As university presidents across the country face criticism over comments and responses following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos has largely stayed out of the public fray. Alivisatos did not issue a school statement or offer public comment following the attacks — a standstill tactic that has landed other leaders in hot water — but instead leaned on the school’s practice of institutional neutrality, often referred to as the “Chicago Principles.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson campaigned on a platform that vowed to expand transparency and public access to City Hall. “Our administration is also mindful of the very real concerns that alderpeople have regarding their safety and the ability to conduct meetings without disruption,” he said. “That is the balance we must strike — the balance between democracy and decorum — and it is imperative that we have a policy that accommodates both.”

Salaries and bonuses for Chicago police officers represented by the Fraternal Order of Police in 2024 could exceed the budgeted position costs approved by City Council by $76.8 million or more, including $27.5 in one-time bonuses paid to every FOP-represented officer in 2024.

Brad Weisenstein, of the Illinois Policy Institute: “So why worry about one person’s (Stacy Davis Gates) character flaws? Because she set herself up as a voice of morality at the helm of a multi-million dollar political machine. Because she worked to make Illinois the only state to pull back on school choice and stop disadvantaged children from escaping the inadequate product she delivers. Because she beats the drum for more taxes using at-risk students’ futures as leverage.”

Joseph Ferguson said under his leadership, the organization will still be dedicated to fiscal and budget issues. But rather than the often adversarial position he took as IG, he hopes to work with elected leaders on similar auditing functions “to make government work better… it’s a recalibration of what I’ve been doing for a very long time.”

Mayoral spokesman Ronnie Reese attributed the change to the success of other efforts to house migrants that have brought the number camped out at police stations and at O’Hare Airport down from a couple thousand to several hundred. “We haven’t retired the idea, but as of right now we’re in much better shape than a few months ago. We’re doing this without the need for base camps.”

While the State, City, churches and community organizations continue to work on long-term solutions, thousands of Chicagoans have already taken the matter into their own hands to help address immediate needs of newly arrived migrants.

In late September, it was reported that the 2241 S. Halsted St. warehouse would house upwards of 400 families with children, with plans to expand to 1,000.

Michelle Mbekeani had been a senior legal and policy advisor in the Cook County state’s attorney’s office until Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Fox announced her new role Dec. 6. And Period is not a real business, Mbekeani says. It’s a concept she developed last spring with classmates at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she is pursuing an MBA.

“Many came here in the late 1800s early 1900s and that’s predominantly because Chicago was a hub for both agriculture and for small businesses,” Kalid Baste said. “It was a melting pot of everything.”

An October poll found that only 37 percent of registered Chicago voters have a favorable view of the CTU, with 46 percent reporting an unfavorable view. These results represent a significant plunge in support for the CTU, and offers a preview of what could happen nationally as unions continue to overplay their hands. If the CTU can lose its grip, no union stranglehold can last forever.

The turnover at the top of World Business Chicago highlights the growing chasm between the mayor and business leaders who are growing increasingly concerned that the city isn’t on the right track when it comes to economic development — an activity that should be Job No. 1 for any mayor, even this one.

“Politically, Chicago comes across to much of the rest of the country as a city that’s off course, focusing not on the issues at the top of residents’ priority list (public safety, jobs, public transit, for example) but on progressive to-do lists. Not only are Johnson and his City Council allies choosing to spend their time and political capital on issues the majority of Chicagoans view as less than pressing, they’re doing a poor job even when it comes to their own priorities.”

Behind the walls of a long-vacant Little Village CVS, crews have been scrambling to stand up yet a state-funded shelter for as many as 230 migrant children and families. Outside, additional space will provide room for things like recreation, legal services and medical aid. “Twenty-Sixth Street looks terrible. It’s the new skid row,” one neighbor said.