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dmihalopoulos.bsky.social
Investigative Reporter, Government & Politics Team at WBEZ - Chicago Public Media
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Federal authorities are investigating a near-collision at Chicago's Midway airport between a Southwest 737 and a small business jet. The 737 was landing when the business jet entered the runway.

Three different federal judges delivered legal setbacks and slap downs to President Donald Trump in the span of an hour and a half on Tuesday in a series of cases challenging controversial moves taken during the early days of his second term. cnn.it/4kcVA6h

Self-proclaimed "supermayor" Tiffany Henyard trounced in Dolton mayoral race. Tiffany Henyard: 12% Jason House: 88% wgntv.com/dolton/dolto...

If you’re a journalist here in Chicago, or an aspiring journalist, or even a civilian who wants to pry documents from government for your and your neighbors’ edification… This is a great chance to learn about an invaluable tool of investigative reporting headlineclub.org/2025/02/21/f...

Twenty-one members of the United State DOGE Service have resigned, they said in an anonymous letter, citing DOGE's ongoing work dramatically reshaping the federal government.

Nearly another aviation disaster involving a US airline today, this time at Chicago’s #2 airport

Great 🧵 on an absolute masterpiece. Saw TRAINSPOTTING soon after it came out, at the classic Tivoli Theatre in University City, Missouri

City employees and Chicago police officers participating in extremist groups could face discipline and firing under an ordinance proposed Wednesday that aims to root out extremism in city government.

Crazy Midwestern temperature swing incoming, but this time in our favor

Roughly as much as you’ve heard there about the corruption conviction of their former leader. Which is not at all.

Good story from your local NPR news station about the local impact of one big change in Washington

QUICK UPDATE 🧵: Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele, D-Evanston, had another hearing this morning in the DUI case against her /1 www.wbez.org/cook-county/...

Danielle R. Sassoon, Manhattan’s acting U.S. attorney, resigned on Thursday rather than obey a Justice Department order that she drop a corruption case against New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams, that she had championed, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.

Way to aggravate both the right and progressives

He covered Mike Madigan for decades in Springfield — and was there in the courtroom from gavel to gavel for Madigan’s trial. Now here is my @wbezpolitics.bsky.social colleague Dave McKinney’s excellent story for @npr.org on Madigan’s conviction www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-12/f...

Does Trump's immunity from criminal liability come with a silver lining? Federal judge rules in @jasonleopold.bsky.social's FOIA lawsuit that the FBI's reasons for hiding information about its classified documents case no longer apply. Read more from @kgosztola.bsky.social:

I’ve been in the federal courthouse all day. How much snow did we get?

The Bonesaw Summit, they call it..

FBI head in Chicago, Doug DePodesta, says fighting public corruption remains important to the feds. Not usually a controversial statement — but maybe bold given the current attacks from the top and beyond on FBI and DOJ

This feels like the end of an era. And not just Madigan era. I mean era of politicians fearing feds. I asked feds in MJM case if attacks on FBI/DOJ shake their confidence in doing this going forward? Acting U.S. Atty Morris Pasqual says corruption will stay high on the agenda — long as he’s here

Acting U.S. attorney Morris Pasqual says Madigan betrayed the people of Illinois: “He abused public office”

Acting U.S. Atty Morris Pasqual says Madigan’s conviction “ranks high” in the long list of corruption convictions in the federal courthouse in Chicago: “This is an historic conviction.”

More than 5 years later, Madigan convicted on most of the charges related to the corruption scheme perpetrated by ComEd — first revealed in this 2018 story we aired on @wbez.org www.wbez.org/politics/201...

Madigan co-defendant Mike McClain (left) says, “My head is spinning” after verdict but adds he was surprised he was ever indicted. His attorney Patrick Cotter thanks the jury and repeats his position that McClain is “innocent”

Wearing his trademark cap, Madigan just left the federal courthouse after he was convicted on 10 corruption charges. He was flanked by Tom Breen and his other defense lawyers

BREAKING: Madigan guilty on at least some counts in his corruption case, acquitted of other charges. Follow here chicago.suntimes.com/live/mike-ma...

From the snow globe that is the lobby of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse today, we in the Chicago media scrum are set to see Mike Madigan walk out soon after the verdict in his months-long corruption trial…

Live blog on apparently imminent Madigan verdict with @chicago.suntimes.com and @wbezpolitics.bsky.social reporters at the federal courthouse chicago.suntimes.com/live/mike-ma...

We should learn shortly if Michael Madigan will join the long list of former Chicago and Illinois powerbrokers convicted of corruption charges. I’ll have the story from the federal courthouse on @wbez.org 91.5FM not long after the verdict…Stay tuned!

In true Chicago fashion, a jury of 12 of our peers has decided they have done everything they can to judge the longtime Illinois Democratic boss during nearly 2 weeks of deliberation — and they are ready to get out of downtown just ahead of a big snowstorm

A coalition of news organizations said in a court filing that video exhibits from a Jan. 6 riot case had "disappeared" from a government platform that provided access to evidence used in court.

$40-45M in capital investments “in anticipation of increased demand” for “secure” prison beds, based on assistances from ICE and U.S. Marshals, under new leadership

Safe bet there was no vetting as DOGE staffed up

Illinois’ legal weed business reached an all-time high in 2024, with the state reaping more than $2 billion in sales and nearly a half-billion dollars in sales tax.

White House blocks AP from event for using 'Gulf of Mexico' My story for NPR: www.npr.org/2025/02/11/n...

This never would’ve been a snow day back when we were kids

The Madigan jury is calling it a day. With no verdict yet. Back at it again tomorrow morning.

There's a note from the Madigan jury - the first one since last week. Let's see if we can get any insight at all into what's going on ....

Only yes men and yes women need apply at Brandon Johnson’s City Hall? Chicago’s proggressive mayor says he’ll be better off doing hiring and firing the Chicago Way chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/20...

A reform no doubt prompted by the recently revealed investigation into the heavily fortified mayoral “gift room” by the office of the independent inspector general for city government, Deborah Witzburg