Search warrant reveals FBI is investigating former Carlyle police chief
Article Summary This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story. CARLYLE — A search warrant executed by the FBI revealed the target of a criminal probe was then Carlyle Police Chief Mark Pingsterhaus, who leased office space in the police station to a federal task force that battles public…
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‘Granny flats’ are illegal to build in most of Chicago —and political gridlock is keeping it that way.
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Unsettling Accounts: How Illinois is Confronting the Student Loan Crisis
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The 2026 Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting are Now Open for Submissions
Submissions are now open for the 22nd Anniversary Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting. News organizations across Chicago and Illinois are encouraged to apply. The deadline to submit your entry is Monday, February 23rd at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Join us for Beyond the Byline: Featuring the 22nd Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative…
Chicago Police Brass Had Rejected Troubled Cop’s Move to Elite Unit Before He Fatally Shot Partner
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A Once Dying Mall in Southern Illinois is Getting a Mighty Makeover, Thanks to $112M Bond Deal, But The Project Has Hit a Speed Bump
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Investigating Responses
Illinois’ Low-Cost Library Program Takes on the Justice Gap
A pilot program in 18 libraries across nine counties trains staff to help residents navigate civil court proceedings, offering a lifeline in communities where legal aid and public transit are scarce.
Illinois Is Turning to Local Jails to Treat Mentally Ill Defendants. Some Early Results Offer Hope — and Warnings
It’s not often that Menard County Jail has a detainee who has been found unfit for trial. The jail, just north of Springfield, is small. With a census that can hover around 10 people or less, and just a few correctional staff on a given shift, mental health care is limited. In 2024, the man…
Investigations
Family of Chicago Cop Killed in Botched Chase Sues Chicago Police Department and Partner Who Shot Her
Officer Krystal Rivera’s family says in the wrongful death suit that Officer Carlos Baker was struggling to accept her decision to end their romantic relationship when he shot her in the back in Chatham on June 5.
Budget Woes: Mayor, Council Clash Over Programs That Feds Once Paid for That Johnson Wants to Keep — on The City’s Tab
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and his allies argue the programs are critical, but alderpeople say they need more details.
Special Projects
Making it in Chicago: Detours and Dead Ends on the Path to Opportunity
The path to upward mobility is paved by affordable and quality education, housing, health care, as well as safe neighborhoods and good-paying jobs… things increasingly out of reach for many Chicagoans. Some city, state and community -led efforts could be part of a roadmap to economic opportunity.
Series – Strapped Down: Restraint Chairs in Illinois Jails
The Illinois Answers Project found jail staff are restraining people in chairs in ways that often violate policies and last longer than recommended by manufacturers.
Series – Underwater in Illinois: Responses to Flooding
The Illinois Answers Project explores how prepared Chicago and the state are to combat the growing environmental threats its residents face, particularly from the problem of severe flooding.


