Nearly 80% of voters in two precincts of the 7th Ward endorsed a referendum asking whether Ald. Greg Mitchell and Mayor Brandon Johnson should support “a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) ordinance to prevent the displacement of renters, condo & home owners in South Shore in light of the impact of the Obama Center and growing development in the area.”
Stories by Heather Cherone
Eileen O’Neill Burke’s Lead Widens Slightly Wednesday to 1,637 Votes in Cook County State’s Attorney Contest
For the first time since Election Day, Eileen O’Neill Burke widened her lead slightly over Clayton Harris III as election officials in Chicago and suburban Cook County counted ballots. The gap between the two candidates has been essentially unchanged for the past 24 hours.
Eileen O’Neill Burke’s Lead Shrinks Slightly Tuesday in Race to Replace Kim Foxx as Cook County’s Top Prosecutor
A full week after the March 19 election, the contest remains a long way from being settled, with 53,712 outstanding mail-in ballots from Chicago and approximately 35,000 outstanding ballots from suburban Cook County that will be counted as long as they were postmarked or dropped off on Election Day and arrive by April 2.
Measles Outbreak Worsens at Pilsen Migrant Shelter, Prompting Officials to Tighten Vaccination Policy
In all, 31 Chicagoans have been diagnosed with measles since March 4.
Eileen O’Neill Burke’s Lead Narrows Again Monday Evening in Race to Replace Kim Foxx as Cook County’s Top Prosecutor
Six days after the March 19 election, the contest remains a long way from being settled, with an unknown number of outstanding mail-in ballots that will be counted as long as they were postmarked or dropped off on Election Day and arrive by April 2.
Deadline for Claims in Hilco Class Action Lawsuit Hits as Anniversary Looms
Edith Tovar, of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, said her organization helped approximately 130,000 people submit a claim for damages.
Chicago Park District Facilities Will No Longer Be Used as Migrant Shelters, Johnson Announces
City officials were under significant pressure from nearby residents to return the five fieldhouses at Brands Park, Gage Park, Piotrowski Park, Broadway Armory Park and Leone Park to park district use before summer programs, including day camps, were set to begin.
Eileen O’Neill Burke’s Lead Shrinks Sunday in Race to Replace Kim Foxx as Cook County’s Top Prosecutor
The contest is a long way from being settled, with an additional 54,191 outstanding mail-in ballots from Chicago that will be counted if they are received by elections officials by April 2. There are also outstanding mail-in ballots from suburban Cook County that will be counted in the coming days.
Push to Give Chicago City Council Power to Hike Taxes on Sales of Million-Dollar Properties Fails: AP
After 12,634 mail-in ballots were counted by Chicago election officials late Friday, the results were essentially unchanged. Approximately 53% of voters rejected Ballot Question No. 1, better known as Bring Chicago Home, according to unofficial totals.
Proposal to Borrow $1.25B to Fund Economic Development, Affordable Housing Projects Gets City Hall Spotlight
The mayor has touted the proposal as a fulfillment of a promise he made during the 2023 campaign to make Chicago a more equitable place to live by “investing in people” and expanding the city’s economic capacity — without raising taxes on Chicago property owners.
New Limits on CPD Misconduct Probes Expose Deep Tension Between Top Cop, Misconduct Agency
Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling blasted Civilian Office of Police Accountability Chief Administrator Andrea Kersten for treating Chicago Police officers so unfairly that he says they are at risk of suicide and compromise public safety.
Chicago Officials Slowly Evicting Migrants From City Shelters as Johnson Resists Pressure to Reverse Course
Since city officials began enforcing the 60-day limit on shelter stays, eight people were evicted on Sunday and Monday, with another seven evicted on Wednesday, according to city data.
Serious Chicago Police Discipline Hearings Must Take Place in Public, Judge Rules
Judge Michael Mullen’s decision, which is subject to appeal, upholds the effort backed by the city’s largest police union to upend the system used for 60 years to punish officers.
Johnson Vows to Continue Pushing ‘Big, Bold’ Agenda After Progressives See Some Disappointing Election Results
“No one said it was going to be easy,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “I’m very much committed. The fight still goes on. We’re going to keep organizing.”
Johnson Taps Official Who Greenlighted Botched Little Village Smokestack Implosion to Lead Buildings Department
Mayor Brandon Johnson nominated Marlene Hopkins to permanently replace former Buildings Commissioner Matthew Beaudet, whom Johnson fired last month. Hopkins’ nomination must be confirmed by the Chicago City Council.
Chicago to Pay $57.2M to Settle 3 Police Misconduct Cases, Including Pursuit That Left Teen Unable to Walk or Speak
The cost to taxpayers of the settlements approved without debate by the City Council on Wednesday is equivalent to more than a third of the city’s annual $82 million budget to cover the cost of police misconduct lawsuits.
Push to Give City Council Power to Hike Taxes on Sales of Million-Dollar Properties Trails As Neither Side Concedes
The last time Chicago voters passed a binding referendum that applied to the entire city was 1885, when they voted to create the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, according to city records.
Spyropoulos Defeats Martinez in Race for Cook County Circuit Court Clerk
While the office of circuit court clerk might not be as well-known as other county offices up for grabs Tuesday, it is a powerful perch. The clerk controls more than 1,400 jobs and handles everything from evictions to traffic tickets to child support.
Chicago Sues Glock, Vowing to Hold Gun Manufacturer Responsible for Allowing ‘Illegal Machine Guns’ to Flood City Streets
Glock should be banned from selling those guns to Chicagoans and forced to pay for the harm the pistols have caused, according to a new lawsuit filed by the city's lawyers that will test a new state law.
Pay $2.25M to Family of Man Shot and Killed by Officer After 2014 Foot Chase, Chicago Alderpeople Agree
In all, the City Council will consider paying $52.7 million to resolve four lawsuits that allege a wide range of police misconduct. The city’s insurance company is set to pay $25 million of that total.
Chicago Officials Evict Just 3 Migrants From City Shelters, as Uncertainty Continues
Twenty-seven people were allowed to stay after they presented evidence that they had applied for public benefits that will make it possible for them to secure more permanent housing. Four others were allowed to stay because they are pregnant or have a disability, officials said.
Police Pursuits Cost Chicago Taxpayers $51.4M From 2019 to 2023 as Toll is Set to Nearly Double: Analysis
The Chicago City Council is set to consider paying $45 million to resolve a lawsuit that alleges an unauthorized chase left a 15-year-old boy with a traumatic brain injury, unable to walk or talk.
Evictions of Migrants From Chicago City Shelters to Start Sunday, But Families With Children Get Respite Until June
No one will be evicted from the city’s migrant shelter in Pilsen, where 10 cases of measles had been confirmed as of late Thursday night.
Uncertainty Swirls as Thousands of Migrants Face Evictions From City Shelters Starting Saturday
Migrants evicted from a city shelter can return to the designated “landing zone” for buses from Texas at Polk and Desplaines streets in the West Loop, according to the policy imposed by Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Pay $5.5M to Man Who Spent 22 Years in Prison After Being Framed by Disgraced Ex-Detective, City Lawyers Recommend
If approved, the settlement would bring the total amount paid by Chicago taxpayers to resolve lawsuits naming former Chicago Police Detective Reynaldo Guevara to $62.5 million, records show.
Johnson to Focus Chicago’s Anti-Violence Efforts on 10 Blocks in Englewood, West Garfield Park, Austin, Little Village
All four of the neighborhoods have suffered from decades of disinvestment, fueling a cycle of violence that has made them some of the most violent places in Chicago, officials said.
