In her ruling, Judge Anna Loftus recognized the controversies that have engulfed Urban Prep and its leadership in recent years, and which CPS cited as justification for its attempt to seize control of the schools. But the judge said it is clear CPS violated a state law forbidding any Chicago schools under the control of the Chicago Board of Education from being closed until at least January 2025.

In a July 14 report, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg issued the first-ever finding of probable cause in an inspector general ethics investigation of a sitting member of City Council. “We need to all be really clear that City Hall is not for sale,” Witzburg said. “The rules apply to everyone.”

Foot traffic to Chicago office buildings rose to 63% of pre-pandemic levels last month, the highest number yet, according to a study by Placer.ai. The firm studied office buildings in 11 large U.S. cities. People are more likely to have returned to the office in Washington, D.C., and New York City, and San Francisco has the fewest workers returning to the office. Chicago ranks in the middle of the cities in the study.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has received criticism in the past over his relationship with the police, spoke of the heroism of Chicago officers. “Here in Chicago, we recognize that first responders alone can not create safe communities. In fact, it is my experience that we place way too much of a burden on our first responders.”

Fentanyl accounted for more than 91% of the opioid deaths in Cook County in 2022.

Richton Park is the fourth suburb to publicly court the Bears since the team said in June that a high property tax assessment on the $197 million, 326-acre parcel they bought in Arlington Heights was putting at risk their vision for a $5 billion mixed-use stadium district in the northwest suburb. Mayors in Naperville, Waukegan and Aurora have all thrown their helmets

Chicago-area single-family home values rose 4.6% in May compared with May 2022, according to new data from the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices released this morning. That’s the highest growth for any of the 20 cities that the index tracks. At this time last year, Chicago was 18th on the list, near the end of a 61-month stretch when home values here consistently ranked at 20th or only a few places higher in terms of year-over-year growth.

By actuary Mary Pat Campbell.

Sixty percent of EPIC students come from the 60617 ZIP code in South Chicago. According to the 2021-22 Illinois Report Card, 93.6% of students at EPIC are low-income, while 14.3% are homeless. Schools officials tout their 85% graduation rate and their nearly 90% college acceptance rate. Within the school’s charter agreement, EPIC can have a student body of only 600, but with the new building, the school hopes to grow its student body to 800.

“Unidos, let us stand together in the fight to institute national paid family and medical leave, to pass pay equity, affordable child care, stand in the fight to renew the assault weapons ban, to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade, pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and to finally pass immigration reform,” Harris said. She called on Hispanic leaders to fight against extremists who “have a movement to attack hard-won freedoms

Chicago is renowned for its deep-dish pizza, iconic skyline and rich musical heritage. It is also home to a vibrant and diverse community, with immigrants comprising 20% of the city’s population, and 14% of Illinois’. What may come as a surprise to some, considering negative national immigration rhetoric, are the achievements of this community, especially in business.