget talks break down

By Ravi Mishra

12/12/2025

The Chicago City Council rejected Mayor Brandon Johnson’s economically harmful tax proposals, but a report offers $1 billion in solutions

Most Chicagoans, aldermen oppose Johnson’s 2026 budget

By Patrick Andriesen

12/12/2025

Most Chicago City Council members and residents oppose Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 budget, especially his plan to tax job creation.

TAGS: Brandon Johnson, Chicago City Council

Chicago Teachers Union protests trash fee hike while its president skips hers

By Lilly Rossi

12/05/2025

The Chicago Teachers Union is grumbling about a proposed garbage fee hike. Yet union President Stacy Davis Gates has repeatedly failed to pay her own trash bill.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Vallas: Chicago needs education reform to curb youth violence epidemic

By Paul Vallas

11/28/2025

Fixing Chicago’s schools is the surest way to stop youth violence. Softening education standards will perpetuate the harm.

Small businesses create all Cook County jobs since 2020

By Bryce Hill

11/26/2025

Chicagoans have even more to be thankful for on Small Business Saturday: small businesses created all Cook County’s net new jobs since the pandemic.

5 ways to end Chicago’s stagnant growth

By Geoff Feinstein

11/19/2025

High taxes, red tape and fiscal mismanagement have stalled Chicago’s economy, but smart reform could get it growing again.

Brandon Johnson

4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap

Chicago gets $16.6B budget after mayor refuses to veto

Chicago adopts $16.6B budget, adds $535M in taxes

Cook County property taxes funding pensions more than service

Report offers $1B in fixes as Chicago budget talks break down

Most Chicagoans, aldermen oppose Johnson’s 2026 budget

Chicago Teachers Union protests trash fee hike while its president skips hers

Vallas: Chicago needs education reform to curb youth violence epidemic

Small businesses create all Cook County jobs since 2020

5 ways to end Chicago’s stagnant growth

Fighting poverty with employment: Chicago block clubs

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