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The Department of Early Childhood is a new executive agency created last year dedicated to early childhood spending. State Rep. Blaine Wilhour asked about a slew of materials the agency featured on its website, including titles like “White Fragility,” and “Anti-racist Baby.”
Senate Democrats voted unanimously to block a Republican-led bill Monday evening that would prohibit federally funded schools from allowing transgender athletes from participating in women's sport
"Illinois is doing all we can to preserve health care coverage. But if Trump succeeds in cutting Medicaid, no state in the country has the money to backfill the billions of dollars in funding. It will be gone, and the consequences will be devastating."
Jim Dey: "Politicians like to think in dramatic terms about the years they spend ignored by the general public. They use grandiose phrases like 'wilderness years,' and they really have been experienced by high-profile career politicians who made dramatic comebacks — Richard Nixon and Winston Churchill to name just two. But Illinois Republicans are not lost in the wilderness. They’re trapped in the political equivalent of the Gobi Desert, surrounded by mirages but nary an oasis."
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In their lawsuit, Republicans have noted that the results of the two elections since that ruling have demonstrated just how successful Democrats were in using the maps to entrench their political power. They noted that in 2022, Republican candidates collectively "won a majority - 50.9 percent - of the statewide votes. And in 2024, Republicans claimed 45 percent of the statewide vote, amid the election of President Donald Trump. Yet in both elections, Democrats won and held a supermajority in the Illinois state House and Senate.
The Sangamon County Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) has filed a lawsuit against Sangamon County, claiming they are owed 0.02 percent of property taxes collected under the Military Veterans Assistance Act. County Administrator Brian McFadden expressed concerns about the potential financial burden, adding that these funds are crucial for employee pensions, road and bridge work, and other services.
Speaking about DEI, Raoul said, "So I advise those corporations to not be misled and not be intimidated into backing away from initiatives that are legal, backing away from the nomenclature even of diversity equity, inclusion. Somehow DEI or these words have been made out to be evil words, and that is nonsensical.”
The Illinois Supreme Court looks poised to review the state’s legislative maps and whether they were illegally drawn to favor Democrats. Illinois Republicans filed a lawsuit asking the state’s highest court to throw out the maps, saying they are an example of extreme partisan gerrymandering and are unconstitutional under state law.
The Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, which funds the Illinois-EATS program, uses federal funding to buy fresh products from farmers at a fair market value, then distributes the food to communities via food pantries and other similar programs designed to help people in need for no additional cost. More than 170 farmers have supplied food to 883 locations in Illinois through Illinois-EATS.
"What these so-called educators care about more is the racial, sexual, or gender identity of the student than actually educating the student. ... The kids in my neighborhood do not have a DEI problem or a diversity problem. They’re so far behind in education because of all this foolishness."
Current Illinois statute requires school districts to incorporate student growth data and indicators as a significant factor in rating a teacher’s performance, which means at least 30 percent of a teacher’s performance evaluation must currently depend upon student growth. If enacted, the bill would still allow school districts to use student growth in teacher evaluations, but it would no longer require districts to use student growth data.
Holcim’s $18.6 million investment in capital expenditures, bolstered by an Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) agreement with DCEO, will establish Chicago as the operational headquarters for its planned North American spin-off. This will doubleg the size of its Chicago employee base by creating 50 new full-time jobs and retaining 62 full-time jobs.
“We have a spending problem,” state Rep. Jeff Keicher said. “We don’t have a tax problem.”
In a letter to 47 governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C., Reps. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat, and Darin LaHood, a Republican, warn that DeepSeek could introduce data privacy and cybersecurity risks, as well as potentially open the door for foreign adversaries to access sensitive government information.
The expected shortfall reflects increased operational expenses and stagnant or declining enrollment, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor James Minor said last fall.
Officials point to a recent survey that revealed that 75 percent of Illinois community college students would pursue a bachelor's degree if they could complete it at their current institution. Twenty-four other states, including neighboring Missouri and Indiana, have already implemented policies that allow community colleges to offer four-year degree options.
