John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, a facility under Cook County Health, is pictured in this file photo.

Following the end of COVID-19 public health emergencies in the spring, tens of thousands of Illinois Medicaid members lost their coverage after facing a redetermination process for the first time in three years.

In Cook County, at least 4,700 people have lost their CountyCare coverage since redeterminations began in May, the leader of Cook County Health told The Daily Line

The Cook County Board of Commissioners meets in March 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

It has been more than six months since the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution that called for a cost-comparison analysis on the software systems used for property tax administration and a subsequent presentation on the analysis to the county’s Technology and Innovation Committee, and the county agencies tasked with delivering on the resolution’s requirements have blown past the deadline.

But according to the Board of Review, an extension was necessary, as expected, because the office needed to focus on getting property tax bills out as efficiently as possible and completing a computer system-related project.

The proposal for 370, 400 and 401 N. Morgan St. [City of Chicago presentation]

The Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday will consider a proposal for a three-building, 1,450-residenital unit development in West Town. Plan commissioners will also consider a developer’s proposal to build a nine-story, 131-unit mixed-use development in Lincoln Park.

Clayton Harris III addresses Cook County Democratic committeepeople Tuesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

The Cook County Democratic Party on Tuesday endorsed Clayton Harris III as its pick for Cook County state’s attorney in the 2024 election. The party also endorsed Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Comm. Mariyana Spyropoulos for county clerk, leaving incumbent Clerk Iris Martinez without the county party’s backing. 

Endorsements were made by the 80 Cook County committeepeople during the Cook County Democratic Party Slating at IBEW Local 134 after each candidate seeking the party’s support had two minutes to introduce themselves and then take questions from committeepeople.

The federal government issued a disaster declaration to make resources available to help Cook County residents recover from recent storms, and the county government announced five communities selected to participate in a program to prepare for the effects of climate change.

Mayor Brandon Johnson (left) and Larry Snelling, chief of the Chicago Police Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism, speak during a news conference Monday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line] 

While his appointment is still contingent on City Council approval, Mayor Brandon Johnson during a Monday news conference officially introduced Larry Snelling, chief of the Chicago Police Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism, as his pick to lead the police department. 

The selection process that brought forth Snelling as the best person for the job was historic in that it marked the first time a community commission ran the search for superintendent candidates and narrowed down the list of finalists. The search process also saw a record number of people apply for the job. 

Related: More than 50 people apply for CPD superintendent job, 32 have affiliation with the department 
 

A Cook County flag flies outside the county government building in Chicago. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

A law signed by Gov. JB Pritzker and backed by Cook County is a “landmark” piece of legislation that will “responsibly ensure full funding of the County’s pension obligations,” county officials said in a news release last week.

Department of Planning and Development Comm. Maurice Cox on Friday became the latest city commissioner to resign from their post leading a major city department, a spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson confirmed Friday. Just hours later, the spokesperson confirmed that Allison Arwady, who served as commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot and during the first few months of Johnson's term no longer worked for the city.

Alderpeople discuss the tiny homes pilot program during a budget hearing last year. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

More than 10 months after former Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced as part of her budget address that the city would launch a “first of its kind” tiny home pilot program in the city, a request for proposals for the program has yet to be released. And city officials will not comment on a timeline for the request to go out.  

The program was heralded by Lightfoot in her October 2022 budget address as a “creative” investment and “an interesting innovation that we should embrace as a city.” But as Chicago gears up for this year’s round of budget discussions, the tiny homes program hangs in the balance. 

Concept art for development around the future 130th Street Red Line station [Chicago DPD]

The Chicago Community Development Commission on Tuesday gave initial approval of the sale of nearly 18 acres of city-owned land to the CTA for $1 to make way for the planned Red Line Extension on the city’s Far South Side.

A photo of St. Adalbert Catholic Church from a Department of Planning and Development presentation. [City of Chicago]

A beloved church in Pilsen took the first step in the process of becoming an official Chicago landmark Monday after community members have pushed for years to protect the building. 

The Commission on Chicago Landmarks during a special meeting on Monday voted unanimously in favor of a preliminary landmark recommendation for St. Adalbert Catholic Church, setting off a monthslong process of reports, requests and potentially a public hearing while also granting additional protections to the church. 

Outgoing CDOT Comm. Gia Biagi speaks during a news conference in April 2021. 

A group of transportation advocacy groups on Monday sent Mayor Brandon Johnson an open letter detailing the characteristics they want to see in a new leader for the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT). 

The letter signed by 16 groups, including Active Transportation Alliance, Sierra Club Chicago, Access Living and Better Streets Chicago, comes one week after CDOT Comm. Gia Biagi announced that Friday will be her last day helming the department.  

A new forestry advisory board that makes recommendations on policy related to city trees will ask Mayor Brandon Johnson to get rid of a directive issued in 1990 that allows aldermen to have up to 20 living trees removed from their ward each year.

Cook County's flag is pictured outside the county building in downtown Chicago. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The 2024 Cook County budget will be affected significantly by a change in how the state will allocate the county’s portion of personal property replacement tax (PPRT) revenue.

While the revenue the county has gotten from PPRT spiked in recent years, the county is expecting that revenue to drop heading into the next fiscal year.

Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg speaks about the findings of an inquiry into the Chicago Police Department’s misconduct complaint process in a livestream Aug. 3, 2023. [Livestream]

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) has failed to allow officers to properly report allegations of misconduct without potentially facing retaliation, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) found in a report published Thursday.