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PolitiFact

The Newsroom runs PolitiFact Illinois, the local arm of the nationally renowned, Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking enterprise that rates the truthfulness of statements made by governmental leaders and politicians.

PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Is CPS the Most Understaffed District in Illinois?

The nation’s third-largest school district comes up short on staffing compared to the rest of the state, a fact that undercuts prevailing assumptions about bureaucratic bloat and raises questions about how district funds are being spent.
June 21, 2018
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Rauner’s Legionnaires’ Claim Misses the Mark—and the Point

Gov. Bruce Rauner continues to take heat for his response to repeated outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease at a state-run veterans’ home. Recently, he made an unsupported claim about what initiated the crisis that does nothing to refute those critiques.
June 18, 2018
PolitiFact

Oh, the Humanity! One-man Ouchy Rahm Emanuel, a Preschool Teacher?

Chicago’s tough-talking mayor is known for charging headfirst into politics in his 20s, but teaching preschoolers? We weren’t familiar with that one.
June 13, 2018
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: No, Chicagoland Isn’t the Only Metro Area Losing Residents

Mayoral hopeful Lori Lightfoot said Chicago is the only “metropolitan area” in the nation losing population, a claim that wins her no points for clarity and skirts the edge of credibility.
June 1, 2018
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Blago Op-ed Falsely Claims He is in Prison for ‘Practicing Politics’

Illinois’ former governor once expressed remorse for misdeeds, but years in prison have him lashing out in print at the federal agents who put him there for allegedly criminalizing normal political conduct. His own words and actions belie the claim.
May 29, 2018
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Rauner Says Texas Is More Union Job Friendly Than Illinois

The governor contends manufacturing workers have a better chance of finding union jobs in Texas than in Illinois, despite the Prairie State’s more union-friendly policies. His numbers add up, but don’t quite prove his point.
May 24, 2018
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Is the ACLU Really to Blame for Chicago’s Murder Spike?

Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently cited an academic study that claims a surge in deadly violence in Chicago was caused by ACLU pressure to end the city’s stop-and-frisk policing policy. Experts say the study is flawed and ignores other critical factors.
May 15, 2018
PolitiFact

Vallas, Emanuel Point Fingers Over Chicago Teacher Pension Freefall

In just a few decades, the bottom line at the retirement fund for Chicago teachers sunk from healthy to sickly. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a possible re-election rival, former schools CEO Paul Vallas, are now trading shots over which of them is to blame.
May 14, 2018
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: The Chicago Gun Lie Trump Won't Let Die

President Donald Trump headed to Dallas to speak to members of the National Rifle Association, repeating a familiar talking point about Chicago's gun laws.
May 4, 2018
PolitiFact

Does Chicago Pay Tree Trimmers Top Dollar?

A political progressive who hopes to challenge Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s re-election complains the city is shorting vital services while lavishing six-figure compensation on many workers, including tree trimmers.
May 1, 2018