Jared Rutecki
@jaredrutecki.bsky.social
Investigative Reporter at WTTW News/Chicago Tonight. Past life: Illinois Answers Project, BGA, Columbus Dispatch, ThisWeek News. I cover cops, courts, energy, health, finance, education, pensions etc. Prolific FOIA filer. He/him.
Pinned
Jared Rutecki
@jaredrutecki.bsky.social
· Nov 12
‘Just Violence, Confusion’: Federal Immigration Raids Also Bring Fear to Suburban Streets
As national attention focused on Chicago, federal immigration agents carried out a wave of raids across the suburbs, sparking outrage and fear in communities including Aurora and Evanston. Local leade...
news.wttw.com
“Imagine dropping your kids off and wondering if it’s the last time you’ll see them.”
From Waukegan to Evanston to Aurora, suburban families are living in fear as ICE raids escalate.
My latest story explores the toll.
From Waukegan to Evanston to Aurora, suburban families are living in fear as ICE raids escalate.
My latest story explores the toll.
President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” did not make the student loan tax forgiveness provision permanent. As a result, student loans that are canceled or partially forgiven in 2026 and beyond will see taxes owed on those forgiven amounts, advocates said.
Student Loan Borrowers in Illinois Could Face Federal, State ‘Tax Bomb’ in 2026
For the first time in five years, certain forms of student loan forgiveness will be taxable following a change in federal tax policy this year.
news.wttw.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:49 PM
President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” did not make the student loan tax forgiveness provision permanent. As a result, student loans that are canceled or partially forgiven in 2026 and beyond will see taxes owed on those forgiven amounts, advocates said.
Reposted by Jared Rutecki
The Groundhog Day results are in and once again Punxsutawney Phil and Woodstock Willie have issued competing prognostications.
https://to.wttw.com/4a8oWhX
https://to.wttw.com/4a8oWhX
Punxsutawney Phil and Woodstock Willie Have Spoken and the Results Are Split
Punxsutawney Phil and Woodstock Willie have issued competing prognostications.
to.wttw.com
February 2, 2026 at 3:15 PM
The Groundhog Day results are in and once again Punxsutawney Phil and Woodstock Willie have issued competing prognostications.
https://to.wttw.com/4a8oWhX
https://to.wttw.com/4a8oWhX
Chicagoans can now vote to name one of Chicago’s snowplows “Abolish ICE,” linking the pun to efforts to oppose President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. news.wttw.com/2026/02/01/v...
Voting Is Now Open in Chicago’s Annual Snowplow Naming Contest. ‘Abolish ICE’ Among 25 Finalists
“Abolish ICE” is one of 25 finalists that Chicagoans can vote on between Sunday and Feb. 14, with the top six vote-getters winning the honor of renaming one snowplow in each of Chicago’s six snow dist...
news.wttw.com
February 2, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Chicagoans can now vote to name one of Chicago’s snowplows “Abolish ICE,” linking the pun to efforts to oppose President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. news.wttw.com/2026/02/01/v...
Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order that he said would lay “the groundwork to prosecute Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents for criminal misconduct.”
Mayor Johnson Signs Executive Order Designed to Lay ‘Groundwork’ to Prosecute Federal Agents for Actions During Immigration Raids
“If the federal government will not hold these rogue actors accountable, then Chicago will do everything in our power to bring these agents to justice,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.
news.wttw.com
February 2, 2026 at 3:10 PM
Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order that he said would lay “the groundwork to prosecute Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents for criminal misconduct.”
Chicago Tonight | Week in Review: New SNAP Work Requirements; National Discourse Over Immigration Enforcement, with Simone Alicea, Rufus Williams, @monicaeng.bsky.social @binghuihuang.bsky.social & host @brandisfriedman.bsky.social
Week in Review: New SNAP Work Requirements; National Discourse Over Immigration Enforcement
Another government shutdown looms as Democrats demand an immigration enforcement cool-down. And changes are coming to SNAP, affecting hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents.
news.wttw.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Chicago Tonight | Week in Review: New SNAP Work Requirements; National Discourse Over Immigration Enforcement, with Simone Alicea, Rufus Williams, @monicaeng.bsky.social @binghuihuang.bsky.social & host @brandisfriedman.bsky.social
Reposted by Jared Rutecki
BREAKING: A federal judge reversed course Friday, ruling ex- Mayor Rahm Emanuel does not have to testify about allegations that a “code of silence” among CPD officers led to a botched raid that violated the civil rights of a family with 4 children. @wttw.bsky.social news.wttw.com/2026/01/30/j...
