Investigation Pipeline to Chicago Could Make Joliet Mayor the New Suburban Water Czar Sep 16, 2021 1:00 PM Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk is balancing his sometimes-controversial history with an ambitious plan to buy Lake Michigan water from Chicago and resell it throughout the region.
Investigation No Ransom Paid, but Illinois AG Office Is Spending More Than $2.5 Million on Hacker Attack In his first in-depth interview since the April breach at the state’s top law enforcement agency, Raoul acknowledges the hack is “embarrassing.” Jul 29, 2021 2:30 PM
Investigation Few Programs Steer Child Carjackers Away From Trouble Children as young as 13 have been caught hijacking cars in Chicago. Experts say first-time arrestees can’t get the intervention they need. Jul 7, 2021 7:00 AM
Investigation Alcaldía De Chicago Dice Que Necesita Cerca De $600 Millones Más Para Terminar La Transformación De Cabrini-Green Con un presupuesto público que ya supera los $300 millones, el esfuerzo de 23 años para revitalizar la zona alrededor del antiguo proyecto de viviendas públicas tomará al menos 12 años más y podría acercarse a un total de casi mil millones de dólares. Jun 21, 2021 12:00 PM
PolitiFact Fact-Check: Casten Overblows Heat Wave Claim to Support More Action on Climate Change The congressman mislabeled Chicago’s 1995 heat wave as the nation’s deadliest “single-day, non-war” pre-9/11 disaster and said the city is “now expecting” temperatures that high every summer. That ignores some critical facts. Sep 1, 2021 6:00 AM
PolitiFact Fact-Check: No, Chicago Police Officer Ella French Didn’t Leave Behind an Infant Child Ella French’s brother and Chicago Police Supt. David Brown have both said claims circulating online that French had a child and recently returned from maternity leave are inaccurate. Aug 10, 2021 4:00 PM
Database Illinois Public Salaries Database Review, explore and compare compensation for public employees throughout Illinois. Updated: Sep 30, 2020 @ 8:30 AM
Database Illinois Public Pensions Database Follow the money paid to retired public-sector employees throughout Illinois. Updated: Aug 19, 2020 @ 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 After Loretto Hospital Executive’s Pal Got $4 Million In Contracts, Patient Complaints And Assaults Soared Locked inside Loretto’s psychiatric ward for five days, one man risked his life to flee. Aug 30, 2021 8:00 AM
Follow-Up Loretto Hospital Under Investigation For ‘Potential Misuse Of Charitable Assets’ The Illinois Attorney General’s Office is investigating the West Side hospital after the Better Government Association and Block Club Chicago disclosed insider contracts. Aug 27, 2021 9:00 AM
Follow-Up City Panel Approves $600M to Finish Cabrini City finally pledging to follow through on promises it made when the public housing complex Cabrini-Green was ordered demolished more than two decades ago. Aug 10, 2021 3:53 PM
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
Explainer Get Ready, Illinois: Pritzker’s Tax Plan Looks to Become the Biggest Ballot Measure in State History Is it a “fair tax” or a “blank check?” Those will be two of the opposing messages Illinois voters will hear between now and November over the governor’s proposal to flip the state from a flat income tax rate to a graduated one. Updated: Mar 19, 2020 @ 11:42 AM
Explainer Mayor Lightfoot Promised to Spend More Money on Students in Need. Will 2020 Be the Year? Chicago schools with more students who face increased challenges need more resources, but funding has stayed the same per-pupil for years. Now the city is examining how to divvy up money differently as school enrollment declines. Dec 11, 2019 9:30 AM
Investigation The Failures Before the Fires: Dozens Die in Chicago Buildings Where the City Knew of Fire Safety Issues April 23, 2021
Featured Analysis Ranked-Choice Voting faced one of its biggest tests yet. Did it live up to expectations? Is it the future? BGA takes a deep dive. Aug 10, 2021 3:20 PM
From Our President The Chicago Park District Lifeguard Scandal. A Slow-Motion Disaster. September 17, 2021
From Our President Greising: While Mourning the Loss of Muckraker Bill Recktenwald, Here’s Some Good News for the Future of Newsrooms September 3, 2021
Analysis The BGA's Ethics Agenda: Let’s Get Serious About Ending Corruption in Illinois Updated: October 6, 2020
What the Gov What the Gov? Reimagined: What Do You Want To Know or Share About Government and Politics in Illinois and Chicago? September 15, 2021
What the Gov Community Ask: ‘I filed a complaint to the AG’s office. When will I hear back?’ August 24, 2021
Press Release Better Government Association Names Bryan Zarou as Director of Policy September 9, 2021
Press Release Better Government Association Names Mark Valentino as Director of Development September 8, 2021
