This story was co-published with the Chicago Reader. Gary Sams could hardly breathe. He had begun experiencing early symptoms of rapidly progressing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive and fatal neurological disease, in April 2024. By June 2025, ALS had robbed him of his ability to walk or use his hands. Now it was suffocating […]

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Illinois could become the first state in the nation to restore voting rights that were stripped from people serving prison sentences.  Under proposed legislation backed by a coalition of voting rights and legal justice reform advocates, Illinois would join only Maine, Vermont, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.— where the voting rights of incarcerated people have […]

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Thousands marched on Saturday, August 1, as part of a multi-faith, multicultural procession commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Chicago Freedom Movement. Led by the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), the event welcomed community members, socialist organizations and religious leaders for musical performances, speeches and a march from 63rd Street and Kedzie Avenue to Marquette […]

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New to Chicago’s elected school board? Check out Mary Ellen Ritter’s previous coverage for TCR. Chicago’s second school board election is set for November 3, and with all 21 Board of Education seats up for grabs, it will be a historic first for the city.  The upcoming board, which will take office in January 2027, […]

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Three diversion programs now offer alternatives to prosecution in cases where licensing is often the main issue, though a relatively small number of cases are being referred to them. The Cook County legal justice system has traditionally taken a punitive approach to nonviolent gun possession cases, where licensing is often the central issue. For some, […]

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