Cook County Board of Review Comm. George Cardenas (D-1) and Juanita Irizarry are running to represent District 1 on the board. [Provided]

Cook County Board of Review Comm. George Cardenas (D-1) is facing a primary challenge this spring from Juanita Irizarry, the former executive director of Friends of the Parks. While Cardenas has accepted funding from property tax attorneys and consultants, Irizarry has sworn off the practice but is backed by the county assessor, who has frequently criticized the Board of Review.

Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks during a press conference on Jan. 15, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line] 

Mayor Brandon Johnson this week insisted his office was not trying to usurp decision making about felony charges through the issuance of his “ICE on Notice” executive order, which directs the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to investigate and report alleged instances of illegal behavior by federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Public Safety Chair Brian Hopkins (2) is pictured at a City Council meeting in April 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Public Safety on Tuesday approved an ordinance to expand the city’s noise-sensitive zoning process to explicitly allow all places of worship to take advantage, but it declined to vote on a revised version of an ordinance to address and deter “teen takeovers.”

Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43) talks about the rat contraceptive pilot in his ward during a Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy meeting on Feb. 3, 2026. [Livestream]

The City Council Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy on Tuesday approved a resolution in support of the Chicago Area Waterway System reclamation study and another to recognize the launch of a rat population control pilot program on the Near North Side.

Ald. William Hall (6) is pictured during a City Council meeting on Oct. 9, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Alderpeople at a public safety committee meeting on Tuesday will consider a revised proposal that seeks to increase cooperation between the city and social media companies to monitor and deter “teen takeovers,” an ordinance to expand the noise-sensitive zone restrictions to explicitly include all places of worship and an ordinance to increase the distance that school zone boundaries stretch. 

The Committee on Public Safety will meet at 12:30 p.m. in council chambers.

Environment committee Chair Ald. Maria Hadden (49) is pictured during a City Council meeting on April 7, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy will meet Tuesday to consider two resolutions — one in support of the Chicago Area Waterway System reclamation study and the other to recognize the launch of a rat population control pilot program. 

The committee will meet at 10 a.m. in council chambers.

 The Civic Federation released a report last week that found that while the Chicago’s 2026 budget that was passed by the City Council was better than Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposal, it still falls short of making sufficient structural changes.

Comm. Michael Scott Jr. (D-2) and Andre Smith are competing for the Democratic nomination in Cook County Board District 2. [Scott photo from county website/Smith photo from campaign site]

Cook County Comm. Michael Scott Jr. (D-2) is running to serve a full four-year term on the county board of commissioners, and he’s facing a Democratic primary challenge instead of a general election opponent.