How to Clean Up the “Hot Mess” That Is Chicago’s Ticketing and Debt Collection Practices — According to a City Task Force

Here’s what the task force is recommending for initial reform.

Let’s Break Down Some Numbers in Illinois’ New Gambling Expansion Bill

Big numbers reflect big legislation — one that got pushed through at the last minute, with little debate or analysis.

Of Course This Happened in Illinois. Why Wouldn’t It?

Lawmakers are making money from video gambling operators. A vote on gambling expansion may happen Friday.

Losing Aldermanic Privilege, and How Unprepared Illinois Is for the Next Recession

Plus, an unsurprising we-told-you-so on Cook County property taxes, and a plea from Rockford.

Three Ways Chicago’s City Council Keeps Its Committees Out of the Public Eye

And has thwarted efforts to increase transparency, too.

We Stick With Our Stories Until We See Results

Think we’re done reporting on ticket debt, research violations at the University of Illinois at Chicago or issues at Aurora Chicago Lakeshore Hospital? Think again.

Zero Tolerance: Inside the Secretive Network of Immigrant Youth Shelters in Illinois

Here is all of ProPublica Illinois’ local reporting on the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy.

Chicago in a Single Tweet, and News From Elections Around the State

Illinois has among the most racially diverse set of political leaders in the country.

Legalized Betting Could Change How We Watch Sports

The University of Illinois Withheld Public Records for Months. Guess What They Showed?

After we obtained the documents, they led to another story about the scandal surrounding psychiatric research at the university’s Chicago campus.

5 Things You Need to Know About the Closing of Immigrant Youth Shelters in Illinois

And what’s coming next.

When Illinois Laws Meet Real People

We want to know how video gambling, vehicle sticker tickets and more affect your life.

Feeling Trapped by Vehicle Tickets? Let’s Talk About It — Live

We’re hosting a community forum on March 4 and would love to see you.

Happy Holidays From ProPublica Illinois

Only at a party of journalists would someone read from a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

How to Use the Ticket Trap, Our New Database That Lets You Explore How Chicago Tickets Motorists and Collects Debt

We hope you’ll play around with it and let us know how we can make it better.

We Want to Hear About Your Experiences With Vehicle Tickets, So We Created a Facebook Group

We’ll share our latest stories there and give you a preview of an upcoming project.

What Chicago Voters Can Look Forward to in a Very Crowded Mayoral Election

First, “Petitions are the first test of a campaign’s organization.”

Here’s What We’ve Been Reading This Week

Let us know about any interesting reporting you’ve come across.

What We’re Thankful For: Being Able to Make a Difference in Illinois

Our mission is to spur real-world change through journalism. In the last several weeks, we’ve seen change begin to come about on two issues our reporters have brought to light and doggedly pursued.

Get Out of Jail for a Price: The First Investigation From Our Illinois Reporting Project

Over the next few months, we’ll publish more stories from across the state — including ones that look at topics involving the environment and worker safety.