Gilbert Bailon

@GilbertBailon

Executive editor WBEZ public radio Chicago. Ex-KERA executive editor in Dallas. Former editor STL Post-Dispatch, Dallas Morning News/Al Dia. Ex NAHJ president.

Chicago

Joined June 2014

815Following

3KFollowers

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jul 22

A family came to Chicago seeking asylum. He was deported. Now she wants to leave. wbez.org/immigration/20… @AdrianaCardMag @WBEZ @Suntimes

GilbertBailon's tweet card. They came for the ‘American Dream.’ He says conditions in detention were ‘inhumane.’ Now, she’s enrolled in the government’s program to self-deport.

472

Gilbert Bailon Retweeted

Chicago Sun-Times@Suntimes · Jul 21

“This is a poor club. This is not a rich club,” Coach Serban said. “Most of them are first generation, but the good part is they understand hard work... Imagine Serena Williams or Tiger Woods if they didn’t do repetition and put in the work.” trib.al/7Zmzf2r

2.0K

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jul 18

NASCAR Chicago Street Race won't return for 2026 — eyes 2027 return chicago.suntimes.com/nascar/2025/07… @Suntimes @WBEZ

GilbertBailon's tweet card. NASCAR officials are pausing the annual Fourth of July weekend race next year to work on finding a new date and optimizing its setup and break-down of the course.

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jul 18

Sen. Dick Durbin calls $9B in cuts to foreign aid, public broadcasting a 'serious mistake' chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2025/… @TinaSfon @Suntimes @WBEZ

GilbertBailon's tweet card. Two public television stations — one in the Quad Cities and another at Eastern Illinois University — are in danger of shutting down because they rely on federal funds for 50% of their budget.

892

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jul 18

Chicago supermarket super-pain: Trump's campaign promise to cut food prices falls short chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/… @Suntimes @WBEZ

GilbertBailon's tweet card. The Sun-Times has been tracking prices for 35 grocery items across four stores, since December. We found most stayed the same or increased, with our shopping cart's total price rising by up to $11.

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jul 18

Chicago City Hall wouldn’t pay $14 million for cop overtime. Now, it might have to pay at least $195 million. wbez.org/investigations… @dmihalopoulos @WBEZ @Suntimes

GilbertBailon's tweet card. A judge ruled five years ago in favor of 8,500 current and former Chicago Police Department employees. But the case has gone on and the interest keeps building as City Hall disputes how much it...

581

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jul 17

Local public media stations brace for 'worst case scenario' after Senate approves cuts to NPR, PBS wbez.org/nation-world/2… @TinaSfon @Suntimes @WBEZ

GilbertBailon's tweet card. Public broadcasting stations in the state are bracing for big changes. In Moline, WQPT’s general manager Dawn Schmitt said the TV station expects to have to cut staffing — and the amount of community...

417

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jul 16

Report shows big drop in Chicago police traffic stops, but sharp racial disparities persist wbez.org/data/2025/07/1… @ChipMitchell1 @WBEZ @Suntimes

GilbertBailon's tweet card. The Chicago Police Department made 45% fewer traffic stops in 2024, but Black and Latino drivers were four times more likely than white drivers to be pulled over.

130

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jul 9

Homeland Security swarms parking lot of Chicago's National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2025/… @TinaSfon @Suntimes @WBEZ

GilbertBailon's tweet card. Tuesday's incident unleashed panic in a community with many immigrants living in fear of raids and deportations and ahead of two popular festivals.

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jul 7

Fatal lifeguard shooting at Douglass Park was ‘years in the making’ wbez.org/criminal-justi… @fspielman @dmihalopoulos @Suntimes @WBEZ

GilbertBailon's tweet card. Ald. Monique Scott (24th) and her brother, former Ald. Michael Scott say the park district has too few lifeguards, too little staff training and inadequate park security.

126

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jul 3

Who is Mello Buckzz, the Chicago rapper at the center of mass shooting in River North? chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/07/0… @Suntimes @WBEZ

GilbertBailon's tweet card. Born Melanie Doyle, the 24-year-old drill rapper has seen her star power rise in recent years with several tracks that went viral. In 2023, she was charged with felony counts of aggravated battery in...

447

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jul 3

River North mass shooting sees 4 killed, 14 more wounded after rapper's party wbez.org/criminal-justi… @Suntimes @WBEZ

GilbertBailon's tweet card. It happened outside a restaurant as people were leaving an album release party for Chicago rapper Mello Buckzz. Another mass shooting happened at a club that operated from the same address in 2022.

113

Gilbert Bailon Retweeted

Mitchell Armentrout@mitchtrout · Jul 1

Gov. JB Pritzker taps Christian Mitchell as lieutenant governor pick in campaign for third term chicago.suntimes.com/illinois-gover…

331

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jul 1

Here's how President Trump's mega tax bill would impact Illinois wbez.org/politics/2025/… @TinaSfon @Suntimes @WBEZ

GilbertBailon's tweet card. The Joint Economic Committee projects 163,674 people in Illinois would lose Affordable Health Care Act coverage, and 335,000 would lose Medicaid with passage of the Trump-backed measure.

973

Gilbert Bailon Retweeted

Chicago Sun-Times@Suntimes · Jun 20

The turmoil of tariffs has been painful for Chicago businesses that rely on China — especially hurting those in Chinatown and Uptown, two neighborhoods with large Asian communities. trib.al/86SlxZm

2.0K

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jun 18

National Guard siblings escort mother to ICE facility, where Reps. Krishnamoorthi, Jackson are ejected chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2025/… @TinaSfon @Suntimes @WBEZ

333

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jun 17

Mayor Brandon Johnson warns President Trump that Chicago has 'to go as far necessary’ to protect the Constitution wbez.org/immigration/20… @MariahWoelfel @WBEZ @Suntimes

GilbertBailon's tweet card. As officials prepare for Trump to escalate immigration enforcement, Johnson says Chicago is prepared to fight in the courts, the street and with policy to protect residents.

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jun 14

'No Kings' protests coming to Chicago and suburbs Saturday: Live updates chicago.suntimes.com/live/2025/06/1… @Suntimes @WBEZ

GilbertBailon's tweet card. Thousands gathered in Daley Plaza and in suburban events in protests timed to coincide with a military parade in Washington celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump's 79th...

281

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jun 13

A Black girl endured racist bullying in a mostly white Chicago school. Did CPS do enough? wbez.org/education/2025… @NaderDIssa @SSKedreporter @Suntimes @WBEZ

GilbertBailon's tweet card. The middle schooler faced years of bullying as educators struggled and failed to suppress it. CPS has added investigative muscle but still lacks capacity to tackle a rise in complaints.

Gilbert Bailon@GilbertBailon · Jun 12

What we know about Chicago's 'No Kings' protest on Saturday chicago.suntimes.com/donald-trump/2… @Suntimes @WBEZ

GilbertBailon's tweet card. Similar protests are set to kick off in more than 1,000 cities across the country on Saturday. The rallies are intended to counter the military parade President Donald Trump has planned to mark the...

518