Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social
prisons + investigations for @wttw.bsky.social
Pinned
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social
· Nov 14
Mouse Arts and Letters Club
mouseartsandletters.org
In January, my partner, friends and I will be opening up a cultural club in an old bank in Bridgeport: the Mouse Arts and Letters Club. We'll host News Night, a citywide newsroom, screenings, translation + ecology events & more. We'd love you to join us. Sign up for updates: mouseartsandletters.org
Join us today as we open Mouse! :-) blockclubchicago.org/2026/01/16/m...
Mouse Arts And Letters, A New Bridgeport Social Club, Brings Artists And Writers Together
Located in an old bank building, the arts social club will serve as a co-working space and host a variety of free events revolving around arts, literature, history and politics.
blockclubchicago.org
January 16, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Join us today as we open Mouse! :-) blockclubchicago.org/2026/01/16/m...
Reposted by Blair Paddock
SCOOP from Douglas Macmillan
Medical examiner believes death of man in ICE custody was homicide, recording says
www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
Medical examiner believes death of man in ICE custody was homicide, recording says
www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
Medical examiner believes death of man in ICE custody was homicide, recording says
A fellow detainee says he witnessed Geraldo Lunas Campos being choked to death by guards at the ICE detention center in Texas on Jan. 3.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:46 PM
SCOOP from Douglas Macmillan
Medical examiner believes death of man in ICE custody was homicide, recording says
www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
Medical examiner believes death of man in ICE custody was homicide, recording says
www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
Reposted by Blair Paddock
Reposted by Blair Paddock
Looking forward to this conversation with @aliceyin.bsky.social and @ctoner.bsky.social and people interested in Chicago journalism on Friday night!
January 13, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Looking forward to this conversation with @aliceyin.bsky.social and @ctoner.bsky.social and people interested in Chicago journalism on Friday night!
I spoke with the folks at Pushing Envelopes Chicago, who sends letters to a network of 600 incarcerated people each week, to hear their reaction to IL prisons now digitizing all physical mail: news.wttw.com/2026/01/13/g...
Group That Sends People in Prisons Supportive Cards and Letters Adjusts to Illinois’ New Mail Rules
Since 2013, the prison abolition collective has processed mail from largely LGBTQ people incarcerated in Illinois. How those materials are delivered has recently changed.
news.wttw.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:23 PM
I spoke with the folks at Pushing Envelopes Chicago, who sends letters to a network of 600 incarcerated people each week, to hear their reaction to IL prisons now digitizing all physical mail: news.wttw.com/2026/01/13/g...
Updated with a note from the Kane County Sheriff:
January 9, 2026 at 9:38 PM
Updated with a note from the Kane County Sheriff:
Reposted by Blair Paddock
Four Illinois sheriff’s offices defied the state’s sanctuary laws and transferred individuals into Department of Homeland Security custody in 2024, according to a new report. (via @blairpaddock.bsky.social)
Four Illinois Sheriff’s Offices Ignored Sanctuary Laws by Transferring People Into Federal Custody, AG Report Finds
Four Illinois sheriff’s offices defied the state’s sanctuary laws and transferred individuals into Department of Homeland Security custody in 2024, according to a new report.
news.wttw.com
January 9, 2026 at 1:56 PM
Four Illinois sheriff’s offices defied the state’s sanctuary laws and transferred individuals into Department of Homeland Security custody in 2024, according to a new report. (via @blairpaddock.bsky.social)
NEW: Four Illinois sheriff's offices defied state sanctuary law by transferring people into DHS custody in 2024. That, according to a report released from the IL AG on Dec 23. news.wttw.com/2026/01/08/f...
Four Illinois Sheriff’s Offices Ignored Sanctuary Laws by Transferring People Into Federal Custody, AG Report Finds
Four Illinois sheriff’s offices defied the state’s sanctuary laws and transferred individuals into Department of Homeland Security custody in 2024, according to a new report.
news.wttw.com
January 8, 2026 at 9:56 PM
NEW: Four Illinois sheriff's offices defied state sanctuary law by transferring people into DHS custody in 2024. That, according to a report released from the IL AG on Dec 23. news.wttw.com/2026/01/08/f...
Reposted by Blair Paddock
New Interview: www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...
January 3, 2026 at 9:42 PM
New Interview: www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...
Reposted by Blair Paddock
NEW: beginning january 1, chicago will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on public transit.
it’s the latest in a concerted effort by mayor johnson’s admin to criminalize homelessness on cta trains + buses and in public parks during the coldest months of the year.
it’s the latest in a concerted effort by mayor johnson’s admin to criminalize homelessness on cta trains + buses and in public parks during the coldest months of the year.
