Erika Slife

Toner Prizes The Toner Prizes for Excellence in Political Reporting recognize the best U.S. national or local political reporting in any medium or on any platform—print, broadcast or online.

The Chicago Tribune is starting to rack up prizes for its coverage of Operation Midway Blitz last year. Congratulations to all involved! newhouse.syracuse.edu/centers/robi...

Hello! I’m the reporter who has been tracking citizens detained by immigration agents. And last night, I noticed something: A lot of them were at the State of the Union, including a number of whom I’ve written about.

Their stories should be known:

Alysa Liu telling 60 Minutes “I love struggling, it makes me feel alive” is a legit revolutionary statement from a Bay Area native in a time when copious amounts of time and resources are being put toward convincing us to opt out of experiencing struggle, friction and self-actualization

64 days in Chicago: The story of Operation Midway Blitz President Donald Trump’s federal immigration enforcement operation led to most surreal autumn in Chicago history. What happened during those 64 days will be remembered for a long time.

Congratulations to 2026 Shadid Award finalists @royalpratt.bsky.social, @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social, @ckubzansky.bsky.social, @jmetr22b.bsky.social & @andrew-carter.bsky.social (chicagotribune.com) for reporting on the mass deportation effort in Chicago.
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/28/c...

Breaking:

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Feds open criminal probe into whether ICE officers lied about the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis.

A variety headline reads: ‘Killing Satoshi’ Bitcoin Biopic Starring Pete Davidson and Casey Affleck Set to Use AI for Locations and to ‘Adjust’ Performances (EXCLUSIVE)

Absolutely cursed headline. Every set of words is worse than the last.

1/ ProPublica collected handwritten letters in mid-January from children held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the same facility where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken.

Hundreds of kids are still detained.

We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵

The Minnesota Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio, the Minnesota Reformer, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Sahan Journal, Center for Broadcast Journalism and Minnesota Newspaper Association today released the following statement: “We strongly condemn the arrest of journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon, as well as any attempt to intimidate members of the press. The First Amendment recognizes the press as holding a distinct and protected role in our democracy. In America, we do not arrest journalists for doing their jobs. The Minnesota journalism community stands united in defense of press freedom and the essential role reporting plays in holding power to account.”

The Minnesota Star Tribune, @mprnews.org @minnesotareformer.com , @spokesmanrecorder.bsky.social, @sahanjournal.bsky.social, Center for Broadcast Journalism and Minnesota Newspaper Association today released the following statement:

Federal agents in Minneapolis wrestled Alex Pretti to the ground and secured the handgun he was carrying moments before shooting him multiple times, according to a Washington Post analysis of video footage.

Read more: https://wapo.st/4qGOx8M

‘Like we’re starting all over again’; Chicago man acquitted on Bovino murder-for-hire charges now in ICE custody A day after a Chicago construction worker was acquitted by a federal jury of charges he offered money to kill Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino he found himself back in custody.

A longtime snitch with an armed robbery conviction told the government that a construction worker with no sheet is a high-ranking Latin King trying to kill Greg Bovino. The “case” fell at trial but the government is trying to deport the man anyway.
www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/24/m...

I don’t think you should be able to win sudden death OT off a field goal

Federal immigration officers shoot and wound 2 people in Portland, Oregon, authorities say Federal immigration officers shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, authorities said.

BREAKING: Federal immigration officers shoot and wound 2 people in Portland, Oregon, authorities say

Two people are hospitalized after being shot by federal agents, Portland police said. The FBI said US Customs and Border Protection agents were involved. https://cnn.it/3LCb6fq

via Minneapolis photographer Chris Juhn on Facebook

‘She was an amazing human being:’ Mother identifies woman shot, killed by ICE agent Renee Nicole Good, 37, lived in the Twin Cities with her partner.

"Renee was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” her mother said. “She was extremely compassionate. She’s taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being.” www.startribune.com/she-was-an-a...

Read LOCAL news if you want the truth about what’s happening on the ground where DHS/Border Patrol/ICE goes

‘Abolish ICE’ gets early nod from Mayor Brandon Johnson in annual Chicago snowplow contest Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has an early favorite in the city’s name-a-snowplow contest. He’s has signaled his support for “Abolish ICE” on social media.

“Abolish ICE” gets early nod from Mayor Brandon Johnson in annual Chicago snowplow contest. A story of our times, by @aliceyin.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/26/a...

Cardiff couple invited man in for Christmas, he stayed for 45 years An arrangement Rob and Dianne Parsons thought would last a few days ended up changing their lives.

well this story certainly made me cry

Pope Leo XIV’s historic rise forges special Vatican connections for Chicago Seven months into his papacy, Pope Leo XIV’s Chicago roots have helped frame both his spirituality and priorities.

Pope Leo XIV’s historic rise forges special Vatican connections for Chicago. Really an exceptional read from @angieleventis.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/25/p...

Supreme Court’s deliberate review of Donald Trump’s Illinois National Guard plan signals a cautious approach President Donald Trump has depended on the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority to uphold his broad use of executive power. That hasn’t been the case for his plans to send the National …

Just a reminder that we saw this coming. As I wrote in early November: “It’s a sign, court observers say, that the conservative majority on the court appears split on how to handle the case. Otherwise, the justices would have acted already.”

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/10/s...

One of the more important stock-taking moments to watch a bootlegged news program censored in your country.

The full spiked 60 Minutes CECOT package, clean & subtitled. 1/5

it’s a special type of journalism innovation to get millions of people to watch a TV segment except it’s not on your network and you get no advertising dollars and everyone thinks you’re a joke.

!! Here’s a link to full video of the 60 Minutes segment that Bari Weiss killed last minute, via @jasonparis.bsky.social:

is.gd/paU8Ko

(It was uploaded to the Global TV app in Canada, seemingly by accident, and has now been taken down)

The Streisand effect is underway.

I ran errands this afternoon and saw no fewer than half a dozen men wearing Bears gear while walking their dogs. The last guy I saw, his dog was wearing a Caleb Williams jersey. The city was happy today.

Unreal.

Operation Midway Bliss redefines blitz with gift drive for families affected by immigration enforcement More than 100 children affected by immigration enforcement in the Chicago-area will be receiving gifts this holiday season as part of a community gift-giving effort.

The gift-giving mission was coined Operation Midway Bliss as a way to reclaim the name from the federal government’s Operation Midway Blitz, which wreaked havoc on the city’s immigrant community.

Bears beat the Eagles 24-15 and Hawkeyes beat Nebraska 40-16.

For six glorious hours, I watched first my Iowa Hawkeyes crush Nebraska, then my Chicago Bears best the Eagles in back-to-back football games. I’m exhilarated and bewildered. Marking this once-in-a-lifetime moment as a Hawkeye and Bears fan.

Photos from St. Paul today captured by MPR photojournalist Kerem Yücel. He filed them even after being hospitalized after being injured by a less lethal munition.