Immigrant and Refugee Rights Chair Andre Vasquez (40) speaks at a City Council meeting on March 12, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council’s immigration committee on Tuesday held a hearing on potential violations of the Welcoming City Ordinance during an immigration operation several weeks ago and approved an order calling on city and Chicago Police Department (CPD) officials to provide all relevant data and communications surrounding the incident.

The hearing was light on specific details and exposed a lack of official procedure for investigating the alleged violations, leading some alderpeople to urge more expediency from the city in providing answers as they seek to protect their own constituents from similar operations they expect to keep happening.

Adam Bianchi, the appointee to be Cook County Forest Preserves general superintendent. [Forest Preserves of Cook County]

The Cook County Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners on Tuesday will consider the appointment of a new permanent head of the forest preserves.

Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry speaks at a news conference flanked by Mayor Brandon Johnson on Oct. 9, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The city on Monday released the 2024 Chicago Police Department (CPD) Litigation Report, which is published annually in accordance with the requirements of the federal consent decree over CPD. The annual report details the total amount paid out as a result of civil lawsuits in a given calendar year.

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) is pictured during a City Council meeting on June 18, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council’s immigration committee this week will hold a hearing to probe the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD) level of involvement in a high-profile federal immigration operation that separated families, attracted protests and led to one alderman being roughed up by law enforcement.

Ald. Desmon Yancy (5) attends a City Council meeting on May 24, 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Alderpeople on Thursday considered what the Chicago Police Department’s traffic stop policy should look like as the department and civilian police oversight board consider proposed changes.

A rendering of the Harvest Homes II Apartment project in East Garfield Park. [Department of Planning and Development]

The Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday approved projects including a gas station renovation in Uptown, a photography studio expansion in West Town and a new residential development in East Garfield Park.

The flag of Cook County is pictured. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle announced the launch of the second phase of the county’s down payment assistance program on Wednesday. The program provides subsidies to homebuyers equal to 5 percent of a home's sale price, up to $25,000, to help people buy single-family homes, townhouses or condominiums.

Alderpeople on Thursday will hold a hearing on a proposed new police traffic stop policy, and the board of ethics’ rule and regulation changes are slated to go into effect next month after being submitted to the City Council.

A rendering of the Harvest Homes II Apartment project in East Garfield Park. [Department of Planning and Development]

The Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday will consider projects including a gas station renovation in Uptown, a photography studio expansion in West Town and a new residential development in East Garfield Park. 

The plan commission will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 201A at City Hall.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle speaks about the county's medical debt forgiveness program on June 6, 2025. [Office of the Board President Facebook page]

While Cook County budget officials are currently forecasting a manageable budget gap for the upcoming fiscal year, they also stress that the estimate doesn’t really tell the whole story.

Federal budget legislation currently under consideration in the U.S. Senate could change things for the county’s finances and its health system by the time budget season kicks off in October.

City Hall is pictured. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) introduced a resolution (R2025-0018089) during Wednesday’s City Council meeting to begin the process of exploring the establishment of a city charter.

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) is pictured at a City Council meeting in May 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Two aldermen put forward a measure at last week’s City Council meeting to exempt the parts of their wards that fall under an anti-gentrification ordinance from the law, months after its most controversial component went into effect.

Ald. Bill Conway (34) is pictured at a City Council meeting on June 18, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

A group of alderpeople are calling on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to step up its enforcement of the transit system’s anti-smoking rules and introduced a resolution (R2025-0018153) Wednesday that calls on the CTA to increase transparency around reported smoking violations and develop new strategies for collecting on citations and reprimanding repeat offenders. 

From left, Alds. Jason Ervin (28), Greg Mitchell (7) and Brian Hopkins (2) are pictured at a City Council meeting on June 18, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Alderpeople on Wednesday approved a controversial ordinance to give Chicago police the power to implement temporary curfews to curb incidents of rowdy and sometimes violent “teen takeovers,” the most high-profile of which tend to happen in the heart of downtown during the summer.

But Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has repeatedly argued curfews don't work, said after the meeting he will veto it, and there doesn’t appear to be enough votes to overturn that. 

The City Council also approved ordinances to crack down on illegal fly dumping and unlicensed pedicab operators and an ordinance to extend a partial ticket debt forgiveness program. 

The City Council is pictured during a Dec. 16. 2024 meeting. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Alderpeople on Wednesday will face votes on an ordinance to allow the Chicago Police Department to enact “snap” curfews to curb teen takeovers, an ordinance to give council members more control over the number of short-term vacation rentals in their wards and an ordinance to extend a partial ticket debt forgiveness program. 

The City Council will also consider whether to revive a push from the council’s ethics chair to enhance the independence of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in relation to the city’s law department. The council meets at 10 a.m.