Tune in to ABC-7 Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. to catch the latest Weekend Watch segment where we focus a spotlight on government. Director of Policy Bryan Zarou will discuss BGA policy team's overall thoughts from the big players in support/against Lightfoot's proposal, the key parts of the budget, where the shortcomings are and how this affects communities
In Cook County, thousands of people are arrested every year for possessing small amounts of drugs only to have their cases thrown out just days later. It’s due to an unwritten rule in the courts that costs millions of dollars in taxes and costs those getting arrested their jobs, their homes and their freedom.
A new investigation, “Dead-End Drug Arrests,” examines this pattern in Cook County. The Better Government Association and the Chicago Sun-Times found those charged with carrying less than one gram of drugs are still routinely arrested although their charges are overwhelmingly dismissed in the earliest stages of their court cases.
Tune in to ABC-7 Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. to catch the latest Weekend Watch segment where we focus a spotlight on government. David Kidwell, BGA's special projects editor,will discuss "Cabrini-Green: A History of Broken Promises." - a multi-part series by senior investigative reporter Alejandra Cancino, who spent a year sifting through hundreds of documents and conducted dozens of interviews to document the broken promises, delays and neglect of the Cabrini-Green public housing complex.
Tune in to ABC-7 Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. to catch the latest Weekend Watch segment where we focus a spotlight on government. BGA President and CEO David Greising wrote a column breaking down the Mayor's strategy that includes solutions like increasing the involvement of the feds, suspending custody alternatives for people who have been charged with violent crimes (i.e. electronic monitoring). Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell and many law advocates have opposed Lightfoot's plans — Mitchell even calling it "unconstitutional." The Mayor expects to put a strategy in place by summer 2022.
FOIA is a critically important tool in every investigative reporter's toolkit. Join us for a virtual training with Freedom of Information attorney Matt Topic for a refresher on filing FOIA requests, how to best utilize FOIA in your reporting, the legal limits of FOIA, and what to do if your FOIA requests are denied. This […]
Join the reporters of the Illinois Answers Project and let us know what you see as the biggest issues in the Humboldt Park Community and what issues you care about most. We'll also be there to discuss any questions you might have for us and the work we do. Light refreshments will be provided. Our […]
Join Illinois Answers Project Reporter Alex Nitkin and Metropolitan Tenants Organization Organizer Arieh Venick for a conversation about Chicago's building safety record, what other cities are doing to fix unsafe housing conditions, Chicago renter rights & what you need to know as a tenant, and what you can personally do to advocate for safer housing […]
Please join the Better Government Association at our Centennial Celebration & Annual Luncheon. Proceeds from this event will directly fuel our Illinois Answers Project’s investigative and solutions-based newsroom, incisive BGA Policy reform initiatives and our commitment to Civic Engagement so that all communities, especially those disproportionately impacted by government failures, are equipped and informed as […]
Join Illinois Answers Data Reporter Cam Rodriguez, South Side Weekly Investigations Editor Jim Daley, and Loevy & Loevy Partner Matt Topic as we team up to discuss what to do if your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request gets denied. If you'd like to brush up on FOIA, view recordings of our past sessions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ-tOAHtw0c This […]
Join us for Beyond the Byline: Featuring the 21st Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting on Thursday, May 15th, from 3:30-8:30 P.M. at Venue SIX10 in downtown Chicago.This event will feature a thought-provoking panel, an engaging conversation with journalist Jelani Cobb, Dean of Columbia Journalism School, the lauded Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards […]
