Huge loss for the Milwaukee, the whole state and journalism writ large
www.jsonline.com/story/news/o...

How a Decades-Old Illinois Law Detains Some Convicted Sex Offenders Indefinitely Under two different Illinois laws, people charged with sex offenses are subject to indefinite detention. Some people who’ve already finished serving their sentences can spend the rest of their lives a...

Under two different Illinois laws, people charged with sex offenses are subject to indefinite detention. WTTW News examines the law that continues to hold people after they’ve served their sentences, sometimes for decades. https://to.wttw.com/482dCnn

No Trial. No Guilty Verdict. How Civil Commitment in Illinois Can Mean Decades Behind Bars Under two different Illinois laws, people charged with sex offenses are subject to indefinite detention. Some people who’ve only been charged with a crime — never convicted or sentenced — can spend th...

James Howe was never found guilty. But he still spent nine years inside of Big Muddy River Correctional Center. He joined some 170 men in Illinois who were not convicted, but held indefinitely at an Illinois prison under something called civil commitment. https://to.wttw.com/3QkqYVR

Cherry blossoms starting to bloom in front of neo-classical museum building

Baseball field on sunny day, as seen from third base line upper deck

Cherry Sox

Trans Day of Visibility basketball tournament creates space for trans athletes amid international sports bans The court, split into competitive and recreational sides, pitted players of all genders against each other for 15-minute matchups less than a week after transgender female athletes were banned from wo...

“We shouldn’t have to sacrifice our identity to be included,” said organizer Keinan Carpenter, 25.

“If I can’t play professionally, how can I make a space that’s professional athletics for queer and trans people? That’s the goal. There’s no limit, there’s no ‘I can’t’ — let me just make the space.”

The $21,000,000,000 hole in Texas YouTube video by BobbyBroccoli

It's probably bad form to drop a 3hr YouTube link in the replies of a stranger. But if you're ever interested: youtu.be/3xSUwgg1L4g?...

A push to protect Morgan Shoal — a marine wonder on the South Side — and the Chicago shoreline Hyde Park residents and advocates fear an Army Corps erosion plan to protect the lakefront could harm the rare natural refuge in Hyde Park.

A few hundred feet off the shoreline of Kenwood and Hyde Park lives an underwater marvel few Chicagoans ever see: the remnants of a 400 million-year-old coral reef scattered with ancient fossils and the wreckage of a steamship.

Pritzker Looks to Keep Momentum, Influence Going After Primaries Gov. JB Pritzker’s reelection bid kicked off in earnest Wednesday, the day after his uncontested primary wrapped up.

Pritzker's race was uncontested, but he still had a lot riding on these primaries

news.wttw.com/2026/03/18/p...

Setting sun shining through the window of a westbound bun

Almost Chicagohenge

Mayor Brandon Johnson Meets With Men in Prison Working Toward Northwestern University Degrees More than 100 people gathered in Sheridan’s gymnasium, about 70 miles southwest of Chicago. Students of the Northwestern Prison Education Program, which offers undergraduate degrees to men incarcerate...

On Sunday, Mayor Brandon Johnson visited Sheridan Correctional Center to hear from incarcerated Northwestern University students. news.wttw.com/2026/03/16/m...

Hey that's me!

UChicago Trauma Center Reduced Travel Time for Shooting Victims, Saving Lives: Study A new study found that after the University of Chicago Level 1 Trauma Center opened, transportation time following firearm injuries dropped by nearly 10 minutes. Importantly, this translated to an est...

When I moved here in 2017, hearing about this trauma center was one of the ways I learned How the City Works. Great to see that it's having a measurable impact!

news.wttw.com/2026/03/05/u...

Put in a hold at the library the second I finished this episode, excited to learn more

Important work from Alex!

Between Ben Johnson and Da Pope, 2025 has been a banner year for Chicago math majors

Full production control over NBA TV for one day in the offseason

A stunning visual of Chicago's 20-year death gap, mapped on the L, via @myersjustinc.bsky.social @chicago.suntimes.com. Here's what residents & community leaders are doing to close this gap: tinyurl.com/47r2vcj5 @wbez.org @chjreportinghealth.bsky.social @watchdogdiva.bsky.social @kffhealthnews.org

*ICYMI

ICYMYI they released Light Night Mountains All That about a month ago and it's excellent

Illinois Residents Urge Lawmakers to Act on Transit, Energy Bills - Inside Climate News As part of a “People Over Polluters” event, more than 100 local environmental advocates traveled to the state capital to lobby during the state’s short fall veto session.

My first byline in Inside Climate News! I made the trip down to Springfield to see how citizens are pushing for transit and energy reforms during this busy veto session insideclimatenews.org/news/1510202...

Yawning cat in a box stuffed with packing material

Queen of the night flower blooming

Lots of blooming going on tonight

Actually reading/learning from the news is arguably the second most valuable thing you get from paying for news

Shouting from the rooftops: Paying for news isn't a subscription service.

Subscriptions are worthless if you don't use them. On the other hand, you can contribute to news orgs, read zero articles per year and still reap the benefits of living with a well-funded press.

Incredible

To wrap up my time at the Journal Sentinel, I got to cover some of my favorite research I've seen.

Combining western science with Indigenous knowledge shows how cultural burns and environmental stewardship supported red pine forests around the Great Lakes.

www.jsonline.com/story/news/2...

BANKS OF THE RIO GRANDE YouTube video by Lizzie No

Best live performance goes to Lizzie No at Judson & Moore (didn't make it to the Hideout show in this video)
youtu.be/6801zEvNZaU?...

And thanks to 100.7 FM in Cheboygan, MI for introducing me to this one
youtu.be/2t7ECnE43QE?...

Four CD cases. Clockwise from top left: The Window by Ratboys, Yoshimi... by Flaming Lips, Not God by Finom, Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn

Did a lot of driving in a car without Bluetooth this summer, need to give a special shout-out to these CDs

Multiple journalists killed by Israeli strikes on Gaza hospital A hospital strike in southern Gaza has killed at least eight people, including four journalists. The attack happened on Monday.

Four journalists were killed by an Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital today, including Mariam Dagga, a freelancer with the @apnews.com. She has a 12-year-old son, who was evacuated from Gaza earlier in the war.

She was a true hero, like all of our Palestinian colleagues in Gaza.
tinyurl.com/3cn5c9vb