Kaitlin Washburn
@kwashburn.bsky.social
Chicago Sun-Times reporter kwashburn@suntimes.com https://chicago.suntimes.com/authors/kaitlin-washburn
Join us in demanding no layoffs due to AI from Chicago Public Media! Emails for CPM’s management are in the reply ⬇️
Hello, my Chicago-area friends. Have you recently ditched your car for public transit because of high gas prices? I'd like to talk with you for a story! Please email me at dstruett@suntimes.com
Riley O’Neil — who helped redesign roads to make them safer for pedestrians and cyclists in CDOT’s Complete Streets program — was killed on a part of Halsted lacking proper bike infrastructure, friends, advocates and a witness say. "Painted bike lanes don't stop anything" w/ @kwashburn.bsky.social
Cyclist killed in Bridgeport crash was a champion for Chicago biking, worked on city’s safe streets program
Riley O’Neil, 35, was riding his bike Friday afternoon when he was hit with a car door and sent into traffic where an oncoming semitruck hit him. He is at least the third cyclist killed by a driver th...
chicago.suntimes.com
Happy international worker’s day! Working hard at her desk here is @kwashburn.bsky.social, who captured the heartbreaking stories at the core of Illinois’ failure to treat its inmates — even as they went (and continue) to go blind, and despite a consent decree aimed at fixing the medical neglect.
Illinois prisons were ordered to improve health care for inmates. They've spent seven years failing.
Even though the Illinois Department of Corrections has been under a consent decree since 2019, the state continues to fail to provide adequate medical and dental care to incarcerated people, according...
chicago.suntimes.com
Chicago Sun-Times Guild@cstguild.bsky.social · 4mo agoHappy International Worker's Day! Chicago is a union town and we are proud to be a part of the long history of solidarity that won us our rights. For May Day, we keep up the tradition of many before us as we continue to fight for a fair contract and stand in solidarity with others doing the same.
Weiss and West Sub are facing eviction over nearly $25 million in back rent. It's the latest escalation in the strained relationship between the two men who own the hospitals. @chicago.suntimes.com chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/...
Weiss, West Suburban hospital campuses face eviction over nearly $25 million in back rent
Eviction notices dated April 9 were included in a lawsuit filed Tuesday and seen on the front door of West Suburban's River Forest campus. Both the River Forest campus and West Suburban's main campus ...
chicago.suntimes.com
West Suburban Medical Center struggled to treat patients months before closing, records show. The owner of the Oak Park hospital vows to reopen this summer, though finding the money is a big barrier. chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/... by @kwashburn.bsky.social + Kristen Schorsch
West Suburban Medical Center struggled to treat patients months before closing
The owner of the Oak Park hospital vows to reopen this summer, though finding the money is a big barrier. Recent inspection reports also show broader issues.
chicago.suntimes.com
NEW: Months before West Suburban Medical Center abruptly closed, the hospital struggled to treat patients — and keep the heat on. @kwashburn.bsky.social and I have receipts. tinyurl.com/4sbbjeku @wbez.org @chicago.suntimes.com
West Suburban Medical Center struggled to treat patients months before closing
The owner of the Oak Park hospital vows to reopen this summer, though finding the money is a big barrier. Recent inspection reports also show broader issues.
tinyurl.com
West Suburban Medical Center is "temporarily" closing as the hospital struggles to pay employees. The closure comes months after its sister facility, Weiss Memorial Hospital, shuttered in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/...
West Suburban Medical Center closing temporarily as it runs out of cash to pay employees
The hospital's owner blamed the electronic medical record system for failing to bill for the hospital's work. The closure comes months after West Suburban's sister hospital, Weiss Memorial, shuttered ...
chicago.suntimes.com
Despite an overall drop in crime, aggravated assaults and batteries on the Chicago Transit Authority reached at least a 24-year high in 2025. And the trend appears to be continuing this year. @davidstruett.bsky.social chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog...
CTA suffers most violent attacks in decades as Trump threatens $50 million funding cut over crime
The trend is bad news for the Chicago Transit Authority and its interim leader Nora Leerhsen, who's trying to highlight positive crime trends on the transit system and appease the federal government.
chicago.suntimes.com
Johnnie Flournoy, a 74-yr-old man incarcerated in IL, says he's nearly blind bc for years he has been denied a simple treatment for glaucoma. He's not at all alone. His story of medical neglect is a common one in IL prisons. @chicago.suntimes.com chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/...
