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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker were among those who supported decriminalization of marijuana possession and its recreational use when Illinois in 2019 became the 11th state to do so.
The decision stalls progress on potentially dozens of developments that will not be able to come before the City Council for final approval votes next month.
SEIU Local 73 filed the representation petition with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board on Nov. 10. Once allies that worked together to help elect Mayor Brandon Johnson, the two progressive unions have feuded bitterly after SEIU last year accused the teachers union of trying to pass a contract proposal it said would effectively take special education jobs from SEIU and give them to CTU.
“We want our young people to experience this event and the best of our city along with us, and we are encouraging families to make a plan with their children and teens,” Johnson said. “Parents: talk to your children about their plans …”
No injuries were reported. It is unclear what led to the fights.
Brandon Johnson, like all progressive mayors, is caught in this contradiction of urban governance in America; he cannot govern without accommodating the financial, insurance, and real estate (FIRE) sectors. But he cannot accommodate the FIRE sectors and build “the safest, most affordable big city in America.”
The Public Official Safety and Privacy Act gives public officials—including judges, state’s attorneys, and election commissioners—the power to curate their digital footprint. The law further allows public officials to use campaign funds to pay for personal security systems, cameras, and physical barriers at their residences.
The AG’s office has signed onto 48 lawsuits against the administration since President Donald Trump’s term began in January, according to a breakdown provided by the office.
“It has become a habit for Mayor Brandon Johnson to invoke race and racism to explain away policy failures, deflect criticism, and shield his allies from accountability. Johnson’s use of this language isn’t about justice — it’s a political tool meant to silence dissent and reclaim support among Black voters disillusioned by his administration’s migrant, safety, and education policies.”
“Any means that he (President Trump) can use to restore safety and security to Chicago, I fully support,” state Rep. Adam Niemerg said. “JB Pritzker claiming victory while Illinois, especially Chicago, lacks safety and security is nothing to celebrate. Trump wanted the National Guard in Chicago for a reason: there are too many deaths every weekend.
The Reimagining Capitalism in Illinois Lab aims to “change the narrative about who has an ownership claim to American prosperity” and supports wealth redistribution policies. The lab is housed under the Chicago Federation of Labor.
“While enriching a small class of investors, Illinois’ tax sale law has inflicted devastating harm on low-income, elderly and minority homeowners, who are most vulnerable to tax delinquency.”
Cook County’s independent inspector general has reported 65 PPP-related findings through September, spanning offices from Cook County Health to the Forest Preserves and the public defender. The Cook County sheriff’s office sustained policy violations against 62 employees, firing 12 and moving to terminate dozens more.
“The Supreme Court is essentially inviting President Trump to send regular armed troops and deploy those to Chicago and Los Angeles before he can send the National Guard. I think a governor would rather have National Guard troops than the 82nd Airborne and the Marine Corps patrolling the streets of Chicago.”
“While Ocasio-Cortez likely would not have to worry about competing against a fellow democratic socialist, she may have to worry about getting crowded out of the progressive populist lane, and by a billionaire no less: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Unlike Newsom and some other Democrats, Pritzker hasn’t tried to recalibrate at all on immigration or trangender issues.”
The violence started just after midnight on Christmas Eve, with victims as young as 15.
Jim Dey: “Illinois taxpayers will be getting a small break: Gas taxes will not automatically go up on Jan. 1. Instead, the rate will remain at 48.3 cents per gallon through June 30, 2026. That’s a change in the state policy of automatic gas-tax hikes twice a year, Jan. 1 and July 1.”
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