Stories by Heather Cherone

Chicago police continued to target Black and Latino drivers with a massive campaign of traffic stops that failed to make the city safer in 2024, according to a new analysis from a coalition of groups.

Mayor Brandon Johnson called Cook County Commissioner Anthony Quezada, 29, a “progressive champion.”

“Working to relocate or displace the problem is not how we solve the problem,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “Of course, we’re going to continue to make sure that there are accountability mechanisms in place to keep people safe.”

“We need a different vibe in this country and this party, and I want to bring it,” Kat Abughazaleh said.

The cuts could force the elimination of more than 100 staff positions, Chicago officials said. 

LaKenya White, who served as a director of investigations for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, will replace Andrea Kersten, who resigned as the chief administrator under fire a month ago.

Mayor Brandon Johnson — who campaigned on promises to transform CPS into a school district that offers a well-rounded education to every Chicago child and security to its employees — is caught in another bruising political battle that has, once again, frustrated his allies and emboldened his critics.

Eight ballot measures will likely be decided by voters who live in wealthy communities where the majority of residents are White and own a home, according to a new report from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.

A Chicago Police Department spokesperson blamed data collection errors and lax supervision for the unreported stops.

Since the beginning of the year, Chicago police officers have shot five people, killing three, records show. A spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson acknowledged he has not named an interim replacement for Andrea Kersten, who resigned as the chief administrator of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, known as COPA, on Feb. 13.

The decision to delay the vote is an acknowledgment that budget amendment does not have the support of at least 14 of the 21 CPS board members.

“None of these issues that they need to settle will be worth the consequence of six, seven days or how many ever days out of school,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

The new 21-member, partially elected CPS board is set to vote Thursday on whether to make that pension payment and figure out how to pay for new contracts with the unions representing teachers and principals.

Federal prosecutors want the judge to hold an evidentiary hearing before deciding whether ex-Ald. Carrie Austin, 75, is too ill to stand trial.

Supporters of the ban said it would strike a necessary blow against animal cruelty, while opponents said it would harm Chicago businesses.

The Chicago City Council voted 34-15 Wednesday to pay $280,000 to activist Miracle Boyd, who was struck by a Chicago police officer during a protest in Grant Park near the Christopher Columbus statue in July 2020.

“The commission believes that strengthening trust in COPA now requires new leadership,” Commission for Public Safety and Accountability President Anthony Driver, Jr. and Vice President Remel Terry wrote, saying they had identified “critical failures of leadership (that) seriously undermine the quality and integrity of COPA’s work.”

If the verdict is upheld, it would be equivalent to the amount the city sets aside for an entire year and a half to cover the cost of police misconduct lawsuits.

Under new rules announced Monday, members of the public will be allowed to sign up for a 15-minute slot to inspect the gift room once every three months. Afterward, items will be donated to local Chicago charities, according to the mayor’s office.

Ald Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th Ward) is set to leave the City Council March 31 in order to lead the Chicago Park District, where he will oversee the city’s 600 parks and 6,000 employees.

“He didn’t deserve 16 shots,” said Charlotta Pritchett, Timothy Glaze’s partner of seven years. “I can’t find any justification in that.”

Budget Director Annette Guzman told WTTW News the dashboard was designed to answer questions she and her team fielded during the fraught negotiations over the city’s 2025 budget.

In all, Chicago taxpayers have spent $101.8 million since 2019 to resolve lawsuits brought by 26 people who were injured or on behalf of those killed during police pursuits, according to an analysis of city data by WTTW News.

A Chicago Police officer knocked Miracle Boyd's phone out of her hand, sending it into her face and knocking out one and a half teeth during a July 2020 protest of the Columbus statue in Grant Park.

“Any action that amplify fears of deportations makes Chicago more dangerous,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

The scale of the challenges that confronted Mayor Brandon Johnson during his first 20 months in office is likely to be eclipsed Wednesday, when he is scheduled to testify in front of the U.S. House Oversight Committee about the city’s self-proclaimed status as a sanctuary city.