Editor’s Note:By now millions of words and hundreds of thousands of pictures have been shared about the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. No doubt, those words and images have elicited a broad range of emotions among people around the globe. The Chicago Reporter is pleased and proud to present one of those reactions, unfiltered by editing, from a former Chicagoan who has a new appreciation and understanding of the meaning of the U.S. flag. Lady Gaga sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the inauguration of Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris today. She sings the lyrics, “that our flag was still there”, and motions toward the flag on the Capital.
Perspectives
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s surveillance system will outlast the protest movement
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For communities of color, surveillance is just another iteration of a policing system that inherently views them as suspicious, a digital stop-and-frisk.
Perspectives: The Powers That Be
What’s next for the Army Corps’ lakefront dump?
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A U.S. Army Corps plan to expand a toxic dump on Lake Michigan’s shoreline in South Chicago is getting increased attention because it rejected community concerns over the project and dismisses alternatives promoted by environmental groups.
Government and Politics
As Trump relaunches Countering Violent Extremism, records on past Illinois program reveal links to FBI, law enforcement
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Leading Democrats including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have previously voiced support for the controversial counterterrorism program now being included in broader demands to defund and divest from law enforcement.
Perspectives: The Powers That Be
For recession relief, Chicago should demand more from big business
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Facing steep budget deficits and escalating income inequality, Mayor Lori Lightfoot should consider a graduated payroll tax and other ways to make corporations pay their fair share.
Perspectives: The Powers That Be
Social justice movement should focus on passing Fair Tax Amendment this November
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The latest Springfield scandal shouldn’t stop the drive for a graduated income tax to fund programs that promote equity and opportunity as Illinois contends with unprecedented crises and growing income inequality.
Perspectives
Public banking can help bridge the racial wealth gap in the post-pandemic recovery
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By using public money to create local funds, public banks can reverse decades of racist disinvestment to repair Black and Brown communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 recession.
Coronavirus
ROUNDUP: An extraordinary week of uprising, racial discord and resilience as Chicago and Illinois begin to reopen
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Massive protests over the police killing of George Floyd engulfed the city, state and nation as local communities and businesses face a tougher road to recovery amid widespread looting and vandalism.
Government and Politics
Chicago intercepts tax refunds to collect unpaid debt, hitting poor black areas the hardest
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Despite Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s agenda to curb unfair fees and fines, a little known program extracts millions in revenue annually from unpaid tickets, court fees and other debt from thousands of taxpayers without regard for their ability to pay.
Government and Politics
A look at both sides of the fight for equity in Chicago’s legal cannabis industry
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A look into the years-long fight for Black and brown communities to have a seat at the table in Chicago’s legal cannabis industry
Government and Politics
Bernie Sanders endorsed former head of controversial state counterterrorism program
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Junaid Afeef, who directed Illinois’ Countering Violent Extremism program, is running for Kane County state’s attorney and has gotten support from progressive criminal justice reform groups.