“State Rep. Will Guzzardi…recently filed a bill that would prohibit as a conflict of interest a state’s attorney from making charging decisions or prosecuting a police officer involved in the shooting of a civilian in the county in which they serve. Instead, the case would get offloaded onto a special prosecutor, who would likely be a state’s attorney from another county or other government lawyer.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has withdrawn an application with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency after state officials raised multiple concerns last year about possible contamination of Lake Michigan from the stored toxic dredged material scooped from the Calumet River.

Officials said the issue arises from the placement of candidate Ashonta C. Rice for Judge of the Circuit Court (Vacancy of Sullivan) on the Democratic ballot. On Feb. 5, the Illinois Appellate Court entered a stay of enforcement that kept Rice’s name on the ballot. On Friday, the Appellate Court lifted the stay of enforcement, confirming that Rice’s name be removed from the ballot.

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie said it is unlikely the state of Illinois could afford to pitch in. “It certainly would drive some economic development for sure, build it and they will come, but I don’t know if today and with this budget that we can be helpful,” said McCombie.

“The ideologically driven critics of ShotSpotter are attempting to systematically degrade the police department’s ability to engage in proactive policing. Those critics view armed criminals as victims. It shouldn’t be ignored that those who support ‘defunding the police’ hope to reap the financial benefits of shifting money from the police budget to their own programs.”

Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is preparing to ask Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other state leaders for roughly $1 billion in public money to build his team a new home in the South Loop. While Pritzker has been dismissive of using tax dollars to subsidize a new stadium for a team worth billions even before the bonds that paid for the team’s current South Side home are paid off, he has yet to rule anything out until learning of the team’s detailed financial plan.

The announcement of Kim’s departure came days after it was reported the school would be forced to cut academic programs and lay off full-time faculty with tenured positions as its deficit grows to $38 million.

The surge of migrants into the Windy City has led to backlash among some locals, including litigation claiming that the city has not had the best intentions for its permanent residents. In January, at least seven lawsuits were filed against the city by longtime residents, including three filed by people of color. Rather than toss blame toward Texas Governor Greg Abbott for sending migrants to the city, they have blamed Biden and Chicago officials for allowing the influx to continue at a high rate.

A small village of about 20,000 people, Dolton now finds itself drowning under $5 million in debt — which trustee Jason House said started piling up shortly after Henyard took office in 2021. “The spending has become unbearable for the residents. It’s parties and a lot of events. It’s resources in reference to making it look like something is being done, but we really can’t afford it,” said trustee, Kiana Belcher.

In the complaint, which accuses office leadership of violating her First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, Debra Gassman said she was “devastated” by the Oct. 7 strike which killed more than 1,100 Israelis. She became upset that “few seemed to care—or even were aware of” the attack when she returned to work. So, she decided to “raise awareness” by moving the photo from her office to an employee mailbox area “where other employees were allowed to put photos and decorations.”

David Greising, of the Better Government Association: “Not all the trust-breaking behavior in Illinois is illegal, by the way. Sometimes, as the saying goes, the real scandal involves what’s altogether unethical but still legal. One such case is taking shape in one of the least-known offices in northern Illinois: the Cook County Board of Review. The obscure agency has remarkable power.”

Inside a Chicago building, Mercury Lab provided free COVID testing to thousands of people with the promise of reimbursement by a government agency called the Health Resources and Services Administration. But a bill passed by Congress rescinded Janine Morabito’s money. Under the law, “no additional claims payments will be made under the uninsured program.”

The mayor has proposed raising the city’s real-estate transfer tax to address homelessness, while more than 70% of the city’s federal American Rescue Plan Act pandemic assistance money remains available. “So first of all I’m going to spend all that money, I can assure you that. And we’re going to make sure that the communities that have been impacted the most by gross disinvestment, that those dollars reach those communities,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

In 2022, Chicago’s film industry had its biggest year ever, with nearly $700 million of film expenditures, Jonah Zieger, deputy commissioner of the Chicago Film Office, said. That all came to a halt last summer when SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America went on strike, sparking across the country.

“Chicago waited too long to build its casino; it now has to face diminished possibilities. The cash cow local pols were counting on looks more right now like a cash calf.”

“Once among the most robust business corridors in the country, it is reeling from corporate restructurings, employee downsizing, and disruptions spawned by the pandemic and the remote-work era. The result: a historic office building vacancy rate of more than 25 percent and climbing. Adding to the strain: Some community, corporate, and real estate interests question whether Mayor Brandon Johnson is on board with the city’s 2022 rescue plan, La Salle Street Reimagined.”

The mayor hinted at differences among state and local leaders on how to respond to the crisis — including the ongoing strife over who should be in charge of the mission to house and feed the asylum-seekers. Johnson said when pressed about the lack of a financial commitment from the city, “It’s not just about financial resources. As I’ve said before, right now the city of Chicago is solely responsible for providing emergency temporary shelter. … Remember the state, they’ve committed to 2,000 beds back in November? Do you remember that?”

“Indeed, the administration’s entire handling of the migrant crisis has been woeful, including deciding to fine operators of buses transporting migrants who didn’t comply with city rules on licensing, locations and drop-off hours…We could go on. We’re nine months into this mayoralty, so at this point Johnson can’t use his inexperience as an excuse. The mayor badly needs more competent people around him, yes. But he also seems to need a healthy dose of common sense.”

The budget for homeless services in Chicago is $77 million. City officials say they have not diverted any of this funding to support new migrant arrivals. In October, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the City will hire a Chief Homelessness Officer. The position has yet to be filled.