The Handoff That Wasn’t
Mike Simmons made headlines for his upset appointment over Rep. Kelly Cassidy. Lost in the scuttlebutt: Springfield’s never seen anything like him before.
Custom Placements: News Lead
Where Illinois Is Losing Population
More people left our state than any other in the 2010s. Part of the problem: Unlike elsewhere, there’s been no urban growth to offset rural decline.
The Futures of Water
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange is now hedging bets on California’s dwindling supply of H2O. Is that as sinister as it sounds?
Notes of a North-Side Census Taker
Chicago’s response rate in the 2020 survey was decent — except among the people who would benefit the most from a full count.
Rep. Marie Newman’s First Week on the Job
The representative from LaGrange was sworn in three days before a mob swarmed the Capitol. Here, she recounts her first days in DC.
The Capitol Insurrection Stirs Political Divisions as Old as Illinois
Only two of Illinois’s 17 representatives voted against confirming Biden’s electoral votes, but the move sent shockwaves through the state congressional delegation — and its GOP.
The Speakership Used to Be Meaningless
George Ryan once gave up the job to become lieutenant governor, an office so worthless his predecessor had quit out of boredom. What changed?
If the Dems Are Smart, They’ll Draw Underwood a Better Map
IL-14 was designed as a Republican “vote sink” to corral as many red votes as possible into a single district. Then, a promising young Democrat won it.
Gerrymandering: Finally a Thing of the Past?
The Fair Maps Amendment is issuing a challenge to the shady partisan practice. But good luck getting it past Mike Madigan.
Two Charts Show Chicago Getting More Democratic
Chicago doesn’t just reflect the identity of the Democratic Party. In many ways, it created that identity.