The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection is scheduled to host a “Remote Small Business Expo” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 21. The free business expo is set to feature more than 30 “exhibitors from city, state, federal agencies and non-profits organizations offering 1:1 business guidance,” according to a tweet from the department. Registration is available online. 

Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie (R-Lake Zurich) released a statement blasting Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature of revised legislative maps, writing, “Rarely do politicians get the chance to break a campaign promise twice.” 

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) tweeted, “It's not deja vu you're having, Governor Pritzker did sign politician-drawn legislative maps on a Friday afternoon. He has now broken his promise to the people of Illinois TWICE"

Rep. Jaime Andrade (D-Chicago) posted on Facebook, “Another peaceful Saturday evening broken up by a gunfight, this time down the block from where my kids sleep. The surroundings of our elementary schools resembling high noon in the Wild West. We need to do more, NOW.” 

Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview) tweeted, “@JosinaMorita will make history as the first Asian American woman elected to the Cook County Board. I’m so proud to call her a friend.” 

Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) tweeted, “Unions were created to protect workers from their supervisors…police unions actually just shield police from being held accountable” - Antonio Lightfoot @C4RacialJustice 

Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia) tweeted, “Illinois is a safe haven for reproductive health care rights, but when politicians attack in other states, it affects us. IL clinics are experiencing an increase in out-of-state patients, which can lead to staff shortages, overflowing waiting rooms, & lack of resources.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health will adopt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for Pfizer booster shots, recommending that people 65 and older, as well as those aged 50-64 with “underlying medical conditions,” should receive a booster shot, officials announced on Friday. The guidelines also open the door for younger people to get third doses if they have medical conditions or work in settings with an “increased risk of COVID-19 exposure.”

Ald. Sophia King (4) in her latest newsletter wrote “The senseless shooting death of a Simeon High School student on 52nd and Lake Park have many concerned about their safety in the Hyde Park/Kenwood area. And especially at Kenwood High School... As you may know a credible suspect thought to have started the threats was arrested. We want you to know that we take your safety seriously and are working closely with the various security stakeholders in the community to coordinate the appropriate deployment of resources to mitigate any security threat to students and the community at large.”  

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “Thanks to my residents for taking photos of this semi trying to navigate a residential street & damaging a light pole in the process.” 

Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) in a thread shared a photo from an event held on Saturday and wrote “[Openlands] sponsored a canoe paddling tour of the African American Heritage Water Trail on the Little Calumet River, leaving from soon to be rebuilt Beaubien launch, and [NeighborSpace] sponsored gardens” 

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) shared a Block Club article about an Irving Park apartment proposal and tweeted, "I have the first ever Community Driven Zoning process in the 33rd Ward so that the power of zoning is used in a transparent and democratic way. I listen to community and make a decision based on that feedback. I don’t support this project."

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) in his latest newsletter shared a link to an episode of John Kass’ and Jeff Carlin’s “The Chicago Way” podcast during which Reilly commented on the proposed 2022 budget, downtown crime and the ward remap. 

Ald. Matt Martin (47) in his latest newsletter wrote that during upcoming hearings on the city’s proposed 2022 budget, he “will pay close attention to the policy issues on which my office's recent town halls have focused: housing, the environment, child care, and domestic violence.” 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) wrote in her latest newsletter that “for months, my colleagues in the Progressive Caucus and I have been championing legislation that calls for the allocation of ARPA funds to go towards housing assistance, homelessness prevention and resources, guaranteed basic income, mental health services, violence prevention, alternative crisis response, mental health resources, gender-based violence resources, and more. While I applaud the Mayor and her team for listening to these calls from City Council, she did not include us in those discussions.”

The Chicago Department of Public Health on Friday announced the launch of the city’s “Face Forward” campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccination among teens. The city has enlisted photographer Sandro Miller to take portrait photos of youth between the ages of 12 and 18 so their images can be “transformed into a one-of-a-kind work of art” to be included in a citywide marketing campaign.

The Chicago Federation of Labor’s Airport Labor Committee will host an “Air Rage Town Hall” at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the O’Hare Hilton Grand Ballroom to “discuss the rise of abuse of flight crews, customer service agents, and other airport workers by the flying public.” 

Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday announced more than $44 million in state grants will be allocated to help train workers in Illinois in communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as youth at risk of violence. Of the total, $40 million will be used for Workforce Recovery Grants while $4.4 million will be dedicated to career training grants for at-risk youth. 

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) tweeted “This week is the first week of 2022 Budget Season. I'll be recapping each week at 5pm on Friday. You can log-in to comment on Facebook Live, or you can simply tune in with this link. Please join me to learn about what's going on at City Hall!” 

Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10) tweeted “The meeting for the 10th Ward Community Forum for Public Art Mural at the E. 100th Street Viaduct (North Wall) will be rescheduled due to Zoom issues with the City of Chicago account. We will make sure to notify the community when a makeup date has been set.”  

