Law student forces runoff with Daley heir in 11th Ward alderman race

By Dean DeChiaro For a brief moment Tuesday night, it appeared inevitable that a Daley would return to Chicago City Hall. But it was not to be, as law student and political newcomer John Kozlar forced a runoff with Patrick Daley Thompson, nephew and grandson of the former dynastic mayors, in the 11th Ward aldermanic […]

Experts: Rauner reform panel should include formerly incarcerated

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By Dean DeChiaro Academics and policy wonks said this week they were encouraged by the creation of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform, but called on the governor to bolster its credibility and efficiency by including formerly incarcerated people among its appointees. The commission, which Rauner created by executive order last […]

Does Chicago’s homicide rate rise and fall with cold winter weather?

By Dean DeChiaro There’s evidence to support the conventional wisdom that as temperatures in Chicago increase, so does crime. But that narrative usually focuses on spring and summer, when statistics show violent crimes, including homicide, occur most frequently. But do those summer patterns also hold true for a particularly mild winter?