When the City Council passed a resolution earlier this month commemorating the success of the Democratic National Convention, many alderpersons singled out Police Supt. Larry Snelling. In contrast, Mayor Brandon Johnson is trying to force out his public schools chief, the heads of the city’s transit and housing agencies have both faced calls to resign, and the police oversight boss is at the center of lawsuits alleging bias and whistleblower retaliation.

Mayor Brandon Johnson has argued only he has power over such contracts. But Ald. Brian Hopkins said he and others are working with an attorney who could be retained to sue the city and wrest contracting control from Johnson. “There are a lot of things happening right now that really don’t have any recent precedent, so you have to create it,” he said, adding that a compromise from Johnson could make such a lawsuit unnecessary.

CARE, or Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement, provides teams of mental health professionals plus specially trained police and paramedics to respond to mental health related 911 calls. Since 2021, CARE teams have responded to more than 1,500 calls. The calls have resulted in zero arrests and use of force in less than .1 percent of incidents.

The complaint alleges that in pursuit of equity, District 65 told staff that “white individuals are ‘loud, authoritative . . . [and] controlling,’” and that “To be less white is to be less racially oppressive,” that “White identity is inherently racist” and that they must denounce “white privilege.” The lawsuit also alleges that students were taught controversial ideas about race, including: “Racism is a white person’s problem, and we are all caught up in it” and that “White people have a very, very serious problem, and they should start thinking about what they should do about it.”

Beyond neighborhood dynamics, violence prevention workers said factors like school closings that force children to cross gang lines, movement across the city caused by the housing crisis, police policy changes like ending foot pursuits, and the growth of domestic violence all contribute to the increasing death toll.

During the Tuesday night meeting, Village Clerk Marva Campbell-Pruitt grabbed the mayor’s gavel out of his hand and threats were made. But even before the meeting began, Mayor Derrick Burgess was served by the office of the inspector general with an order to appear in court next week.

“The CTU-generated controversy over Martinez is a continuation of the union’s campaign to wreck anything that stands in their way to achieve their goals. In the process, the union has brought the district to the brink of financial collapse, undermined the quality of schools and limited school choice. As school board elections approach, Chicago residents would do well to ponder the impact a school board dominated by CTU handmaidens would have on public education in Chicago.”

Board of Elections workers filed a petition for union recognition with the Service Employees International Union Local 73. But the Board of Elections noted that SEIU 73 lobbies legislatively and makes endorsements and financial contributions to political candidates. In 2022, for instance, the local endorsed Brandon Johnson for his current role as Chicago mayor. The mayor received about $4.4 million in campaign contributions from SEIU affiliates during his campaign.

“Moderate alders are grumbling that the mayor is governing ‘for the extremes’ and ‘in the name of his well-funded extremist allies.’ It’s nice to have a base, but when that base makes up only a third of your constituents, that’s a tough place from which to run the city.”

Monday was the second time Backlot Coffee and Earl’s Drive-Thru BBQ have been burglarized this year, the owners said. There have been a string of break-ins targeting at least 20 liquor and convenience stores and restaurants since June 26, police said. Citywide, burglaries are up 5 percent from last year and up 34 percent from three years ago.

“The (proposed Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act, SB 3937) should be better situated than the current four transit agencies, each with their own and sometimes conflicting goals, priorities, and executive direction, to secure more funding from state and federal sources and more cooperation from the Illinois Department of Transportation and other roadway operators to improve bus operations.”

Hailed as a walkable area with a lively business district along Milwaukee Avenue, Logan Square was also noted for the historic limestone houses that line the picturesque Logan Boulevard.

“A coalition is emerging that believes by 2027, the potential fiscal damage to Chicago could be too severe to allow for an easy recovery. There now is more talk of mobilizing to try to prevent (Mayor Brandon) Johnson and his ruthless Chicago Teachers Union allies from tipping the city’s school system, or even the city itself, into insolvency as a dangerous tactic to force the hand of Gov. JB Pritzker and inject state money into the contracts (and the broader educational ecosystem) the CTU desires.”

Will Johnson, of The Harris Poll: “It’s typical, of course, for people to complain about taxes — who honestly wants their tax bill to go up? But in Chicago, the anti-tax sentiment appears to be wide and deep. It’s shared broadly across all demographic groups, based on our recent survey of Chicago adults, and applies to city government programs across the board.”

Lori Lightfoot established checkpoints at the park and barred minors from being on the grounds at certain hours without adult escorts after a series of incidents, including a murder near The Bean sculpture in the spring of 2022.

“We shouldn’t have to go on strike,” union president Stacy Davis Gates said. “We’ve been right every single time we’ve gone on strike, so there should be some equity and respect for our expertise.”

“So the new school board may very well become the weak link in the effort to implement the strategic plan’s educational initiatives with fidelity. That would be unfortunate, especially if the failure to allocate sufficient resources to all schools broke down over a misplaced ideological commitment to school choice.”