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “Can someone explain why aldermen need PROOF of vaccination to attend a budget hearings but NOTHING to attend full City Council meetings?” 

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “Repeat with me. We do not call the police on our children. We offer comfort, support and a safe space to process. Please don’t do this.”  

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) shared a WBEZ story about Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposal to sue gang members and tweeted “The ordinance is impractical, ineffective, and risks fueling more crime and violence. I'm a NO. Chicagoans should read this article and then reach out to their alder.”  

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted “So wait...we're going to see fewer kids in quarantine because we're going to relax the rules on safety? @ChiPubSchools we need answers now. Changing the rules because you don't like the outcomes is not a fix. #MakeItMakeSense Fix the contact tracing problems. Show us a real plan.”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced on Thursday a new vaccination initiative aiming to ensure 77 percent of Chicago residents aged 12 and older have begun receiving their vaccinations against COVID-19 by the end of the year. Through the program, called Protect Chicago 77, city officials plan to involve additional community partners to boost resident engagement and ensure eligible residents across all of the city’s communities are getting vaccinated. The city is rolling out videos aimed to help people talk to friends and family about the vaccine, a marketing campaign and weekly updates on neighborhoods’ vaccination progress. As of Wednesday, 72.4 percent of Chicagoans aged 12 and up had received at least one dose of a vaccine. 

Groups including Communities United, Elevate Energy and the DePaul University Institute for Housing Studies announced they are forming the Chicago Flats Initiative “to provide short- and long-term assistance in the form of resources and counseling” to help preserve two- to four-flats across the city. 

Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) highlighted a host of federal and state grant funding opportunities in his latest newsletter.  

Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) issued a statement after Schaumburg received state money for bike path improvements.  

Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) tweeted images of her and Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights) recently attending a grand opening in their district.  

Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) tweeted “We chatted about the start of the school year, new laws pertaining to education, and how we can continue to support our educators. Thank you to @AlarmistBrewing for hosting and for Marie's Pizza and Liquors for catering.”

Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) tweeted “It was a great evening with Buena Park Neighbors last night at the Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club. It’s lovely to talk to active and engaged #BuenaPark neighbors in the 6th District. #chicagoliving

Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) on Wednesday announced House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) had appointed him to serve on the state’s Human Trafficking Task Force. Bos was officially named to the task force on Sept. 15, when Durkin also named Rep. David Friess (R-Red Bud). The two Republicans join Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-Naperville) and Rep. Denyse Stoneback (D-Skokie), who were appointed to the task force last month by House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside). As of Wednesday, no members of the Senate had been named to the task force.  

Gov. JB Pritzker announced that he will appoint Kim King to the Children and Family Services Advisory Council, Channyn Parker to the Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes, Deborah Hagan to the Employment Security Board of Review and Michael Tarnoff to the State Board of Investment. King is the Senior Deputy Director of Case and Volunteer Management for Illinois Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Cook County, Parker is the Director of Strategic and Community Partnerships at Howard Brown Health, Hagan recently retired from her position as Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and Tarnoff retired in 2015 as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. All appointments must be confirmed by the Senate. 

Ald. Sophia King (4) tweeted information about a Hyde Park Cigars Follow-Up Community Meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. Sept. 30. "Join to express your concerns and have your voice heard,” King wrote.  

Ald. Matt O’Shea (19) tweeted “33 years ago today Chicago Police Officer Irma Ruiz was killed in a gun battle inside Moses Montefiore School protecting innocent children. She left behind a husband and four young children. God bless the Ruiz family & the men and women of the CPD.” 

Ald. Walter Burnett (27) tweeted a link to a photo gallery from First the “Women's Bank Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening Event.” 

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “Chicago has been yelling that we don’t want this man to hold any kind of public office. There has been plenty of noise. Rahm Emanuel is a disgrace and so is Biden for appointing him.”  

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “CPS students in temporary living situations (lack of fixed/adequate residence, couch surfing due to economic hardship or staying in a shelter) can receive a $500 check to help with back-to-school and everyday household expenses. Applications are due 10/1” 

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) shared a Chicago Tribune editorial on lending equity and wrote “The @chicagotribune Editorial Board highlights the importance of lending equity in moving Chicago forward – and how the Lending Equity Ordinance is a step in that direction.”

Pamela Cassara has joined Cook County Health as its new Chief Financial Officer, giving the $3.4 billion agency its first permanent financial chief since previous Chief Financial Officer Ekerete Akpan was ousted by the health system’s Board of Directors in January 2020. Cassara previously oversaw finances for the Indiana-based Franciscan Alliance hospital system and MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island.

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez’s office has restored e-filing, case lookup and ticket payment functionality to its website more than a month after the site was taken offline for cybersecurity upgrades, officials announced. “Our team has worked around the clock to make sure our most used tools are available online and safe to use,” Martinez wrote in a statement Wednesday afternoon. “Now that we have completed this important step, we will be moving forward to analyzing and revamping our website to better serve the public.  

Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) tweeted “Today, I met with leaders at the South-East Asia Center to talk about early childhood care and ways to support community based organizations. Happy #MidAutumnFestival to all of those who celebrate! So honored to celebrate and enjoy Mooncakes in community today!” 

Simmons also tweeted about an event he is co-hosting on Wednesday for a discussion on “what a future designed by BIPOC LGBTQ+ people looks like.”  

Rep. Lamont Robinson (D-Chicago) tweeted “I have seen firsthand how important our network of safety net hospitals are to our local families and communities. Thank you to St. Bernard Hospital for the tour of your facility and meeting with your senior leadership team about your challenges and opportunities ahead.  

Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) tweeted a video of himself discussing the recently enacted energy law.  

Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) tweeted a link to a news story about the least tax-friendly states for middle-class families, adding, “Not the list we want to be number. There's a direct correlation between this and IL being one of three states to lose population the past decade.” 

Sen. Sally Turner (R-Beason) posted images on Facebook from “coffee and conversation” event she recently hosted in Sherman with Butler.  

Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) on Tuesday announced she will hold a free flu shot clinic in her district on Oct. 8 between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Ald. Matt O’Shea (19) in his latest newsletter included information on a “Community Blood Drive at Brother Rice High School (10001 S. Pulaski) in the north gym” from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 16. 

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) tweeted “Happy #MidAutumnFestival to all who celebrate in Chicago and across the world! Today is a wonderful day to enjoy a mooncake, some tea, and admire the Earth's favorite moon.” 

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “I am the mother of an unvaccinated 6 year old CPS student. I am angry as hell.”  

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) in his latest newsletter included information on ward improvements funded with Aldermanic Menu money writing, “Streets will be resurfaced on or around the dates listed below: 1400 block of Glenlake - Between Glenwood and Greenview - 9/27; 900 block of Thorndale - Between the lake and Sheridan - 9/27; 1200 block of Bryn Mawr – Between Broadway and Wayne - 9/28; 5500 block of Wayne - Between Bryn Mawr and Catalpa - 9/29” 

The Chicago Department of Public Health took California and Puerto Rico off its COVID-19 Travel Advisory because average daily new cases there fell below 15 per 100,000 residents, officials announced Tuesday. Public health officials added Connecticut and Washington, D.C. to the travel advisory as cases in both locations during the past week moved back over 15 per 100,000 residents.

Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) issued a statement after business in her district received a $2 million state grant.  

Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) tweeted “This afternoon I joined  @IllinoisDCEO , @RepKamBuckner, @LamontJRobinson , and Bronzeville Small Business leaders to push the Back to Business Grants and community navigator program.” 

Rep. Suzzane Ness (D-Crystal Lake) tweeted “On Monday, I held my first Citizen Advisory Committee meeting on issues pertaining to the Developmental Disability Community. Parents, Advocates, Service Organizations, and Educators all had a seat at the table. I left our meeting feeling energized and excited for what's next.” 

Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) tweeted about an ongoing donation effort her office is leading to accept “new or gently used bras.”  

Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia) tweeted “Across the nation, reproductive rights are under attack — which can have a devastating impact on reproductive health & will disproportionately affect people with low incomes & people of color. I will continue to stand up & defend every individual’s right to choose.”

Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights), Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines), Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights) and other elected officials are co-hosting an event to discuss property tax assessment appeals with Cook County Comm. Michael Cabonargi (D-2) on Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. 

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) wrote in his latest newsletter, “I remain opposed to the provision in this budget proposal that mandates an increase in property taxes for citizens based on a calculation of the rising property index, especially considering that so many residents are still recovering from the economic and financial fallout of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”  

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “We are borrowing $300+ Million to pay for police back pay which nobody planned for. Debt taken on to be repaid over the next 30 years - a deferred tax hike Lightfoot doesn’t want to talk about” 

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “Listening to the Mayor’s budget address today was kind of confusing. A lot of her speech was funding the needs of communities to prevent violence and recognizing it’s root causes. But she also introduced an ordinance to “sue gang members” against advice from civil rights orgs.”  

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “Me to [Rodriguez-Sanchez] immediately following the mayor’s 2022 budget address: ‘Well, you got the mayor to say mental health 17 times.’” 

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted “Glad to hear some inroads towards income-based fines and fees as our office has been working on since taking office. It’s not all that we need for this moment, but it’s a step in that direction.” 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) in a thread about Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s budget proposal tweeted “I applaud the Mayor and her team for listening to City Council and proposing some good first drafts of what these investments could look like in 2022. Though she didn't involve any of us in this budget, I hope she'll work with us to fine tune these ideas.”

The Chicago Department of Planning and Development will host a virtual public meeting at 6 p.m. next Tuesday, Sept. 28 to discuss the two redevelopment proposals under consideration for the Pioneer Bank building in Humboldt Park. Details of the competing proposals were released on Tuesday. Online registration is required.