Illinois prisons were ordered to improve health care for inmates. They've spent seven years failing.
Even though the Illinois Department of Corrections has been under a consent decree since 2019, the state continues to fail to provide adequate medical and dental care to incarcerated people, according...
chicago.suntimes.com
Late to the game to post- the question we all were wondering about: HOW could the teacher with child sex abuse record pass an Archdiocese of Chicago background check??? chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/0... via @kwashburn.bsky.social
Experts baffled over how teacher with child sex abuse record could pass Chicago Archdiocese background check
Brett J. Smith has been repeatedly accused of assaulting children and using several different names to hide his past. It remains unclear how he passed a background check.
chicago.suntimes.com
Johnnie Flournoy is 74 years old. He's been incarcerated since the early 1990s, and he's been going blind for much of that time. And Illinois prisons have just been letting it happen. chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/...
Illinois prisons were ordered to improve health care for inmates. They've spent seven years failing.
Even though the Illinois Department of Corrections has been under a consent decree since 2019, the state continues to fail to provide adequate medical and dental care to incarcerated people, according...
chicago.suntimes.com
The @chicago.suntimes.com has now posted a public tracker of federal criminal cases tied to Operation Midway Blitz, with a small update: We've now tied 32 defendants to the campaign. The bottom line remains: 15 cleared and no one convicted, so far: chicago.suntimes.com/2026/tracker...
Tracking every known federal prosecution in Chicago tied to Trump’s immigration blitz
Every known federal prosecution in Chicago tied to Trump’s immigration blitz
chicago.suntimes.com
“Prisoners are viewed as an expendable population in this country." From @kwashburn.bsky.social on how one of the nation's largest correctional medicine companies was hired by Illinois officials despite having a record of inadequate health care: chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog...
Ignored, misdiagnosed, left to die — Illinois prisoners’ health in hands of new provider with shoddy track record
A Sun-Times review of more than 100 lawsuits against Centurion Health shows a recurring pattern: People in prison repeatedly complain about a health issue, are ignored by correctional and medical staf...
chicago.suntimes.com
'Ignored, misdiagnosed, left to die — Illinois prisoners’ health in hands of new provider with shoddy track record' @kwashburn.bsky.social @chicago.suntimes.com chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog...
Ignored, misdiagnosed, left to die — Illinois prisoners’ health in hands of new provider with shoddy track record
A Sun-Times review of more than 100 lawsuits against Centurion Health shows a recurring pattern: People in prison repeatedly complain about a health issue, are ignored by correctional and medical staf...
chicago.suntimes.com
Substandard medical care in America's prisons and jails has long caused preventable harm and death to people locked up. And it appears Illinois' new prison health care provider is no different. My latest, with support from @chjreportinghealth.bsky.social chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog...
Ignored, misdiagnosed, left to die — Illinois prisoners’ health in hands of new provider with shoddy track record
A Sun-Times review of more than 100 lawsuits against Centurion Health shows a recurring pattern: People in prison repeatedly complain about a health issue, are ignored by correctional and medical staf...
chicago.suntimes.com
“Broken bones, abscesses, diabetes and a host of other injuries and maladies routinely go without examination, much less medically effective treatment,” according to one complaint. That's from just one suit @kwashburn.bsky.social read for this investigation. chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog...
Ignored, misdiagnosed, left to die: Illinois' new prison health care provider has a history of poor care
A Sun-Times review of more than 100 lawsuits against Centurion Health shows a recurring pattern: People in prison repeatedly complain about a health issue, are ignored by correctional and medical staf...
chicago.suntimes.com
No, Chicago salt trucks are not being used to interfere with ICE. Several social media posts falsely claimed Mayor Brandon Johnson deployed the trucks to block ICE ops, but the trucks were in Grant Park for the Taste of Chicago — and to help control weekend protests. via @kwashburn.bsky.social
No, Chicago salt trucks are not being used to interfere with ICE
The salt trucks were positioned in Grant Park for the Taste of Chicago festival and weekend protests. Several social media posts are erroneously claiming Mayor Brandon Johnson deployed the salt trucks...
chicago.suntimes.com
I spent some time asking why Chicago hasn't made much progress at reducing traffic crashes. Here's my story for the @chicago.suntimes.com chicago.suntimes.com/transportati...
