Heather Cherone
@heathercherone.bsky.social
📤 13563
📥 1035
📝 3204
Senior Chicago politics reporter for
@wttw.bsky.social
News
pinned post!
Chicago > Everything
over 1 year ago
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Chicago's top cop must also explain why the number of times officers pointed their guns at individuals increased 44% between 2022 and 2024, according to CPD data.
@wttw.bsky.social
add a skeleton here at some point
about 5 hours ago
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That's U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson, a Democrat, who represents Illinois' 1st Congressional District, which includes much of the South Side of Chicago
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about 7 hours ago
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NEW: Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling must explain why the number of times CPD officers used force against individuals has significantly increased since 2022, and detail what he is doing to reverse that trend, according to a measure approved by Chicago’s police oversight board.
@wttw.bsky.social
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Police Oversight Board to Top Cop: Explain Why CPD Officers Are Using Force More Often
The number of times officers pointed their guns at individuals increased 44% between 2022 and 2024, according to one of the goals unanimously set for Snelling to achieve in 2026.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/02/05/police-oversight-board-top-cop-explain-why-cpd-officers-are-using-force-more-often
about 7 hours ago
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reposted by
Heather Cherone
WTTW - Chicago PBS
1 day ago
Anjanette Young, a social worker who was handcuffed while naked during a botched raid in February 2019, says she is frustrated with a new CPD policy that does not ban officers from serving no-knock warrants or pointing guns at children during raids.
https://to.wttw.com/46jdIWE
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Cook County Pilot Program Streamlines Process for Paying Off Speeding Tickets
Clerk Mariyana Spyropoulos’ office has launched a new program that allows traffic citations to be transmitted to her office electronically, which she said will cut down on delays and improve overall e...
https://news.wttw.com/2026/02/04/cook-county-pilot-program-streamlines-process-paying-speeding-tickets
1 day ago
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1 day ago
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Want to Serve on Chicago’s Police Oversight Board? Deadline to Apply is Friday
The seven-member Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability oversees the Civilian Office of Police Accountability and the Chicago Police Board and has the power to set policy for the Ch...
https://news.wttw.com/2026/02/03/want-serve-chicago-s-police-oversight-board-deadline-apply-friday
1 day ago
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reposted by
Heather Cherone
Will Oremus
1 day ago
Whatever you think of the Washington Post at this moment, here's a chance to support the dedicated, hard-working journalists who were just laid off. If you have the means, your donation is most welcome. If you don't, a kind thought and maybe spreading the word to others is support enough 💙
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Donate to Washington Post 2026 layoff fund, organized by Rachel Siegel
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, The Washington Post laid off hundreds of journalists. We ar… Rachel Siegel needs your support for Washington Post 2026 layoff fund
https://www.gofundme.com/f/standing-together-for-guild-colleagues
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Heather Cherone
1 day ago
Mayor Johnson said: "We took her to court and we won back millions of dollars for taxpayers and more than 800 lots across the South and West Sides of the city of Chicago.” But he got the facts wrong. My latest w/
@ctoner.bsky.social
@blockclubchi.bsky.social
blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/04/c...
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City Sues For Millions In Damages After ‘Worst Landowner’ Property Auction Fails
It’s the latest controversy surrounding land owned by Suzie B. Wilson and her sister Swedlana Dass, who have been caught in a legal web since a 2023 investigation by Illinois Answers Project and Block...
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/04/city-sues-for-millions-in-damages-after-worst-landowner-property-auction-fails/
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1 day ago
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New documents show a raid on a South Shore apartment complex was prompted by claims that immigrants were squatting in units — not that it had been taken over by Tren de Aragua — and was blessed by the complex's owner,
@melissa-sanchez.bsky.social
&
@jodiscohen.bsky.social
report for
@propublica.org
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The Real Story Behind the Midnight Immigration Raid on a Chicago Apartment Building
The Trump administration has claimed the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua had taken over the building. But new documents make no mention of the gang and reveal federal agents had information about “ille...
https://www.propublica.org/article/chicago-venezuela-immigration-ice-raid-landlord-tren-de-aragua
1 day ago
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“I’m frustrated with the process. I’m also learning in this journey of being in this space that change doesn’t happen overnight and that it’s a marathon and not a sprint.”
