The Last Ward

The Last Ward

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What Zohran Mamdani's victory teaches us about Chicago
Zohran Mamdani’s historic victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary last week spurred an avalanche of political, aesthetic, and…
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Austin Berg
2
An ‘Abundance’ agenda for Chicago
More housing. More transit. More power. Less waiting.
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Austin Berg
5
Will JB Pritzker side with Brandon Johnson to worsen Chicago’s debt crisis?
Chicago is home to the most severe debt problem in the country. Illinois state lawmakers are about to worsen it. And Gov. JB Pritzker’s response will be…
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Austin Berg
2

May 2025

Why CORE’s re-election to lead the Chicago Teachers Union is a hollow victory
Under the leadership of President Stacy Davis Gates and Vice President Jackson Potter, the Chicago Teachers Union has become the city’s No.
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Austin Berg
(Extremely Chicago accent) Pope Bob
We’re trying something a little different in this week’s edition of The Last Ward.
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Austin Berg
New study shows why Chicagoans were right to reject ‘Bring Chicago Home’
A little over a year ago, Chicago became the first major city in the country to reject a “mansion tax” referendum at the ballot box.
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Austin Berg
5

April 2025

How Stacy Davis Gates made the Chicago Teachers Union toxic
The union saw an unprecedented drop in public support during Gates' first term as president.
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Austin Berg
7
Brandon Johnson is encouraging corruption
"Ethics is about how we equitably distribute government in a way that everybody can feel proud of," the mayor said in response to a question about his…
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Austin Berg
1
How to double voter turnout in Chicago’s municipal elections
Chicago’s election timing is severely suppressing the vote.
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Austin Berg

March 2025

It’s a beautiful day to be a Chicagoan: Opening remarks at the Chicago Charter Symposium
On Monday, March 24, 2025, the Chicago Policy Center hosted the Chicago Charter Symposium at Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law.
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Austin Berg
2
A dirty city: Police oversight in Chicago is a bureaucratic nightmare
Chicago is home to eight separate entities responsible for police accountability. Los Angeles has one. The results are clear.
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Austin Berg
3
Chicago’s mayor can pick the aldermen. That's a problem.
Chicago is the only big city in the nation where the mayor fills vacancies in City Council.
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Austin Berg
1
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