Migrants are sleeping in tents outside Chicago police stations. (WTTW News)

Ald. Pat Dowell called on Mayor Brandon Johnson to center the need of Black Chicagoans and warned that every bus that arrives “is eating away at the goodwill of the people of the city of Chicago.”

Migrants outside a Chicago police station. (WTTW News)

The cost of caring for the migrants through the end of the year is now estimated to reach $345 million, according to updated financial projections shared by Cristina Pacione Zayas, the mayor’s first deputy chief of staff. Three weeks ago, those costs were pegged at $302 million, according to city data.

Mayor Brandon Johnson calls for President Joe Biden to allow migrants sent to Chicago from Texas to work, alongside Gov. J.B. Pritzker and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. (Heather Cherone/WTTW News)

With approximately 7,400 people taking up every available spot in 20 city shelters, more than 2,100 men, women and children are being forced to sleep on the floors of police stations across the city and at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, according to city data.

A gun store display is pictured in a file photo. (WTTW News)

The law provides an exception for Illinoisans who already owned such items before it went into effect. Those people are required to submit an endorsement affidavit through their Firearm Owner’s Identification Card account before Jan. 1, 2024.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, organizers of the Illinois State Fair and others cut the ribbon at the main gate of the Illinois State Fairgrounds last month. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)
,

Fair manager points to good weather, recent renovations

The state Department of Agriculture, which hosts the fair each year, reported on Tuesday that about 708,000 people attended the fair, an 11% increase from 2022.  

(WTTW News)
,

The programs are for noncitizens over age 42 who would otherwise qualify for Medicaid if not for their immigration status.

Migrants outside a Chicago police station. (WTTW News)

Mayor Brandon Johnson and his top aides did not identify where they planned to build the massive tents that could shelter and feed as many as 1,000 migrants, or precisely how much it would cost Chicago taxpayers, sources told WTTW News.

An electric vehicle is pictured charging in Chicago. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

The roughly $2 billion project is set to create 2,600 jobs and begin production in 2024. The plant will produce battery cells, battery packs like the kinds used in electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage systems.

Mayor Brandon Johnson calls for President Joe Biden to allow migrants sent to Chicago from Texas to work, alongside Gov. J.B. Pritzker and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. (Heather Cherone/WTTW News)

More than 2,000 men, women and children are being forced to sleep on the floors of police stations across the city and at O’Hare Airport, according to city data released by the mayor’s office Wednesday.

(WTTW News)

In May, four of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s allies were found guilty on all charges of conspiring to bribe the former speaker to shepherd and pass ComEd’s legislative agenda. Madigan’s former chief of staff, Tim Mapes, was convicted last week of lying to federal prosecutors to protect “the boss.”

(Chris_LeBoutillier / Pixabay)

Governor J.B. Pritzker announced Tuesday that chapters of FFA – the group once known as Future Farmers of America – will be eligible for $1,000 grants to fund mental health awareness programs in schools and rural communities.

State Rep. Larry Walsh, D-Elwood, is pictured in an Illinois House committee room earlier this year. He said he is going to try to override Gov. J.B. Pritzker's veto of a bill that would have granted existing utilities in downstate Illinois, notably Ameren Illinois, the “right of first refusal” for transmission line construction. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

The governor issued what’s called an amendatory veto, striking only the portion of House Bill 3445. He left the rest of the bill, which modifies a state grant program and requires several policy studies, untouched.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks to the crowd at Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)

Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner remained popular punching bags for Illinois Democrats as they rallied in Springfield Wednesday, while the party also touted a long list of recent policy wins. Republicans will have their own rally Thursday.

This picture shows Illinois Senator Dave Koehler with teenager Shreya Nallamothu, who helped inspire new legislation protecting child influencers. (Credit: senatordavekoehler.com)
,

Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker signed a bill amending the state’s Child Labor Law that will allow teenagers over the age of 18 to take legal action against their parents if they were featured in monetized social media videos and not properly compensated. 

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul listens during a May 2023 House floor debate of a bill subjecting gun dealers and manufacturers to civil action if they use deceptive marketing practices. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)
,

The Connecticut-based National Shooting Sports Foundation filed the suit in the Southern District of Illinois on Monday, just two days after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed it into law.

Semi-automatic guns are displayed for sale at Capitol City Arms Supply, Jan. 16, 2013, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo / Seth Perlman, File)

Pritzker on Saturday signed the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act, making Illinois the eighth state to approve legislation that rolls back legal protections for firearms manufacturers or distributors.