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy filed House Bill 1387 to create a clear transition procedure for charter school closures and consolidations, paving the way for the eventual shutdown of charter schools in Illinois. The bill also prohibits organizations that already operate private, religious or non-public schools from operating a charter school.
In making his ruling, however, U.S. District Judge Manish Shah left intact the convictions on a number of other counts, including the lead count of conspiracy and charges alleging the defendants cooked ComEd’s books to hide the scheme. It wasn’t immediately clear where the case will go next.
Prosecutors initially charged him with 21 counts of first-degree murder — three counts for each person killed — as well as 48 counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors dropped 48 less serious counts of aggravated battery before jury selection last week. The judge said with the plea change, there would be no trial or further motions on the case.
Chair Kathy Salvi said Pritzker is asking for a "blank check" without any examination of where the money goes: "Pritzker's budget plan faces a $3 billion budget deficit. He has been given a blank check for the last four years. Now, he is being held to account. So, instead of dealing with the problems that he and his administration have caused here in Illinois, which are causing people to flee our state to neighboring states, he decides instead to distract and sue the federal government,"
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says it’s going to take $19 million to restore Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site in Petersburg.
House Bill 1189 says if there is a federally funded construction project that is run by the state or a unit of local government, the higher of the federal prevailing wage or the state prevailing wage will apply to that project.
Illinois Rep. Terra Costa Howard, a Democrat from a Chicago suburb who is sponsoring the legislation, said she began meeting with education and child welfare officials in response to news organizations’ investigation, which detailed how some parents claimed to be removing their children from school to homeschool but then failed to educate them.
"As a recent report by Auditor General Frank Mautino’s office confirms, state officials had little idea what they were doing when they projected the size and cost of health benefit programs for those described as 'non-citizen immigrants.' ... (Gov. JB) Pritzker was remarkably dismissive of the report, attributing the cost overrun to demand."
Effective January 1, 2026, the Act will impose new obligations on employers operating large warehouse distribution centers in Illinois where employees are held to a quota.
Rahm: "We've gone through five years where everybody is far too permissive about our culture, which is why everything is locked up at Walgreens and CVS.... I don't want to hear another word about the locker room. I don't want to hear another word about the bathroom. You better start focusing on the classroom." Top Chicago Stories
Just five weeks removed from his post as ambassador to Japan under President Biden, Chicago's former mayor said his answer to the question of whether he would run was not a no, but not a yes either. "I moved back. That should tell you a lot — doesn't require a lot of hermeneutics to understand that," Emanuel said.
"I just want to make sure that people understand that [this is] a city that has been established by immigrants and migrants who were formerly enslaved," Mayor Brandon Johnson told reporters last week when speaking of Chicago. "It’s the global capital of the world, and we’re going to continue to show up at our very best."
"As a 53-year-old Black man, I have experienced my share of racial bias. But not every critique from citizens, the media or aldermen is racially motivated. Some are, but not all. The concerns raised about the recent bond issue were valid, and the pushback was not about race. It was about accountability. In fact, it reflects an increasingly engaged and informed citizenry that demands more from its leadership."
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"There's no answer for this," Ald. Anthony Napolitano said about how the city's policies have impacted residents. "It hurt a city that is already facing an astronomical amount of crime here because of policies that have been passed by progressives and socialists. It's made the criminal more of the victim and the victim more of the criminal."
In all, the General Services Administration says it’s willing to sell 11 properties in Chicago. The biggest of them is the Kluczynski Building, at 230 S. Dearborn St., which has more than 1.1 million square feet of office space. Kluczynski tenants include the district offices of U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the only Illinois congressman on the House Oversight Committee, said the hearing could turn into "an attack on Chicago" when Mayor Brandon Johnson testifies. However, he plans to serve as a friendlier voice on the panel, using his time to emphasize the benefits of immigration to the city and the national economy.
After the License and Consumer Protection Committee approved the ordinance, Ald. Matt O’Shea predicted the ban would only shift existing fur sales to Chicago suburbs. “We need to do more to attract businesses, to support the businesses we have,” he said.
