It made for an unusual scene in a town where the whiff of a federal indictment has long been damaging to local politicians. Congressional candidate and social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh, Cook County Board candidate Cat Sharp and Oak Park village trustee Brian Straw now seem to be embracing the charges from President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.

The City of Saint Paul also joined the federal lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in the Northern District of Illinois. It “seeks to prevent DOJ from imposing new grant conditions that require cities to certify that they do not operate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that DOJ deems unlawful and do not restrict assistance with federal civil immigration enforcement.”

Ald. Ray Lopez said his letter has drawn a lot of interest because it is so pragmatic. “Especially when it is offered from a Democrat to a Republican as a way to find a middle ground,” Lopez suggested.

The recently released Illinois Report Card shows large proficiency gaps between Chicago’s low-income students and the statewide average for all students in math and reading. Black and Hispanic Chicago students also saw gaps in proficiency rates compared to the state average.

Many of the changes that would have the biggest impact on the city’s bottom line would require changes to Chicago’s agreements with the labor organizations that represent 90 percent of the city’s more than 32,400 employers, Budget Director Annette Guzman said.

More than 2-in-5 Chicago Public Schools teachers missed 10 or more school days in the 2024-2025 school year; This marks the lowest teacher attendance rate recorded in CPS in nearly a decade. Similarly, just 2-in-5 Chicago students were proficient in reading that same school year, and even fewer were proficient in math.

In Chicago, the Latin Kings have long been a dominant force on the city’s West and Southwest sides, maintaining influence both on the streets and within correctional facilities. Law enforcement agencies describe the group as a hierarchical criminal organization involved in drug trafficking, weapons offenses, assaults, and other violent crimes.

As Pritzker started to walk away from Sigcho-Lopez, the alderman tried to stop him, saying, “Wait, one more second. No, no, no, no. One more second.” Al d. MichaelRodriguez responded by shouting at Sigcho-Lopez, “This is my ward. This is my ward. Get out of my ward.” (with video)

An infusion of federal pandemic relief funding led to the increase in overnight travel. In one case, a principal booked a luxury hotel on the Las Vegas Strip away from a conference they were attending — and stayed an extra day on the district’s dime to celebrate an anniversary with his spouse. In another, an elementary school paid a travel agency $20,000 for a staff development trip to Egypt that included visits to museums and tours more “akin to tourism than typical professional development.”