An audit ordered by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and released on his last day in office found that, under Ald. Burke, the workers’ compensation fund had “significant control deficiencies and weaknesses” that could allow fraud, waste and abuse to flourish unchecked.

Truth in Accounting Founder and CEO Sheila Weinberg said the city needs to make cuts or add revenue, and she does not consider a loan as revenue. “Should the state kick in any more? I think people around the state would really question that,” Weinberg said.

Though some jurisdictions ban or limit judges or judicial candidates from giving money to candidates or political groups out of ethical concerns, Illinois Supreme Court rules allow judges and judicial hopefuls to attend political get-togethers, “identify as a member of a political party” and “contribute to a political organization.”

Forty-two Chicago business leaders released a letter this morning urging presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris to select Gov. J.B. Pritzker as her running mate. The letter, first reported by Mary Ann Ahern of NBC-5, is co-signed by a cross-section of Chicago’s business elite, including GCM Grosvenor CEO Michael Sacks, Allstate CEO Tom Wilson, Chicago Bears CEO Kevin Warren, Loop Capital CEO Jim Reynolds, Sterling Bay executive and Crown family scion Keating Crown, Jennifer Scanlan, CEO of UL Solutions, and John Rogers Jr., chairman of Ariel Investments.

David Greising, of the Better Government Association: “A key proposal from the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago would introduce a temporary, 10-year surcharge on income taxes — 0.5 percent for individuals and 0.7 percent for corporations — to help pay down the state’s $140 billion in pension debt. Gov. JB Pritzker has proposed his own plan, one that would take longer and save less money but would not need a tax hike.”

At about 8:17 a.m., the city worker was in the 300 block of East Chicago Avenue when an unknown offender approached her and demanded her city vehicle, police said.

“The Color of Wealth in Chicago” study also surveyed people about potential policy proposals for addressing structural economic disparities. Wealth-building options such as guaranteed income projects, a Medicare for All program, and baby bonds garnered support from the bulk of respondents, including families at or above the median net worth.

The upgrade results from Fitch’s revised local government rating criteria, which assesses Chicago’s financial resilience at aaa due to its “high midrange” budget control and Fitch’s expectation the city will keep general fund available reserves at 10% of spending or higher.

Those community initiatives include $64 million to relaunch the wildly popular guaranteed minimum income program. Ald. Brendan Reilly said it’s “great” Johnson is “obligating more of that money so we don’t have to turn it back.” But, Reilly added, Johnson shouldn’t do it by “extending feel-good social programs that are not sustainable” when the federal spigot dries up. “It’s almost like giving a heroin addict more heroin.”

Already Democratic delegates across the nation have read troubling headlines about Chicago’s July Fourth weekend, with more than 100 people shot and 21 people killed. National and local media have questioned the city’s ability to keep the neighborhoods and the convention safe simultaneously — all amid a shortage of police. “The mayor cannot be such a cheerleader for the First Amendment that he looks like he’s on the side of protesters, most of whom will be peaceful, but not all of them will be,” Democratic political strategist Pete Giangreco said.

“You’ve got security issues, you’ve got the right of people to protest, you want to allow that, and then you have potential terrorism issues,” said Chuck Wexler, of the Police Executive Research Forum. “This is what protecting a modern convention looks like today. The city of Chicago can’t pull (officers) from the neighborhoods. They have to balance protecting the convention but at the same time protecting the neighborhoods.”