Tessera

South Side leaders are calling for Streets & San to get more funding and add staff “As these storms become the new norm, how are we adapting to it?” Ald Mosley said. “How are we making sure that we’re best equipped to handle it?” blockclubchicago.org/2026/07/01/s... ✍🏽 @ataviawrotethis.bsky.social

South Siders Still Waiting For Tree Cleanup After June Storms, But City Departments Are 'Overwhelmed'

South Side wards saw the most 311 complaints following the storms. Streets and Sanitation crews hope to complete the unresolved tickets before the Fourth of July, when fireworks could set tree debris ...

blockclubchicago.org

Block Club Chicago @blockclubchi.bsky.social · last mo.

Driving through Chicago after the June storms, you may have noticed there seemed to be more downed trees in some neighborhoods than in others. When you're a journalist, you notice & then pull the data to find out what's going on. blockclubchicago.org/2026/07/01/s... ✍️ @ataviawrotethis.bsky.social

South Siders Still Waiting For Tree Cleanup After June Storms, But City Departments Are 'Overwhelmed'

blockclubchicago.org

Alderpeople are calling for a hearing on a domestic violence program after a Block Club investigation. blockclubchi.co/3Rdut18

Peter Nickeas @peternickeas.bsky.social · last mo.

We analyzed hundreds of docs & bodycam and identified 271 agents. We found that most had 10+ years of experience & special training. Linking them to incidents, we found they often overcounted alleged assaults against them & undercounted their own uses of force. blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/30/w...

Who Were The Midway Blitz Border Patrol Agents? Most Were Veteran Immigration Officers

blockclubchicago.org

As thorough an attempt as I've seen to account for the US Customs & Border Protection personnel who operated for a little over two months here. #chicago

Who Were The Midway Blitz Border Patrol Agents? Most Were Veteran Immigration Officers

blockclubchicago.org

The Mayor’s Office said a confidentiality agreement kept them from sharing about his bid and the new deal. Companies involved said the agreement is waived & mayor's aides asked them to keep quiet so they could "control the narrative" to city council ✍️Mick Dumke blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/25/m...

Mayor's $3 Billion Parking Meter Offer Was $800 Million More Than The Next Highest Bid, Investor Says

The Mayor’s Office has said a confidentiality agreement prevented them from sharing bid details, but private companies involved said the agreement has been waived “for some period of time.”

blockclubchicago.org

Crystal Paul @cplhouse.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Investigative Editor Mick Dumke was there when City Council signed the first parking meter deal under Daley. Mayor Johnson called it the "worst deal ever." Now Johnson is keeping city council in the dark on details about a new deal. ✍️ Mick Dumke blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/24/w...

Why Is Mayor Johnson Keeping Secrets About The Parking Meter Deal?

Seventeen years after Daley's disastrous parking meter deal, a new meter sale is in the works. But Mayor Brandon Johnson says the city signed a confidentiality agreement, though he won’t share that ei...

blockclubchicago.org

The city’s recent crackdown on unlicensed vendors comes as immigration authorities continue to target local courthouses to arrest immigrants who show up to court. blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/18/i... 📝 @minabloom.bsky.social @franciagarciah.bsky.social

Street Vendor Ticketed By Police, Then Detained By ICE: 'We Don't Know Who We Can Trust'

Chicago police ticketed an immigrant street vendor — and ICE agents then swooped in to arrest her and her nephew when she had to make a court appearance.

blockclubchicago.org

Crystal Paul @cplhouse.bsky.social · 2mo ago

One of the program's goals is to steer survivors to community services, but only 4 organizations said they received any referrals. Almost all of the others said they had no experience working with CPD's victim specialists last year. blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/10/t... ✍️ @minabloom.bsky.social

The City Spent Millions On A Flailing Domestic Violence Program No One Asked For, Advocates Say

The Police Department’s victim services office has produced few documented results despite a surge in domestic violence cases. Survivors and advocates are furious the money wasn’t used on much-needed ...

blockclubchicago.org

Crystal Paul @cplhouse.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Immigration authorities detained the 18-year-old & his mother after they arrived at an immigration office for what they thought was a routine asylum check in March. They were almost “immediately separated” and transferred to detention centers across the country. blockclubchicago.org/2026/05/26/c...

CPS Student Detained By ICE For Months Has Returned Home

Ricardo Hernández-Navarrete, a Mather High School student and soccer player, was released from immigration custody Tuesday. His mother, Liliana Navarrete, was released last week.

blockclubchicago.org

Only 3 drivers are delivering books around the city. Usually there are 9. Some are on leave. But CPL is no stranger to staffing shortages. ✍🏽 Rachel Hinton blockclubchicago.org/2026/05/20/s...

Still Waiting For That Library Book You Put On Hold? Driver Shortage Is To Blame

The delay is due to a “temporary reduction in driver availability,” a Chicago Public Library official said. Only three — instead of the typical nine — drivers are currently delivering books to branche...

blockclubchicago.org

Block Club Chicago@blockclubchi.bsky.social · 3mo ago

"I can't find a country to belong to," M.G. said in one interview. M.G. shared not just his struggle with reporter Rachel Hinton, but his hopes for the future -- he hopes to run an animal refuge for cats that have no place to go. We haven't heard from him since he was sent back to El Salvador.

After he was tortured in El Salvador and a family member was killed, M.G. sought refuge in the United States. The Convention Against Torture was supposed to make sure he didn’t go back. But he was deported — and no one has heard from him since. blockclubchi.co/4trbltx

In El Salvador, gangs killed his family member, then tortured him. He fled to the US & he won a protection to keep him from being sent back. Instead, the US detained him for 14 months. Then deported him. We haven't heard from him in 2 months. 📝 Rachel Hinton blockclubchicago.org/2026/05/12/t...

