Vallas: In police misconduct mess, trial lawyers holding taxpayers hostage

By Paul Vallas

04/24/2026

Kim Foxx’s policy of issuing mass exonerations without case-by-case scrutiny has invited a flood of costly litigation.

TAGS: CPD: Chicago Police Department

Retired state employee backs pension buyouts for Chicago police, fire

By Jess Plowman

04/09/2026

75% of property taxes raised for public safety are going to pensions instead of services.

Chicago violent crime at decade low as arrest rates rise

By Patrick Andriesen

02/04/2026

Violent crime in Chicago fell to more than a decade low in 2025. It dropped across 88% of the city’s neighborhoods as arrests rose.

TAGS: CPD: Chicago Police Department

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.

Chicago budgets $210M for vacant jobs

By Geoff Feinstein

11/07/2025

Chicago has thousands of job vacancies that receive city funding, leaving taxpayers to pay for empty positions that spur massive overtime costs.

Illinois’ trick-or-treating rules: What to know

By Jerry Barmore

10/27/2025

Halloween is when the masks go on and candy fills the bag. Cities and towns regulating Halloween with trick-or-treating rules do so for safety, so you should check your local Halloween laws.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 budget targets social media, corporate “head tax”

By Dylan Sharkey

10/16/2025

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 budget proposal includes a per-user tax on social media companies and a per-employee fee on businesses. The proposal does not include a property tax hike and supports the elimination of the grocery tax.

TAGS: Brandon Johnson, Chicago

Vallas: How to improve Chicago’s billion-dollar transit crisis

By Paul Vallas

10/15/2025

Chicago Transit Authority ridership is still below pre-pandemic levels. Crime and a budget shortfall make matters worse, but there are cost-effective ways to make it safer.

TAGS: CTA: Chicago Transit Authority

CTA violent crime nears decade high as feds threaten funding cuts

By Patrick Andriesen

10/14/2025

Chicago Transit Authority violent crime hit its second-highest level since 2015, while the arrest rate dropped. CTA crime is threatening federal funding.

TAGS: CTA: Chicago Transit Authority

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

By Ravi Mishra, Lauren Zuar

10/13/2025

Chicago’s $1.15 billion projected budget gap is the latest in a decades-long string of structural deficits. Making Chicago’s high taxes worse is not the solution.

Chicago Police Department

Vallas: In police misconduct mess, trial lawyers holding taxpayers hostage

Retired state employee backs pension buyouts for Chicago police, fire

Chicago violent crime at decade low as arrest rates rise

Vallas: Chicago needs education reform to curb youth violence epidemic

Chicago budgets $210M for vacant jobs

Illinois’ trick-or-treating rules: What to know

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 budget targets social media, corporate “head tax”

Vallas: How to improve Chicago’s billion-dollar transit crisis

CTA violent crime nears decade high as feds threaten funding cuts

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

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