Public health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike connected with ordinary people nearly every day during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now she is CEO of a top state medical contractor. Did Dr. Ezike’s quick switch violate the state Ethics Act?
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Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation, PolitiFact
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Claims Chicago’s ’Tougher’ Gun Laws Fail To Prevent Gun Violence
Chicago is frequently targeted as a city with ineffective, strict gun laws. While the city has a history of implementing tougher laws in comparison to other cities, a Supreme Court decision drastically loosened some restrictions.
Posted inEvents
Better Government Association Announces 2022 Driehaus Investigative Journalism Award Finalists
The Better Government Association has named eight investigative projects as finalists for the 2022 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting.
Posted inABC 7 Videos
IL DCFS Chief Under Fire After BGA Finds Hundreds of Foster Children Being Held Improperly
A BGA examination of the Illinois Department of Family and Children Services reveals the agency is battling a crisis under child welfare chief Marc Smith.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation
Foster Children Held in Jails, Shelters — Workers Threatened, Attacked: A State Agency in Crisis
One juvenile court judge asked: “What does a judge do when the department basically abuses a child?” Besieged Illinois child welfare director Marc Smith speaks out in a rare and passionate defense of his tenure, saying “every effort is being made” to protect children and workers.
Posted inABC 7 Videos
Chicago City Council Committee Approves Ordinance on Changes to Curfew for Minors
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to extent the citywide curfew for minors was approved by the Chicago City Council’s Public Safety Committee Friday, but not without some sharp criticism
Posted inUpdates
BGA Wins Top Honors in State APME Contest
Two BGA projects, with partners at the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times respectively, won first and second place for public service in a contest judged by newspaper editors throughout the state
Posted inPerspectives
Zarou: Aldermanic Ethics Reform Package Could Be a Second Chance for Lightfoot To Fulfill Her Vow
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s track record on reform is a mixed bag. A wide-ranging ethics reform proposal could help her follow through on her promises.
Posted inBreaking, Investigation
BGA Wins Pulitzer Prize
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.
Posted inABC 7 Videos
IL Lawmakers Look To Tackle Pension Fund Divestment Amid Russia, Ukraine War This Fall
After legislation went unpassed this spring, Illinois lawmakers are looking to divest from Russian assets this fall.