Breaking BGA Wins Pulitzer Prize May 9, 2022 2:28 PM The Better Government Association has won a Pulitzer Prize for its investigative stories with The Chicago Tribune that exposed the failure of Chicago city officials to keep tenants safe from deadly fires in dangerous residential buildings.
Investigation Illinois Pension Funds Are Slow To Pull Out of Russian Assets Despite a public outcry following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, legislation designed to force divestment languished unpassed in the Spring session of the Illinois General Assembly. Lawmakers say they intend to take the issue up again in the Fall. May 5, 2022 6:00 AM
Investigation Security Cameras Scarce in Parks with Most Reported Crimes Only 16 of the 600 parks in city neighborhoods have security cameras, but many of them are in white, wealthy neighborhoods without much of a crime problem. Many parks in higher-crime areas, including more neighborhoods of color, have no cameras at all despite requests from residents. Apr 21, 2022 6:00 AM
Investigation Ald. Walter Burnett Softened Stance on Affordable Housing After Cash Flowed Developer Onni Group wanted out of its obligation to include affordable units in its luxury Old Town highrises. Onni paid a Burnett friend more than $417,000 to lobby City Hall, helped sponsor a Burnett fundraiser and pledged $25,000 to a charity run by Burnett’s wife. Some tenants said the alderman abandoned them. Apr 12, 2022 6:00 AM
PolitiFact Orland Park Mayor Says Crime at Lowest in Nearly Three Decades In his bid for Congress, Mayor Keith Pekau is touting the downward turn in reported crimes during his tenure. While the reported statistics bear him out, there was a spike in violent crime his first year in office. May 1, 2022 12:00 PM
PolitiFact Illinois Rep. Mary Miller Claims Biden Administration Is Encouraging Kids to Take "Castration" Drugs, Undergo Surgeries Miller, a Republican from east central Illinois, took to Twitter after White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called out Alabama lawmakers for approving a bill to block transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care. Miller falsely claimed the White House is lying to kids by telling them puberty blockers are reversible. Apr 17, 2022 12:00 PM
Database Illinois Public Salaries Database Review, explore and compare compensation for public employees throughout Illinois. Updated: Nov 18, 2021 @ 8:30 AM
Database Illinois Public Pensions Database Follow the money paid to retired public-sector employees throughout Illinois. Updated: May 4, 2022 @ 12:00 PM
The Circuit: Over 18 years, 61% of all criminal charges were filed against Black people, even though only about 23% of the county’s population is Black. In our latest update to our collaborative investigation, the BGA, Injustice Watch and DataMade break down more than 3 million criminal charges by race, ethnicity and gender. Aug 13, 2021 10:05 AM
Follow-Up Pritzker Orders Funds Released to Madigan-Sponsored Projects Citing a BGA investigation, nine lawmakers requested a funding freeze in the wake of former House Speaker Michael Madigan’s 22-count federal indictment on charges he traded his office to enrich himself and his friends. Mar 28, 2022 6:00 AM
Follow-Up Pritzker Freezes Funds to Madigan-Sponsored Projects Citing a BGA investigation, nine lawmakers requested the freeze in the wake of former House Speaker Michael Madigan’s 22-count federal indictment on charges he traded his office to enrich himself and his friends. Updated: Mar 10, 2022 @ 11:37 AM
Follow-Up Michael Madigan Indicted in 22-Count Federal Corruption Case As part of a corruption probe lasting years, the longtime house speaker is charged with a conspiracy to use his vast power atop Illinois government to enrich himself, his law firm and his vast political patronage army. Mar 2, 2022 7:06 PM
Explainer COVID-19 Again Hits Illinois Prisons, Exacerbating Long-Standing Failures in Medical and Mental Health Care Despite dramatically reduced prison populations, officials continue to face problems containing the virus because of lagging vaccine rates of prison staff. Jan 27, 2022 5:45 AM
Explainer Fewer People in Cook County Are Being Charged With Crimes. Why Are Black People Making Up a Larger Share of Defendants? An Injustice Watch/BGA investigation broke down the data on specific charges and asked experts to explain why racial disparities are increasing in Cook County criminal court. Dec 1, 2021 11:02 AM
Explainer Biden’s Infrastructure Push Challenges Illinois’ Car-Centric Approach The president’s plan to cut pollution, promote public transit and address racial inequities would mark a sharp change for a transportation system built for the Eisenhower Era. Updated: Jun 24, 2021 @ 3:23 PM
Press Release Initial $10 Million in Grants to New Investigative and Solutions Journalism Initiative Nov 22, 2021 12:00 AM
From Our President Greising: City Hall Still Hasn’t Learned Its Lesson a Year After Report on Deadly Fire-Safety Failures May 13, 2022
From Our President Greising: Violent Crime Surge Abates, but CPD’s Road to Reform Remains Rocky May 6, 2022
What the Gov Pattern of Late-Night Finishes for the Illinois General Assembly Raises Transparency Concerns April 27, 2022
What the Gov Community Ask: I have severe glaucoma. I had Illinois Medicaid and recently qualified for Medicare, as well. Why was it so difficult to find treatment from an ophthalmologist? March 29, 2022
What the Gov Community Ask: How much does Illinois earn in lottery tickets per year, and where do those proceeds go? March 10, 2022
Featured Analysis The inspector general's position has been vacant for over four months. BGA took a look at the laws that allow for delay and highlighted areas for improvement. Feb 25, 2022 3:28 PM
Perspective Bryan Zarou: Aldermanic Ethics Reform Package Could Be a Second Chance for Lightfoot To Fulfill Her Vow May 13, 2022