@wttw.bsky.social
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CPD Policy That Does Not Ban No-Knock Warrants Leaves Anjanette Young ‘Frustrated’
A new Chicago Police Department policy that does not ban officers from serving no-knock warrants or from pointing guns at children during raids is now final.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/02/03/cpd-policy-does-not-ban-no-knock-warrants-leaves-anjanette-young-frustrated
1 day ago
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reposted by
Heather Cherone
WTTW - Chicago PBS
2 days ago
What's the one thing out-of-towners get wrong about Chicago? Your response could be included in our newsletter, the Daily Chicagoan. Subscribe here:
to.wttw.com/4axsYlD
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add a skeleton here at some point
2 days ago
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reposted by
Heather Cherone
Jared Rutecki
2 days ago
The deadline to apply to fill three vacant seats on Chicago’s police oversight board is Friday, officials said. The 7-member Community Commission for Public Safety & Accountability oversees COPA and the Chicago Police Board and has the power to set policy for CPD. (via
@heathercherone.bsky.social
)
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Want to Serve on Chicago’s Police Oversight Board? Deadline to Apply is Friday
The seven-member Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability oversees the Civilian Office of Police Accountability and the Chicago Police Board and has the power to set policy for the Ch...
https://news.wttw.com/2026/02/03/want-serve-chicago-s-police-oversight-board-deadline-apply-friday
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NEW: This revised measure — designed to stop large teen gatherings — did not get a vote at today's Public Safety Committee. It remains in limbo. CONTEXT: When you have the votes, you vote.
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Push to Expand CPD’s Curfew Power Stalls After Last-Minute Revision
The new proposal does not mention the city’s curfew, but gives the city’s top cop the power to issue what it calls “a dispersal declaration” in areas where police leaders have determined they have pro...
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/21/push-expand-cpd-s-curfew-power-stalls-after-last-minute-revision
2 days ago
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reposted by
Heather Cherone
WTTW - Chicago PBS
2 days ago
After nearly a month spent in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, a Chicago father of three has been reunited with his family.
https://to.wttw.com/45Olesp
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Chicago Man With Epilepsy Who Fled Venezuela With Family Released From ICE Custody
After nearly a month spent in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, a Chicago father of three with epilepsy has been reunited with his family.
https://to.wttw.com/45Olesp
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Mayor Johnson says White has “done a really solid job” as COPA’s interim leader.
@wttw.bsky.social
add a skeleton here at some point
2 days ago
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reposted by
Heather Cherone
Jared Rutecki
2 days ago
Alds. Andre Vasquez (40th Ward) and Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward) joined “Chicago Tonight” to detail the proposal that would allow COPA to probe alleged violations of the city’s Welcoming City Ordinance.
news.wttw.com/2026/02/02/a...
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Alderpeople Say COPA Should Investigate Chicago Police Conduct During Immigration Raids, Protests
The Chicago City Council will vote Feb. 18 on a proposal that would allow the Civilian Office of Police Accountability to investigate whether CPD officers have violated city law by helping federal imm...
https://news.wttw.com/2026/02/02/alderpeople-say-copa-should-investigate-chicago-police-conduct-during-immigration-raids
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“‘Mr. Lyons said he was in charge, and I corrected him saying I report to Corey Lewandowski,’ Bovino said in the email.“ Bovino told U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis, under oath, that he reported to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
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3 days ago
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Bovino frustrated by directive to conduct ‘targeted operations’ in Chicago
The former commander-at-large of Border Patrol, Gregory Bovino, clashed with other administration officials over immigration enforcement tactics months before fatal shootings in Minneapolis.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/bovino-frustrated-directive-conduct-targeted-operations-chicago-rcna257069
3 days ago
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Only 3.3 degrees below normal???
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3 days ago
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To close the loop on this, the executive order is here:
www.chicityclerk.com/legislation-...
(and now linked from my story)
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3 days ago
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On this Groundhog Day, I choose, once again, to celebrate the greatest lede ever written about a rodent's death, courtesy of
@jonlemire.bsky.social
3 days ago
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BREAKING: Chicagoans can now vote to name one of Chicago’s snowplows “Abolish ICE,” linking the pun to efforts to oppose President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
@wttw.bsky.social
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Voting Is Now Open in Chicago’s Annual Snowplow Naming Contest. ‘Abolish ICE’ Among 25 Finalists
“Abolish ICE” is one of 25 finalists that Chicagoans can vote on between Sunday and Feb. 14, with the top six vote-getters winning the honor of renaming one snowplow in each of Chicago’s six snow dist...
https://news.wttw.com/2026/02/01/voting-now-open-chicago-s-annual-snowplow-naming-contest-abolish-ice-among-25-finalists
4 days ago
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Today is the deadline for Chicagoans to pick a notable Italian to be honored with a statue in Little Italy’s Arrigo Park, where a statue of Christopher Columbus once stood.
@wttw.bsky.social
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Park District Asks Chicagoans to Decide What Statue Should Replace Columbus in Little Italy
Eight notable Italian Americans are finalists in a little-advertised contest.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/30/park-district-asks-chicagoans-decide-what-statue-should-replace-columbus-little-italy
4 days ago
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<chanting begins> One of us One of us </chanting intensifies>
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5 days ago
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"Chicago ... a city that still openly supports Kelly" [citation needed]
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5 days ago
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FULL STORY: The order directs members of the Chicago Police Department to document actions by agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection and attempt to identify those responsible for suspected misconduct or criminal violations.
