“When the mayor was having these budget road shows and he was speaking ill about the budget passed and saying that the numbers didn’t add up, we realized that we were gonna have to put some work in to make sure this gets completed,” said Ald. Samantha Nugent, who is overseeing one of nearly a dozen working groups to make certain that Johnson implements the alternative budget he opposed instead of sabotaging it.

The suit accuses the village’s bank of negligence, breach of contract, aiding and abetting. Dolton is seeking to recoup the $1.8M it claims the bank paid on the village’s behalf. The lawsuit does not name Henyard as a defendant.

A Venezuelan migrant charged with attempted murder for allegedly participating in a violent robbery aboard a CTA train found himself in an ironic predicament: he lost his freedom during one of his “essential movement” days, a provision of the SAFE-T Act that allows monitored defendants to move freely outside their homes two days per week.

“For those of you who did vote for me the first time, perhaps you’ll get another change to do that,” Johnson said of a possible run for a second term. For now, the mayor is focused on the integrity of the 2026 election. “I’m going to continue to work with our legal team and partners around this country to ensure we protect our democracy that our fundamental right to vote is protected and secure,” he said.

Records show the CHA violated federal disability laws and the civil rights of residents for at least eight years. The CHA and HUD have been negotiating a voluntary compliance agreement for years to resolve the issues related to a 2018 complaint and broader disability discrimination issues, according to public records and sources involved in the negotiations. The agency was previously under a compliance agreement from 2006 to 2013 for Section 504 and ADA violations.

Illinois is among a handful of states with virtually no data on homeschooling. But among the 30 states that track participation, the numbers are booming. That shift is unfolding as enrollment falls in large, urban districts, including at Chicago Public Schools.

Citywide enrollment losses have hit charter budgets hard, even as CPS has stepped in to heavily subsidize its own shrinking schools. Meanwhile, the district is withholding thousands of dollars per pupil from charters to chip in for CPS’ massive pension and debt service costs, forcing them to rely on increasingly uncertain funding sources, such as federal grants and fundraising, the October memo said.

Violence Interrupters founder Tio Hardiman said members will ride trains at least twice a week during so-called hot-spot hours where crime and trouble are known to be high. Interrupters will also provide outreach services, while faith-based leaders will promote peace, distribute public safety tips and public health materials. “We’re not in competition with the police or the K9 unit,” he said.

Ald. Ray Lopez said with $3.6 billion going to CDOT as a whole, commissioners should focus on upgrading the lights so people could walk “without getting shot, mugged or killed.”

Aurora police said three male juveniles who are students at East Aurora High School were charged with improper walking in the roadway, obstructing and resisting a police officer, and one was additionally charged with aggravated battery to a police officer.

The deadline is approaching for the CTA to submit a revised safety plan to the Trump Administration or face possible funding cuts. Reporters have learned that part of the agency’s security plan includes the implementation of advanced gun detection technology in every CTA station by the end of the month.

Evanston was the first city in the nation to pass a reparations plan, pledging $10 million over a decade to Black residents. The reparations fund did not receive any philanthropic donations this year as of Jan. 31, so the fund is primarily supported by a cannabis sales tax and real estate tax money.