Officers from the Chicago Police Department’s community safety teams will either be reassigned to the Gang, Narcotics and Intelligence Unit or the city’s Carjacking Taskforce as communities experience a surge in violent crime.

Lawmakers passed House Bill 417 and Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign it, giving the park district additional borrowing authority and the ability to raise property taxes in excess of usual statutory caps. While it does increase employee contributions for new hires, it includes no changes to benefits for current workers and retirees and lets workers retire two years earlier, falling far short of the structural benefit reforms needed to stabilize Illinois’ pension systems.

“What’s exasperating, infuriating or depressing, depending on the day, is the sense that no one in a position of leadership at City Hall or at police headquarters has a plan to reverse this seemingly relentless wave of violence and destruction. The bond between residents and police is utterly broken. The tally of deaths and injuries rises almost daily. Angela Gregg is right. Someone has to step up and say something. We’ve said it before and, sadly, we’ll likely have to say it again:

What is the plan, mayor?”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposal to extend the program for an additional six years keeps unchanged the percentage of city contracts set aside for firms owned by Black, Latino and Asian Chicagoans (26%) and for firms owned by women (6%). However, Lightfoot’s plan would loosen some of the requirements for firms to qualify for the program.

Time Out Index survey respondents also voted Chicago the second most fun city in the world and the second best city for “community spirit” over the past year (Tel Aviv and Manchester were the first-place winners in those categories, respectively). We were also deemed the third friendliest city.

Following “recent controversial state laws and policies,” the city of Chicago is using a full-page ad in this Sunday’s edition of the Dallas Morning News to invite Texans and Texas-based companies to come north.

“Dear Texas,” reads the ad from World Business Chicago, “There were always more than 100 reasons why Chicago is a great place for business… Now we’d like to highlight a few more. In Chicago, we believe in every person’s right to vote, protecting reproductive rights, and science to fight COVID-19. If you want to build or expand your company or are looking

A group of about 300 Chicago parents organized under the social media hashtag #CPSSickOut to sit out the district’s return to full-time in-person instruction — a bid to force the district’s hand to offer virtual access to instruction.

Matt Lyons, the school district’s chief talent officer, explained, “In the past, CPS has been a passive consumer of the traditional path to teaching. We hired from the group of teachers who were prepared by colleges and universities, mostly in Illinois. We hadn’t done a lot to help drive change.” But in recent years, the school district has become more aggressive.

New York City is requiring spots like gyms, restaurants and bars to check patrons for proof of vaccination, hoping that can limit the spread of COVID-19 during this latest wave of cases. But Lightfoot has so far refused to say Chicago will do the same.

At a CDOT news conference, Mayor Lightfoot said she has already spoken to Ald. James Gardiner about his comments toward women, but not about reports of him denying city services to constituents who supported his opponent in an election.

Said Mack Julion, of the National Association of Letter Carriers, “We tell our carriers, if you need a flashlight to deliver mail then, it’s time to stop delivering mail…This is not Kansas. It is very unsafe to be out in the streets after dark.”

One trustee called it an act of tyranny, and many others said they don’t understand why vaccinated people should have to mask up.

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi slashed the value of the Trump International Hotel & Tower’s vacant retail space along the Chicago River to $12.5 million – about $1 million less than an appraisal Trump’s representatives submitted.