Ald. George Cardenas (12) [left] and Ald. David Moore (17) objected on Tuesday to an ordinance that would legalize sports betting at Chicago stadiums and ballparks.

A long-brewing effort to allow fans to place bets at Chicago stadiums hit yet another rough patch on Tuesday, as a critical mass of aldermen said they were skeptical that the move would balance out to a net benefit for the city and its taxpayers.

From left: Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, Ald. Harry Osterman (48) and Woodstock Institute president Horacio Mendez during a committee hearing on Tuesday.

A flurry of recent city action has so far done nothing to break up discriminatory lending practices among banks where the city parks its investments, officials said. But it did produce troves of fresh data city leaders can use as a yardstick to hold banks to higher standards.

The proposed Michigan Avenue SSA would trace the Magnificent Mile from Oak Street to the Chicago River.

A failed 2020 proposal to prop up Chicago’s flagship retail district is set to be resurrected on Wednesday after winning over the local aldermen who effectively killed it last year.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced up to $241 million in new subsidies for two dozen affordable housing proposals on Monday. [Alex Nitkin/The Daily Line]

Chicago will bankroll two dozen affordable housing developments this year spanning more than 2,000 new units, more than doubling its typical funding allotment — thanks in part to the new gush of new federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.

A rendering shows the Cubs' plans for a two-story addition to the southeast corner of Wrigley Field that would house a sportsbook. [Cubs via Block Club Chicago]

An ordinance to legalize sports betting at five major Chicago venues is on track to advance out of a City Council committee on Tuesday after city officials added a last-minute provision designed to squeeze more money out of the city’s pro teams.

Faith Colson, who testified before a Senate committee in August, is the namesake for "Faith's Law" signed by Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a measure into law Friday designed to bolster training and resources to combat sexual abuse and misconduct in Illinois schools, calling it part of a broader effort to “support the wellbeing of all students.”

The City Council Rules Committee released an online interactive version of its draft map on Thursday.

Chicago would get its first-ever majority-Asian American ward under a new draft map released on Wednesday. The future site of the Lincoln Yards mega-development would switch back to its previous alderman. And at least three ward boundaries would conveniently swerve around the homes of sitting aldermen’s political opponents.

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez speaking to reporters after giving her “State of the Clerk’s Office” address on Wednesday, the anniversary of her swearing-in. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez highlighted a rush of hew hiring reforms and the installation of a new in-office watchdog in a public address on Wednesday, saying she has “transformed” the office in the year since her controversial predecessor retired. She also hit back against critics who say her efforts at transparency fall short of what she promised.

Erin Harkey’s confirmation as commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events [YouTube/Design Museum of Chicago]

Aldermen are set to confirm a new commissioner to oversee the city’s cultural programming, tighten city labor regulations and dispense with a series of real estate transactions during a trio of virtual committee meetings on Thursday.

Ald. Carrie Austin (34) speaks during a City Council meeting on Oct. 27, 2021. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Ald. Carrie Austin (34), the City Council’s second-most senior aldermen and one of three sitting council members under federal indictment, will not run for reelection in 2023, she told The Daily Line on Wednesday. If she finishes her current term, she will have served 29 years in the body.

The Chicago City Council’s months-in-the-making push to redraw the boundaries of its 50 wards ground to a crawl on Tuesday, throwing the process into confusion hours before a critical deadline that could soon put the issue in the hands of voters.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot offered an update on the city’s response to a new variant of COVID-19. Cook County released a Request for Proposals for off-site renewable power generation. And a meeting designed to put Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi face-to-face with Chicago aldermen was postponed until next month.

House Majority Leader Greg Harris will step down at the end of his current term in January 2023, he announced Monday.

House Majority Leader Greg Harris (D-Chicago) will not run for reelection in 2022, capping his state house tenure at 16 years, he announced on Monday. The news set off a starting gun on what is sure to be a crowded and expensive open race to represent the North Side Chicago district, an area one political consultant called “one of the most politically engaged districts in the state.”

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi outlined his reelection pitch in an interview on the CloutCast podcast. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Three years after Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi rode into office on a promise of reform and predictability, he’s facing a primary challenger trying to capitalize on what she’s calling three years of tumult and confusion.

Cook County Judge Lorraine Murphy swears in firefighter Michael Kelly as the new state representative for the Illinois 15^th House District. [39th Ward Democratic Organization]

Firefighter Michael Kelly, a self-described “center Democrat” and ally of retired Rep. John D’Amico (D-Chicago), is the newest member of the Illinois House of Representatives after being blessed by a gaggle of local Democratic Party officials late Tuesday.

Chinatown residents held a rally in Chinatown square on Nov. 12 to demand a majority-Asian American ward in the city's next remap. [Alex Nitkin/The Daily Line]

Even as the City Council Aldermanic Black Caucus and Latino Caucus drive toward a standoff over their dueling proposals for a new city ward map, the groups have found agreement on at least one point. Leaders of both groups say they’ve submitted proposals to carve out a majority-Asian ward on the city’s Near South Side, bowing to growing calls from Asian American advocacy groups arguing the city’s fastest-growing racial group deserves a louder voice in city government.

Civic Federation president Laurence Msall testifies during a meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners on Thursday.

Cook County leaders gave a unanimous final stamp on Thursday to an $8 billion 2022 spending plan praised by a key fiscal watchdog as a responsible and innovative path out of the COVID-19 pandemic. But more budget fights are waiting on deck as the Board of Commissioners prepare to iron out the details of the county’s American Rescue Plan spending and launch a campaign to persuade voters to raise their own taxes for the sake of the county forest preserves.

Rep. Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights), who sponsored a bill to phase out the use of prone restraint in schools, said lawmakers will track implementation but are unlikely to follow up with additional legislation.

After a bombshell investigation revealed the use of brutal practices of restraining and isolating students in Illinois schools last year, state officials responded quickly. 

The City Council Latino Caucus held a news conference to promote its map proposal on Wednesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

Members of the City Council Latino Caucus are “locked in” on their insistence that a new city ward map must include 15 majority-Latino wards, putting them on a collision course with the council’s larger Aldermanic Black Caucus with less than two weeks remaining to reach a deal. 

The Cook County Board of Commissioners is set to approve the county's 2022 budget on Thursday. [Alex Nitkin/The Daily Line]

Cook County commissioners are set to give a final stamp on Thursday to county board President Toni Preckwinkle’s $8 billion blueprint (21-5619) to fund the county government in 2022, backed in part by a $1 billion boost from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.