Restorative Justice Community Courts (RJCC) are making a resurgence. Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has ...

New work requirements for SNAP kicked in Feb. 1, endangering benefits for nearly 400,000 Illinoisans. Safety net community ...

As of mid-2025, the Cook County Jail population was higher than before the Pretrial Fairness Act, according to a Loyola University report. Burke has defended the strategy, saying her office is ...

This workshop will prepare you to document detention hearings. Chicago Documenters is partnering with Illinois Network for PreTrial Justice (INPJ) to document Cook County’s adherence to the 2023 ...

Step into the community darkroom at Tuley Park Cultural Center, stewarded by The Darkroom Chicago, for a guided walk led by the young people who bring it to life.

Over the years, City Bureau’s work has brought about transformative change in newsrooms, neighborhoods, and public policy. As a national civic media lab based in Chicago, we build people-powered ...

Connect with others who care about civic life in our city Be in community with folks building a more informed Chicago No agenda and no pressure, just good coffee and good people.

When a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district has generated more money than the city has committed for approved projects. Each year, officials move some of that extra money — a.k.a. a “sweep” — to ...

When Melannie Gonzalez thinks of bilingual kids programs, “Dora the Explorer” immediately comes to mind. For 25 years, the Nickelodeon TV series and spinoffs about a 7-year-old Latina adventurer have ...

Around 360,000 Illinois residents are at risk of losing benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. New work requirements are going into effect this weekend, removing ...

Editor’s note: December’s Public Newsroom was our first community event focused on digital equity since it became a focus area at City Bureau in 2025. IMPACT program grantees, Documenters, community ...