features
‘Sims must go:’ as Pilsen residents protest metal shredder with a history of pollution, will Chicago break patterns of environmental injustice?
It is before 8 a.m. and already a continuous stream of trucks filters into Sims Metal Management at 2500 S Paulina Street in Pilsen. They carry dilapidated cars, discarded appliances and scrap to Chicago’s largest metal recycler. On this morning, June 3, the racket of trucks and heavy machinery is met with a rallying cry…
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When Chicago police officers can’t be trusted on the witness stand
When someone is arrested, it can come down to their word against an officer’s in court. But what happens when the officer’s own conduct is in question, or when they’re under investigation themself? Experts told TCR that Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke, who took office in 2024, has weakened policies in place to…
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Southeast Side residents demand investment over quantum campus
Once heralded by Gov. JB Pritzker as an economic engine that would bring jobs and investment to Chicago’s Southeast Side, the proposed Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) is facing growing opposition from residents. Community groups have mobilized against the 440-acre technology park—planned for the U.S. Steel South Works site—citing concerns over green space, pollution,…
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Employment and labor
The Chicago Reporter celebrates justice-centered storytelling at Justice Photojournalism Showcase
The Chicago Reporter brought together journalists, advocates, community leaders and supporters on May 14 in Bronzeville for its inaugural Justice Photojournalism Showcase. The evening, hosted at Parkway Social, was dedicated to honoring the power of visual storytelling through community-centered journalism in Chicago. Hosted by Emmy-nominated Chicago journalist Nate Rodgers, the event highlighted photography’s ability to…
Economic Development
Six years in, has Illinois’ cannabis equity law delivered?
Illinois legalized cannabis with equity at its core in 2020. Six years later, the results are mixed. After nearly 90 years of prohibition, Illinois became the first state to legalize the sale of cannabis through a state legislature in 2019. Touted by the governor’s office as the “most equity-centric” cannabis law in the nation, the…