Federal agents executed sweeping raids across Chicago under Operation Midway Blitz six months ago — but officials are still trying to piece together what happened and how to deal with it.

Driving the news: Multiple authorities are now investigating whether federal agents overstepped during the operation.

Reality check: The process could take months or years.

Last Friday, lawyers presented arguments for and against appointing a special prosecutor, instead of Cook County State's Attorney (CCSA) Eileen O'Neill Burke, to investigate complaints against DHS agents.

• This week, Gov. JB Pritzker's Illinois Accountability Commission wrapped up its final hearings with testimony, video and body cam footage of violent Midway Blitz incidents that often contradicted statements made by DHS officials.

The other side: "Governor Pritzker continues to refuse to do his job to protect his citizens from illegal alien crime and instead chooses to smear our law enforcement," a DHS spokesperson tells Axios.

State of play: More than 400 elected officials, faith leaders, community organizations and residents have signed a petition suggesting that O'Neill Burke needs to be replaced by a special prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes by federal agents.

• Lawyers for the petitioners say she suffers from a conflict illustrated by a memo from her office saying she declined to co-sign a statement critical of Trump in order to "maintain excellent working relationships" with ATF and other federal agencies.

Yes, but: Attorneys for the CCSA said O'Neill Burke declined to sign because it could have compromised her ability to prosecute neutrally in the future.

• They also said that they can't initiate an investigation, but only join one by law enforcement if asked for help.

The intrigue: Axios asked Chicago police officials why they have not requested help from the CCSA on DHS cases, but the department did not respond to multiple questions over several days.

• Last fall, Lakeview resident Leo Feler said he repeatedly tried to file a police report for trespassing, breaking and entering, burglary, battery, assault and kidnapping by federal agents, but was met with resistance.

What's next: Judge Erica Reddick is expected to deliver a ruling on the special prosecutor on May 11.

Go deeper

Illinois lawmakers are pushing to ban speculative ticket sales, where sellers list tickets they don't actually have — often at inflated prices — on secondary or lookalike sites.

The latest: The Illinois House passed a bill this week that would ban the practice, requiring sellers to have tickets in hand before listing them.

Why it matters: Buyers often don't know whether their tickets are real until they get into the event or are turned away at the door.

How it works: Speculative sellers list tickets they don't have. Sometimes they later secure the tickets; other times, buyers end up with invalid tickets.

Case in point: Ravinia is hosting Snoop Dogg in September. Tickets for that event are already being offered for thousands of dollars on various sites.

• One small issue: Tickets haven't gone on sale yet.

What they're saying: "When we have high demand, it's a problem," Lyric Opera of Chicago CEO John Mangum tells Axios.

• "We have to keep tickets on hand to make sure that people who think they have tickets can get in. We lose the income we could make selling those tickets that we have to set aside to deal with this."

By the numbers: Mangum says speculative ticket scams at shows like "Madama Butterfly" and the Billy Corgan opera last year were big targets.

• He estimates speculative ticket scams cost the Lyric $250,000–$300,000 annually.

State of play: Ticket scams are on the rise post-pandemic, as sellers deploy QR codes and convincing fake websites that can easily fool rushed buyers.

What's next: The bill is now in the Senate, which has signaled it will take it up sometime this week or next.

Keep reading

Gov. JB Pritzker lambasted the Supreme Court's decision to strike down a Louisiana voting map as an "abomination." Meanwhile, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon said a proposed redistricting amendment will not move forward this spring. (WBEZ)

Jose Medina pleaded not guilty yesterday in the shooting death of Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman. Gorman's family and friends packed the hearing room at Leighton Criminal Courthouse. (Sun-Times)

Pete Kastanes, the founder of the popular social media account "Vanished Chicagoland," died this week after a long battle with cancer. (Block Club)

📺 Cassie Carlson has been named lead sports anchor at Fox 32 Chicago, becoming the only woman leading a TV sports desk in the city. (Axios)

👋 Hey, it's Justin and I'm still all hopped up on caffeine, reviewing the best coffee shops in town.

Today's place: Café Crèmerie (615 N. State St.)

The vibe: It's in the historic Tree Studios building, which is all the vibe anyone needs.

• Back room seating is limited but if you can snag a table or couch, you'll enjoy a nice courtyard view.

The coffee: I got the sweet, but not overpowering, hazelnut latte ($6), nice for the rainy day I visited.

• I skipped their famous bombolonis (filled doughnuts) for a cherry yogurt strudel.

The service: With one barista and no line while I was there, the server handled my order with ease. But that could change during a crowded morning rush in this office-heavy area.

☕️ 12-word review: Sip your coffee like you are a turn-of-the-century artist.

✋ Hey, it's Justin again! I'm back with another reader survey to help me with a new live game show I'm producing. My goal is to get this on stage this summer using your brilliant local answers!

• Think "Family Feud" if "Family Feud" had questions about Dennis Farina and Malört.

This week's topic: Beautiful Homes.

Take the survey here