Articles by Sofia Russo
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NEWSBulls Waive Jaden Ivey Two Hours Before Tipoff 'For Conduct Detrimental to the Team,' Decline to Specify Conduct
The organization released the guard on Monday afternoon in what it called a necessary roster decision, then declined all seventeen follow-up questions about what that decision was based on.
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NEWSCTA Launches 'Farecard Inspection Missions,' Assures Riders the Name Was Not Arrived at Ironically
The agency's new security overhaul introduces sheriff's deputies on trains, high-barrier turnstiles, and a terminology choice that has given this reporter pause.
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NEWSPilsen Dive Bar's Jukebox Now Only Plays 'Don't Stop Believin'' Regardless of Selection
Every button on the machine triggers the same Journey classic. The owner says the repair would cost $400 and he's 'not doing that.'
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NEWSJudge Orders $3.1 Billion in CTA Funding Released; Agency Celebrates by Revising Red Line Extension Completion Date From 2089 to 2087
Following a federal court victory restoring more than $3 billion in frozen transit funds, the CTA moved quickly to update its project timeline by what officials called 'a meaningful margin.'
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TECHNOLOGYChicago Passes Landmark Robot Sidewalk Ordinance; Delivery Units Must Now Yield to Pigeons, Aldermen, and Anyone Carrying More Than Two Grocery Bags
The 47-page Autonomous Sidewalk Conveyance Etiquette Ordinance passed 40-10 this week, becoming the nation's most comprehensive legislative document to use the phrase 'motorized snack vessel.'
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NEWSCity Forms Interagency Teen Task Force After Spring Break Loop 'Disturbance'; Bicycle Sidewalk Infraction Identified as 'Central Threat'
Following Wednesday night's spring break gathering at State and Randolph that drew an estimated 300 teenagers and prompted a curfew enforcement order, the city has activated a five-agency response framework and is asking residents to remain calm while it processes what happened.
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NEWSCTA Sues Federal Government Over Frozen $2.1 Billion, Contractor Deadline Tomorrow
The agency filed suit this week after DOT froze funding for the Red Line Extension and Red/Purple Modernization projects. The contractor demobilization clock runs out Thursday.
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NEWSNBC Chicago Spends $70 Million to Downsize Into Jerry Springer's Old Studio, Calls It 'the Future of Local News'
The station has consolidated five floors into one 70,000-square-foot space on the former set of 'The Jerry Springer Show,' complete with robotic cameras, a game room, and panoramic views of Michigan Avenue.
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NEWSCubs Lose Seiya Suzuki to Injured List Two Days Before Opening Day, Fans Enter Familiar Stages of Grief
A PCL sprain in his right knee will sideline the star outfielder for the start of the season, marking the earliest point at which Cubs fans have been asked to lower their expectations since at least last year.
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NEWSSix Vegan Restaurants Close in Chicago in Under Three Months, City's Italian Beef Shops Decline to Comment
A wave of plant-based closures — including the home of Chicago's original vegan deep-dish — has prompted soul-searching in the dining scene and quiet vindication in the city's 437 remaining Italian beef establishments.
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NEWSCity Council's Bold Plan to Attract More Tourists: Make It More Expensive to Visit
Chicago's hotel tax hits 19%, the highest in the nation, as part of a new Tourism Improvement District that will use tourist money to convince more tourists to come spend tourist money.
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NEWSEntire Divvy Station on Damen Vanishes Overnight, Returns with One Extra Bike
The Damen and Milwaukee station disappeared for 14 hours before reappearing fully stocked — plus one bike no one can account for.
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NEWSCook County Assessor's Office Enters 'Transition Period,' Staff Unsure Whether to Update Resumes or Property Values First
With Fritz Kaegi ousted by Pat Hynes in Tuesday's primary, the assessor's office faces months of limbo as employees weigh loyalty, job security, and the existential question of what a house is actually worth.
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NEWSCity Council Freezes Tipped Wage; Mayor Vows Veto; Bartenders Vow to Remember Every Face
A 30-18 vote to freeze the subminimum wage at 76% has set off a chain reaction of strongly worded statements, passive-aggressive garnish placement, and at least one bartender's 'mental list.'
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NEWSSeventy Thousand Chicagoans Discovered the Primary Existed Between 4 and 7 PM; Board of Elections Calls It 'Peak Civic Engagement'
After turnout sat at a glacial 16% through mid-afternoon, a stampede of voters hit the polls in the final three hours, accounting for more than a third of the day's total ballots and all of the day's drama.
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NEWSChicago Holds Election on St. Patrick's Day; Board of Elections Reports Turnout 'Consistent With a Holiday'
Illinois voters cast ballots Tuesday amid green body paint, errant bagpipers, and at least one precinct where the polling place was directly adjacent to an outdoor bar tent that opened at 6 AM.
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LIFESTYLECTA Issues Emergency Cosplay Guidelines Ahead of C2E2, Asks Riders to 'Please Leave the Broadsword at Home'
With C2E2 descending on McCormick Place March 27–29, the Chicago Transit Authority has released a six-page addendum to its carry-on policy addressing foam weapons, capes, and 'armor that impedes turnstile access.'
