Maria Hadden

A builder grimaces as he works on new construction near Clark and Grace streets in Wrigleyville on Sept. 1, 2026. Chicago was in the grip of a late-summer heat wave with daytime highs in the 90s. (Arthur Maiorella/baiduhai)

Aldermen and union leader: With summers getting hotter, Chicago must pass heat protections for outdoor workers

September 24, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Chicago relies on its outdoor workers to keep moving. Yet they continue to face increasingly hot summers without workplace protections.

A voter casts her ballot at The Joinery in Logan Square on Election Day, March 17, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

Aldermen: How do we get fair elections in Chicago? Public financing for candidates is one step.

June 19, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Dozens of cities and states have transformed their democracies with voluntary public financing programs.

A view of homes in Chicago in September. Nearly every property sale in Chicago is subject to the same real estate transfer tax, regardless of whether the sale is a bungalow or a multimillion-dollar skyscraper.

Matt Martin and Maria Hadden: A progressive real estate transfer tax would help the city tackle homelessness

October 7, 2022 at 2:02 p.m.

On Sept. 6, a woman and her partner visited the 49th Ward service office. They were staying at a friend's house near their 7-year-old daughter's school and feared that they...

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