Chicago

A Land Deal Benefiting a Billionaire’s Soccer Team Is Muscled Through Despite Objections

A zoning committee initially rejected the mayor’s plan to lease public housing property to the Chicago Fire. Less than 24 hours later, a new vote reversed a rare mayoral defeat.

  • By Mick Dumke, ProPublica

One of the Nation's Biggest Cities Begins Cash Payments to Low-Income Residents

For the next year, Chicago plans to distribute $500 a month to thousands of households who can use the money as they see fit.

  • By Molly Bolan

The Difficult Push to Build More Housing Near Transit

Some states and cities are adopting policies to promote dense development near bus and rail lines. But it can be a hard sell politically and sometimes has unintended consequences.

  • By Jared Brey

No More Stairs: Cash Influx to Make Transit More Accessible

More than 25 million Americans have self-reported travel-limiting disabilities.

  • By Jenni Bergal, Stateline

Thousands of City Workers Suspended Without Pay Over Vaccine Noncompliance

About 91% of New York City’s municipal workforce is vaccinated, but the police and fire departments are getting vaccinated at lower rates.

  • By Andrea Noble

Percentage of Women in State Policing Has Stalled Since 2000

Female officers are less likely to use force and are named in fewer complaints.

  • By Lindsey Van Ness, Stateline

‘An Insurrection’: When Police Reject a City’s Vaccine Mandate

Chicago employees were required to report their vaccination status by Friday or risk losing pay. The local FOP is encouraging officers not to do so.

  • By Andrea Noble

The Cities With the Heftiest Parking Fines

A new report looks at how violations like blocking traffic, loading zones or pedestrian ramps can put a dent in drivers' wallets.

  • By Andre Claudio

The Potential Flaw in How Many Big City Police Officers are Assigned to Neighborhoods

A new study finds that getting more experienced officers into higher crime districts could have a number of upsides, including reduced violent crime rates.

  • By Andre Claudio

Full FDA Approval of Pfizer Vaccine Prompts Swift Mandates for State, Local Government Workers

Following approval for the vaccine, some leaders across the country immediately tell public employees and college students to get vaccinated now.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Why America's Great Crime Decline Is Over

COMMENTARY | Even before the recent mass shootings, violent crime was surging to its highest rate in 30 years. Patrick Sharkey illuminates what's happening.

  • By Derek Thompson, The Atlantic

Chicago Ballparks Will Reopen to Limited Number of Fans

The city will allow about 8,000 people to attend upcoming Cubs and White Sox baseball games.

  • By Brent Woodie
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An Urban Hospital on the Brink vs. the Officials Sworn to Save It

Officials fear that the facility's closure will limit hospital access for about 60,000 Chicago-area residents. Inner-city hospitals often struggle with lean Medicaid payment rates.

  • By Harris Meyer, Kaiser Health News

How Downtowns Can Rebound After the Pandemic

They have to offer more than office space.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

These Cities Tried to Tackle Disinvestment. Here Are Lessons From What Happened.

Local governments have made efforts to revive commerce in neglected Black neighborhoods around the country. It hasn’t always worked. But cities can learn from their experiences.

  • By Haru Coryne and Tony Briscoe, ProPublica

How to Fairly Use Algorithms to Make Tough Decisions

COMMENTARY | With computer power increasingly used to guide policies adopted by states and local leaders, governments need to take steps to ensure the underlying algorithms aren’t biased.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Chicago Mayor Asks People to Stay Home, but Doesn’t Issue Order

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Republican Arizona AG says no evidence of election fraud in state … Florida news reports raise questions about intentional spoiler candidates … Louisville newspaper accuses city of lying about police public records.

  • By Laura Maggi

Cities Declared Racism a Public Health Crisis. What Now?

This summer, many local governments approved resolutions declaring racism to be a public health crisis. Why now? And what comes next?

  • By Emma Coleman

Texas AG Says He Won’t Resign After Staff Accuse Him of Bribery and Other Wrongdoing

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Thousands of kids in Miami-Dade return to classrooms … Maine’s marijuana industry expected to get off to a sputtering start … de Blasio, Cuomo at odds over shutdown orders in some New York City neighborhoods.

  • By Bill Lucia

Poll: Over Half of Households in America's Biggest Cities Dealing With Financial Difficulties

Budget problems, which have coincided with the coronavirus pandemic, are especially acute for Black and Latino residents.

  • By Bill Lucia

Chicago Police Will Monitor Social Media in Response to Looting

"Social media platforms have repeatedly been used to organize large groups of people to engage in illegal activity," said Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

  • By Emma Coleman