At a price tag of $18,000 per student, the program offered a chance to catch up on high school credits, therapy, job training, and a stipend. But only about half of the 1,000 students the program set out to reach actively participated over the past two years — and some had not actually dropped out of high school, but had struggled with spotty attendance. Fewer than 60 have earned a high school diploma, while about 160 are currently enrolled or pursuing a GED.

Jarixon Medina, a pastor with New Life Covenant Church’s Spanish-speaking campus in Humboldt Park, was questioned for having no bonafides in professional transit roles. At Monday’s hearing, Medina said he stopped regularly relying on CTA three years ago, after his household got a second car. The pastor sidestepped questions about local transit’s fiscal cliff and proposed merger of regional systems, saying that he would be best suited as a voice for everyday riders like those who attend his church.

Critics blasted Scott for allowing CHA properties to deteriorate and sit empty, even with more than 120,000 Chicagoans on the agency’s waiting lists. It was unclear Monday afternoon whether Mayor Brandon Johnson requested Scott’s resignation or if Scott left on her own.

“I’ve never been through that before,” said Vice Mayor Ald. Walter Burnett, the City Council’s longest-tenured member. Experts say failing to pass a budget in time could quickly threaten the city government’s ability to carry out many services and pay its workers. It could harm the city’s credit rating and jack up costs for borrowing money while deeply shaking the faith Chicagoans have in their elected officials.

Ford said selling this land would benefit more than just the South Side, allowing Illinois to pay off debt associated with the White Sox and receive revenue from property taxes, which the state doesn’t pay. “The state has a need for revenue,” he said.

“Last week, two billboards on the highly travelled Interstate 294 spur off the Edens Expressway displayed the following messages for more than 90 minutes during the busy evening rush hour commute: Fuck Israel and Death to Israel. The backdrop for both billboards was a Palestinian flag. … Interestingly, The Chicago Tribune, with the largest readership in the Midwest, did a 1200-word article on how the last local Chuck E. Cheese family restaurant phased out its animatronic band, but made no mention of the Northbrook billboards.”

A new report says that overspending, not underfunding, is to blame for the Chicago Transit Authority’s budget woes. Citing one example of what he called unnecessary spending, Illinois Policy Institute policy researcher Ravi Bishra said the CTA spent $20,000 on a disc jockey for 300 hours of work.

The largest takeover may have been one that jammed the area around 79th and Kedzie around 2:15 a.m. Up to 100 cars were involved in the takeover, and officers who responded to the scene reported that takeover participants shot fireworks at patrol cars. At least one arrest was made.

Under rules established by the federal government, Chicago officials have until 2026 to spend all of the federal funds the city got to repair the damage caused by the pandemic. Mayor Brandon Johnson promised to use those funds to invest in communities where residents are suffering as a result of decades of disinvestment. However, the money must be budgeted by the end of this year, which means this is the last chance for Johnson and the Chicago City Council to finalize how the remaining funds should be used.