Today in Being Super Lame: The Chicago City Council! Only five aldermen showed up for a planned quarterly hearing with the Chicago Transit Authority. The CTA's top leaders were ready to face questions. But too few aldermen showed up, so the meeting couldn't start. Lame!

Stunned & humbled: Ray Long wins 2026 Illinoisan of the Year The Illinois News Broadcasters Association is pleased to announce that its past presidents have chosen former Chicago Tribune journalist Ray Long as the recipient of the 2026 Illinoisan of the Year.

Michael Sacks wrote this @chicagotribune op-ed to defend his support of AIPAC super PACs in Chicago Congressional primaries. I asked Sacks, a billionaire & Democratic megadonor, for comment before I reported his contributions Monday. Got no reply. (1/9) www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/24/o...

Filling an NCAA tournament bracket out with AI has to be the single lamest thing that a human being can do. If you did that, please pretend that I am making fun of you.

AIPAC celebrates Donna Miller's win tonight on X: "Being pro-Israel is good policy and good politics!" The controversial group not answered questions about its apparent effort to use shell PACs & coordinated individual contributions to support Miller with around $6 million.

NEW: Donna Miller wins Illinois 2nd Congressional District primary. The Cook County commissioner had massive backing from AIPAC — around $6 million from groups and donors with apparent ties. She ran with a healthcare focus & beats former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. AP called race.

LIVE: Cook County Donna Miller has a commanding lead in the Illinois 2nd Congressional District primary. Miller's campaign focused on healthcare: a federal return to evidence-based medicine & more maternal health centers. She received massive support from AIPAC-linked groups.

I'm covering the Illinois 2nd Congressional District primary for @chicagotribune.com. Follow below! Jesse Jackson Jr., Donna Miller and Robert Peters are top contenders. Willie Preston and Yumeka Brown are dark horses. Who will win? We're likely to find out tonight. Live thread:

NEW: An unprecedented $62 million is pouring into Chicago's four competitive Democratic Congressional primaries. That's about $30.4 million in campaign contributions and $31.4 million in outside spending so far. With @olivia0.bsky.social (gift link, 1/5): www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/13/c...

Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to introduce a measure this week to create so-called “democracy zones” near Chicago polling places in a attempt to safeguard voters from potential threats from federal immigration agents, and hopes to implement it in time for next week’s primary elections.

In response to my FOIA request for the names and badge numbers of ICE agents who operated in Chicago between January and June 2025, DHS sent a spreadsheet listing exemptions. I haven't confirmed, but the number of rows seems to indicate 259 agents were in Chicago at that time.

The front page of today's Chicago Tribune. Read the e-edition here: trib.al/8es4OkM

It's a real shame that there are no TV debates for the Illinois 2nd Congressional District primary. The 9th District North Side race is getting tons of attention. It should. But the 2nd is also super interesting. It deserves attention too. I hope a TV station puts in the effort.

We, the staff at @thetriibe.com are unionizing. Please support us in our efforts and sign our petition. actionnetwork.org/letters/were...

Mayor Brandon Johnson announced “Abolish ICE” as the winner of a citywide snow plow name contest. He had earlier given it a “full and complete” endorsement.

with subzero temperatures on the horizon, now‘s a good time to revisit @katieprout.bsky.social’s 2022 piece about the lack of 24-hour warming centers in chicago. four years later and nothing has changed.

Rick Garcia, leading Chicago gay rights activist, dies at 69: ‘He was relentless’

“Fracture” in Chicago’s labor world complicates Mayor Brandon Johnson’s third budget fight. By @aliceyin.bsky.social and @adquig.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/24/f...

Fighting Trump’s immigration blitz in Chicago, ward by ward. A story from @jake-sheridan.bsky.social @chicagotribune.com about aldermen opposing ICE www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/13/t...

Chicago aldermen have traditionally measured success by potholes filled, block party bounce houses delivered, votes counted. But with Trump’s deportation blitz in full swing, some are adding getting tear-gassed and handcuffed and standing guard near elementary schools. 📝 @jake-sheridan.bsky.social

Chicagoans say ICE agents responded to heckling with tear gas near a school on a busy Northwest Side street. "It’s upsetting to see people being paid to attack our community for senseless stupid reasons.” 📝 @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social, @jake-sheridan.bsky.social and @tesskenny.bsky.social

Chaos in Brighton Park. This is representative of the amount / direction of pepper and smoke sent into the neighborhood, in this case, for no reason I can discern other than because they were leaving. Feds had a clear path out in a different direction, and residents were vocal but not violent here.

Not my normal spot for an interview: the bike lane. I talked with Mayor Brandon Johnson about cycling in Chicago. Here's how he sees bike infrastructure fitting into the city, told by him from atop a Divvy bike to @chicagotribune.com (part 1/2):

Mayor Brandon Johnson seeks $90 million in settlement of suits tied to corrupt cop, @jake-sheridan.bsky.social and @jmetr22b.bsky.social w the details. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/11/m...

NEW: Ald. Brendan Reilly is officially running for Cook County Board President against Toni Preckwinkle. He's focusing on crime to unseat Preckwinkle, a progressive who has been in office for 15 years. First reported by @adquig.bsky.social (gift link): www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/10/d...

One day. One new speed camera. $60,000. Chicago's new speed cams are raking it in, early data shows. They captured $1.7M in three weeks in June, now the most-ticketed month in three years, as aldermen tout their safety impact. With William Tong for @chicagotribune.com: t.co/EHnTVvdcF9

Should retired police be able to sell marijuana? Alderman Andre Vasquez says no, blocks dispensary. Interesting, from @jake-sheridan.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/03/r...

