Guidelines set by most districts in Illinois dictate that board of education members are responsible for voting on appointments to fill vacant seats, and must accept applications from members of the public. CPS policy, however, gives the Chicago mayor the final authority on new appointments — making it possible for Brandon Johnson to unilaterally hand-pick new members who align with his policy vision.

Employees of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago filed their second complaint in just over a month regarding the presence of Legionella and high levels of lead and copper in drinking water sources at the Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building. The regional office of EPA occupies 15 floors at Metcalfe. Meanwhile, federal officials at the Everett M. Dirksen U.S. Courthouse are also waiting for a fix to their water contamination issues.

“I resent and challenge Deputy Mayor Garien Gatewood for alleging that I am doing anything for political gain,” Ald. David Moore wrote in a Facebook post. “Fighting for something my constituents want isn’t political gain, it’s serving. … I like you dude, but check yourself before [you] wreck yourself.”

A senior aide to the mayor previously said CPS CEO Padro Martinez has lost the board, but Ald. Gilbert Villegas said “when the board passes a budget 7 to 0 and passes a five-year strategic plan and doesn’t fire the CEO, I would argue that the mayor has lost the board, and that’s why he wants to replace them.”

Hugo Jacobo, of Chicago Democrats for Education: “This victory symbolizes more than just saving an individual’s job; it also symbolizes a unified front against the entrenched interests that have influenced our politics by the new political machine of our city, the CTU. However, this triumph raises crucial questions: What’s next? … Does this level of influence over Johnson stop at the school board, or does it ripple across the entire city?”

In the past 10 days, workers reported a carjacking near the entrance, people dressing like construction workers entering the site to steal tools and a drive-by shooting Monday, developer Scott T. Henry wrote in an email to project stakeholders this week. “Thankfully, nobody has been injured as a result of these incidents; but, understandably, the trades won’t return until an acceptable security plan is implemented.”

“As we navigate budgetary challenges, we’re focused on identifying creative, non-tax revenue solutions,” Johnson said in a prepared release. “Strengthening our international relationships, especially with key economic players like London, is essential for attracting long-term financial investments, driving business collaborations, and fueling economic growth that benefits all of Chicago’s communities.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson said after a neighborhood event in Little Village, “Previous administrations decided they weren’t going to pay pensions, I’m not going to do that. But, we’ve also said not only do we have to make sure that we’re not cutting into our workforce and that we have to take care of our workers, making sure they have retirement, [but] we have to invest in our children, you all.”