Against gas rate hikes? Tell the Illinois Commerce Commission. https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2026/04/01/newswire-against-gas-rate-hikes-tell-the-illinois-commerce-commission

Against the gas hike? Here's how to tell the Illinois Commerce Commission! They have the actual authority over utility companies who want to charge higher prices. From our latest #Newswire newsletter: https://youtube.com/shorts/f5TYBX0RB_4?feature=share

I'm so excited about City Bureau's new strategic plan. It renews and deepens our commitment to equipping communities with skills and information for self-determination, in Chicago and throughout the Documenters network. Now, more than ever, it's time for people-powered journalism!

🎉 Ten years ago: a coffee shop, a Kickstarter, and radical questions about journalism. Today: a national infrastructure and our most ambitious plan yet. Here's our bold vision for what’s next: www.citybureau.org/notebook/jou...

Whether our team is tracking policy decisions around housing or creating guides about labor rights, our reporting helps people make informed decisions and take action in their communities. https://www.citybureau.org/latest-reporting

👋 Meet Ruth, City Bureau’s Director of Development! This values-driven fundraiser is eager to strengthen relationships that will support the long-term impact of our work. https://www.citybureau.org/notebook/meet-ruth-city-bureaus-director-of-development

1 church, 2 realities: How Back of the Yards parishioners found faith in the face of ICE. @citybureau.bsky.social reports: blockclubchi.co/3Q5Mnlv

Many South and West Siders care deeply about how the city spends money. But they don’t always understand how — or why — local leaders make key decisions, and they don’t know how to give their input. https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2026/4/1/chicago-2026-budget-south-and-west-siders

Against gas rate hikes? Tell the Illinois Commerce Commission. https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2026/04/01/newswire-against-gas-rate-hikes-tell-the-illinois-commerce-commission

In conversations in Austin, McKinley Park & Back of the Yards, Chicagoans have clear priorities for how the city should spend taxpayer money — but they also want more information on how the whole process works. https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2026/4/1/chicago-2026-budget-south-and-west-siders

ANNOUNCING: Jody Chong has been appointed as City Bureau’s permanent Executive Director—and we're celebrating! She’s spent four years helping build what we are today: a civic media lab with deep Chicago roots & a #DocumentersNetwork active nationwide. www.citybureau.org/notebook/cit...

The demand for gender-based violence services, like emergency shelter and financial systems, has been on the rise since 2020. We want to know why. Have you used these services? https://youtube.com/shorts/SVuBvcvCOOY?feature=share

👋 Meet David, a City Bureau Documenters Site Success Manager! This arts educator brings a background in program implementation and initiative management to support the #DocumentersNetwork. https://www.citybureau.org/notebook/meet-david-a-city-bureau-documenters-site-success-manager

🤓 On our reading this list week: "The Hidden Work of Caregivers" by longtime Chicago Documenter Pachina Fletcher. Read her story and the rest of @southsideweekly.bsky.social's Worker Issue now ⬇️ southsideweekly.com/the-hidden-w...

Last call! We’re investigating how federal budget changes are affecting local education, social services, and health care in collaboration with our #DocumentersNetwork. Contribute to our reporting: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfSMg0e4KYxmX3tWEMWQaO6Wq4hDJDovLnfAKNS7WvfM28JZA/viewform

Over the next five months, our #DocumentersNetwork is investigating how federal budget shifts are affecting communities in cities across the United States. Share what you’re seeing with us. https://www.citybureau.org/notebook/documenters-network-editorial-project-launch

🗣️ We’re #hiring a Senior Site Success Manager. Are you a relationship builder and strategist with deep experience in nonprofit revenue generation and development? Help us build sustainable futures across #DocumentersNetwork. https://www.citybureau.org/senior-site-success-manager-documenters-network

From makeshift studios on the South Side to the bright lights of Downtown runways, young entrepreneurs are redefining fashion as a movement inspired by community, vision, and empowerment. https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2025/12/18/chicago-youth-designers

🎉 Announcing: The Second Digital Equity IMPACT Cohort! In partnership with Cook County, we're supporting 22 organizations working to improve access to the internet, technology and digital literacy resources. www.citybureau.org/digital-equi...

Learn more about local issues by following the topics that matter to you and discovering how local decisions affect your neighborhood! From affordable housing to mental health, here's where to find the reporting that makes a difference. https://www.citybureau.org/latest-reporting

💛 Everyday civic action needs all of us. For ten years, we’ve been creating programs and pathways to make democratic processes more tangible and accessible to everyone. Help us continue this work and become a supporter today! https://www.citybureau.org/donate

Over the next five months, our #DocumentersNetwork is investigating how federal budget shifts are affecting communities in cities across the United States. Share what you’re seeing with us! https://www.citybureau.org/notebook/documenters-network-editorial-project-launch

🤓 Looking to learn something new about local Chicago government? The latest #Newswire breaks down all you need to know about court dockets.

Congratulations to former Civic Reporting fellow Leona Towner on being selected to join the #FOIAFest Boot Camp cohort! www.raceandequityproject.org/foia-fest-bo...

