Mayor Lori Lightfoot pushed back late Tuesday on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s order to suspend indoor dining and drinking in Chicago, the latest sign of a serious split between the officials leading the effort to stem the pandemic.
Stories by Heather Cherone
Florida Added to Chicago’s Quarantine Order as COVID-19 Surge Continues
City officials added Florida to Chicago’s COVID-19 quarantine order as confirmed cases of the coronavirus continue to surge in Chicago, Illinois and throughout the nation.
Aldermen Balk at Plan for Property Tax Hike, Layoffs To Fill Budget Gap
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to close a projected $1.2 billion budget gap by hiking property taxes and laying off employees got a cool reception Monday from aldermen, who pleaded for other options amid a raging pandemic.
GOP Challenger Uses Top Cop’s Criticism of Kim Foxx in Campaign Ad
The latest television ad from the Republican challenger running for Cook County State’s Attorney uses a statement from Chicago police Superintendent David Brown to blast incumbent Kim Foxx.
Push to Boost Investment on South, West Sides Starting to Pay Off: Lightfoot
A year after the fanfare-filled launch, city officials said the program had begun to show results — with $70 million in public funds attracting $300 million in private investments.
As Chicago Budget Hearings Start, Ratings Agency Sounds Alarm
As Chicago grapples with a second wave of the pandemic, a Wall Street ratings agency fired a shot across the bow as aldermen prepared to start a month of hearings on Mayor Lightfoot’s spending plan.
Flossmoor Trustee Resigns So He Can Keep Lobbying Chicago City Hall
Mayor Paul Braun said he and the Flossmoor Village Board were “extremely disappointed” that Gyata Kimmons resigned his seat.
Chicago to Return to ‘Scoop-And-Toss’ Borrowing, Chief Financial Officer Acknowledges
“There are points in time when scoop and toss is appropriate” and that is now the case since Chicago is facing a $1.2 billion budget gap, Chief Financial Officer Jennie Huang Bennett said.
Lightfoot Orders Bars to Stop Indoor Service, Businesses to Close at 10 p.m. Amid Coronavirus Increase
“We are taking these measures to avoid potential catastrophic impacts later,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday announcing new restrictions in the wake of an increase coronavirus cases.
Pritzker, Lightfoot Split on Approach to Bars, Restaurants During COVID-19 Surge
As officials scramble to cope with a significant increase in the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot are at odds over the role that bars and restaurants are playing in fueling the spread.
Lightfoot Proposes Slashing Positions, Hiking Taxes to Help Fill $1.2B Budget Gap
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to close a projected $1.2 billion budget gap in 2021 would hike sales and property taxes by $76.4 million, eliminate 1,921 city jobs and dip into the city’s rainy-day fund.
Facing Dueling Crises, Lightfoot Set to Unveil Plan to Fill $1.2B Budget Gap
Mayor Lori Lightfoot will face the biggest test of her time in office on Wednesday when she details her plan to fill the massive budget shortfall caused in part by the coronavirus pandemic.
Wilmette Library Trustee, Lobbyist Sues City Over Ban on Lobbying by Elected Officials
A member of the Wilmette Library Board of Trustees who also works as a state lobbyist sued the city of Chicago, seeking to overturn a ban on elected officials from outside Chicago from lobbying city officials.
Supporters of Plan to Create Elected Board to Oversee CPD Vow to Push for Vote
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and two of her closest allies on the Chicago City Council remain at odds over long-stalled efforts to put an elected board of Chicago residents in charge of the Chicago Police Department.
Colorado, Ohio, Delaware, West Virginia, Texas Added to Chicago’s Quarantine Order
In all, the city’s order warns residents against travel to 30 states and Puerto Rico.
Lightfoot: ‘We Are in the Second Surge’; Warns of New Restrictions
Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned Chicagoans that the city is experiencing another wave of the coronavirus pandemic, with confirmed cases rising sharply across the city to levels last seen in late May.
‘We Are In a New Wave of COVID-19’: Pritzker
Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned Illinois residents Friday that the entire state is seeing a surge in confirmed cases of the coronavirus, as the state set a single-day record for new infections and reported 38 deaths linked to the virus.
Pritzker Extends Ban on Evictions for 7th Month
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced on Friday that Illinois’ ban on evictions would be extended until Nov. 16, as state officials continue to send grants to Illinois residents struggling to make ends meet.
7 Officers Broke CPD Rules After Top Cop Found Drunk, Unconscious Behind Wheel: Watchdog
Inspector General Joe Ferguson’s report details several instances when Eddie Johnson got special treatment after being discovered unconscious behind the wheel of his vehicle near 34th Place and Aberdeen Street last year.
As COVID-19 Cases Rise 32% in a Week, Chicago’s Top Doctor Voices ‘Grave Concern’
“This has not been a good week in Chicago,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, urging people to avoid gatherings, wear masks and keep 6 feet of distance from others.
Preckwinkle Vows to Protect Provident Hospital as Union Blasts Layoffs
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle plans to consolidate two clinics into Provident Hospital and change its full-service emergency room to a stand-by emergency department. “We are strengthening Provident Hospital. It is here to stay. Period,” she said.
Preckwinkle Unveils Plan to Close $410M Budget Gap in 2021 Without Raising Taxes
The economic collapse caused by the coronavirus pandemic presented an “extraordinarily challenging” set of circumstances to the county’s finance team, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said a day before unveiling her $6.9 billion spending plan.
As Property Tax Hike Looms, Officials Expect Surge in Those Who Don’t Pay
In a typical year, approximately 3% of property owners do not pay their taxes, according to Chicago officials. But in 2021, a projected 10% of property owners won’t pay their tax bills, which would cost the city $65.2 million.
Indiana Added to Chicago’s Quarantine Order
Chicagoans should not travel to the Hoosier State, said Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. The city’s quarantine order now includes 25 states and Puerto Rico.
Aldermen Reject Lightfoot’s Proposal to Ease Ban on Lobbying by Elected Officials
A ban blocking elected officials from outside Chicago from lobbying city officials will remain in place after aldermen unanimously rejected a proposal from Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday to ease the ban.
COVID-19 Restrictions Lifted in Metro East Region of Illinois, Pritzker Announces
Restrictions designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the Metro East area of Illinois near St. Louis will be lifted at 5 p.m. Friday after the number of confirmed cases has dropped significantly, state officials announced.
