Gregory Royal Pratt
@royalpratt
Chicago Tribune investigative reporter, author "The City is Up for Grabs." Little Village raised. Proud @ctguild. I'm just trying to make my city a better place
Read @chicagotribune excerpt from "The City is Up for Grabs: How Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Led and Lost a City in Crisis.” “They won’t burn my city down,” a look behind the scenes at 2020 riots and MLL City Hall. Check it out and preorder chicagotribune.com/2024/03/10/opi…
Chicago inspector general Deborah Witzburg is stepping down after one term. She’s compared it to a relay race and wants to pass baton after eventful, at times contentious four years under Mayors Lori Lightfoot and Brandon Johnson.
I’m having a hard time visualizing it. Johnson couldn’t get even his closest allies to raise property taxes last year. With the election coming in less than two years, how’s this going to work? On October’s edition of Days of Our Lives
Mayor Brandon Johnson might want to try again to hike property taxes, but many aldermen want spending cuts first — which CFO Jill Jaworski said are also coming. "We need to start talking about stuff we never talked about before," Ald. Matt O'Shea told me. Jaworski's comments:
Ald. Walter Burnett’s wife violated Chicago Housing Authority ethics policy, records obtained by @lizzie_kane17 show. chicagotribune.com/2025/07/23/wal…
Good morning to everyone except bad media owners cc Alden Global Capital
Bad for Dallas, bad for civil society, bad bad bad. Signed, a journalist at an Alden newspaper that’s expecting layoffs despite being profitable.
NEW: Alden Global Capital's MediaNews Group is making a last-minute bid for The Dallas Morning News, which reached a deal with Hearst earlier this month. MediaNews offering $16.50 a share to Hearst's $14 nytimes.com/2025/07/22/bus…
Chicago Housing Authority resident leaders voice opposition to Ald. Walter Burnett as potential next CEO. Come for the news, stay for the voicemail. By @lizzie_kane17 chicagotribune.com/2025/07/22/cha…
Police Department brass accused Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget office of “systemically” delaying paychecks — by @byaliceyin chicagotribune.com/2025/07/22/pol…
Great work from @nellbsalzman and @joemahr
A Tribune analysis of newly released data shows a significant increase in the number of immigrants detained by ICE in the Chicago area under the second Trump administration — particularly those with no known criminal background. W / @joemahr chicagotribune.com/2025/07/21/ice…
In the wake of SNAP cuts, feeding hungry Illinoisans falls more than ever on food pantries. chicagotribune.com/2025/07/20/in-…
Some nasty business here: Chicago-area children get deportation letters: Leave or “the federal government will find you.” chicagotribune.com/2025/07/20/tru…
Plan to upzone Broadway promises housing, divides Edgewater — very good in-depth story from @JakeSheridan_ @chicagotribune chicagotribune.com/2025/07/20/pla…
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s advice to Zohran Mamdani is fascinating: “When we win, sometimes the movement doesn’t always show up after the win.” Is there soul searching about the ways he has or hasn’t shown up for “movement”? Story by @byaliceyin chicagotribune.com/2025/07/17/may…
WBEZ.org/donate
That’s it. Congress has officially killed federal funding of PBS, NPR and local stations across the U.S. after decades of thwarted attempts.
This has potential to be a real shit show. @byaliceyin with a good story breaking down the political in-fighting over the critically important Zoning committee chairmanship
Mayor Brandon Johnson's 3rd round of Zoning musical chairs has begun. It's historically been one of his biggest political problems w council. The Black & Latino caucuses are both calling for the coveted apptment to go to them. Lawson also interested: chicagotribune.com/2025/07/18/may…
City Hall wouldn't pay $14 million for cop overtime. Now, it might have to pay at least $195 million. Story by @dmihalopoulos chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/…
!!! Lawyers for Chicago Housing Authority used ChatGPT to cite nonexistent court case. Outstanding story from @lizzie_kane17 that raises even more questions about problems with nation’s third largest housing authority chicagotribune.com/2025/07/17/chi…
The City Hall press room has a new title @CraigDellimore @WBBMNewsradio 👏👏👏👏👏