Tortured In El Salvador. Detained For Over A Year. Then Deported Anyway

After he was tortured in El Salvador and one of his family members was killed, M.G. sought refuge in the United States. The Convention Against Torture was supposed to make sure he didn't go back. But ...

blockclubchicago.org

Jim Daley@jimdaleywrites.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Great project. Dope reporter. Well earned win! Whole project is here: makingitinchicago.illinoisanswers.org Shout out to Akilah Townsend for the stunning photos.

Detours and Dead Ends on the Path to Opportunity

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I’m absolutely thrilled to have won a Lisagor for my story about how Chicago’s West Siders are interrupting violence. HUGE thanks @cplhouse.bsky.social and @rubybailey.bsky.social, who co-led this project and are simply the very best editors I have ever had the privilege of working with.

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Meanwhile, locally, Cook County continues to prosecute many cases against Broadview protestors. ✍🏽 @minabloom.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/02/s...

State's Attorney's Refusal To Drop Charges Against Nonviolent ICE Protesters A 'Waste' Of Resources, Some Say

Over the past month, prosecutors have dropped charges against the majority of protesters arrested by local police outside the federal facility in Broadview. But 20 cases are still pending — and those ...

blockclubchicago.org

Federal prosecutors in Chicago today formally moved to dismiss the conspiracy charge against the remaining members of the "Broadview 6." They say they've done so to "avoid what would surely be further unnecessary and time-consuming litigation, not to mention a waste of this court's resources."

In March, @mollydevore.bsky.social found that the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office & Franklin Park PD had no files or reports on the shooting of Silverio Villegas Gonzalez. Now, ISP is launching an investigation. CCSAO says it “will play a supportive role.” blockclubchicago.org/2026/05/06/i...

Illinois State Police Open Investigation Into ICE Shooting Of Silverio Villegas González

The probe comes just days after a state panel called on local law enforcement agencies to investigate violence committed by federal agents during Operation Midway Blitz.

blockclubchicago.org

The coalition seeking a special prosecutor to investigate fed. agents says the email shows a conflict of interest that's stopped O'Neill Burke from investigating cases like the fed killing of Silverio Villegas ✍️ @jonseidel.bsky.social @sophiesherry.bsky.social chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

O'Neill Burke wouldn't denounce Trump because she wanted to 'maintain' relationship with feds, emails show

The emails were referenced in a new court filing by a coalition seeking a special prosecutor to investigate Operation Midway Blitz. The coalition argued that Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neil...

chicago.suntimes.com

Body cam footage, scanner audio & incident reports have been released in the shooting of Officer Krystal Rivera by her partner Carlos Baker. It shows Baker firing the shot, running away, waiting upstairs for ~2 min, then dragging Rivera down to the 1st floor. blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/17/v...

Video Shows Cop Who Shot Krystal Rivera Waited Nearly 2 Minutes Before Helping Her

Videos released Friday show the moments leading up to Officer Carlos Baker fatally shooting his partner, Rivera, as well as the aftermath.

blockclubchicago.org

Illinois Answers Project @illinoisanswers.bsky.social · 4mo ago

As Operation Midway Blitz targeted Southwest side residents, Ald. Raymond Lopez made at least 10 appearances on right-wing media, ripping immigration “sanctuary” laws & repeating false claims that roundups were targeting criminals. blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/14/h... ✍️ @mannyramos.bsky.social

How Ald. Raymond Lopez Became Conservative Media's Favorite Chicago Democrat

As Southwest Side neighbors were targeted or hid in their homes, Lopez repeatedly defended Trump's immigration roundups on conservative and right-wing media.

blockclubchicago.org

“There’s nothing in this world that was more terrifying.” Travis Braden, 39, says he was strapped down to a restraint chair for 3 days in the Williamson County Jail while in a mental health crisis. He sued the county and settled for $27,500.

Mentally ill man restrained in chair for 3 days settles case in Williamson County

A man with mental illness who says he was strapped down to a chair for three days at Williamson County Jail reached a settlement in his civil rights case against […]

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Francia Garcia Hernandez @franciagarciah.bsky.social · 4mo ago

For weeks, I spoke to Chicago-area immigrants held in a Michigan detention center months after they were arrested without warrants ––– or ordered deported. Inside the center, the conditions are hard to bear, they said. blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/10/i...

Immigrants 'Wasting Away' At For-Profit Michigan Detention Center Months After ICE Arrests

In a Michigan detention center, Chicago-area immigrants face difficult conditions amid mounting challenges to defend their immigration cases, they said.

blockclubchicago.org

@minabloom.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Broadview protesters still facing charges are urging prosecutors to drop their cases. “The state is wasting its own scarce resources ... and I am wasting hours of an attorney who could be working to support people who are detained." @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/02/s...

State's Attorney's Refusal To Drop Charges Against Nonviolent ICE Protesters A 'Waste' Of Resources, Some Say

blockclubchicago.org

Maxwell Evans @afrodip.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Busy week for maternal health on the South Side where — The Chicago South Side Birth Center broke ground ahead of next year's opening: blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/07/s... UChicago now has a 24/7 doula team for patients with eligible insurance, incl. Medicaid: blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/09/a...

South Side Birth Center Breaks Ground, Bringing Equitable Maternal Health Care To Area

The center is expected to assist in about 225 births annually while offering reproductive, preventive and gender-affirming care. It has a planned opening in early 2027.

blockclubchicago.org