Judge Reverses Order, Says Rahm Emanuel Does Not Have to Testify About CPD’s ‘Code of Silence’
U.S District Court Judge John Tharp said that he reconsidered his decision to allow lawyers for Ebony Tate, her mother, Cynthia Eason, and four children to call former Mayor Rahm Emanuel after lawyers...
news.wttw.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:55 PM
BREAKING: A federal judge reversed course Friday, ruling ex- Mayor Rahm Emanuel does not have to testify about allegations that a “code of silence” among CPD officers led to a botched raid that violated the civil rights of a family with 4 children. @wttw.bsky.social news.wttw.com/2026/01/30/j...
Capitol News Illinois has compiled a list of the suits Illinois has filed or joined against the Trump administration. The vast majority are ongoing, though AG Kwame Raoul has notched some wins. news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/i...
Illinois Has Filed 51 Lawsuits Against the Trump Administration. Here’s Where They Stand
Illinois has filed or joined 51 lawsuits against the Trump administration between January 2025 and January 2026, challenging a wide range of executive orders, funding freezes and regulatory changes.
news.wttw.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Capitol News Illinois has compiled a list of the suits Illinois has filed or joined against the Trump administration. The vast majority are ongoing, though AG Kwame Raoul has notched some wins. news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/i...
Reposted by Jared Rutecki
Chicagoans can vote through Sunday to pick a notable Italian to be honored with a statue in Little Italy’s Arrigo Park, where a statue of Christopher Columbus once stood. @wttw.bsky.social
Park District Asks Chicagoans to Decide What Statue Should Replace Columbus in Little Italy
Eight notable Italian Americans are finalists in a little-advertised contest.
news.wttw.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:06 PM
Chicagoans can vote through Sunday to pick a notable Italian to be honored with a statue in Little Italy’s Arrigo Park, where a statue of Christopher Columbus once stood. @wttw.bsky.social
Capitol News Illinois has compiled a list of the suits Illinois has filed or joined against the Trump administration. The vast majority are ongoing, though AG Kwame Raoul has notched some wins.
Illinois Has Filed 51 Lawsuits Against the Trump Administration. Here’s Where They Stand
Illinois has filed or joined 51 lawsuits against the Trump administration between January 2025 and January 2026, challenging a wide range of executive orders, funding freezes and regulatory changes.
news.wttw.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:09 PM
Capitol News Illinois has compiled a list of the suits Illinois has filed or joined against the Trump administration. The vast majority are ongoing, though AG Kwame Raoul has notched some wins.
Reposted by Jared Rutecki
BREAKING: U.S District Court Judge John Tharp will hold a 3 p.m. hearing today after lawyers for the city ask him to reconsider his order allowing Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to testify about CPD's so-called "code of silence".
Background, for @wttw.bsky.social news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/r...
Background, for @wttw.bsky.social news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/r...
Rahm Emanuel Ordered to Testify About CPD’s ‘Code of Silence’ During Trial Over Botched Raid
A trial, set to start Monday, will decide whether CPD officers traumatized two women and four children in August when a CPD SWAT team broke down the door of their apartment, pointed assault rifles dir...
news.wttw.com
January 30, 2026 at 6:03 PM
BREAKING: U.S District Court Judge John Tharp will hold a 3 p.m. hearing today after lawyers for the city ask him to reconsider his order allowing Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to testify about CPD's so-called "code of silence".
Background, for @wttw.bsky.social news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/r...
Background, for @wttw.bsky.social news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/r...
Trump tariffs: Joining “Chicago Tonight” are Steven Schwinn, professor of law at the University of Illinois Chicago, and Benjamin Krause, executive director of the University of Chicago’s Becker Friedman Institute for Economics
3 Months After Rapidly Scheduled Arguments, the Supreme Court Has Yet to Decide on Trump’s Tariffs
The tariffs case took on added urgency because the consequences of the Trump administration’s policy were playing out in real time.
news.wttw.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Trump tariffs: Joining “Chicago Tonight” are Steven Schwinn, professor of law at the University of Illinois Chicago, and Benjamin Krause, executive director of the University of Chicago’s Becker Friedman Institute for Economics
The Illinois Accountability Commission should “review and document available information related to the statements, decisions and roles of the following administration individuals that have led to the escalation of aggressive enforcement tactics during the course of Operation Midway Blitz.”