Underrepresented in the niche puppet scene, a community of Latino artists are leaning on one another for mentorship, and striving to make their performances accessible across generations, languages and music genres. https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2026/2/2/changosnakedog/latino/puppeteers

Happy Election Day! Here's your 2026 Primary Election Cheat Sheet! https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2026/02/25/newswire-your-2026-primary-election-cheat-sheet

REALLY excited about this project. We're teaming up with Documenters sites across the country — Detroit! Newark! Rural communities in Seattle and Washington! — to illustrate how federal cuts are affecting your local communities. Share what you're seeing here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Really love this feature by fall 2025 @citybureau.bsky.social fellow Amari Davis. Too many Black elders were casualties of two global public health crises spanning 50 years: the AIDS epidemic and COVID-19. Here's how Black Chicagoans are building those intergenerational relationships back up.

TOMORROW || We're partnering with Illinois Network for PreTrial Justice to document Cook County’s adherence to the 2023 SAFE-T Act’s Pretrial Fairness Act. Join us for a workshop on Documenting Detention Hearings: https://www.citybureau.org/events/documenting-cook-county-detention-hearings-march-12

Collaborative journalism is impactful journalism! What happens when hundreds of residents work with reporters across the country to track how federal funding shifts affect city and county budgets and lives across the US?

🗣️ ANNOUNCING: The Documenters Network Editorial Project! Our #DocumentersNetwork is investigating how federal budget shifts are affecting communities in cities across the United States. www.citybureau.org/notebook/doc...

Reflections on why building a values-aligned career starts with knowing your story and trusting your path. https://www.citybureau.org/notebook/2026/1/20/navigating-career-uncertainty-with-an-abundance-mindset

Black queer communities on the South and West Sides of Chicago are determined to thrive across generations despite the aftermath of widespread loss and disconnection. https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2026/3/4/how-two-public-health-crises-fractured-intergenerational-black-queer-mentorship

👋 Meet Amira, City Bureau’s People and Operations Manager! This dedicated community worker helps shape a culture rooted in care and collaboration. https://www.citybureau.org/notebook/meet-amira-city-bureaus-people-operations-manager

Save the date for these March #ChicagoDocumenters events! These sessions offer practical tools and collaborative space to strengthen local civic reporting. https://www.citybureau.org/events

Here’s a map of locations where you can pick up a copy of our Cook County judicial election guide. New locations are being added through the end of this week! www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/v...

🧐In this week's #Newswire: Why do charter schools keep closing? Plus, CPS to end ChiArts conservatory model ⬇️ www.citybureau.org/newswire/202...

Hello! 👋 At 12:45 CT I’ll be live tweeting the Commission on Chicago Landmarks and the Permit Review Committee regular meetings on behalf of @chidocumenters.bsky.social. @citybureau.bsky.social Here is a sneak peek of the addresses on the agenda for today:

With immigration raids targeting multiple parts of the city and suburbs, here are tips from local community groups on what to do. https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2025/9/5/ice-raids-chicago-how-to-get-help

An Inner-City Muslim Action Network’s program brings people together for mentorship & care after prison. Executive Director Alia Bilal discusses how leaders blend spirituality, justice, and organizing. https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2025/12/1/iman/green/reentry/program/intergenerational/healing

Four emerging reporters looked into the people, places and organizations bringing different generations together. They explored how they work with varying viewpoints to facilitate collective action, how to live together and more. https://www.citybureau.org/intergenerational-relationships

Chicago residents risk daily lead exposure from toxic lead service lines, the underground pipes that connect buildings to the city’s water supply. Here's how to test your water and get free filters! https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2025/9/2/lead-pipes-chicago-how-to-protect-yourself

2025 was a pivotal and defining year for City Bureau! We responded to urgent challenges, equipped communities for action, and made an undeniable impact. Our Yearbook & Annual Report shares the stories, milestones, & momentum informing our next chapter! https://www.citybureau.org/annual-report-2025

Chicago moms navigate numerous challenges to balance parenthood with securing stable work and housing. It’s an uphill battle, but through grit — and community — these moms are finding a path forward. https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2026/1/8/young-chicago-mothers-housing-and-work-community

TOMORROW || Calling all @chidocumenters.bsky.social! Join us for a workshop on covering detention hearings. Learn more and RSVP here: https://www.citybureau.org/events/covering-your-local-government-january-gadbt-d4pec-wfgn3

We love to see @signalcleveland.bsky.social in the news! Documenter Doug Breehl-Pitorak spoke to students participating in the Cleveland Media Academy. https://www.cleveland.com/academy/2026/02/doug-breehl-pitorak-speaks-to-high-school-students-about-the-importance-of-covering-local-government.html

📣 Our judicial election guide for the March 2026 primary is here! We spent months researching each candidate’s background, legal experience, political connections, conduct, and more — all so you can make informed decisions about who should be a Cook County judge. buff.ly/O4cRnL6

In a world that is increasingly online, 14 suburban Cook County orgs have spent the past year exploring solutions to ensure everyone has access to a virtual cornucopia of knowledge. Here's how they're doing it! https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2026/1/27/digital-equity-public-newsroom

Jahmal Cole, founder of youth advocacy organization My Block My Hood My City, said it’s critical for mentors like him to show young people how local politics affect their lives. https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2024/12/18/young-voters-chicago-election

Previously and currently incarcerated people in Illinois can’t vote or face numerous hurdles to cast a ballot. Several initiatives in Chicago aim to make that process easier and more accessible. https://www.citybureau.org/newswire/2025/3/6/chicago-elections-incarcerated-people-voting-rights