‘An impossible situation’ - Chicago Reader
Beginning January 1, the City of Chicago will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on public transit.
chicagoreader.com
December 26, 2025 at 2:20 PM
NEW: beginning january 1, chicago will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on public transit.
it’s the latest in a concerted effort by mayor johnson’s admin to criminalize homelessness on cta trains + buses and in public parks during the coldest months of the year.
it’s the latest in a concerted effort by mayor johnson’s admin to criminalize homelessness on cta trains + buses and in public parks during the coldest months of the year.
Reposted by Blair Paddock
State regulators cited Roseland Community Hospital with an “immediate jeopardy” warning after a suicidal patient left the ER without supervision. His case is part of a troubling pattern tied to deaths and neglect. Investigation by @ndblumberg.bsky.social.
news.wttw.com/2025/12/16/r...
news.wttw.com/2025/12/16/r...
Roseland Hospital Failed to Monitor a Patient During a Mental Health Crisis, Regulators Say. Now He’s Charged With Killing His Wife
Since 2023, Roseland Community Hospital has received at least four immediate jeopardy citations. That warning is the most serious deficiency a health care facility can be cited for, according to feder...
news.wttw.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:01 PM
State regulators cited Roseland Community Hospital with an “immediate jeopardy” warning after a suicidal patient left the ER without supervision. His case is part of a troubling pattern tied to deaths and neglect. Investigation by @ndblumberg.bsky.social.
news.wttw.com/2025/12/16/r...
news.wttw.com/2025/12/16/r...
For Those Interested in Sandhill Crane Migration at the Jasper-Pulaski Stopover Point in Indiana: the numbers are much lower compared to last year. Note the gap between Dec. 9 2025 from years prior.
December 15, 2025 at 10:06 PM
For Those Interested in Sandhill Crane Migration at the Jasper-Pulaski Stopover Point in Indiana: the numbers are much lower compared to last year. Note the gap between Dec. 9 2025 from years prior.
When Illinois closed its prison in Dwight more than a decade ago, the transfer to Logan CC left incarcerated women traumatized.
Now, as the state pitches to close Logan, the largest women’s prison in IL, advocates want to ensure that history is not repeated. news.wttw.com/2025/12/09/a...
Now, as the state pitches to close Logan, the largest women’s prison in IL, advocates want to ensure that history is not repeated. news.wttw.com/2025/12/09/a...
Advocates Ask Pritzker, IDOC to Endorse Transfer Plan for Women at Logan Prison
In March 2024, Gov. JB Pritzker announced the closure and rebuild of both Stateville and Logan correctional centers, allocating $900 million for the projects. The decision came after a state-commissio...
news.wttw.com
December 9, 2025 at 9:33 PM
When Illinois closed its prison in Dwight more than a decade ago, the transfer to Logan CC left incarcerated women traumatized.
Now, as the state pitches to close Logan, the largest women’s prison in IL, advocates want to ensure that history is not repeated. news.wttw.com/2025/12/09/a...
Now, as the state pitches to close Logan, the largest women’s prison in IL, advocates want to ensure that history is not repeated. news.wttw.com/2025/12/09/a...
Reposted by Blair Paddock
2017: Officer shoots teen in the back of their shoulder
June 2021: Shooting ruled unjustified
Sept. 2021: Top cop disagrees
Nov. 2021: Police Board president orders full hearing
2019-24: 4 lawsuits naming officer settled for $590K
June 2025: Officer promoted to sergeant
Nov. 2025: Charges dropped
June 2021: Shooting ruled unjustified
Sept. 2021: Top cop disagrees
Nov. 2021: Police Board president orders full hearing
2019-24: 4 lawsuits naming officer settled for $590K
June 2025: Officer promoted to sergeant
Nov. 2025: Charges dropped
The Chicago police officer who shot a 16-year-old in September 2017 in what investigators ruled was an unjustified use of deadly force will not be fired, according to documents obtained by WTTW News. https://to.wttw.com/48nbt6g
CPD Officer Who Shot Teen in 2017 Won’t Be Fired — But Was Promoted After Costing Taxpayers $590K
Since the shooting, Chicago taxpayers have paid $591,500 to resolve four lawsuits that allege the officer, who was promoted in June 2025, violated the rights of other Chicagoans, according to an analy...
to.wttw.com
December 8, 2025 at 3:07 PM
2017: Officer shoots teen in the back of their shoulder
June 2021: Shooting ruled unjustified
Sept. 2021: Top cop disagrees
Nov. 2021: Police Board president orders full hearing
2019-24: 4 lawsuits naming officer settled for $590K
June 2025: Officer promoted to sergeant
Nov. 2025: Charges dropped
June 2021: Shooting ruled unjustified
Sept. 2021: Top cop disagrees
Nov. 2021: Police Board president orders full hearing
2019-24: 4 lawsuits naming officer settled for $590K
June 2025: Officer promoted to sergeant
Nov. 2025: Charges dropped
Want to help us build a new cultural club in Chicago? Consider being a member here: mouseartsandletters.org/membership-1
December 2, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Want to help us build a new cultural club in Chicago? Consider being a member here: mouseartsandletters.org/membership-1
Reposted by Blair Paddock
A Mauritanian man will testify Monday about torture he says he endured at Guantánamo Bay—at the hands of former Chicago detective Richard Zuley.