A decade ago, the city committed to eliminating traffic deaths by 2026. It's not even close.
Despite an ambitious plan by the city to eliminate all traffic deaths by next year, nearly as many people are dying on Chicago roads as when the goal was announced in 2017. The number of yearly injuri...
chicago.suntimes.com
BREAKING: Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown could close as soon as Friday as the feds cut off Medicare & Medicaid funding, via me & @kwashburn.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/jp8hb2ey @wbez.org @chicago.suntimes.com @shiakapos.bsky.social
Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown on the brink of closure
The government is dropping Weiss from Medicare and Medicaid after months of failing to meet federal standards. Hospital staff say it could close Friday.
tinyurl.com
Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown could close Friday after losing access to Medicare and Medicaid. w/ @kschorsch.bsky.social @chicago.suntimes.com @wbez.org chicago.suntimes.com/health/2025/...
Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown on the brink of closure
The government is dropping Weiss from Medicare and Medicaid after months of failing to meet federal standards. Hospital staff say it could close Friday.
chicago.suntimes.com
So much to unpack in this must-read about a Chicago hospital and 'unsafe conditions in the makeshift ER,' via @kwashburn.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/yw7cdbc4
Weiss emergency room is ‘not safe for patients,' ER medical director tells state
A state investigation found Weiss Memorial Hospital's emergency room is not providing adequate care and the medical center is not staffed with enough nurses. However the hospital's owner claims the fi...
tinyurl.com
Before the federal government revoked Weiss hospital's Medicare access, state investigators found the hospital had been operating a “makeshift” emergency department in an office building that lacked the basic equipment and staff to properly care for patients. chicago.suntimes.com/health/2025/...
Weiss emergency room is ‘not safe for patients,' ER medical director tells state
A state investigation found Weiss Memorial Hospital's emergency room is not providing adequate care and the medical center is not staffed with enough nurses. However the hospital's owner claims the fi...
chicago.suntimes.com
ICYMI: Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown had to evacuate after the AC stopped working last month. Now the feds are pulling the hospital's Medicare funding, which is how Weiss makes most of its $$. Details via me & @kwashburn.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/yc6xbsm2
Feds revoke Weiss Memorial's Medicare access
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Weiss isn't complying with the agency's requirements for "nursing services, emergency services and physical environment." In June, the Uptown safety-n...
tinyurl.com
The CST Guild is aware of the third-party “summer guide” content in the May 18 edition of the Sun-Times newspaper. This was a syndicated section made externally without the knowledge of the members of our newsroom. We’re deeply disturbed that AI-generated content was printed alongside our work.
Accused child molester-priest says now-Pope Leo XIV OK'd his move to a South Side monastery near a school. chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog... By Robert Herguth + @kwashburn.bsky.social
Accused child molester-priest says now-Pope Leo XIV OK'd his move to a South Side monastery near a school
"He’s the one who gave me permission to stay there" in 2000, James M. Ray, the former priest, told the Chicago Sun-Times about Robert Prevost, newly installed as pope but then head of the Midwest prov...
chicago.suntimes.com
An important analysis from @kwashburn.bsky.social: About 45% of Chicago Public Schools' 644 schools have vaccination rates at or above 95% this year. That’s down from the rate in 2019, the year before the pandemic, when 90% of schools were at herd immunity. chicago.suntimes.com/health/2025/...
Less than half of CPS schools have herd immunity for measles, state data shows
A Sun-Times analysis of state data found the rate of vaccinations has dropped sharply from the rate in 2019, when 90% of schools were at herd immunity.
chicago.suntimes.com
And the Sun-Times got a photo of the new pope at a Sox Game (yes yes the 2005 World Series) — chicago.suntimes.com/religion/202...
Chicago high school cheers White Sox fan Pope Leo XIV — 'He's one of us'
While Robert Francis Prevost didn’t attend St. Rita of Cascia High School in Ashburn, his connection to the school runs deep. In the 1980s, he was a substitute and summer school teacher at the school ...
chicago.suntimes.com
Highland Park parade shooting trial begins today. @davidstruett.bsky.social chicago.suntimes.com/highland-par...
Highland Park parade shooting trial set to begin Monday. Here's what to expect.
In a case with such an unpredictable defendant, no one knows for sure what might happen when jury selection is set to begin Monday morning.
chicago.suntimes.com