@wttw.bsky.social
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Mayor Johnson Signs Executive Order Designed to Lay ‘Groundwork’ to Prosecute Federal Agents for Actions During Immigration Raids
“If the federal government will not hold these rogue actors accountable, then Chicago will do everything in our power to bring these agents to justice,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/31/mayor-johnson-signs-executive-order-designed-lay-groundwork-prosecute-federal-agents
5 days ago
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BREAKING: Mayor Brandon Johnson signs an executive order he says will "set the groundwork to prosecute ICE & Border Patrol agents for criminal misconduct." The order directs CPD officers to document potential misconduct or criminal violations & "identify" the agents responsible.
@wttw.bsky.social
5 days ago
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St. Peter police chief intervenes, prevents federal agents from arresting resident
The police chief of St. Peter intervened to prevent federal agents from taking a local resident who was observing ICE enforcement actions into custody. It is believed to be the first time local police...
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/30/st-peter-police-chief-intervenes-prevents-federal-agents-from-arresting-resident
5 days ago
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BREAKING: A federal judge reversed course Friday, ruling ex- Mayor Rahm Emanuel does not have to testify about allegations that a “code of silence” among CPD officers led to a botched raid that violated the civil rights of a family with 4 children.
@wttw.bsky.social
news.wttw.com/2026/01/30/j...
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Judge Reverses Order, Says Rahm Emanuel Does Not Have to Testify About CPD’s ‘Code of Silence’
U.S District Court Judge John Tharp said that he reconsidered his decision to allow lawyers for Ebony Tate, her mother, Cynthia Eason, and four children to call former Mayor Rahm Emanuel after lawyers...
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/30/judge-reverses-order-says-rahm-emanuel-does-not-have-testify-about-cpd-s-code-silence
6 days ago
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Live your life in a way that the dictionary pays tribute to you
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6 days ago
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Chicagoans can vote through Sunday to pick a notable Italian to be honored with a statue in Little Italy’s Arrigo Park, where a statue of Christopher Columbus once stood.
@wttw.bsky.social
loading . . .
Park District Asks Chicagoans to Decide What Statue Should Replace Columbus in Little Italy
Eight notable Italian Americans are finalists in a little-advertised contest.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/30/park-district-asks-chicagoans-decide-what-statue-should-replace-columbus-little-italy
6 days ago
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BREAKING: U.S District Court Judge John Tharp will hold a 3 p.m. hearing today after lawyers for the city ask him to reconsider his order allowing Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to testify about CPD's so-called "code of silence". Background, for
@wttw.bsky.social
news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/r...
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Rahm Emanuel Ordered to Testify About CPD’s ‘Code of Silence’ During Trial Over Botched Raid
A trial, set to start Monday, will decide whether CPD officers traumatized two women and four children in August when a CPD SWAT team broke down the door of their apartment, pointed assault rifles dir...
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/rahm-ordered-testify-about-cpd-s-code-silence-during-trial-over-botched-raid
6 days ago
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reposted by
Heather Cherone
WTTW - Chicago PBS
6 days ago
A state commission formed to document abuses during a series of increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement raids across Chicago and the suburbs should probe the conduct of senior Trump administration aides, Gov. JB Pritzker said late Thursday.
https://to.wttw.com/4alWev7
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Illinois Accountability Commission Should Probe Senior Trump Administration Officials, Pritzker Says
“For too long, Gregory Bovino and his rogue federal agents have terrorized communities in Illinois and across the country, violated our people’s constitutional rights and unleashed violence at every t...
https://to.wttw.com/4alWev7
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reposted by
Heather Cherone
Committee to Protect Journalists
6 days ago
🚨 CPJ strongly condemns the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort for their reporting on a protest in Minnesota, arrests which mark a serious escalation of attacks on the press in the United States. Read more:
cpj.org/2026/01/cpj-...
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If former Mayor Rahm Emanuel testifies as scheduled Tuesday, it will be the first time a former Chicago mayor will have to answer questions under oath in open court about allegations of police misconduct.
@wttw.bsky.social
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Rahm Emanuel Ordered to Testify About CPD’s ‘Code of Silence’ During Trial Over Botched Raid
A trial, set to start Monday, will decide whether CPD officers traumatized two women and four children in August when a CPD SWAT team broke down the door of their apartment, pointed assault rifles dir...
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/rahm-ordered-testify-about-cpd-s-code-silence-during-trial-over-botched-raid
6 days ago
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BREAKING: A state commission formed to document abuses during a series of increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement raids across Chicago and the suburbs should probe the conduct of senior Trump administration aides, Gov. JB Pritzker said late Thursday.