His story is one thread in a web connecting Zuley to the post-9/11 legacy through this city.
🔗 news.wttw.com/2025/11/20/m...
His story is one thread in a web connecting Zuley to the post-9/11 legacy through this city.
🔗 news.wttw.com/2025/11/20/m...
Man Who Said He Was Tortured by Ex-CPD Detective at Guantanamo Bay Set to Testify
Circuit Court Judge Adrienne Davis is weighing whether to overturn the conviction of Anthony Garrett in connection with the murder of 7-year-old Dantrell Davis, who was shot and killed by a sniper at ...
news.wttw.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:47 PM
A Mauritanian man will testify Monday about torture he says he endured at Guantánamo Bay—at the hands of former Chicago detective Richard Zuley.
His story is one thread in a web connecting Zuley to the post-9/11 legacy through this city.
🔗 news.wttw.com/2025/11/20/m...
His story is one thread in a web connecting Zuley to the post-9/11 legacy through this city.
🔗 news.wttw.com/2025/11/20/m...
Reposted by Blair Paddock
NEW: The exodus of corrections officers from federal prisons to ICE comes amid shortages of critical supplies, from food to personal hygiene items, for both staff and inmates.
It threatens to make the already grim conditions in these prisons even worse.
It threatens to make the already grim conditions in these prisons even worse.
As Federal Prisons Run Low on Food and Toilet Paper, Corrections Officers Leave in Droves for ICE
Many of the problems the agency is facing now are not new, but staff and prisoners fear an exodus of officers could make life behind bars even worse.
www.propublica.org
November 21, 2025 at 1:00 PM
NEW: The exodus of corrections officers from federal prisons to ICE comes amid shortages of critical supplies, from food to personal hygiene items, for both staff and inmates.
It threatens to make the already grim conditions in these prisons even worse.
It threatens to make the already grim conditions in these prisons even worse.
Reposted by Blair Paddock
BREAKING: Chicago police officers will be allowed to file felony gun charges without first getting approval from a prosecutor throughout the city, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke announced Friday. @wttw.bsky.social
Program Allowing CPD Officers to Directly File Felony Gun Charges to Expand Citywide, Top Prosecutor Announces
The Felony Review Bypass Pilot Program was “an unqualified success,” Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke said.
news.wttw.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:38 PM
BREAKING: Chicago police officers will be allowed to file felony gun charges without first getting approval from a prosecutor throughout the city, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke announced Friday. @wttw.bsky.social
Reposted by Blair Paddock
Another banger for @wttw.bsky.social by @ndblumberg.bsky.social
Ex-Aurora Mayor Backed $450K Line of Credit Without Council Approval; Nonprofit Leader Racked Up Charges at ATMs and Strip Clubs
OnLight Aurora, a city-supported nonprofit, aims to provide high speed internet to the west suburban community’s institutions, businesses and residents. It’s also in massive debt, with a long history ...
news.wttw.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Another banger for @wttw.bsky.social by @ndblumberg.bsky.social
In January, my partner, friends and I will be opening up a cultural club in an old bank in Bridgeport: the Mouse Arts and Letters Club. We'll host News Night, a citywide newsroom, screenings, translation + ecology events & more. We'd love you to join us. Sign up for updates: mouseartsandletters.org
Mouse Arts and Letters Club
mouseartsandletters.org
November 14, 2025 at 7:25 PM
In January, my partner, friends and I will be opening up a cultural club in an old bank in Bridgeport: the Mouse Arts and Letters Club. We'll host News Night, a citywide newsroom, screenings, translation + ecology events & more. We'd love you to join us. Sign up for updates: mouseartsandletters.org
a year of news night!
November 14, 2025 at 3:49 PM
a year of news night!
Reposted by Blair Paddock
You probably saw videos of a nighttime raid in Chicago. Agents rappelling from a helicopter, bursting down doors, questioning brown-skinned immigrants.
We investigated -- and found little evidence to support the government’s claims about Tren de Aragua.
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
We investigated -- and found little evidence to support the government’s claims about Tren de Aragua.
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
“I Lost Everything”: Venezuelans Were Rounded Up in a Dramatic Midnight Raid but Never Charged With a Crime
Authorities said Tren de Aragua “terrorists” had taken over the building. A ProPublica investigation found little evidence to back up the government’s claims. For the first time, the Venezuelans arres...
www.propublica.org
November 13, 2025 at 1:28 PM
You probably saw videos of a nighttime raid in Chicago. Agents rappelling from a helicopter, bursting down doors, questioning brown-skinned immigrants.
We investigated -- and found little evidence to support the government’s claims about Tren de Aragua.
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
We investigated -- and found little evidence to support the government’s claims about Tren de Aragua.
www.propublica.org/article/chic...