Stories by Paul Caine
Illinois Republicans File Lawsuit Asking State Supreme Court to Toss Legislative Map
| Paul Caine
Republicans argue the map is an example of “extreme partisan gerrymandering,” which renders it unconstitutional under state law.
Week in Review: Trump Funding Freeze Sows Confusion; ICE Raids Begin
| Paul Caine
Federal immigration agents — and Dr. Phil — carry out raids in Chicago. And the wide-ranging impact of a federal funding freeze.
Week in Review: Donald Trump Returns to the White House; Bears Hire New Head Coach
| Paul Caine
Donald Trump returns to the White House and immediately exercises his executive powers. And the Chicago Bears name a new head coach.
New PBS Documentary Tells Story and Impact of Successive Waves of Black Migration
| Paul Caine
The first episode of the four-part series, called “Exodus,” details the first wave of migration north from southern states that helped turn the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago into a Black metropolis.
Week in Review: End of the Line for Dorval Carter at CTA; First Partially Elected School Board Sworn In
| Paul Caine
Chicago gets its first elected school board members. And former House Speaker Michael Madigan explains his “making out like bandits” remark.
Week in Review: Madigan Takes the Stand; Johnson Floats a Congestion Tax
| Paul Caine
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan takes the stand in his own defense. And a battle over hemp regulation has the mayor and governor on opposing sides.
Bears End Disappointing Season on a High With Rare Win Over Packers
| Paul Caine
Chicago Bears fans had high hopes for this season. A No. 1 draft pick quarterback and wins early on had some dreaming of the playoffs. But a 10-game losing streak put an end to those dreams and cost head coach Matt Eberflus his job.
Week in Review: Terror in New Orleans; Wrangling Over Teachers’ Contract Intensifies
| Paul Caine
Takeaways from the New Orleans terror attack. And sparring over a new contract for Chicago Public Schools teachers.
Week in Review: From CPS to Donald Trump, Looking Back at the Biggest Stories of 2024
| Paul Caine
We look back at the biggest stories of the year. Michael Madigan’s landmark corruption trial. The city gets a budget — eventually. And the CPS CEO gets a pink slip.
Week in Review: CPS Board Takes Aim at CEO; City Budget Passes
| Paul Caine
Is this the end of the line for Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez? And Mayor Brandon Johnson finally gets his budget passed.
Week in Review: Mayor Cancels Budget Vote; Illinois and Chicago Prepare for Mass Deportation Plan
| Paul Caine
Why the mayor called off a budget vote. Pritzker pushes back on mass deportations. And calls for a crackdown on unregulated hemp.
New Book Offers Insider’s Take on Richard M. Daley, Chicago’s Longest Serving Mayor
| Paul Caine
Forrest Claypool served twice as Richard M. Daley’s chief of staff and had a unique perspective on his leadership. Claypool is out now with a new book painting a behind-the-scenes portrait of Chicago’s longest serving mayor.
Week in Review: Johnson’s Latest Budget Pitch; Embattled CPS Chief Offered Buyout
| Paul Caine
What’s in a new city budget proposal. Chicago Public Schools’ CEO rejects a buyout. And a pivotal week in the Michael Madigan trial.
Week in Review: Assessing the Potential Local Impact of Trump’s 2nd Term
| Paul Caine
Is he playing turkey — or serious? The potential local impact of Trump’s gambit on tariffs. And what has to happen before the year ends.
Week in Review: Trump’s Cabinet Nominees Spark Democratic Concerns; City Council Rejects Property Tax Hike
| Paul Caine
President-elect Trump starts planning his return to Washington — and picking his Cabinet. And the City Council unanimously votes down Mayor Johnson’s proposed property tax hike.
Week in Review: Trump Heading Back to the White House; Pritzker Promises Resistance
| Paul Caine
President-elect Donald Trump prepares for a second term. Meanwhile, Democrats are left to digest and come to terms with a crushing defeat.
Week in Review: Trump Amps Up Violent Rhetoric; Johnson Proposes Property Tax Hike
| Paul Caine
What’s on the line as Election Day approaches. And Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget pitch includes property tax hike.
James ‘Big Cat’ Williams on the Bears After Team’s Embarrassing Last-Second Loss to Commanders
| Paul Caine
The Chicago Bears snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on Sunday in Washington, D.C. Now instead of the playoffs, the talk is of a heartbreaking and improbable loss that some Bears players are calling the worst they’ve ever experienced.
Week in Review: Presidential Race Deadlocked; Opening Statements in the Madigan Trial
| Paul Caine
Inside the courtroom where former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is on trial. And Chicago gets an entirely new school board.
United Nations Calls Out ‘Racialized Police Violence’ in Chicago
| Paul Caine
United Nations human rights investigators said in a statement: “These heinous alleged human rights violations appear to a significant extent to be rooted in systemic racism and have disproportionately affected people of African and Latin American descent.”
Week in Review: Trump Touts Economic Plan in Chicago; Reinsdorf and the Future of the White Sox
| Paul Caine
What a possible White Sox sale could mean for Chicago. And CPS board members skip out on the City Council.
New Northeastern Illinois President Talks Challenges and Opportunities of Leading the Public University
| Paul Caine
Northeastern Illinois University has certainly seen its fair share of turmoil in recent years, including a narrowly averted strike and the departure of the former university president following a vote of no-confidence by faculty. Now, Katrina Bell-Jordan is officially taking the reins of leadership at NEIU .
Week in Review: Battle Over CPS; Madigan Jury Selection Begins
| Paul Caine
The mayor brings in a new school board while the district faces a budget crunch. And alderpeople jam up City Council, angry over the CPS board and the end of ShotSpotter.
Week in Review: CPS Board Set to Resign; Presidential Candidates Battle for Votes in Swing States
| Paul Caine
The entire CPS board calls it quits. Early voting gets underway in Chicago. And the presidential contest comes to the Midwest.
Assessing the White Sox’s Record-Breaking Season for Losses
| Paul Caine
The Chicago White Sox may have won five of their last six games, but it was all too little, too late. The 2024 White Sox officially set a new record for Major League Baseball futility Friday in their 4-1 loss to Detroit, which became their 121st loss of the season.
Week in Review: CPS Chief Refuses to Resign; Poll Shows Chicagoans Wary of New Taxes
| Paul Caine
A new front in the battle for control of Chicago Public Schools. And the high stakes of corruption in City Hall.
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