@wttw.bsky.social
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Illinois Accountability Commission Should Probe Senior Trump Administration Officials, Pritzker Says
“For too long, Gregory Bovino and his rogue federal agents have terrorized communities in Illinois and across the country, violated our people’s constitutional rights and unleashed violence at every t...
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/illinois-accountability-commission-should-probe-senior-trump-administration-officials
7 days ago
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BREAKING: Chicago’s police oversight board on Thursday tapped the interim head of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability to lead the city agency charged with investigating serious allegations of Chicago Police Department misconduct on a permanent basis.
@wttw.bsky.social
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Police Oversight Board Taps COPA’s Interim Head to Lead Police Misconduct Agency Permanently
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability voted unanimously to select LaKenya White, a 26-year veteran of Chicago’s police accountability system, to lead the agency known as COPA.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/police-oversight-board-taps-copa-s-interim-head-lead-police-misconduct-agency
7 days ago
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BREAKING: A federal judge ordered former Mayor Emanuel to testify about allegations that a “code of silence” among CPD officers led to a botched 2018 raid of a Back of the Yards apartment that violated the civil rights of a family with 4 children — ages 4, 8, 11 and 13.
@wttw.bsky.social
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Rahm Ordered to Testify About CPD’s ‘Code of Silence’ During Trial Over Botched Raid
A trial, set to start Monday, will decide whether CPD officers traumatized two women and four children in August when a CPD SWAT team broke down the door of their apartment, pointed assault rifles dir...
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/rahm-ordered-testify-about-cpd-s-code-silence-during-trial-over-botched-raid
7 days ago
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☠️☠️☠️
add a skeleton here at some point
7 days ago
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reposted by
Heather Cherone
WTTW - Chicago PBS
7 days ago
Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) on Wednesday announced plans to run for Congress. The independent candidate joined "Chicago Tonight" to talk his vision tackling what he sees as the country’s most pressing problems.
https://to.wttw.com/4rG8E7h
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President Donald Trump’s decision to send federalized National Guard troops to six U.S. cities, including Chicago cost approximately $496 million through the end of December, records show.
@wttw.bsky.social
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National Guard Deployment to Chicago Cost $21M, Congressional Budget Office Says
In all, President Donald Trump’s decision to send federalized National Guard troops to six American cities cost approximately $496 million through the end of December, according to the report.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/28/national-guard-deployment-chicago-cost-21m-congressional-budget-office-says
7 days ago
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BREAKING: The decision by the Trump administration to send 375 members of the Texas and Illinois National Guard to Chicago cost taxpayers $21 million, according to a new report by the Congressional Budget Office.
@wttw.bsky.social
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National Guard Deployment to Chicago Cost $21M, Congressional Budget Office Says
In all, President Donald Trump’s decision to send federalized National Guard troops to six American cities cost approximately $496 million through the end of December, according to the report.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/28/national-guard-deployment-chicago-cost-21m-congressional-budget-office-says
8 days ago
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reposted by
Heather Cherone
WTTW - Chicago PBS
8 days ago
Restaurant Week is in full swing. What’s your favorite place to grab a bite in your neighborhood? Your response could be included in our newsletter, the Daily Chicagoan. Subscribe here:
to.wttw.com/4axsYlD
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The final question to Mayor Brandon Johnson at the National Press Club involves whether it is acceptable to put ketchup on a Chicago-style hot dog. Johnson plays along, saying that now that there is a pope from Chicago, that is now a cardinal sin. Good thing it has been such a slow news week!
8 days ago
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reposted by
Heather Cherone
Blair Paddock
8 days ago
NEW: After a year hiatus, the Cook County State’s Attorney reverses course and has restarted diverting nonviolent gun cases to restorative justice courts
news.wttw.com/2026/01/28/c...
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Cook County State’s Attorney Reverses Course, Diverts Nonviolent Gun Cases to Restorative Justice Courts
The county’s Restorative Justice Community Courts reroute young people with nonviolent charges from criminal courts to an alternative program. Upon completion, the charge is dismissed.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/28/cook-county-state-s-attorney-reverses-course-diverts-nonviolent-gun-cases-restorative
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“It is not enough to be a welcoming city on paper,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.
@wttw.bsky.social
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Key City Panel Advances Plan to Give COPA Power to Probe Chicago Police Conduct During Immigration Raids, Protests
A joint City Council committee voted 19-3 to explicitly give the Civilian Office of Police Accountability authority to investigate whether CPD officers have improperly helped federal agents enforce im...
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/27/key-city-panel-advances-plan-give-copa-power-probe-chicago-police-conduct-during
8 days ago
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*stares in Chicago*
add a skeleton here at some point
8 days ago
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