Daily Chicagoan: Ald. Jim Gardiner Used $122K in Campaign Funds to Pay Legal Fees

Today’s stories on local politics, arts and nature. Straight to your inbox from WTTW News. Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th Ward) on the floor of the Chicago City Council. (WTTW News) Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th Ward), facing a number of lawsuits and investigations, spent $122,028 in campaign cash to pay five law firms in 2023 and 2024, according to records filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Daily Chicagoan: Johnson Undeterred By Trump's Threats

It’s Friday, thanks for sticking with WTTW News during what was a news-packed week. (IR_Stone / iStock) Patty Wetli: Sorry to be a buzzkill heading into the weekend. But this week, a report came across my desk that helped me understand the cost of technology in a way that hadn’t computed with me before (pardon the pun). So I thought I’d share the existential dread with all of you.

Daily Chicagoan: Illinois Sues Over Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order

Good morning, Chicago. We survived the arctic blast but snow might be coming.  Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks during a news conference on Jan. 21, 2025. (WTTW News) Illinois is suing to block President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship, while state leaders brace for potential raids aimed at removing individuals in the U.S. without legal documentation. Federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials could be targeting as many as 2,000 Chicagoans, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday morning.

Daily Chicagoan: Why a Music Venue Was Recognized by the National Park Service

Good news: this freezing weather is almost over. Brew a pot of coffee and cozy up with these stories from WTTW News.  President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States Monday. With his opening rounds of memoranda and executive orders, Trump repealed dozens of former President Joe Biden’s actions, began his immigration crackdown, withdrew the U.S.

Daily Chicagoan: Chicago Prepares For Trump Presidency

For a national holiday, it's a busy day. Today Donald Trump returns to office, and we remember the spirit and mission of Martin Luther King Jr. Trump International Tower and Hotel on the Chicago River. In the run-up to the presidential election, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson repeatedly warned that President Donald Trump would pose an existential threat to Chicago and its residents if voters returned him to the White House.

Daily Chicagoan: Newly Elected CPS Board Members Take Office Amid Turmoil

It’s warming up but don’t get too comfortable. It’ll be even colder soon enough.  Chicago's new hybrid Board of Education meets for the first time at the Chicago Public Schools Loop headquarters on Jan. 15, 2025. (WTTW News) Wednesday was a historic day in Chicago as the first-ever elected members of the Board of Education were officially sworn in, marking the first step away from mayoral control and toward a fully-elected body by 2027.

Daily Chicagoan: From Speed Limits to Sanctuary Cities, Here’s What City Council Is Voting On Today

Another cold day. When will it end? Maybe tomorrow. Anyway, here’s the latest from WTTW News.  A graphic that says "What is a Sanctuary City?" (WTTW News) Today, the Chicago City Council will weigh an effort to weaken Chicago’s protections for undocumented immigrants at the request of two alderpeople. Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) and Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd Ward) have long opposed the city’s status as a self-proclaimed sanctuary city as Chicago’s immigrant communities brace for mass deportations.

 

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