Closing Bars and Restaurants Didn't Stop People From Gathering
Now officials in Chicago and New York are reconsidering their rules.
Chicago
Massive Illinois Police Reform Bill Ends Cash Bail, Limits Deadly Force, Mandates Body Cameras, and Makes It Easier To Dump Crooked Cops
Unfortunately, qualified immunity remains intact.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Aaron Sorkin takes on the famous trial of activists who organized an anti-war protest during the 1968 Democratic convention.
Video Shows Chicago Police Humiliating Naked Woman During Wrong-Door Raid
Chicago went to court to try and block a local news station from airing the body camera footage.
Senseless Restrictions on Outdoor Activities Undermine the Goal of Curbing COVID-19
By arbitrarily foreclosing relatively safe social and recreational options, politicians encourage defiance, resentment, and riskier substitutes.
Illinois' Governor Begs Citizens To Let Government Tax Them Even More
Lawmakers are bribing citizens with a tiny tax break in exchange for the power to jack up income tax rates down the line.
Chicago Residents Wait Months for Permission To Defend Themselves
Despite an alarming increase in crime, Illinois is illegally delaying gun licenses.
Chicago Cuts School Police Budget by More Than Half
In other news, Chicago Public Schools will still spend $15 million on school police.
Chicago City Council Votes To Partially Reform Its Notoriously Harsh Vehicle Impound Program
A 2018 Reason investigation showed how Chicago's impound program ensnared innocent owners, stripped them of their cars, and soaked them in debt.
Trump Administration Justifies Federal Police Surge With Fake News
Plus: "learning pods" are an unfair target, COVID-19 reinfections are unlikely, and more...
Department of Homeland Security Reportedly Sending 150 Agents to Chicago in Expansion of Federal Crackdown
Trump and other White House officials say the feds may soon be coming to other major cities as well.
The University of Chicago Took a Stand for Free Speech. Faculty Say They Live in Fear Anyway.
Former professor John Cochrane: "I spent much of my last few years of teaching afraid that I would say something that could be misunderstood and thus be offensive to someone."
Chicago Mayor Introduces Major Reforms to Punitive Vehicle Impound Program
Reason showed how Chicago's impound program traps innocent owners in thousands of dollars of debt in 2018.
Chicago Cops Nap and Snack in the Ruins of Riots
If this is what cities are paying billions for, no wonder people are calling for defunding.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Warns Stay-At-Home Violators: 'We Will Take You To Jail, Period'
She then proceeded to yell at a group of teens.
Chicago Jail Inmate With COVID-19 Dies Shackled to His Hospital Bed
The Cook County jail is the country's largest known single source of new coronavirus infections.
Chicago Police Shooting Captured on Video Leads to Outrage, Dropped Charges
Man tackled, shot twice for crime of illegally shifting between train cars.
Chicago Judge Says His Bail Reforms Were a Success. But Independent Reviews Show Flaws and More Crimes.
Did Cook County overdo it and let too many dangerous defendants free?
Illinois Spent the Last Decade Losing Population and Learning Nothing
Our most troubled state enters 2020 having lost residents for six years in a row.
Chicago Cops Body-Slammed a Man on Thanksgiving, Then Charged Him With Assault
The arresting officer is on desk duty and an investigation is underway.
Trump Speaks to Cops, Takes Credit for Crime Drop
"All over the world they're talking about Chicago," Trump said at a law enforcement conference today. "Afghanistan is a safe place by comparison."
Chicago Teachers Go on Strike to Demand Higher Pay, Smaller Class Sizes, New Schools, More Staff, and Affordable Housing
More than 300,000 students in Chicago were out of school on Friday as the teachers strike continued.
Chicago Impounded This Grandmother's Car For a Pot Offense She Didn't Commit. Now She Owes $6,000
Allie Nelson is the latest plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging Chicago's vehicle impound racket, which seizes cars from the innocent and guilty alike.
It's Not a Mystery Why America's Biggest Cities Are Losing Population
Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City all have some easily identifiable management problems.
Pearson Flops as a Sequel to USA's Wild Suits
How can a show about Chicago's squalid corruption have so little to actually say?
Lawsuit Challenges Chicago Towing Racket After City Destroyed Disabled Woman's Van
The lawsuit is the second filed this year challenging Chicago's punitive and corrupt towing program.
Illinois' Top Court Blesses Chicago's Cronyist Anti-Food-Truck Regulations
Restaurateurs get protection from small competitors. It’s the citizens who lose out on delicious food choices.
Reminder To All the News Outlets Hiring Rahm Emanuel: He's Awful
Emanuel was a habitual violator of Illinois' public records laws and shielded the police from public scrutiny whenever he could.
Chicago Impounds Innocent People's Cars and Soaks Them in Fines. Now It's Getting Sued
Following a Reason investigation into Chicago's punitive vehicle impound program, a new lawsuit alleges the practice violates Chicagoans constitutional rights.
Battering Ram-Wielding Chicago Cops Crash 4-Year-Old's Birthday Party, Point Guns at Terrified Kids
When an aunt asked to see a search warrant, she says she was handcuffed.
The Daley Dynasty Is Dead, Again
Friday A/V Club: "It would be funny if heaven was just like the 11th Ward..."
Fewer U.S. Cold Waves
Cold waves aren't as common as they used to be, but research suggests that climate change could still make polar vortexes worse.
Chicago Aldermen Dismayed Not by Corruption, but by One of Their Own Cooperating With the Feds
A retiring member of the Chicago City Council wore a wire to record conversations. He's being treated like a snitch…by city leaders.
A Man Will Take $1.25 Million Home After Police Tackled Him for Allegedly Stealing His Own Car
Dashcam footage shows officers kneeing, tackling, and punching Lawrence Crosby while shouting, "Stop resisting."
Chicago Alderman and Notorious Nanny-Stater Ed Burke Charged in Federal Corruption Scheme
Burke has tried to ban everything from electric cigarettes and self-driving cars to trans fats, plastic straws, and marijuana-flavored candy.
Illinois Bleeds Population for Fifth Year in a Row
Skyrocketing debt and pension obligations make for a tough labor environment.
Chicago Mayor Proposes Dealing Drugs, Gambling to Make Ends Meet
Rahm Emanuel wants pot legalization and a casino so the city can grab more taxes for its pension debts.
Video Shows Chicago Cop Using Handcuffs to Beat Teen Over the Head
Even if he was resisting arrest, this much force seems unnecessary.
Chicago Mayoral Candidate Wants To Settle City Debts by Taxing the Neighbors
The Windy City is bleeding population. A commuter tax is most certainly not going to help.
