Cook County Commissioners approved the use of federal COVID-19 funds for the Evanston nonprofit Connections for the Homeless to purchase the Margarita Inn, a former upscale hotel that has operated as a long-term homeless shelter since the early days of the pandemic. The county is also donating $6.5 million to Housing Forward LLC and the Oak Park Residence Corp. for the purchase of the Write Inn in Oak Park, where a similar operation has been held for two years.

Some teachers said classrooms have become overcrowded, schools don’t have enough bilingual educators, and many students need access to bilingual social workers for social-emotional support. “We have 20 newcomers in each grade level who arrive daily and in worsening conditions. Many of my students arrive stripped of their basic needs,” said teacher Gabriel Paez. “Medication, clothes, shoes, socks, medical attention, housing, and mental health, are all falling on already overburdened and understaffed schools.”

In rapid-fire questioning that harkened back to his days as a prosecutor, Ald. Bill Conway sought to show that his local TIF would be left with just $6.5 million after Johnson declares his record surplus. “This is not the day or year that we want to be draining LaSalle Street TIF…Every city in the world needs to rethink its Central Business District,” Conway said.

“We are the punching bags for the residents,” Ald. Felix Cardona said. “We have a lot of work to do and then, we have to go back to our residents and … let them know, `We didn’t know about this, either.’ It makes us look like we’re incompetent. And we shouldn’t be looking like we’re incompetent.”

In July, Ald. Mike Rodriguez, 22nd, introduced an ordinance that would mandate employers in the city provide their full-time employees with 15 days off without differentiating between sick days and vacation time. The ordinance also allowed unlimited days to be carried over each year and did not require workers to provide documentation for medical issues to be excused from work.

“We’re calling for a cease fire. Yes! Catch the people that did the horrific things, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of innocent people on either side. And right now on both sides, innocent lives are being lost,” said Ald. David Moore.

The letter, addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, accuses Abbott of committing federal offenses, including “alien smuggling, domestic transporting, harboring, and conspiracy/aiding or abetting,” along with violations of Texas state law. The Congressman also deemed the actions “illegal, xenophobic, inhumane and un-American.”

Ald. Lamont Robinson believes their request to possibly limit buses to Chicago and create a more targeted plan for aid was well received. “Putting migrants on buses without warm clothing, without shoes, that is a big problem. We are putting folks in danger, and so having those conversations around what should a migrant come to Chicago with, how to prepare them for the city of Chicago, that message again was clear. I believe that officials that are here in Texas understand that,” he said.

“CPS estimates a $3 billion cost to just address our backlog of critical facility needs, and $14 billion to address all of our facility upgrades, long-term critical needs and ADA. But we estimate it would take more than double that amount, $30 billion, to incorporate climate resilient plans, plans to address historical environmental racism, remove lead pipes, replace crumbling buildings with modern green facilities, create full service sustainable community schools, make parallel investments in neighborhood affordable housing, and make equitable investments in robust programmatic needs across our district.”

During the mayoral campaign, Johnson called red light and speed cameras “an easy revenue grab by the city, and they’re horribly unfair.” And as of Wednesday evening, the city has issued “final determination notices” for two tickets issued to Johnson’s cars; because the fines weren’t timely paid, those citations now require payments of $200. Each.

“Their game plan is formulaic: they first find some outlandish way to justify their atrocities by citing colonialism, imperialism, or whatever ‘ism’ their Wordle shows them on that day. Then, specifically in the U.S., these groups are excused by politicians and the left who blame corporations, businesses, and the police, employing the same ‘they deserve it’ mantra.”

The program would be funded primarily by private donors. It would provide housing for up to three months, cell phones, apprenticeship programs and job placement by local unions, and assistance from immigration lawyers, said Karlos Ramirez, vice president of Latino outreach for St. Louis’s International Institute. “It could be the potential for a great relationship between both cities.”

“I don’t think we’ve done a very good job of explaining what real constitutional, proactive police work looks like,” Supt. Larry Snelling said. “The way that we balance this is to, one, be transparent about what we do. Sometimes police work does not look good. But if we can explain the constitutionality of stops, of our interactions with

“We’ve done everything we could, and now it’s time for the federal government to declare Chicago a federal disaster zone, with that comes millions of dollars that will be used to house, used to provide wrap-around services and not for profits can step in and work beside the city,” Ald. Will Hall said. Ald. Hall also said word is getting out to migrants crossing into the U.S. that Chicago is overcrowded and getting colder.

While city officials have talked a big game about cracking down on the stunt-driving circuses, few arrests have been made.

Violence Interrupters Executive Director Tio Hardiman pushed for more focus on being tough on crime. “Another reason why shootings and homicides kind of spiked was due to the fact a lot of the so-called political leaders became soft on crime. A lot of legislators have made decisions from the mountaintop when it comes down to criminal justice reform and policy was put in place like the no-chase. I think police should be able to chase, they just have to use discretion when they chase.”

State Rep. La Shawn Ford said the delegation is going without a plan. “Going there without having a strategy to meet with the actual people that are putting the migrants on the bus, maybe something that may not be the best approach,” Ford said.

The push for the Bring Chicago Home tax hike comes as the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless found an estimated 68,440 people experienced homelessness in the city in 2021. That’s a 2,829-person increase from the previous year. Of the people experiencing homelessness, 82% are people of color. Black Chicagoans account for 53% of the total count, according to the report.

As of Oct. 7, 22,577 motor vehicle thefts have been reported. That is the highest number of thefts in 19 years, with nearly three months left to go in 2023. In 2023, so far, recoveries by Chicago Police are at 21% – down from 43% in 2020.