Brett Johnson
@brettdale.bsky.social
Managing editor of Daily Southtown, part of Chicago Tribune Media Group. Active member of the United Church of Christ. Lover of outdoors
Spending Bill Would Pave Way for Senators to Sue Over Phone Searches
www.nytimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Veterans Day
Opinion | If Only More Americans Could See This Place
www.nytimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Veterans Day
Federal Judge, Warning of ‘Existential Threat’ to Democracy, Resigns
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:19 AM
Reposted by Brett Johnson
The complaints are a part of an decades-long dispute between the Environmental Protection Agency and Citgo facility near Lemont over alleged violations to the Clean Air Act, including a $2 million civil penalty in 2016, and a more than $700,000 fine for alleged Clean Air Act violations in 2013.
Lemont residents allege Citgo facility is harming air quality
Lemont residents rally against alleged air quality issues from a Citgo facility based on Environmental Protection Agency reports.
trib.al
November 8, 2025 at 1:29 AM
The complaints are a part of an decades-long dispute between the Environmental Protection Agency and Citgo facility near Lemont over alleged violations to the Clean Air Act, including a $2 million civil penalty in 2016, and a more than $700,000 fine for alleged Clean Air Act violations in 2013.
Reposted by Brett Johnson
‘Doesn’t look good’: ICE agent charged with drunken driving after shift at Broadview detention center
‘Doesn’t look good’: ICE agent charged with drunken driving after shift at Broadview detention center
An Immigration and Enforcement agent has been charged with drunken driving after his car crashed after a shift at the Broadview detention center.
trib.al
November 6, 2025 at 2:05 PM
‘Doesn’t look good’: ICE agent charged with drunken driving after shift at Broadview detention center
Reposted by Brett Johnson
Commentary: While the daily imagery of neighbors standing up to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents is a powerful contagion for courage, there is something far deeper at work than just residents blowing whistles and recording arrests.
Sen. Graciela Guzmán and Gabe Gonzalez: There is something deeper at work in Chicago than residents blowing whistles
In Chicago a trifecta has emerged to fight ICE: grassroots mobilization, judicial accountability and united local governments.
trib.al
November 5, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Commentary: While the daily imagery of neighbors standing up to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents is a powerful contagion for courage, there is something far deeper at work than just residents blowing whistles and recording arrests.
Reposted by Brett Johnson
Ben Johnson pulled out a bag of tricks to propel the Chicago Bears to a 47-42 win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Paycor Stadium.
‘Hot Potato’ and other trick plays turn into a smash hit in Chicago Bears victory
Coach Ben Johnson drew up some exotic plays against the Cincinnati Bengals, just part of the Chicago Bears’ new normal.
www.chicagotribune.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Ben Johnson pulled out a bag of tricks to propel the Chicago Bears to a 47-42 win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Paycor Stadium.
Opinion | How the Supreme Court Paved the Way for Revenge Prosecutions
www.nytimes.com
November 1, 2025 at 11:06 PM
To measure what is happening in the United States, the Times editorial board has compiled a list of 12 markers of democratic erosion, with help from scholars who have studied this phenomenon. The sobering reality is that the United States has regressed, to different degrees, on all 12.
www.nytimes.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:58 PM
To measure what is happening in the United States, the Times editorial board has compiled a list of 12 markers of democratic erosion, with help from scholars who have studied this phenomenon. The sobering reality is that the United States has regressed, to different degrees, on all 12.
Prosecutors who have worked on Jan. 6-related cases have been targeted for months as part of Mr. Trump’s broader effort to root out people in the Justice Department he believes to be disloyal.
Prosecutors Who Called Jan. 6 Attackers a ‘Mob of Rioters’ Are Punished
www.nytimes.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Prosecutors who have worked on Jan. 6-related cases have been targeted for months as part of Mr. Trump’s broader effort to root out people in the Justice Department he believes to be disloyal.
"There has to be a moratorium on these kinds of un-American tactics and there has to be one now. This is not outrage over a ballroom project or a tasteless meme; this is outrage over kids seeing things that are impossible to forget."
Editorial: Kristi Noem needs to halt the ICE terrorizing of Chicago neighborhoods
ICE and Border Patrol agents wreaking havoc in Chicago neighborhoods can’t go on.
www.chicagotribune.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:02 PM
"There has to be a moratorium on these kinds of un-American tactics and there has to be one now. This is not outrage over a ballroom project or a tasteless meme; this is outrage over kids seeing things that are impossible to forget."
Once Again: The Pope Likes That Other Chicago Team, Not the Cubs
www.nytimes.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Brett Johnson
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com
“The Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration has become a campaign of discrimination against Latinos,” writes the Times editorial board. “American citizens are living in fear of a government that is sworn to protect their liberties and keep them safe.”
“The Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration has become a campaign of discrimination against Latinos,” writes the Times editorial board. “American citizens are living in fear of a government that is sworn to protect their liberties and keep them safe.”
Opinion | Being Latino in the United States Should Not Be a Crime
Trump’s immigration tactics violate both the law and human decency.
nyti.ms
October 27, 2025 at 6:25 PM
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com
“The Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration has become a campaign of discrimination against Latinos,” writes the Times editorial board. “American citizens are living in fear of a government that is sworn to protect their liberties and keep them safe.”
“The Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration has become a campaign of discrimination against Latinos,” writes the Times editorial board. “American citizens are living in fear of a government that is sworn to protect their liberties and keep them safe.”
"One of the cashiers cried because they know him, like they’ve been working with him for a long time,” Guallpa said. “I feel angry. Because he’s very committed to his work. He comes every day on time.”