Illinois Accountability Commission Should Probe Senior Trump Administration Officials, Pritzker Says
“For too long, Gregory Bovino and his rogue federal agents have terrorized communities in Illinois and across the country, violated our people’s constitutional rights and unleashed violence at every t...
news.wttw.com
January 30, 2026 at 6:01 PM
The Illinois Accountability Commission should “review and document available information related to the statements, decisions and roles of the following administration individuals that have led to the escalation of aggressive enforcement tactics during the course of Operation Midway Blitz.”
Reposted by Jared Rutecki
Heartbroken to hear of the passing of Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark this morning.
My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.
May his memory be a blessing.
My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.
May his memory be a blessing.
Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark has died, according to city officials
The City of Harvey has confirmed the passing of Mayor Christopher J. Clark and will hold a special city council meeting to appoint a Mayor Pro Temp.
wgntv.com
January 30, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Heartbroken to hear of the passing of Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark this morning.
My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.
May his memory be a blessing.
My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.
May his memory be a blessing.
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability voted unanimously to select LaKenya White, a 26-year veteran of Chicago’s police accountability system, to lead the agency known as COPA. news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/p...
Police Oversight Board Taps COPA’s Interim Head to Lead Police Misconduct Agency Permanently
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability voted unanimously to select LaKenya White, a 26-year veteran of Chicago’s police accountability system, to lead the agency known as COPA.
news.wttw.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:14 PM
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability voted unanimously to select LaKenya White, a 26-year veteran of Chicago’s police accountability system, to lead the agency known as COPA. news.wttw.com/2026/01/29/p...
Chicago Police Lawsuit: In a text message to WTTW News, Rahm Emanuel erroneously said the raid occurred after he left office. Emanuel, who said he was traveling, did not otherwise respond.
Rahm Emanuel Ordered to Testify About CPD’s ‘Code of Silence’ During Trial Over Botched Raid
A trial, set to start Monday, will decide whether CPD officers traumatized two women and four children in August when a CPD SWAT team broke down the door of their apartment, pointed assault rifles dir...
news.wttw.com
January 30, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Chicago Police Lawsuit: In a text message to WTTW News, Rahm Emanuel erroneously said the raid occurred after he left office. Emanuel, who said he was traveling, did not otherwise respond.
Forecasters are anticipating two rounds of lake effect snow to dump anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of snow on portions of northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana, between Friday morning and Saturday evening.
Two Rounds of Lake Effect Snow Will Make for Hazardous Conditions in Chicago This Weekend
Forecasters are anticipating two rounds of lake effect snow to dump anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of snow on portions of northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana, between Friday morning and Saturday eve...
news.wttw.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Forecasters are anticipating two rounds of lake effect snow to dump anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of snow on portions of northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana, between Friday morning and Saturday evening.
Reposted by Jared Rutecki
Don Lemon has been taken into custody after anti-ICE confrontation in St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier this month. https://cnn.it/4roAO6t
January 30, 2026 at 1:28 PM
Don Lemon has been taken into custody after anti-ICE confrontation in St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier this month. https://cnn.it/4roAO6t
Reposted by Jared Rutecki
BREAKING: Chicago’s police oversight board on Thursday tapped the interim head of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability to lead the city agency charged with investigating serious allegations of Chicago Police Department misconduct on a permanent basis. @wttw.bsky.social
Police Oversight Board Taps COPA’s Interim Head to Lead Police Misconduct Agency Permanently
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability voted unanimously to select LaKenya White, a 26-year veteran of Chicago’s police accountability system, to lead the agency known as COPA.
news.wttw.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:12 AM
BREAKING: Chicago’s police oversight board on Thursday tapped the interim head of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability to lead the city agency charged with investigating serious allegations of Chicago Police Department misconduct on a permanent basis. @wttw.bsky.social
Defense attorney Christopher Parente is asking a judge to unseal body-cam video, photos and other evidence from the shooting, saying it’s needed to counter a “tide of misinformation” from the federal government.