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NEWSDispatch Reporter Fired Again After Parking in Editor's Reserved Spot Despite Not Owning a Car
Dennis Culpepper, who was hired and fired from the paper just last week, has been let go a second time after repeatedly occupying the editor-in-chief's parking space with a folding chair.
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NEWSO'Hare Cancels 384 Flights, Stranded Passengers Form What Sociologists Are Calling 'A Small Society'
Terminal 3 has developed its own economy, social hierarchy, and at least two territorial disputes over outlet access as the bomb cyclone grounds hundreds of flights.
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NEWSCPS Board Names Three CEO Finalists, Including the Interim CEO They Previously Told Was Not in the Running
The Chicago Board of Education announced three finalists for the permanent CEO position Thursday, one of whom has been doing the job since June and was initially informed she would not be considered for it.
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NEWSCity Releases 47-Page St. Patrick's Day Crowd Management Plan; Page 46 Notes the Plan Will Not Be Read
Chicago's Department of Special Events has published its most comprehensive parade logistics document to date, covering 214 operational contingencies and a section on what to do if a horse gets on the L.
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NEWSCPS Sixth-Grader Wins Citywide Spelling Bee With 'Logothete,' a Word Zero Adults in the Audience Could Define
Seraj Zerhouni of LaSalle II Elementary clinched the championship in Round 18 by correctly spelling a term for a Byzantine administrative official, one year after losing on the word 'Tiffany.'
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NEWSChicago Teachers Union Clarifies $3.1 Million Political Budget Is for 'Civic Awareness,' Not Politics
The CTU's fiscal report reveals $3.1 million earmarked for political activities through June 2026, which union leadership emphasizes is completely different from politics.
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NEWSTen Democrats Are Running for One House Seat and the Debate Stage Rental Was Not Cheap
The race to succeed Rep. Robin Kelly in Illinois' 2nd Congressional District has attracted ten Democratic candidates, prompting the Cook County Democratic Party to quietly update its venue contracts and its definition of 'manageable.'
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NEWSIllinois Voters Unsettled by Senate Primary Featuring No Obviously Bad Options
The March 17 Democratic primary for Dick Durbin's open Senate seat has generated an unusual civic phenomenon: three credentialed, policy-fluent candidates, leaving voters without the conventional anti-vote to anchor their decision-making.
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NEWSChicago One Step Closer to Video Gambling in Bars; The Machines Are Being Briefed
A City Council committee advanced an ordinance this week that would allow video gambling terminals in Chicago bars and restaurants, moving the city toward joining the rest of Illinois in a tradition that has so far generated $2.4 billion in state revenue and a particular quality of silence in downstate taverns.
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NEWSCity of Chicago Springs Forward, Loses Hour; OEMC Confirms the Hour Was Not Recoverable and Has Opened a Ticket
At 2:00 a.m. Sunday, Chicago advanced its clocks to 3:00 a.m. per federal mandate, eliminating one hour from the operational day. The Office of Emergency Management and Communications has acknowledged the loss, described it as 'expected,' and indicated the matter is being 'tracked.'
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NEWSChicago High Schoolers Voted Early This Week; The School Board Has Thoughts, a Subcommittee, and a Concerns Form
The Chicago Board of Education's 'Defenders of Da'Mocracy' early voting program put ballot boxes in 43 high schools this week, which went smoothly by most measures and generated 14 formal stakeholder reactions by Thursday afternoon.
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NEWSCTA Submits Federal Safety Plan; Officials Confirm It Is, In Fact, A Plan, And It Does Address Safety
Facing a March 19 deadline and a threatened $50 million funding cut, the Chicago Transit Authority delivered its new security blueprint to federal regulators Tuesday, accompanied by a cover letter describing it as 'thorough.'
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NEWSEarly Voting Begins for March 17 Primary; City Clerk Releases 47-Page FAQ Clarifying What 'Early' Means
Cook County and all 50 Chicago wards opened early voting sites Monday, accompanied by a comprehensive guidance document addressing 214 frequently asked questions about the nature of voting before Election Day.
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NEWSEarly Voting Machines Across Cook County Develop Strong Political Opinions, Refuse to Remain Nonpartisan
As early voting expands to all 50 Chicago wards ahead of the March 17 primary, poll workers report that several touchscreen machines have begun editorializing ballot choices and sighing audibly.
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LIFESTYLEPulaski Day Confusion Reaches New Heights as Man Claims He Met Casimir Pulaski at a Jewel-Osco
As Chicago marks its beloved state holiday, a survey reveals that roughly 60% of residents who enjoy the day off have no idea who Casimir Pulaski was, with several respondents guessing he invented the Polish sausage.
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NEWSChicago Deep Dish Pizza Granted UNESCO World Heritage Status Over Italy's Objections
International body declares thick-crusted pizza a 'masterwork of human culinary ambition,' prompting diplomatic crisis with Rome.
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NEWSCity Council Passes 'Dibs Reform Act' Requiring Chairs Used for Parking Dibs to Be at Least Mid-Century Modern
New ordinance mandates aesthetic standards for the time-honored Chicago tradition of claiming shoveled-out parking spots with furniture.
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NEWSCity Introduces 'Pothole Adoption Program' Allowing Residents to Name and Sponsor Road Craters
Chicago's Department of Transportation unveils a creative solution to the city's pothole crisis by letting citizens claim, name, and personally maintain their favorite road hazards.