Chicago homeowners are being walloped with a record property tax hike, with some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods absorbing the steepest increases even as downtown office owners see their bills fall, according to new data from the Cook County treasurer’s office. https://bit.ly/49D6rlF

This investigation offers the fullest account to date of how many of those waiting for an IDHS placement are being detained longer in jail in part because of their mental illness. Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3Ldv9AK

A pilot program in 18 libraries across nine counties trains staff to help residents navigate civil court proceedings, offering a lifeline in communities where legal aid and public transit are scarce. Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/49ytz5C

‘Where is Justice for Krystal?’ Mom of Cop Asks After Suing Chicago Police Department, Partner Who Shot Her https://illinoisanswers.org/2025/12/11/where-is-justice-for-krystal-mom-of-cop-asks-after-suing-chicago-police-department-partner-who-shot-her/

ICYMI: A Once Dying Mall in Southern Illinois is Getting a Mighty Makeover, Thanks to $112M Bond Deal, But The Project Has Hit a Speed Bump

This struggling mall in Marion, Illinois, is getting a major $112 million redevelopment backed by state bonds to boost the local economy, but the project hit a snag after one developer faced lawsuits and foreclosure, raising questions about its future. https://bit.ly/458rzhS

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a public transit funding bill today creating the Northern Illinois Transit Authority after months of debate over how to avert a major funding cliff. Read our reporting that shows how a legal loophole stalled earlier fixes: https://bit.ly/4s5TtVY

This struggling mall in Marion, Illinois, is getting a major $112 million redevelopment backed by state bonds to boost the local economy, but the project hit a snag after one developer faced lawsuits and foreclosure, raising questions about its future. https://bit.ly/458rzhS

NEW: A Once Dying Mall in Southern Illinois is Getting a Mighty Makeover, Thanks to $112M Bond Deal, But The Project Has Hit a Speed Bump https://bit.ly/458rzhS

Officer Krystal Rivera’s family says in the wrongful death suit that Officer Carlos Baker was struggling to accept her decision to end their romantic relationship when he shot her in the back in Chatham on June 5. https://bit.ly/4rQ0ji7

A federal judge just ruled the Cook County Treasurer’s Office’s tax-sale system unconstitutional. Read our 2022 investigation that exposed how the process hit Black homeowners hardest, stripping families of wealth. https://bit.ly/48vEqNr

Reporter Sidnee King Pineda will be on @abc7chicago.bsky.social this morning to discuss her latest story covering new federal rules that could put formerly unhoused people back out on the streets. Watch live at 8:45 a.m. here: https://abc7.ws/3wRZlr1

Johnson wants to preserve pandemic-funded programs he says are working and lowering crime, even as Chicago faces a $1.2B shortfall — and much of City Council isn’t buying it. https://illinoisanswers.org/2025/12/02/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-council-clash-over-city-budget/

A growing number of Illinois residents are turning to librarians — not lawyers — for help with remote court hearings, translations and e-filing. A new pilot program is quietly closing the justice gap. https://illinoisanswers.org/2025/12/01/illinois-low-cost-library-program-takes-on-justice-gap/

Illinois librarians are stepping in to close the justice gap. A pilot program trains them to help residents navigate remote hearings, translation requests and e-filing — support many can’t get elsewhere. https://illinoisanswers.org/2025/12/01/illinois-low-cost-library-program-takes-on-justice-gap/

With a $1.2B deficit looming, Johnson defends pandemic-era programs he says helped cut crime. Much of City Council remains skeptical. From @alexnitkin.bsky.social: https://illinoisanswers.org/2025/12/02/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-council-clash-over-city-budget/

A pilot program in 18 libraries across nine counties trains staff to help residents navigate civil court proceedings, offering a lifeline in communities where legal aid and public transit are scarce. https://illinoisanswers.org/2025/12/01/illinois-low-cost-library-program-takes-on-justice-gap/

ICYMI: Chicago homeowners are being hit with a record property tax hike, with some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods absorbing the steepest increases even as downtown office owners see their bills fall. https://illinoisanswers.org/2025/11/17/record-property-tax-increases-slam-chicago-homeowners/

3 days until we connect systems, power and people. Don’t miss Power of Journalism Dec 2 at The Experimental Station! RSVP here: https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=453d13e6-2155-45b2-b7c9-2222cb47ad43&envId=p-fEp6e6mKFk2iQ5k7ZFAgFg&zone=usa

In many Illinois suburbs, dial-a-ride services funded by transit taxes aren’t a convenience — they’re a lifeline. https://illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/28/counties-spend-rta-tax-money-on-ride-services-theyre-lifelines-for-thousands/

Reporter @alexnitkin.bsky.social will be on @abc7.bsky.social today to discuss his recent story on property tax increases. Watch live at 8:45 a.m. here: https://abc7chicago.com/watch/live/

Illinois is treating some mentally ill defendants in jails. It can speed up care, but experts warn jail isn’t a real substitute for proper treatment. https://illinoisanswers.org/2025/11/11/illinois-is-turning-to-local-jails-to-treat-mentally-ill-defendants-some-early-results-offer-hope-and-warnings/

Be a part of this crucial dialogue with change makers redefining local journalism and its impact on Chicago’s future. Light bites and drinks will be served. https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=453d13e6-2155-45b2-b7c9-2222cb47ad43&envId=p-fEp6e6mKFk2iQ5k7ZFAgFg&zone=usa

The Trump administration is dramatically cutting the money available to help pay for housing for people in need, including those with mental illness or disabilities. https://illinoisanswers.org/2025/11/18/new-federal-rules-could-put-formerly-unhoused-people-back-out-on-the-streets-across-illinois/

Sinking Loop office values fuel spike in Chicago residential bills, especially on South, West sides, report shows. illinoisanswers.org/2025/11/17/r...

