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?
Chicago
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.
Private Train Cars, Murder Task Forces, Captain Kirk: Cities Offered Amazon Some Weird Shit
But none of it is a substitute for developing a robust and vibrant economy. And neither is landing a single big employer like Amazon.
Chicago Uses Straw Ban Ballot Measure to Make Sure Citizens Can't Vote on Term Limits
The city's straw initiative combines the nanny statism of straw bans with the greasy machine politics of Chicago.
Chicago Seized a Disabled Woman's Van. Now It's Scrap Metal.
The city decided her van was an abandoned vehicle, even though it clearly wasn't.
Newly Released Video Challenges Cop's Story in Shooting of Autistic Teen
An off-duty Chicago Police Sergeant Khalil Muhammad said Ricardo Hayes was displaying a gun in an "armed confrontation."
Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke Convicted of Second-Degree Murder for Killing Laquan McDonald
Also found guilty of 16 counts of aggravated battery, one for each bullet he fired.
Jon Burge, Chicago's Most Famous Corrupt Cop, Is Dead at 70
Credibly accused, but never actually convicted, of torturing dozens of people to force confessions
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Won't Run for Re-Election
The Windy City will be left drowning in debt, despite the high taxes and vicious money-grubbing fines.
Did This Chicago Teen Commit Suicide or Was He Shot by Police?
The family of 15-year-old Steven Rosenthal is demanding proof after he died in a police chase.
A Supreme Court Decision About Sports Betting May Help Protect Sanctuary Cities from the Feds
A rule covering immigration communications between state and federal officials may be unconstitutional.
Body Cam Shows Chicago Police Officer Shooting a Man in the Back
Maurice Granton's family says the video shows that the shooting was unjustified.
Chance the Rapper Buys Chicagoist, Promises to Investigate Rahm Emanuel
"And Rahm, you done, I'm expectin' resignation..."
'I Kill Motherfuckers'
A white police officer threatened to detain two black men for "walking in the street."
Chicago Has Raked in $114 Million in Vehicle Impound Fines Since 2012
Drug violations generated more than $36 million of that.
Attorney General Sessions Properly Links an "ACLU Effect" and the Chicago Homicide Spike
The Attorney General approvingly discussed my article linking the dramatic decline in street stops in Chicago under an ACLU agreement and the subsequent homicide spike. While Professor John Rappaport has a different take on this "ACLU Effect," his unsupported analysis does not fit the data.
Chicago Mayor Pushes for Police Drone Surveillance of Public Gatherings
Rahm Emanuel wants to do the thing that critics of drone surveillance fear most.
Chicago Is Trying to Pay Down Its Debt by Impounding Innocent People's Cars
How a uniquely punitive city impound program combined with the drug war and asset forfeiture to deprive people of their vehicles for years at a time.
Attn, Chicago: Reason Happy Hour, Debate on Net Neutrality with Nick Gillespie, 4/16-17
Come out and meet Reason's editor at large in the City of Big Shoulders.
