Investigation Bad Police Fingerprint Work Undermines Chicago Property Crime Cases Experts and judges question the quality of fingerprint analysis by Chicago police forensics, hampering prosecutions in burglary and theft cases. Mar 12, 2019 6:00 AM
Investigation Las Contradicciones De Emanuel Frente a La Industria Contaminante Un análisis hecho por BGA/Medill revela que las acciones de vigilancia para el cumplimiento de la ley ambiental disminuyeron bajo los dos mandatos del alcalde. El número de inspectores se recortó cuando el alcalde redujo costos. Mar 4, 2019 11:55 AM
Investigation Emanuel Soft on Chicago Polluters Despite Tough Talk A BGA/Medill analysis shows environmental enforcement declined under the two-term mayor. City inspection staff was slashed as mayor cut costs. Feb 22, 2019 5:00 AM
Investigation Chicago Public Schools to Pay $4M in Special Ed Teen's Drowning Documents released after a judge lifts a publication ban against the BGA offer new details about failed oversight, warnings that were ignored and "mayhem" at high school pool on the Southwest Side in 2017. Feb 8, 2019 5:00 AM
Investigation Cook Judge Bars Publication of Documents About Student Drowning, Raising Free Press Concerns After CPS lawyer provides BGA with internal records about drowning death of teen with autism, a Cook County judge issues order temporarily prohibiting publication. School district lawyers say they released the documents by mistake. Feb 7, 2019 5:00 AM
Investigation Taxpayers Covered Millions in Gym Costs Jesse White Promised to Pay Illinois’ Secretary of State said he would raise most of the funds needed to build a new Chicago home for his Tumblers gymnastics team. He didn’t, but taxpayers did. Jan 11, 2019 11:30 AM
Investigation The King of Recusals: How Ald. Ed Burke’s Private Law Business Intersects With His Public Power Chicago’s longest-sitting alderman has recused himself 464 times in the last eight years, far more than all other aldermen combined. Following recent federal raids, questions of his conflicts of interest have arisen again. Dec 26, 2018 12:18 PM
Investigation Taxpayer Tab for Chicago-area #MeToo Cases $55 Million and Growing Legal costs mount as hundreds of public bodies in the Chicago region over the last decade have faced allegations of sexual assault, harassment or abuse. Nov 26, 2018 10:00 PM
Investigation How Dolton, Illinois Reflects America's Changing Suburbs in 2018 BGA and WBEZ spent months in Dolton reporting on a growing national trend: for the first time, there is more poverty in suburbs than in cities. Nov 12, 2018 12:00 AM
Investigation Interactive Map: Pollution Hits Chicago's West, South Sides Hardest New research shows toxic threats are greatest in minority neighborhoods near industrial areas. Interactive map also shows pollution dangers near your home. Oct 25, 2018 6:00 AM
Investigation A Veteran Cook County Judge Has Been Repeatedly Blocked from Hearing Sex Offense Cases. Here’s Why. An unprecedented investigation of court data finds systematic effort to keep Judge James Linn from deciding sex charges after a controversial ruling he made years ago. Oct 22, 2020 12:01 PM
Investigation Meet the Cook County Judge Defense Attorneys Least Want to Appear Before Judge Diane Gordon Cannon criticized for verbal outbursts, a pro-prosecution bent and jailing of probationers for sometimes-minor infractions. Oct 22, 2020 11:58 AM
Investigation O’Hare’s Billions in Broken Promises For more than 50 years, the airport has been plagued by corruption and costly delays. The politically connected cash in. Meanwhile, passengers trudge through a transit hub that persistently underperforms. Jul 24, 2019 6:00 AM