“Threats to prosecute elected officials defending the law is unacceptable discourse in the United States,” Pritzker spokesman Alex Gough said. “Republicans are attempting to intimidate officials from defending the Constitution — and it will not work.”

While homicides dropped 7.6 percent citywide between 2023 and 2024, homicides dropped 30 percent in the Englewood (7th) Police District and 35 percent in the Harrison (11th) Police District, which included areas targeted by the mayor’s public safety plan. But the report released Wednesday does not include specific data on homicides or shootings in 2024 in the targeted areas, making it impossible to judge the effectiveness of what the mayor calls “the full force of government” approach to fighting crime.

“The second-biggest concern parents have with public schools is they’ve become political. Ditto for Lab (the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools). For example, in 2019, Lab adopted a strategic plan that endorsed the principles of the Progressive Education Network. In a country where people are allowed to hold different political views, is anyone surprised that a lot of parents aren’t happy that their school is now taking stands on immigration policy, school choice and other so-called ‘corporate reforms’?”

The Sun-Times has 144 employees, including 104 on the editorial side, while WBEZ has 134 employees, with 64 content creators, according to Chicago Public Media.

The cutbacks could be the deepest Chicago Public Media has ordered since it absorbed the Sun-Times in 2022. The noncash acquisition by the owner of public radio station WBEZ was an innovative attempt to preserve local journalism under a nonprofit umbrella, but the combined operations have been unable to stop financial bleeding.

Falling just outside the top 10 at No. 11, Chicago was hailed for its extensive array of activities and restaurants, cultural institutions and transportation network. TimeOut singled out summers in Chicago as uniquely great, thanks to events such as Lollapalooza, Riot Fest and the NASCAR Chicago Street Race.

CPS and CTU have begun fact-finding hearings this week, a required stage in negotiations before the union can legally go on strike.

The memo, written by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, directs prosecutors to investigate for potential criminal charges cases in which state and local officials obstruct or impede federal functions. Details about specific state or local laws or officials under investigation have not been disclosed, but locals know that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, doubled down this week on his vow to oppose President Donald Trump’s sweeping reform aimed at removing undocumented immigrants accused of crimes from the U.S.

The free, public exhibit in the city-run building features bloodied caricatures of Uncle Sam and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described on a sign as “protest puppets.” Writing on the wooden bases holding up the figures criticizes U.S. financial support for Israel’s war efforts in Gaza and labels the characters as “children killers” and “murderers.” Already removed from the exhibit was the display’s title, “US-Israel War Machine,” and a death count, Ald. Debra Silverstein said.

Core member Patrice Stewart said, “At a recent City Hall meeting, I was stunned to see aldermen speaking in Spanish without any interpretation for English-speaking citizens. This violates our rights and shows how other communities can have their way while we’re left in the dark; it’s time for us to show up, speak up, and demand better treatment from our government officials.”

Bally’s faces long odds at City Hall in its attempt to bypass the Fifth Floor and head directly to the City Council to seek a lucrative tax break. The Providence, R.I.-based gambling company is in the process of hiring an army of lobbyists to try to push through a Class 7b property tax incentive that would shrink its total bill over 12 years by more than $200 million, according to City Hall estimates.

After trying to find a buyer for a distressed Loop office building, a New York-based lender has taken control of the property itself. A venture led by New York Life Insurance earlier this month formally took ownership of the Inland Steel Building at 30 W. Monroe St., according to Cook County property records.

“I feel like politics is taking over our children having the best education (and) things just flowing smoothly in the school,” said Katrina Adams, a mother of three. “Everything is about Pedro being fired … about the CTU contract, but I don’t hear anybody talking about how 30 percent of the students are reading at grade level. I don’t hear any talks about plans on bringing them up academically, plans on preparing them to thrive for the future. That has just been put on a back burner … and that’s not fair.”

Gov. JB Pritzker said the Trump Administration has not communicated with his administration about their plan. “We have heard that they’re targeting as many as 2,000 people initially in the city of Chicago alone,” Pritzker said. “I don’t know whether they’ll effectuate that or how, and I want to be clear about what my position is and what the law is. If there are violent criminals who have been convicted of violent crimes, who are undocumented, they are supposed to be deported. That is the law of the United States and has been for quite a long time. I don’t

“Remember that efforts to maintain the status quo with the criminal justice system are also political. … Criminal industrial complex supporters will block any sincere efforts to bring transparency to the system and instead will continue to attempt to dismiss Burke’s credibility, like they did with (former Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris) Martinez, or anyone else who challenges the status quo.”