We hope you had a good weekend, Chicago. Start your Monday with these stories from WTTW News.
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Democratic congressional candidates Donna Miller and La Shawn Ford appear on “Chicago Tonight” on March 19, 2026. (WTTW News)
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The Illinois congressional delegation could be getting a new look. Four members either are retiring or left to run for higher office, opening up the opportunity to usher in a new generation of leaders.
In Tuesday’s primary election, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller won the Democratic nomination for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District. She is hoping to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly in the South Side and south suburban district. Miller beat former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. among other contenders.
In Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, state Rep. La Shawn Ford beat a crowded field that included Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin for the Democratic nomination to replace U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, who has served nearly 30 years.
Miller and Ford joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss their primary victories and what comes next.
Miller:
Miller said she traveled across her district speaking with voters. The majority of concerns were about health care and affordability, two key issues on her platform. Miller said she believes prioritizing those matters ultimately resonated with voters.
“People are desperately afraid of what the health care cuts from the federal government look like to them on a personal level,” Miller said. “I engaged voters all along the way from 43rd Street all along the way to Danville … and talked about what people are concerned about, talked about families and being part of a community, and people want to see someone they can resonate with.”
Ford:
Ford said he is concerned about protecting “the voices of the people” and wants to push for campaign finance reform. He also said he wants to ensure younger voters are represented.
“As long as we widen our tent and bring more people in, we have to bring the young people in, the Gen Zs and the millennials, to make sure that they are able to fight and get their message out,” Ford said. “That’s how we’re gonna win districts and win the House.”
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A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent takes part in an early morning operation in Park Ridge, Ill., Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (AP Photo / Erin Hooley)
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Leaders of the Chicago Police Department have yet to finalize a policy that would allow officers to investigate federal agents for their actions during immigration enforcement actions, according to records obtained by WTTW News.
Mayor Brandon Johnson seized the national spotlight on Jan. 31 when he signed an executive order designed to lay “the groundwork to prosecute Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents for criminal misconduct.”
Johnson’s executive order gave CPD brass 30 days to develop a policy directing officers to document suspected misconduct or criminal violations by ICE and Border Patrol agents and identify those responsible.
But nearly 50 days after the executive order was signed, those “policies and procedures are currently in draft status,” according to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by WTTW News seeking a copy of the policy required by the executive order.
Some backstory:
State law allows government agencies to withhold preliminary drafts of policies that officials have not yet finalized or implemented.
Johnson signed the executive order one week after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti on Jan. 24 in Minneapolis amid widespread protests of aggressive immigration enforcement efforts ordered by the Trump administration as part of the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history.
While targeted immigration enforcement actions have continued in the city and surrounding suburbs, federal agents have not returned in large numbers to Chicago since the end of December. City officials have warned they were preparing for increased enforcement actions once the weather warmed up for good.
The specifics of the policy under development by CPD is particularly important because, in most cases, state and local law enforcement officials are prohibited from charging federal officials for reasonable conduct that occurred during the course of their official duties.
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(WTTW News)
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Chicago taxpayers have paid more than $1.76 million to defend the Chicago police officer who shot a 13-year-old boy in May 2022, leaving him permanently paralyzed, according to documents obtained by WTTW News.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability determined that Officer Noah Ball’s decision to shoot the boy was unjustified, a conclusion endorsed by Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling, records show.
Cierra Corbitt, the boy’s mother, has sued the city, alleging Ball “recklessly, callously, and wantonly” shot her son — identified in court records by his initials, A.G. — in violation of his civil rights as he obeyed officers’ orders to surrender after a brief foot pursuit near Chicago and Cicero avenues in Austin on May 18, 2022.
A trial date has not yet been set, records show.
More context:
The city’s contract with the police union requires the city to cover the costs of lawsuits filed against officers and pay for lawyers to represent them.
Chicago’s Law Department routinely hires outside law firms to defend the CPD in complicated, complex lawsuits alleging officers committed serious misconduct in the hopes of reducing the cost to taxpayers if a settlement is reached, officials said. In the rare cases that go to trial, private lawyers can often wage a more aggressive defense of CPD’s conduct than members of the city’s Law Department, which has suffered from staffing shortages for more than a decade.
That expertise comes at a significant premium, costing Chicago taxpayers four to five times more than in-house lawyers, according to estimates offered during City Council budget hearings where these costs are a perennial sticking point for budget-conscious alderpeople.
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Back in the Day: March 23, 2016 - Chicago Teachers Union Moves To Strike For One Day
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On this day 10 years ago, the Chicago Teachers Union's House of Delegates voted to approve a one-day walkout scheduled on April 1, 2016. Karen Lewis, the CTU’s president, said 486 members of the union’s house of delegates voted in favor of the walkout, while 124 voted against the action. The decision came in a battle with Chicago Public officials over funding and a new contract: that month, the district announced that employees would have to take three unpaid furlough days in order
to save $30 million. Those furlough days were to happen in late June when kids were out of school but teachers had professional development days, and CPS rejected calls from CTU members to reschedule. CPS CEO Forrest Claypool called the decision to walk off the job “an illegal strike,” while Mayor Rahm Emanuel urged CTU to call off the strike, saying, “The leadership of the union should be at the negotiating table.” The action took place as planned. In 2026, CTU delegates announced another one-day walkoff schedule for May 1 to “defend our Democracy, demand ICE out of our cities, and tax the rich to support our schools and vital services.”
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This Week’s Civic Events and Meetings
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Every Monday, WTTW News highlights the best ways to get involved with local government.
City Council’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights
On Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., the City Council’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights will hold a meeting that includes a “call for hearing(s) on barriers to housing faced by immigrant, migrant and refugee communities” in the city. For more information, click here.
City Council’s Committee on Transportation and Public Way
On Thursday at 10 a.m., the City Council’s Committee on Transportation and Public Way will hold a meeting. Written public comment is due by 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 24. For more information, click here.
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What’s your favorite museum in the Chicago area? Tell us why.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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