This morning's front page @chicagotribune.com. Photo by @staceywescott.bsky.social

News: CPD's First Deputy Supt. Yolanda Talley is retiring after about six months as the dept.'s second-in-command. A major reorg effectively stripped her of virtually all her responsibilities related to the department’s daily operations about two months ago. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/19/c...

Sept. 19 dispatch from outside the Broadview ICE holding building. With Rebecca Johnson. Photos by Stacey Wescott and Dominic DiPalermo www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/19/t...

Broadview, 8:40 a.m.

Broadview, IL, 8:25 a.m.

Broadview, IL, 7:15 a.m.

Has been the kind of day where I shouldn't be surprised that I nearly took a basketball to the head while sitting in a corner

Today I have solidified my position as the Tribune's resident chaos muppet by doing 20 jumping jacks in a conference room to decompress from a story draft

New Saint Levant :) open.spotify.com/album/1L0410...

Good grief — CPD told state investigators Ofc. Krystal Rivera was shot and killed by an armed suspect, not her own police partner. @peternickeas.bsky.social @schuba.bsky.social @ctoner.bsky.social illinoisanswers.org/2025/08/22/c...

Days before Club JROY took place in Austin, Jamal Williams posted a TikTok telling people discussing potential violence at the party to stay home. Police responded to at least three instances of gunfire within six blocks of the party early on Aug. 10. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/21/c...

Eric McMillen was a champion eavesdropper on phone calls, a terrible dancer and a dad to seven kids. He was fatally shot April 30, picking his youngest daughter up from her boyfriend's. The boyfriend, a longtime family friend, is now charged with his murder. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/18/a...

Austin dispatch: Two homicides in two days on the same block (Madison and Lavergne or so). One was an apparent rifle attack. Victims are men, ages 26 and 42. Bad week in 015. For @chicagotribune.com www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/14/m...

Inbox: Bestselling author promises to explain men for me (and by extension Trib readers) in new book. Certainly the question as a whole is of substantial public interest but I am doubtful.

News: Authorities charged a Pilsen woman with hate crime, aggravated battery and criminal property damage regarding an alleged fight over her defacement of a mural that depicted a Palestinian and Mexican man near Ashland and 17th. She's in court right now www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/08/w...

I am a serious young professional and I prefer my coffee in the Miffy thermos, thank you very much

Memorial at Ashland and Cullerton for Marcela Herrera, who was killed in a hit and run here last month.

Person shot, 1836 W Wood. Tape going up. There is a gun here in the middle of the street. Shooting was inside.

Today I am thinking about dybbuks: disembodied spirits, typically belonging to people who have committed wrongs while alive, who show up in Jewish mythology looking to take up lodging in a living person. As depicted in the 2015 film Demon www.imdb.com/title/tt4935...

CPD statement: Reorg intended “to streamline operations and communications internally.” First Deputy Superintendent “remains a vital part of CPD's leadership, focusing on the department's administrative needs and our continued efforts to build trust in every community throughout the city.”

Someone described this to me as a slap in the face to the first deputy.

A South Side prayer group met in its usual place (a Chatham parking lot) two days after a shooting had killed a man and wounded three other people. They prayed that day for God to touch "those who lived through this, let them know that you are there.” www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/29/s...

This guy allegedly called 911 to turn himself in when he saw himself on TV as a person of interest.

News: Police found more than 20 shell casings of different sizes on scene of the mass shooting at rapper Mello Buckzz’ album release party July 2, records show. 9 mm, .40 and .223 (rifle). No one in custody & investigation marked confidential. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/28/m...

Two men with old ties to the Cabrini-Green rowhouses were shot and killed earlier this month, on the same block in what is left of the housing development. Even as the neighborhood has changed dramatically around the rowhouses old relationships have persisted. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/27/c...

Scoop: Suspect in custody, charges pending against man arrested for allegedly spray-painting swastikas, "ICE RULES" around Little Village www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/27/l...

Starting a list of words not allowed in my news copy (& their appropriate exceptions). Welcoming suggestions

Me to @taliasoglin.bsky.social: Today will never come again and for that we should be grateful. Talia: May God bless and keep this day — far away from us.

Hard to find the words for my disappointment in management or rage (but definitely not surprise) toward Alden. One person laid off — housing reporter Lizzie Kane — had a screamer, front-page scoop last week. Defies reason to send that kind of talent out the door. This cut will have ripple effects.

Inbox: CPD alerts a string of anti-semitic graffiti incidents around Hyde Park from late last month

Shooting, 87th and Lafeyette - 1 DOA, 1 critical and others with graze wounds per preliminary info. There were hundreds of cops here maybe 20 minutes ago but the scene is almost empty now except for detectives and a few scene guards. Search for shell casings sounds challenging.

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/16/m... A South Shore peacekeeper was shot last night, per police and violence prevention officials. 30 casings and a Glock switch.

Another colleague said he was going to give me a rotary phone and see if I knew what to do with it 🧐

Taking bets on when this thing was last used. Seen in Dirksen Federal Courthouse

Homicide, Wilcox/Washtenaw. Scene consists of maybe 10 shell casings — couldn’t see what type — a lot of blood and a hat.

Seven shot. 49th/Justine. Rifle rounds and handgun casings all over. Victims up and down the street. Fireworks carrying on as detectives roll up

I am seven different kinds of in love with Chicago

Superpoof summer

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Yy... New animal collective song is fun, summer Fridays feel like a good time for them in general

Ogden Park, 7 p.m. 3 shot. Men, ages 25, 32, 37. All in serious condition to U of C. Standing in the road next to a playground when someone started shooting

No one is naive around here; we all get that buyouts are part of the 21st century news world. But there is a professional way to run such a thing that minimizes damage to the product and the morale of the people behind it. This isn’t it.

In Forest Park for the funeral of CPD Ofc. Krystal Rivera, who was mistakenly shot and killed by her partner in Chatham earlier this month.

If you read @chicagotribune.com Friday you already knew the city was closing a controversial Kenwood shelter that housed migrants and later opened to all homeless people — city now acknowledges that shelter will shut and announces that another one by Midway airport will shut, citing federal funding

Just say you're not interested in a serious effort at improving CTA and be done with it, sheesh. via @taliasoglin.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/19/b...

Shakespeare (14th) District has the most fun ceiling I’ve ever seen in a police station

50 E. Adams, 9:30 AM. Outside immigration court. Maybe 15 protesters, with a handful of others around the block. Three divvy bikes, one e-scooter, no federal agents thus far

Could be worse

Listening: June Hymn, by the Decemberists m.youtube.com/watch?v=KusW...

Seen at Cermak and Damen