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“May Day has a long and important history rooted in workers’ rights. But using it to disrupt classrooms crosses a line. Solidarity means standing together. Solidarity is not forcing working families to bear the burden of a political message they did not ask for and cannot afford.”
The proposal from Ald. Matt Martin would ban Chicago cops from engaging in “extremist activities,” defined in the measure as any attempt to overthrow any level of U.S. government through violence or “unconstitutional means.” The prohibition also applies to the planning, execution or “material support” of hate crimes.
“When looking for a specific car, you got plate readers. When you’re looking for specific suspects that are wearing certain types of clothes, cameras can zoom in,” Ald. William Hall said. “You’re telling me that a social media company doesn’t have the tools to zero in on certain images that are being reported to them, certain phrases that are been reported to him, or certain problematic accounts that are be identified over and over and again? So we’re asking for a bigger step, not just one step.”
The Civic Federation report found that Illinois has 8,923 local government units, over 3,000 more any other state in the nation.
ComEd customers in Illinois will see an average $19 monthly reduction to their electricity bills over the coming months, thanks to a policy in the state’s landmark climate bill.
Not all faculty members in the union are participating in the strike. Some professors are covered under a different collective bargaining agreement, meaning classes are continuing for many students.
From 1996 to 2016, state education spending increased by $5.4 billion. But two-thirds of that growth, or $3.6 billion, went to pensions rather than students. During that time, pension costs grew from just over 8 percent of state education spending to more than one-third. That trend has continued.
One of the proposed amendments would allocate all of the potential $4.5 billion yearly windfall toward property tax relief in the form of $1,500 rebates per property owner. A competing plan would allocate half of the millionaires tax’s proceeds to public schools and the rest toward property tax relief.
“The (Johnson) administration’s numbers simply don’t add up. Spending hundreds of thousands in subsidies to produce a handful of units is unsustainable. Chicago needs a cohesive plan that expands available housing by removing regulatory barriers, enabling more homebuilding, and supporting the rehabilitation of vacant properties — all while protecting residents from gentrification through property tax stability.”
The Finance Committee also signed off on a $470,000 settlement to a husband and wife who were seriously injured after their motorcycle hit a pavement buckle on Lake Shore Drive near McCormick Place that had been the subject of 27 complaints to the city’s 311 emergency system in the prior two years before the 2023 accident.
That includes $1.3 million earned by officers in January, February and March to patrol what CPD lists as “planned gathering/march/civil unrest,” according to data published by the inspector general. Officers earned an additional $1 million in overtime to police the funeral of civil rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
This multistate agreement bars the cruise line from deceptive disaster-era sales practices and sends $116,000 to Illinois as part of a $2 million payout to states.
Chief Tom Weitzel (Ret.): “Illinois law currently prohibits the release of any juvenile information. Not the name. Not the city of residence. Not the mug shot. Not even the basic arrest details that every community has a right to know when a violent crime occurs. It doesn’t matter if the offender is 13 or 17. It doesn’t matter if the crime is petty theft or attempted murder. The law treats all juvenile cases the same: sealed, hidden, and untouchable.”
In a move to gain union support, last year’s transit bailout bill allows the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority board to implement a hike that could raise $1 billion more in tolls a year starting in 2027.
“[Owner Dawndria Murray] told me a father came up there with his son by the collar — old school. He said he saw his son in the video and wanted to personally apologize. He also made it clear she would never have an issue with his son again,” businessman and philanthropist EarlyWalker wrote to his followers on social media, saying, “this is what accountability looks like.”
“They say that Tier 2 benefits ‘may’ not meet ‘safe harbor’ requirements that mandate that they at least equal Social Security retirement payments. They may be correct, but they may not be. Before doing anything, why not find out for sure? And if they do fall short, why not find out how much it would cost to bring them into ‘safe harbor’ line?”
Lawmakers are considering House Bill 1429. The proposal would ban local governments from arresting or fining homeless people who are doing things like sleeping, eating or resting outdoors, or anything considered to be a life-sustaining activity. Local governments would also be required to provide social services to anyone being removed if possible.
It’s an ambitious effort that could reshape housing from Chicago to Peoria and across downstate Illinois. But while Pritzker is trying to build support for a far-reaching proposal backed by housing advocates and many developers, he faces opposition from local leaders who say the sweeping approach is wrong for their communities.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said on Thursday in a news release it was still moving forward with the construction of deterrents near Joliet to block the path of the carp, but would move management of the project to Michigan.
The ages of the victims range from 14 to 46, according to Chicago police.
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