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new speed cameras see big early revenue as aldermen tout safety impact. Story by @jake-sheridan.bsky.social and William Tong www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/07/m...

Powerful graphic: Chicago just saw its smallest summer murder total since 1965. The city is on track to see one of its lowest murder totals in decades, a trend in play all year that continued through the city's most violent season. Murders are way, way down after a spike. Look:

Should cops be able to profit from selling weed? Ald. Andre Vasquez blocked a group of retired police from opening a dispensary after community pushback. “There’s just something fundamentally unfair and unjust about it.” For @chicagotribune: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/03/r...

Should local TikTok personality Jroy be held accountable for a string of shootings that took place near his West Side street party in Chicago? We unpack the debate. thetriibe.com/2025/08/ther...

This story from @jake-sheridan.bsky.social unspools the controversy over a Northwest Side anti-gentrification ordinance. An interesting story about money, housing and public policy by our intrepid reporter. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/24/a...

This weekend, dozens of Chicago Tribune journalists will be on standby as huge protests promise to arise in our city. At the same time, many of us will be organizing to fight buyouts. Our work is essential to democracy, and it's under attack. I'm grateful for my union today.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson blasts Rahm Emanuel today: Donald Trump's "playbook" of government cuts is the same strategy Emanuel executed in Chicago with school closings & "neoliberalism," Johnson said. “A tyrant in the White House. We got here because someone gave him the script." Watch⬇️

Yikes! 100 artists have drafted a letter to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson expressing “deep concern” over alleged failures in his administration’s work for the arts community, ripping Dept. Head Clinée Hedspeth. By @jake-sheridan.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/04/10/a...

Charities across Chicago are experiencing the same inexplicable decline: A shortage in winter coats. Is it donation fatigue? B/c the city has weathered warm winters recently? A mix of both? “We really can’t put our finger on what it is,” said one advocate. “We’re significantly thousands behind.”

New here: Mayor Johnson pinned hopes for fiscal stability on meetings with Gov. Pritzker's team on "progressive revenue." Such meetings have not been happening, a source close to Pritzker told me. More on Chicago's financial future, for @chicagotribune: t.co/aYh893GhWM

Lions huddle on heated rocks. Penguins get a snow melt system & warmed pool. Koalas can't figure out when to go inside with their "smooth surface" brain, so zookeepers watch close. On how Lincoln Park Zoo animals stay warm in winter, by @chicagotribune.com's Rebecca Johnson: t.co/tiYg4uHjFH

NEW: Mayor Brandon Johnson's budget passes 27-23, the closest vote in decades. The vote ends a chaotic, tense struggle over the budget that ultimately included no property tax hike, few cuts and several fee hikes. Details in @chicagotribune (gift link): t.co/cQ1rmKVAHq

Mayor Brandon Johnson's $17.1 Chicago budget passed in a 27-23 vote. The 2025 budget largely avoids spending cuts while also not raising property taxes — despite Johnson's initial plan to hike them $300 million — while passing with one of the slimmest margins in decades.

Clear here: Johnson’s relationships with many City Council progressives are just straight up bad right now. They feel like he doesn’t respect them, doesn’t lead with transparency and isn’t being responsible. It is very hard for him to get much done without them.

Both Chicago City Council Progressive Caucus chairs excoriated Mayor Brandon Johnson his budget process. They said it was disrespectful & will harm the city. “We are not prepared, and the fault lies squarely with you and your administration,” Ald. Maria Hadden said. Her speech:

NEW: Plow the Sidewalks has been added to the Chicago budget aldermen will soon vote on. A line item for $500,000 under "accessibility programming" in the amended budget is an earmark for the program to pilot city-run snow plowing, I'm told.

A moment of calm, then two more anti-Trump protesters stand & shout with signs. Hard to hear what the fourth anti-Trump protester is saying because of their mask. The often disruptive crowd of regular pro-Trump attendees cheers as the other folks get booted. Meeting recessed.

At Chicago City Council, anti-Trump protesters disrupt public comment with signs decrying fascism. Several public comment speakers had just stated their support for Trump border czar Tom Homan’s plans for mass deportations. The protesters got kicked out pretty quick.

Chicago youth organizer: “We don’t need more policing. We need youth programs & investment into tools that are more capable of making communities safer.” Group wants over $100 million in police vacancies cut and shifted to guaranteed income & youth jobs amid budget crisis.

Before Ronnie Reese was fired, Mayor Brandon Johnson texted CTU’s Stacy Davis Gates: "Ronnie! Call me. Message from the Elders." CTU says she didn’t respond. City Hall won’t explain text. Mayor says he didn’t learn of misconduct until later www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/03/a...

Read @jake-sheridan.bsky.social and @aliceyin.bsky.social story from a wild day of Human Resources heat on Mayor Brandon Johnson as he tries to pass a budget www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/03/a...

Wednesday night before Thanksgiving and Mayor Brandon Johnson responds to Ronnie Reese scandal the Tribune broke Tuesday morning. By @aliceyin.bsky.social, @jake-sheridan.bsky.social and @royalpratt.bsky.social: www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/27/m...

Mayor Brandon Johnson admin is moving to place Ronnie Reese on the do not hire list and remove two women he pushed on the list. This comes many months after 1st Trib report about culture complaints at City Hall @aliceyin.bsky.social @jake-sheridan.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/27/m...