Chicago News
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An aerial view of Evanston. [City of Evanston]
The Evanston City Council on Monday night delayed by two weeks a vote on a measure to require large buildings to become more energy efficient and eliminate their carbon emissions by 2050, with some council members citing too many unknowns about the effects of the ordinance.
Some also took issue with last-minute tweaks to the legislation proposed by sponsor Councilmember Jonathan Nieuwsma.
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Budget Director Annette Guzman speaks at a press conference Jan. 28, 2025. [Livestream]
Chicago budget office and law department officials were analyzing Tuesday just how much of the city’s $4.7 billion in grant funding would be affected by an order from the Trump administration to halt the spending of federal assistance for myriad purposes nationwide — if upheld by the courts.
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Ethics Committee Chair Matt Martin is pictured during a council meeting on Oct. 9, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
The City Council’s Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight on Tuesday heard from the head of the human resources department about the city’s ineligibility for rehire policy, which is also colloquially known as the “do not hire” list.
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Ald. William Hall (6), the revenue subcommittee chair, is pictured after a council meeting Dec. 16, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
The City Council’s revenue subcommittee will hold a joint meeting with the health and human relations committee on Thursday on how the city should handle hemp products. The hearing will occur as lawmakers locally and statewide try to rein in the proliferation of unregulated, intoxicating hemp-derived products that mimic the effects of cannabis.
The hearing will occur at 12:30 p.m. in council chambers.
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An aerial view of Evanston. [City of Evanston]
Chicago’s neighbor to the north, Evanston, could vote on Monday to approve an ordinance that would require all large buildings to reduce their carbon emissions to zero by 2050. The action comes as an effort to increase building electrification in Chicago has stalled for over a year.
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Ethics Committee Chair Matt Martin is pictured during a council meeting on Oct. 9, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
The City Council’s ethics committee on Tuesday will hear from the human resources department about the city’s ineligibility for rehire policy, which is also colloquially known as the “do not hire” list. The Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight will meet at 10:30 a.m. in council chambers.
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Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) is pictured during an April 2024 council meeting. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
The City Council Committee on Health and Human Relations on Wednesday approved an ordinance creating a working group to study the murder of transgender people and other violence against transgender people, nonbinary people and others across the gender identity spectrum in the city and Cook County.
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Renderings of the 1901 Project show an elevated pedestrian plaza and park space outside the United Center. [RIOS]
Plans to transform the area around the United Center into a massive mixed-use development will now need to be taken up by the City Council after receiving approval from the Chicago Plan Commission last week.
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Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) is pictured during an April 2024 council meeting. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
The City Council Committee on Health and Human Relations will meet Wednesday and consider the establishment of a working group to study the murder of transgender people and other violence against transgender people, nonbinary people and others across the gender identity spectrum in the city and Cook County, with specific focuses on the murder of trans women and the experiences of non-white transgender people. The committee will meet at 10:30 a.m.
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Ald. Scott Waguespack (32), left, speaks with former Ald. Joe Moore before a City Council meeting on Jan. 15, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
An ordinance introduced last week would disallow the city’s mayor and a slew of other appointed executive-level officials from holding dual employment with any of Chicago’s sister agencies. The proposal, sponsored by Ald. Scott Waguespack (32), was put forth in response to the news Mayor Brandon Johnson remains on leave from Chicago Public Schools (CPS), where he used to teach.
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Deputy Mayor for Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights Beatriz Ponce de Leon is pictured at a press conference Jan. 15, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
With President-elect Donald Trump taking office Monday afternoon and the City Council choosing not to make proposed changes to Chicago’s sanctuary city law last week, Mayor Brandon Johnson and city officials have laid out how the city will respond to federal immigration enforcement actions within city limits.
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Frank Calabrese, left, sued Comm. Samantha Steele for wrongful termination. [Provided]
A former Cook County Board of Review employee will receive $180,000 to settle a whistleblower lawsuit he filed alleging he was retaliated against for refusing to obey “unethical and unlawful” directives from Comm. Samantha Steele (D-2). The settlement agreement was approved by the Cook County Board of Commissioners Thursday.
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Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) attends a City Council meeting on Jan. 15, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
The City Council on Wednesday delayed a vote on lowering the city’s default speed limit and tabled a vote on an ordinance to allow Chicago Police to inform federal immigration authorities of undocumented immigrants who are accused of committing serious crimes.
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Ald. Bill Conway (34) attends a council meeting on Jan. 15, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
A downtown Chicago alderperson introduced an ordinance Wednesday that would give the City Council oversight over the mayor’s appointments to the Chicago Board of Education similar to the confirmation processes for other mayoral appointments.
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Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) is pictured at a council meeting on Dec. 16, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
Alderpeople at Wednesday’s City Council meeting are set to consider final votes on a package of proposals to lower the city’s default speed limit and examine more equitable enforcement of speeding and traffic laws. Two alderpeople also plan to call a vote on a measure to allow Chicago Police to work with federal immigration officials in criminal matters. The City Council meets at 10 a.m.