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Published reports indicate Tom Pritzker, a Hyatt Hotels executive and cousin of Gov. JB Pritzker, is repeatedly referenced in the latest tranche of documents released by the estate of Jeffrey Epstein.
“We see in Chicago 30-40 percent of our budget every year — and this is a $16 billion budget this year, so you’re talking billions of dollars a year — goes to debt and pensions,” explained Austin Berg, the director of the Chicago Policy Institute. “And that’s by far the highest share of any other big city in the country. That’s where the money is actually going, and it’s a moral catastrophe.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson has ruled out layoffs and furlough days for fear of alienating the unions that helped put him in office. There is no evidence that the mayor has pursued increased employee contributions or reduced health care benefits, as recommended in the $3.2 million cost-cutting and revenue-generating road map provided by EY, formerly known as Ernst & Young.
Ald. Matt O’Shea said city officials should ask the unions that represent 90 percent of the city’s employees to reduce their workers’ pay and benefits. No other alderperson has echoed that call, which would trigger fierce opposition from organized labor in Chicago. “We are at a financial crossroads for the future of our city,” O’Shea said.
This decision slashes Ameren’s original $128.8 million request by approximately 43 percent and approves a 9.60 percent return on equity (ROE), down from the company’s requested 10.70 percent ROE.
García maintains that he did nothing wrong, even though 23 House Democrats sided with Republicans in calling him out for so-called election subversion. “I understand why people can be skeptical because there have been many shenanigans that have occurred in politics over the years in Chicago,” he said.
Cook County launched its Immigration Division with a pilot program in 2020 before making it permanent in 2022.
The typical customer will see a monthly increase of $4.25.
Chicago Flips Red Vice President DanielleCarter-Walters said over 56,000 illegal aliens are living in Chicago homes while veterans and homeless people live outside. “ICE tries to stop this, but the judges, the Illinois attorney general, the Chicago Teachers Union, certain clergy members, the mayor and the governor block them every step of the way. This is not compassion. This is failure,” she said.
The amendment, if approved, would allow the state to levy a 3 percent surcharge on millionaires for a property tax relief fund. “According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, this millionaire’s surcharge for property tax relief would raise $4.5 billion,” Quinn said. “That’s a lot of money.”
“A very important benefit, but it’s a very expensive benefit,” state Rep. Ryan Spain said. “And if we can reduce the error rate as a state of Illinois, we’ll be doing a good service for both of those groups.” If the state’s 11.5 percent error rate isn’t nearly cut in half to below 6 percent, Illinois taxpayers could be on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars to cover the errors.
In siding with the Trump administration, the three-judge panel ruled that U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis’ Nov. 6 preliminary injunction overstepped and “impermissibly” infringed on how the executive branch conducts law enforcement activity.
The comptroller’s core constitutional function is to pay the state’s bills, and the race features three members of the General Assembly — Rep. Margaret Croke, Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, and Sen. Karina Villa — and Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim. Democratic Champaign County Auditor George Danos and Republican Bryan Drew are also running but did not attend the forum.
Six inmates reportedly overdosed after being exposed to illegal drugs inside the prison on Saturday. How the drugs got inside — and why basic security continues to fail — remains unanswered.
“If nothing else, the very existence of such de facto grand juries, organized by elected officials and helped by the efforts and evidence of affected citizens, will put the Trump administration on notice that a case against it is being compiled. But Democrats don’t operate this way.”
The residential hike was driven by a surge in home values, a $500 million increase in requests from Chicago schools and local governments and the zero-sum nature of Chicago’s tax structure: When one group of property owners (Loop commercial owners) pays a smaller share of the overall tax bill, other groups (homeowners in particular) pay more, treasurer Maria Pappas explained.
ASPIRA is the latest charter school operator in CPS to run into serious financial problems. Already this school year, a small charter school in South Chicago announced plans to close in June. And last school year, one of the district’s largest charter school networks, Acero, announced plans to shutter seven of its 15 schools. But the CPS Board of Education decided to take over the management of five of them.
OnLight Aurora, a city-supported nonprofit, aims to provide high speed internet to the west suburban community’s institutions, businesses and residents. It’s also in massive debt, with a long history of questionable expenditures. Then-Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin signed a letter saying that the city would guarantee a $450,000 credit line increase for OnLight.
The Illinois Supreme Court has determined people asking courts to issue certificates of innocence must prove that innocence in fact and not just be victorious on legal grounds, including prosecutorial discretion and postconviction statutory amendments.
“The use of deadly force has increased from 2022 to 2024, and CPD is pointing guns at community members more often,” Assistant Attorney General Mike Tresnowski told Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer. “These are increases based on CPD’s own data collection. These are not the patterns and trends we would expect from a department that’s approaching full compliance with the use of force section of the consent decree.”
According to Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, the initiative enables Illinoisans to present their driver’s license and state ID in Apple Wallet in person, online and in apps at select businesses and organizations, including Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at over 250 U.S. airports. In addition, Giannoulias said mobile IDs would help close gaps minors have exploited with fake IDs.
Through fiscal discipline, tax reform and regulatory reform, Chicago could reignite growth.
“The point of the Republican Party is to conserve the amazing assets Illinois has developed — e.g., its infrastructure, industry, universities, arts, et al. — while developing new ones. Both require systemic change in Illinois.”
It accuses García of “undermining the process of a fair and free election” and claims his actions are “incompatible with the spirit” of the Constitution.
Chicago teeters on a tax revolt as the lying becomes sociopathic and the working class has one of its few chances at intergenerational wealth seized.
While the money going toward police pensions in St. Clair County, for example, has grown by $8.9 million, the amount going toward services has only grown $326,000. In DuPage County, $53.8 million has gone to police pensions while only $700,400 has gone to police services.
“Instead of acting with compassion or foresight, Illinois leaders encouraged and even incentivized illegal immigration, sending a dangerous message that anyone could come here without consequence. That’s not compassion — that’s cruelty.”
“You can feel his humanity,” Pritzker said in the interview. “It was a special moment, even for this Jewish boy.”
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