Chicago News
-
OCT 30, 2019
State’s Attorney Kim Foxx used her budget hearing on Tuesday to hit hit back against criticism of her office’s move to soften prosecutions against shoplifters.
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx defended her record to the Cook County Board of Commissioners. [Alex Nitkin/The Daily Line]
-
-
OCT 30, 2019
Authors of the $1.8 billion budget for the Cook County Health and Hospital System were able this year to cut vacant positions and reshuffle appropriations to make up for an “astonishing” growth in unfunded hospital costs, system CEO Dr. Jay Shannon told Cook County Commissioners on Tuesday.
Cook County Health and Hospitals System CEO Dr. Jay Shannon warned commissioners about an "astonishing" increase in unfunded health care costs. [Ales Nitkin/The Daily Line]
-
Chicago Public School students will spend their 10th day out of class Wednesday after Mayor Lori Lightfoot accused union leaders of “moving the goalposts” with demands that she support legislation to end mayoral control of CPS as well as a state bill that would lift restrictions on what issues the union can strike over. CPS CEO Janice Jackson said the two sides were also far apart on the union’s demand for an additional 30 minutes of prep time for elementary school teachers. Jackson said that was unacceptable because it would shorten the school day. “What’s holding this up now is a set of political issues, and an effort to try and cut instructional time, which we cannot agree to,” Jackson said.
-
Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) said state lawmakers “were pretty close to a compromise” on changes pushed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot in an effort to make a Chicago casino more attractive to investors and operators.
Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) tells reporters Tuesday that his caucus does not know who the FBI source is within the Senate, despite it being widely reported to have been State Sen. Terry Link (D-Vernon Hills). [Hannah Meisel/The Daily Line]
-
-
OCT 29, 2019
The 16 extra staffers budgeted to join the Cook County Board of Review next year won’t be enough to handle the grueling workload imposed by an unprecedented spike in property tax assessment appeals, the board’s three commissioners told members of the county Board of Commissioners on Monday.
-
-
Mayor Lori Lightfoot struck an ominous note Friday morning when asked about the state of negotiations between Chicago Public Schools officials. If there wasn't "significant" progress on Friday, it would be "difficult" to get reach. deal and get students back in class "quickly." That warning proved prescient, as the strike stretched into Monday — one day longer than the 2012 strike — and became the longest teachers work stoppage since 1987.
- 'We're stuck' — Although negotiations stretched for 14 hours Saturday, CPS Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade told reporters Sunday morning "quite frankly, we're stuck." McDade said the two sides agreed "philosophically" that Chicago schools needed more resources — but were far apart on how to enshrine those promises — and pay for the additional staff and programs.
- Dollars and cents — Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey on Saturday said the union and the city were only $38 million apart, but Arnie Rivera, chief operating officer for CPS, said the two sides were separated by more than $100 million. CPS CEO Janice Jackson joined the negotiations late Sunday for several hours and students announced a rally at 10 a.m. City Hall.
- SEIU deal done — Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced late Sunday that the city had reached a tentative agreement with Service Employee International Union Local 73, which represents approximately 7,500 support staff workers. Once the deal is ratified, those workers will return to work — but schools will not reopen until a deal with CTU is reached. Lightfoot said she was "enormously disappointed that CTU simply cannot take yes for an answer.” However, in a series of tweets, union leaders said the mayor could meet the union's demands by having the city pay $33 million to cover the cost of police officers to be assigned to Chicago high schools and $60 million toward teachers' pensions, as the city has in the past. Lightfoot has consistently said the city can't afford to cover any more of the school district's costs. CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates responded to Lightfoot that agreeing to the city's current offer would mean "saying yes to inequity."
-
Facing an historic budget gap of $838 million, Mayor Lori Lightfoot had three options: cut spending, raise taxes or borrow funds.
But Lightfoot’s $11.65 billion spending plan relies on a fourth, less conventional option to fill the shortfall by counting on $213 million from the state and federal governments that may not materialize before aldermen are scheduled to approve the budget Nov. 26.
-
Starting on Monday, dozens of county officials are set to splay open their offices’ budget books for a marathon week of scrutiny by the Cook County Board of Commissioners. And unlike previous years, they won’t be begging commissioners for mercy from layoffs and belt-tightening.
-
Officers continued to disproportionately stop African Americans three years after Chicago Police agreed to document all investigative stops, according to a new report.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Police Supt. Eddie Johnson field questions from reporters. [Heather Cherone/The Daily Line]
-
Mayor Lori Lightfoot Thursday defended her plan to expand mental health services in Chicago without reopening the six city-run mental health clinics closed by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2011.
Health and Human Relations Chair Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6) meets with Dr. Allison Arwady, Mayor Lori Lightfoot's pick for health commissioner before Thursday's confirmation hearing. [Heather Cherone/The Daily Line]
-
For weeks, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has distanced herself from her predecessor, former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, even as tension between her administration and the Chicago Teachers Union. Lightfoot may be charting a vastly different course than Emanuel, but — as of Friday — the two now share the distinction of presiding over a seven-day teachers strike.
