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It's Tuesday and we're back to work after a long holiday weekend. Catch up with these local stories from WTTW News
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Leighton Criminal Court Building (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) |
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Abdul “Malik” Muhammad sat in Menard Correctional Center in disbelief.
It was 2006 and he was facing nearly 50 years in prison for a murder he alleges he didn’t commit. Muhammad said he was in Washington state — not Chicago — at the time of the shooting. But his trial lawyer requested incorrect flight records from the airline to place him there.
Jailhouse lawyers, incarcerated people who help others with legal filings, tipped him off to one option for contesting his imprisonment: a post-conviction petition.
Every year, hundreds of people in Cook County file these petitions, compiling evidence of police misconduct, violations of constitutional rights or claims of actual innocence. It’s a vital tool for those alleging injustice to get a new trial or be resentenced — Chicago has some of the highest numbers of wrongful convictions in the nation. Incarcerated people typically file on their own, as they don’t have the right to an attorney provided by the state for these petitions.
But at the time, Muhammad barely knew how to read or write.
As he learned those skills, the task of filing became more daunting. He’d have panic attacks as he read through his trial transcriptions to try to piece together violations. Legal jargon was incomprehensible. He ended up paying a jailhouse lawyer $200 to file his petition in 2006, unsuccessfully.
Nearly 20 years later, with his third post-conviction petition working its way through the court system, he’s at last seen change: In March, it advanced to an evidentiary hearing. The next step is a status hearing in June.
What this means:
Muhammad’s case is emblematic of the struggles people encounter filing post-conviction petitions in a bid to secure their freedom. His case highlights the initial burden many face, filing without legal assistance, as well as the great lengths of time it takes for a case to move forward.
Even if petitioners make it past the initial filing, the chances of any success — meaning any difference in the initial outcome of the case — are incredibly slim. Fewer than 5% of cases are successful, estimates James Jacobs, a Cook County public defender who handles post-conviction petitions. |
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Volunteer Mary Ann Maglia helps create a wild native seed garden that will form a prairie of its own across from Orland Grassland, while also producing seed for other habitat restoration projects within Cook County forest preserves, May 7, 2025. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News) |
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Cook County Forest Preserves is on a mission to restore 30,000 acres of habitat to high-quality condition by the year 2030.
There’s just one tiny little problem.
“Even if we had all the money in the world, which we don’t, but even if we did, there just isn’t enough (native) seed out there,” said Iza Redlinski, deputy director of resource management for the forest preserves.
It’s a dilemma facing land managers across the U.S: You can’t restore native habitat without native plants. And you can’t grow native plants without native seed.
A 2023 report sounded the alarm about the scarcity of native seed: The native segment of the commercial seed production industry is comparatively small and highly specialized, and there isn’t enough species diversity in the offerings that do exist. Too often, key species are unavailable or buyers have to make do with substitutions, and that can affect the success of a restoration project.
Pat Hayes, long-time volunteer site steward at Cook County’s 1,000-acre Orland Grassland preserve, didn’t need data to tell her what she’s been experiencing firsthand.
“You can restore all day long cutting out invasives … but if you don’t have seed to back you up, it’s tough,” Hayes said. “I put out a list just last year of 12 different seeds that I would like from native nurseries, and I got four of them. And of those four, all the seeds were in envelopes that would fit in a shoebox. And it cost $1,000.”
So the Cook County forest preserve district, in partnership with the Chicago Botanic Garden, is taking matters into its own hands. It’s growing its own seed. |
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(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) |
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Nearly half of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s senior staff and his picks to serve on key panels with citywide authority are Black and more than half are women, according to a WTTW News analysis. Throughout his two years in office, Johnson, the second Black man elected as Chicago mayor, tapped more Black Chicagoans to serve in positions of authority than Chicagoans of other races, according to WTTW News’ analysis.
Johnson has repeatedly told reporters that the diversity of his closest advisers and the city’s leadership is a source of pride and evidence that he is keeping his campaign promises to work to eliminate systemic racism and expand racial equity at Chicago City Hall. His hiring decisions are facing new scrutiny after he told Byron T. Brazier, the pastor of the Apostolic Church of God, on May 18 that he had purposely surrounded himself with senior advisers who are Black.
Those remarks prompted Assistant U.S. Attorney Harmeet Dhillon, the head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, to launch a probe into whether Chicago officials, at Johnson’s direction, have “engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race” in violation of federal law. Johnson brushed off the threat of the probe.
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More From WTTW News: |
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Whether it’s connecting with extended family from afar, or taking pride in your heritage in the U.S., growing up as a child of immigrants can come with many complex experiences. Writer and illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara draws from her own childhood to help kids navigate their diverse identities in her new book called “Tíos and Primos” — Spanish for “aunts, uncles and cousins.
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Amid rising costs and threats to federal housing grants, Chicago is facing a shortfall of nearly 120,000 affordable housing units. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new Green Social Housing initiative aims to address that shortage by creating a city-owned nonprofit housing developer. Chicago Department of Housing Commissioner Lissette Castañeda joined “Chicago Tonight” to talk more about their efforts.
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Back in the Day: May 27, 1933 - Chicago World's Fair “A Century of Progress” Opens
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In 1933, the Great Depression was raging and Americans desperately searched for something to look forward to. On this day in 1933, 92 years ago, Chicago hosted the World’s Fair “A Century of Progress,” which drew 40 million visitors. Staged at Northerly Island, it was a forward-looking collection of architectural and technological innovations that included George Keck's twelve-sided House of Tomorrow, which featured an electric dishwasher and air conditioning. Elsewhere, the Fair featured an exact replica of the cabin of Chicago's first settler, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable. The city also hosted the World’s Fair in 1893.
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Staff Recommendations: Milkshakes
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Every Tuesday, WTTW News staffers highlight their favorite things about Chicago. This week, it’s investigative reporter Blair Paddock on their favorite milkshakes.
Blair Paddock: My favorite milkshakes in the city.
Ginseng Milkshake, Ssyal, 4201 W. Lawrence Ave.: I chose this list really to highlight this shake from the Korean restaurant, Ssyal. It is delightfully vegetal from the ginseng and not cloyingly sweet, with honey being the main sweetener. It is the most delicious milkshake you will ever have, especially if you’re a fan of not-too-sweet sweets. Plus, you’re sitting in the company of a ginseng empire. The owners of Ssyal moved to Woodstock, Ill., in the ‘80s to start a ginseng farm. You’re reminded of that history while sitting inside, surrounded by human-sized glass cylinders of suspended ginseng.
Ginger Milkshake, Spinning J, 1000 N. California Ave.: You might be noticing a root theme. The sting of ginger cuts through the richness of the ice cream, balancing the treat. If you work at Spinning J, I would love to know if you are using a homemade ginger ice cream or a ginger syrup or just blending ginger straight into the shake. It is so wonderfully ginger-forward. Plus, I get to sip it in a cute shake glass at the counter. What’s not to love!
Strawberry Milkshake, Dairy Star, 3472 W. Devon Ave., Lincolnwood: It’s rare to find soft serve flavor beyond chocolate and vanilla in the area (RIP to The Freeze, whose pistachio soft serve had my heart). So, it’s delightful to have Dairy Star’s strawberry soft serve. Live a little and have it in a milkshake! They also have 13 different dipped cone flavors if that’s your thing.
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Chicago's beaches opened for swimming last Friday. What's your favorite lakefront beach? |
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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