The number of times Illinois defendants have been found unfit and in need of inpatient restoration has exploded in recent years, resulting in people having to wait longer for an available hospital bed. They are often waiting in jail. illinoisanswers.org/2025/11/11/t...

Illinois defendants who have been found unfit for trial – and are in need of inpatient fitness restoration – are waiting nearly twice as long for a state hospital bed as they did five years ago. In many cases, it’s more than three months. illinoisanswers.org/2025/11/11/t...

When Jose Jeronimo Guardian showed up at a Spanish language traffic court this week, he didn’t expect to be detained and face expulsion from a country he’d lived in for more than two decades. With @capitolnewsil.bsky.social: illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/31/i...

State lawmakers just approved $1.5B to rescue CTA and other Northern Illinois transit agencies from major cuts - in part by raising a sales tax whose tricky politics we reported on this week. illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/28/l...

Amid a looming fiscal cliff for transit in Northern Illinois that could force deep CTA cuts, less attention is on suburban riders who depend on on-demand transit. Read the story from @gracehauck.bsky.social and @alexnitkin.bsky.social here: illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/28/c...

"We have a dire, dire, transit funding crisis, and we’re spending this money on roads and public safety," said Audrey Wennink of the Chicago-based nonprofit Metropolitan Planning Council. w/ @alexnitkin.bsky.social @illinoisanswers.bsky.social illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/28/l...

Why can’t the city cut its spending bloat before it taxes residents to close the gap? illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/15/t...

After decades of building a real estate empire out of overgrown vacant lots in the poorest parts of Chicago, Suzie B. Wilson and her sister agreed earlier this year to auction off the properties to pay off their companies’ mounting debts. illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/15/h...

Facing a nearly $1.2 billion budget gap, budgetmakers in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration have been dogged by a question: Why can’t the city cut its spending bloat before it taxes residents to close the gap? illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/15/t...

Reporter @alexnitkin.bsky.social was on @citycastchicago.bsky.social yesterday to discuss his story with @adquig.bsky.social covering tax hikes for the South and West sides. Listen to the epsiode here: chicago.citycast.fm/podcasts/who... And read the story here: illinoisanswers.org/2025/09/21/b...

More than 37,000 residential properties on the South and West sides saw their tax assessments more than double between 2023 and 2024. illinoisanswers.org/2025/09/21/b...

More than 37,000 residential properties on the South and West sides saw their tax assessments more than double between 2023 and 2024. illinoisanswers.org/2025/09/21/b...

Join the Illinois Answers Project, The Chicago Council on Science and Technology and @blockclubchi.bsky.social for an evening of conversations about the promises and pitfalls of quantum computing. Learn more and register here: illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

ICYMI: Such stark increases are expected to leave many homeowners in those neighborhoods struggling to pay their tax bills this fall. illinoisanswers.org/2025/09/21/b...

Leodus Thomas Jr. sees a brighter future for Chicago’s West Side. It’s why, after buying his house in Austin nine years ago, he decided to become a developer. But in the last several years, a new threat has emerged. illinoisanswers.org/2025/09/21/b...

Our Investigate the State conference is up and running! If you didn't register, you can still sign up and join this free, virtual conference here: illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

NEW: Illinois is the only state that has yet to reform its tax sale laws after the Supreme Court found unconstitutional a process that can cost homeowners their residences. illinoisanswers.org/2025/09/11/l...

Just added! Lunch & Learn: Empowering Investigative reporting with Solutions Journalism, featuring Tina Rosenberg (Co-Founder, @soljourno.bsky.social), Deborah D. Douglas (Director, Midwest Solutions Journalism Hub) and @gracehauck.bsky.social (Illinois Answers, Investigative Reporter).

Join us for Investigate the State, a virtual conference bringing together news leaders across the Midwest to discuss, share strategies and forge partnerships to bolster Investigative journalism in every community. Learn more and register here: illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

Join us for Investigate the State, a virtual conference bringing together news leaders across the Midwest to discuss, share strategies and forge partnerships to bolster Investigative journalism in every community. Learn more and register here: illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

ICYMI: 10 years after Illinois’ budget impasse devastated human services, providers say they’re once again bracing for a financial storm. illinoisanswers.org/2025/08/28/i...

A decade ago, Illinois began what would become a two-year budget impasse. Since then, human services have recovered, albeit unevenly, thanks in part to COVID-era federal funds. @illinoisanswers.bsky.social https://loom.ly/o80xxOY

Today's must read from @hannahmeisel.bsky.social of @capitolnewsil.bsky.social & @ctoner.bsky.social of @illinoisanswers.bsky.social:

10 years after Illinois’ budget impasse gutted human services, providers warn they’re facing another financial storm. Federal relief funds are drying up just as demand surges. @capitolnewsil.bsky.social illinoisanswers.org/2025/08/28/i...

ICYMI: Officer Carlos Baker was accused of attacking a female cop at DSTRKT Bar & Grill. He told police he was harassed by two women — the off-duty cop and his girlfriend’s mother, who he said attacked him and referred to him as “a murderer.” illinoisanswers.org/2025/08/18/c...