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“The worst of the Johnson administration’s ideas therein is to compel landlords to pay thousands to tenants when their leases aren’t renewed or are forced to move due to an ‘unconscionable’ rent increase. Unconscionable,’ as far as we know, isn’t a legal term.”
According to the Chicago Police Department, there were 36 homicides throughout last month, two fewer than were recorded during May 2025. Last month’s total was fewer than any other May in Chicago since 2007, when there were 35 homicides recorded, per CPD data. But the number of shootings (127) and shooting victims (165) in May were up 1 percent and 4 percent, respectively over last year.
Right now, students are required to take two years of a foreign language. Senate Bill 3070 would give schools and students the flexibility to choose to take two years of a language, or take two years of “career and technical education” courses.
Said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, “Without a final site selection, until we see shovels in the ground in Hammond, the City will continue to engage in discussions grounded in the interests of our residents.”
Though the bills didn’t move this spring, negotiations could continue throughout the summer, allowing lawmakers to move them during the November veto session or January lame duck session.
Why are they allowed to do something clearly prohibited by the state Constitution? Illinois courts adhere to what is known as the “enrolled bill doctrine,” meaning courts defer to state House and Senate leaders to determine whether all procedural requirements for passing a bill have been met.
“It should trouble Illinoisans that not one Republican in the House or Senate voted for this budget. Three Democrats in the Senate voted against the budget. There are some good things in this budget, but we can do better.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun issued the following statement: “Hoosiers, help me welcome the Chicago Bears to our great state! We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the ’85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come.”
“Getting in and out of Soldier Field is an absolute nightmare. Let me tell you how bad it is. Bears vs. (Green Bay) Packers; I’m at the game, we’re losing. I decide to leave to beat the traffic,” Brandon Johnson said. “Before I get out of the footprint, the Bears had come back to win.”
Pritzker called on state lawmakers this year to suspend incentives for two years while they hammer out a comprehensive review of the impact centers are having on communities. Pritzker is making the move now after lawmakers did not act.
The Pretrial Accountability Task Force will be responsible for examining the use of pretrial electronic monitoring, “including the types of cases and charges for which the monitoring is ordered as a condition of pretrial release,” according to the release. The Task Force will issue its report to the Supreme Court within 45 days, according to the release.
The plan doesn’t raise the state’s sales or income tax rates. But it does rely on a series of new taxes and tweaks to be balanced, while also reviving some temporary election-year tax breaks Democrats last deployed in 2022, when Gov. JB Pritzker was seeking a second term.
Police said two male suspects approached a group of people standing outside and fired multiple shots into the crowd before fleeing.
David Greising, of the Better Government Association: “An Arlington Heights authority would have a credit rating linked to the village, with its high investment-grade credit rating. For Chicago, that would mean the city of Chicago, where the credit rating hovers just a few notches above junk status, and is at risk of going lower. In Arlington Heights, borrowing would cost less. A strong village balance sheet might mean that other financing or revenue sharing options are available to the village that Chicago might not be able to offer. Disadvantage, Chicago.”
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