Chicago Judge to Rule Next Week on Request From Woman Shot by Border Patrol to Unseal Photo, Video Evidence
A federal judge next week is expected to rule on a request from Marimar Martinez, the woman shot five times by a federal immigration agent last fall, to unseal videos, photos and other evidence from t...
news.wttw.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:50 PM
Defense attorney Christopher Parente is asking a judge to unseal body-cam video, photos and other evidence from the shooting, saying it’s needed to counter a “tide of misinformation” from the federal government.
Reposted by Jared Rutecki
A federal judge has ordered former Mayor Rahm Emanuel to testify next week in an upcoming trial about allegations that a “code of silence” among Chicago police officers led to a botched August 2018 raid of a Back of the Yards apartment.
https://to.wttw.com/3LGApNF
https://to.wttw.com/3LGApNF
Rahm Ordered to Testify About CPD’s ‘Code of Silence’ During Trial Over Botched Raid
A trial, set to start Monday, will decide whether CPD officers traumatized two women and four children in August when a CPD SWAT team broke down the door of their apartment, pointed assault rifles dir...
to.wttw.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:39 PM
A federal judge has ordered former Mayor Rahm Emanuel to testify next week in an upcoming trial about allegations that a “code of silence” among Chicago police officers led to a botched August 2018 raid of a Back of the Yards apartment.
https://to.wttw.com/3LGApNF
https://to.wttw.com/3LGApNF
This one, as they say, is what they call 'a banger.'
BREAKING: A federal judge ordered former Mayor Emanuel to testify about allegations that a “code of silence” among CPD officers led to a botched 2018 raid of a Back of the Yards apartment that violated the civil rights of a family with 4 children — ages 4, 8, 11 and 13. @wttw.bsky.social
Rahm Ordered to Testify About CPD’s ‘Code of Silence’ During Trial Over Botched Raid
A trial, set to start Monday, will decide whether CPD officers traumatized two women and four children in August when a CPD SWAT team broke down the door of their apartment, pointed assault rifles dir...
news.wttw.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:25 PM
This one, as they say, is what they call 'a banger.'
Sean Grayson was sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting Sonya Massey, who had dialed 911 to report a possible prowler outside her Springfield home.
Former Illinois Deputy Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Killing Sonya Massey
former Illinois sheriff’s deputy was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting Sonya Massey, who had dialed 911 to report a possible prowler outside her Springfield home.
news.wttw.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Sean Grayson was sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting Sonya Massey, who had dialed 911 to report a possible prowler outside her Springfield home.
Reposted by Jared Rutecki
Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) on Wednesday announced plans to run for Congress.
The independent candidate joined "Chicago Tonight" to talk his vision tackling what he sees as the country’s most pressing problems. https://to.wttw.com/4rG8E7h
The independent candidate joined "Chicago Tonight" to talk his vision tackling what he sees as the country’s most pressing problems. https://to.wttw.com/4rG8E7h
January 29, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) on Wednesday announced plans to run for Congress.
The independent candidate joined "Chicago Tonight" to talk his vision tackling what he sees as the country’s most pressing problems. https://to.wttw.com/4rG8E7h
The independent candidate joined "Chicago Tonight" to talk his vision tackling what he sees as the country’s most pressing problems. https://to.wttw.com/4rG8E7h
Arts Beat: From a four-time Tony Award-nominee premiering on the North Shore, to two must-see exhibits from veteran artists and a raucous percussion performance at the Auditorium Theatre, dive into a new memory and a thrilling experience.
From a Tony Nominee Debut to a New Art Institute Exhibit, Here Are 4 Picks for Your Weekend
Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.
news.wttw.com
January 29, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Arts Beat: From a four-time Tony Award-nominee premiering on the North Shore, to two must-see exhibits from veteran artists and a raucous percussion performance at the Auditorium Theatre, dive into a new memory and a thrilling experience.
Congress: A member of the Chicago chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, Sigcho-Lopez is running as an independent vying for the seat of outgoing U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García in Illinois’ 4th Congressional District.
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez Announces Independent Bid for Congress
The Chicago alderperson is running as an independent vying for the seat of outgoing U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García in Illinois’ 4th Congressional District.
news.wttw.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Congress: A member of the Chicago chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, Sigcho-Lopez is running as an independent vying for the seat of outgoing U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García in Illinois’ 4th Congressional District.