-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
The lawsuit was initially filed in October of last year, when ongoing protests were active outside the Broadview facility. A federal judge then granted a temporary restraining order against the facility, requiring better conditions for sleeping, eating, hygiene and access to medicine.
King’s marching orders from the mayor are to devise a policy plan tailor-made to “strengthen protections and opportunities” for LGBTQ+ Chicagoans. It will tackle everything from eliminating health disparities to providing support and resources to “business owners within the LGBTQ+ community who have sometimes felt ignored or not as visible [to] previous administrations,” King said.
During a recorded interrogation, Juan Espinoza Martinez admitted to sending a Snapchat message to a friend with a picture of Bovino. It read, “2k on info when they catch him. 10-k if you take him down.” Espinoza Martinez’s defense attorney says her client had no means, no ability, no money and that the messages sent were just words.
HR 622 calls for an independent investigation into U.S. Department of Homeland Security-involved shootings, killings and deaths in custody, as well as the appointment of independent counsel to prosecute agents, administrators, and political appointees found to have committed, directed or covered up such acts. It is not known if the resolution carries any taxpayer cost.
Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie said a lot more than $481 million went to people who are in the country illegally. “We have 550,000 people that have come here, that is, we spent over $2 billion on health care, education and housing for illegal immigrants,” McCombie said.
The coalition of 21 attorneys general asserts that barring international students from attending Harvard threatens states’ academic institutions, economic prosperity and global leadership in education and scientific innovation.
During Public Comment, several speakers noted that the Board voted in September 2025 to hold a day of remembrance in honor of Charlie Kirk.
The union “elected to omit” activities of the Chicago Teachers Union Foundation and the Children and Teachers Foundation of the Chicago Teachers Union. As a result, the auditor found the combined financial statements “do not represent fairly the financial position of the Chicago Teachers Union.”
The false reporting of police-involved shootings — and “police-related stabbings” — is not limited to 2026. Previous years in the paper’s homicide tracker show the outlet blaming CPD for murders that its contemporaneous reporting indicates did not involve the police.
As it is, the city’s annually required pension contribution tops $2 billion, accounting for about 38% of overall revenue, while the state has long been home to some of the highest unfunded pension debt in the country.
“There are huge administration costs that go along with this,” said Brian Costin, of Americans for Prosperity–Illinois. “There’s a very long application process, there’s no real transparency in how decisions are made, and there’s a lot of deadweight loss. Why don’t we just leave the money in communities to begin with?”
The reserves make up less than 1 percent of the state’s budget and largely focus on cost savings such as forgoing hiring in certain agencies for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends June 30.
On average, Black selective enrollment 11th grade students were nearly three times more likely to read at grade level compared to their peers in other CPS high schools. On average, 70.7 percent of Black students were proficient in reading in 2025 at selective enrollment high schools compared to 25.3 percent in other CPS high schools.
“I think we all know that there is a racial piece to this, where we are often taxed higher in Black communities and marginalized communities than our counterparts,” said Shannon Bennett, executive director of the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization. “The other thing that always jumps out is the overvaluation of our homes, which leads to the higher taxes on the South and West Sides.”
The tax, which would impose a 3 percent surcharge on annual incomes over one million dollars, has yet to see a specific bill introduced in the legislature. Republican leaders argue that a millionaire tax would not effectively address the financial issues faced by local governments.
Interview starts at the 5:53 mark here.
“While reviewing the overpayment file, IDHS-[Divison of Early Chilhood] staff and/or Child Care Resource and Referral agencies may note concerns about intentional program violation or fraud in the case notes or on the overpayment referral form; however, there is no method to independently track which overpayments are intentional or unintentional in CCMS,” said Sean Reddington, associate general counsel of IDHS.
The alternative city budget muscled through the City Council over Mayor Brandon Johnson’s objections required the city to make the full $260 million advance pension payment to stave off another costly reduction in Chicago’s bond rating. Late last week, the Johnson administration ignored that mandate and made a half-payment of $130 million.
“In a world where capital and talent are more mobile than ever, Chicago is choosing policies that make the city less economically competitive.”
“Across Illinois, dozens of local governments such as McHenry County have placed advisory questions on the primary ballot asking voters where they stand on the federal school choice program, according to analysis from the Illinois Policy Institute. These referendums may be nonbinding, but they are powerful as messages.”
SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR FREE WIREPOINTS DAILY NEWSLETTER