Property tax research chief for Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, Chicago Tribune investigative team expat, proud husband and father.

Chicago
Joined January 2010
@ReporterHal retweeted
The question now could be, did Mayor Lightfoot have management authority over the Bally’s contract? Which she signed. there any case law on this?
Our write up here: chicagotribune.com/2026/06/2… and, Chicago revolving door restrictions guide for your thoughts?
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@ReporterHal retweeted
If anyone doubts the importance of copy editors!
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@ReporterHal retweeted
Outrageous
Very sad news. My "home" for 25 years at @CBSNews, CBS News Radio, is shutting down. Feeling bad for all my colleagues who are losing their positions at CBS today.
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@ReporterHal retweeted
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Finance Committee just approved $12M in TIF for a park fieldhouse in Ald. David Moore’s ward. Moore has been asking for the improvements for as long as I’ve covered Council. Voted against the 2022 budget bc he didn’t get a funding commitment. Voted for the 2025 budget bc he did
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David Letterman to Jeffrey Goldberg on Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension: “You can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian—a criminal—administration in the Oval Office. That’s just not how this works.” #TAF25
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@ReporterHal retweeted
#BREAKING the jury finds Madigan GUILTY of bribery conspiracy
#BREAKING Former Democratic Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan deadlocked on charges of racketeering conspiracy alleging he leveraged his power and public office to line his own pockets and enrich his associates. The rest of the 23-count verdict is still being read.
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@ReporterHal retweeted
New York’s highest court declines to halt Trump’s sentencing on his hush money criminal conviction:
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Over the last year, newly-appointed Chicago Public School Board President Rev. Mitchell Ikenna Johnson has made deeply offensive and antisemitic comments, calling into doubt his ability to fairly represent Jewish students and families in Chicago Public Schools. In response, I and many of my colleagues on the Chicago City Council, are calling for him to apologize and immediately step down from his position.
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@ReporterHal retweeted
One of the mayor’s Chicago Board of Education appointees, Mitchell Johnson, says in his official bio he lives in Calumet City groundswell.org/johnson/
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@ReporterHal retweeted
Ald. Debra Silverstein adds to calls for Johnson official's ouster after a Twitter post of hers following the 10/7 attacks resurfaces:
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Hilarious
This video will never stop being funny.
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The pile of unclaimed signs at the pro Palestine protest/march on the DNC an hour after it began. Organizers were hoping for 30-40k. The crowd is maybe 1/10th of that size? Crowd covering less than half this 3 softball field sized park.
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“the butter, which is reused every year”
.@RepNikkiB gets a close-up look at the 2024 @ILStateFair Butter Cow. First time I’ve ever seen them open the door for someone. But, the fairgrounds are in her congressional district, after all. The smell of the butter, which is reused every year, was interesting. #twill 🧈🐮
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@ReporterHal retweeted
I cover City Hall for the Chicago Tribune. Our owner wants to replace my work with AI. But AI doesn’t possess the human connection or understanding of the complicated labyrinth of Chicago politics to hold officials accountable. I refuse. @CTGuild
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@ReporterHal retweeted
As I wrap up several days of line by line fact checking on a story, re-listening to interviews, sorting through reams of FOIAs again, and hand-checking calculations and phrasing, I’m both amused and mortified my employer thinks people like me can be replaced by AI.
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@ReporterHal retweeted
While the Chicago Teachers Union negotiates a new contract with CPS and wants $1 billion more in state tax money, documents obtained by @fox32news show the union is trying to slash its own property tax bill by more than half, depriving CPS of roughly $250k next year. Details at 4
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Bonjour from Bercy Arena, where Deerfield's Paul Juda and the U.S men's gymnastic team will compete for a medal in about 40 minutes. 🧵 But let's catch us up on what Chicago-area Olympians are doing today:
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