Coronavirus
Most Illinois prison staff haven’t gotten Covid-19 boosters
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Fewer than one in ten prison staffers have received a booster, even as Covid-19 cases spike in correctional facilities across the state.
Housing
Cook County launches court-based rental assistance program for people facing eviction
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A new round of rental assistance for Cook County tenants facing eviction comes as the statewide eviction moratorium is set to end.
COVID-19
No one knows how many Chicago cops are vaccinated against Covid-19
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How many cops have gotten their vaccine shots? The question has a definite answer. But no one in Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office or the police department seems able to put a number on it.
The Courts
Chicago advocates press chief judge on domestic violence court access, treatment of survivors
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Survivors of gender-based violence face barriers to court access that have worsened amid the Covid-19 pandemic, advocates and attorneys say. Chief Judge Tim Evans has pledged to enact changes in response to the criticism.
Immigration
In Little Village, an immigrant-led artists’ commune resists as developer seeks eviction
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In the midst of a housing crisis that has left immigrant renters among the most vulnerable, a group of immigrant punk rock musicians are fighting to stay at a commercial building they’ve called home for years.
COVID-19
Illinois criminal justice reform ends cash bail, changes felony murder rule
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs historic criminal justice reform package into law, reforming almost every area of the justice system — from police accountability to pretrial detention to sentencing.
News
Should incarcerated people get early access to Covid-19 vaccines? Illinois says ‘yes.’
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Illinois is one of a handful of U.S. states that will prioritize incarcerated people in the next phase of its rollout.
News
Chicago mayor’s ‘pandemic budget’ passes, but with the most opposition in 30 years
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After a historic budget season, 21 City Council members voted against the mayor’s proposed budget last week. City Bureau spoke with organizers and members of City Council about their plans moving forward.
Essential Work
Listen: Youth organizers discuss Black joy, West Side history and the future
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“We are the revolution. It is in our bodies. It is in our bones. It is in our art. It is in the way that we speak.”
Essential Work
Essential Work: Young Black activists ‘in the middle of history’ confront Covid-19 and racism
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GoodKids MadCity youth organizers China Smith and Miracle Boyd reflect on their experiences amid the pandemic and the growing movement against racial injustice, part of our ‘Essential Work’ series.