Federal immigration agents deploy tear gas in Chicago’s Irving Park and Avondale neighborhoods
Federal immigration agents again deployed tear gas on Chicago streets Saturday morning, despite mounting scrutiny from a federal judge over their use of the chemical weapons.
www.chicagotribune.com
October 25, 2025 at 8:37 PM
"One of the cashiers cried because they know him, like they’ve been working with him for a long time,” Guallpa said. “I feel angry. Because he’s very committed to his work. He comes every day on time.”
Reposted by Brett Johnson
News Analysis: President Trump has taken an ends-justify-the-means attitude toward his second term. Winning the election, he has argued, is a license to kill — or to bulldoze. That approach has become more brazen in recent weeks.
Amid the Rubble of the East Wing, Lessons in How Trump Exercises Power
From the first day of his second term, President Trump has taken an ends-justify-the-means approach to his presidency.
nyti.ms
October 24, 2025 at 10:40 PM
News Analysis: President Trump has taken an ends-justify-the-means attitude toward his second term. Winning the election, he has argued, is a license to kill — or to bulldoze. That approach has become more brazen in recent weeks.
Reposted by Brett Johnson
In a move that could bolster both his public messaging and the state’s legal efforts to fight the Trump administration, Gov. JB Pritzker is seeking to channel videos, testimonials and any allegations of misconduct into a centralized record overseen by a new “accountability commission.”
Gov. JB Pritzker establishing an ‘accountability commission’ on Trump administration’s immigration raids
Gov. JB Pritzker is seeking to stockpile videos, testimonials and allegations of misconduct tied to Trump administration immigration raids to track and scrutinize actions with the goal of holding f…
trib.al
October 23, 2025 at 9:27 PM
In a move that could bolster both his public messaging and the state’s legal efforts to fight the Trump administration, Gov. JB Pritzker is seeking to channel videos, testimonials and any allegations of misconduct into a centralized record overseen by a new “accountability commission.”
Reposted by Brett Johnson
A bipartisan group in the Senate is planning to force a vote on legislation barring the U.S. from engaging in hostilities inside Venezuela without explicit authorization by Congress.
Senators Move to Force Vote to Bar Ground Strikes in Venezuela
The bid comes after the Senate rejected a similar measure to curb President Trump’s attacks against alleged drug runners in the Caribbean Sea.
nyti.ms
October 17, 2025 at 2:20 PM
A bipartisan group in the Senate is planning to force a vote on legislation barring the U.S. from engaging in hostilities inside Venezuela without explicit authorization by Congress.
Reposted by Brett Johnson
Federal agents asked drivers to provide their documents, said Stacy McCloud, who works at a food truck in the ride-share lot. “They didn’t focus on anybody who didn’t look Mexican,” she said. “Anybody who was Mexican, it looked like they went straight for.”
‘They didn’t focus on anybody who didn’t look Mexican’: Feds target ride-share driver parking lot in immigration raid at O’Hare
Last Friday, Border Patrol officers arrested 18 people at O’Hare, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed.
trib.al
October 15, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Federal agents asked drivers to provide their documents, said Stacy McCloud, who works at a food truck in the ride-share lot. “They didn’t focus on anybody who didn’t look Mexican,” she said. “Anybody who was Mexican, it looked like they went straight for.”
Reposted by Brett Johnson
Former House Speaker Michael Madigan must report to federal prison Monday to begin serving his 7 1/2-year sentence on corruption charges, an ignominious end for a man who for decades was considered the most powerful politicians in the state.
From ‘Velvet Hammer’ to federal slammer, ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan must report to federal prison Monday
Former House Speaker Michael Madigan must report to federal prison Monday to begin serving his 7 1/2-year sentence on corruption charges, an ignominious end for a man who for decades was considered…
trib.al
October 13, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Former House Speaker Michael Madigan must report to federal prison Monday to begin serving his 7 1/2-year sentence on corruption charges, an ignominious end for a man who for decades was considered the most powerful politicians in the state.
Reposted by Brett Johnson
This government is a well-oiled machine that’s definitely not suffering from internal power struggles hastily papered over as technical mistakes
October 12, 2025 at 12:48 AM
This government is a well-oiled machine that’s definitely not suffering from internal power struggles hastily papered over as technical mistakes
Reposted by Brett Johnson
LATEST: A federal appeals court in Chicago on Saturday denied the Trump administration’s request for an emergency stay of a district judge’s order barring the president from deploying National Guard troops in the city and state.
Appeals court denies Trump administration request to halt judge’s ruling on National Guard pending appeal
A federal appeals court in Chicago on Saturday denied the Trump administration’s request for an emergency stay of a district judge’s order barring the president from deploying National …
trib.al
October 11, 2025 at 7:20 PM
LATEST: A federal appeals court in Chicago on Saturday denied the Trump administration’s request for an emergency stay of a district judge’s order barring the president from deploying National Guard troops in the city and state.
Reposted by Brett Johnson
BREAKING: A federal judge in Chicago has blocked the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to the city as part of its ongoing immigration-enforcement push.
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to Chicago
Arguments in federal court over an emergency restraining order that would bar a National Guard deployment began Thursday with lawyers sparring over what constitutes a “rebellion” that such troops m…
trib.al
October 9, 2025 at 10:18 PM
BREAKING: A federal judge in Chicago has blocked the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to the city as part of its ongoing immigration-enforcement push.
Reposted by Brett Johnson
A Chicago federal judge has extended a nationwide consent decree requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to better document and report probable cause for immigration arrests.
Federal judge in Chicago finds ICE repeatedly violated consent decree over ‘warrantless arrests’
A Chicago federal judge has extended a nationwide consent decree requiring ICE to better document and report probable cause for immigration arrests and found the agency repeatedly violated the 2022…
trib.al
October 8, 2025 at 5:00 PM
A Chicago federal judge has extended a nationwide consent decree requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to better document and report probable cause for immigration arrests.