Amarjeet Bhachu has submitted his resignation and will depart a week from Friday as the head of the public corruption and organized crime unit in the Northern District of Illinois. Prior to the Mike Madigan and Ed Burke convictions, Bhachu was well known in courthouse circles as the supervisor of criminal cases targeting former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the Chicago Outfit.
Local officials said ICE arrested about 100 people in the Chicago area during the first week of President Trump’s new administration. At the time, ICE would not confirm, deny or update the number, instead posting a statement online that offered no specifics.
According to authorities, a 15-year-old girl was walking near the school when an unknown black sedan approached. Two unknown males exited the vehicle and opened fire, police said. The suspects then got back into the car and fled the scene.
Chicago Teachers Union members are circulating petitions, calling on the district to finalize key contract proposals they say would directly impact students. Among their demands are smaller class sizes, fair wages to retain veteran teachers, and increased staffing including more teacher assistants, counselors, and librarians.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is claiming $6.4 million in savings from terminating leases on Chicago-area property. The DOGE website does not list addresses or tenants for most of the lease terminations it counts as savings. It includes leased space in Chicago, Joliet, Naperville, Tinley Park and Hoffman Estates.
"Yes, I got my certificate. I got my certificate of error fixed. I have a proposal of what's going to happen on paper, but I'm not going to be able to receive my funds for 60 more days," Navy Veteran James Duhr, of unincorporated Elgin, said.
"A more prudent administration long ago would have pivoted in terms of its approach to city finances in the face of widespread unpopularity with voters, as measured by multiple polls, as well as after hearing disapproval from officials who share the mayor’s goals. All the evidence before us, though, says we shouldn’t expect that sort of adjustment."
Widespread street takeovers plagued the city’s Far South Side over the weekend, clogging up traffic as crowds gathered to watch drivers spin donuts in major intersections.
A convenience store clerk convicted in January of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in the Loop has disappeared after the judge refused a prosecution request to keep him in jail to await sentencing. “The very essence of the Defendant’s defense is that he was afraid that he would be deported as a result of his involvement of any kind with the police since he was working while on a student visa (and not on a work visa),” his attorney wrote in a follow-up motion.
CPD first warned about the crew in January, but the robberies have not stopped.
Chicago has allocated significant funds to support migrants arriving in the city since August 2022. As of February, Chicago has spent $638.7 million on migrant aid. City officials and residents have debated the sustainability of such spending and its impact on local communities.
Members of the Chicago City Council unanimously passed an ordinance to allow the ground floor of commercial space to be converted into residential units to increase the supply of housing in Chicago.
Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city council’s approval of the general obligation debt was “a step forward,” but Wirepoints president Ted Dabrowski said the bond issue is complicated by a political mess. “That’s one. Everybody’s lost faith in Brandon Johnson, and the second part is that Chicago has some of the worst finances, if not the worst finances of any city in the country, worse than Detroit’s,” Dabrowski said.
The vacant positions include all 162 positions that Johnson cut from the city’s 2025 budget but was forced to restore under intense pressure from advocates for police reform as well as Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the team monitoring the city’s compliance with the binding agreement.
The group originated at a "Justice for Ukraine" rally at the Chicago Water Tower on Michigan Avenue at Chicago Avenue. It was there where U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin spoke to the crowd, reaffirming his support for Ukraine.
The ages of the victims range from 24 to 48, according to police.
"The job of marketing Chicago as a national tech player and serving as a fulcrum for what can be an insular world is critical and isn’t a luxury the city can afford to do without. So who? What?
A North Side alderman’s decision to not talk about crime because she believes doing so is racist and contributes to a negative “perception” failed to reduce crime in 2024. In fact, crime in Edgewater, the neighborhood that constitutes much of Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth’s 48th Ward, jumped nearly 50 percent in Edgewater while overall crime increased by 9 percent.
Despite the IPO’s failure to launch, Bally’s still has a contractual obligation with the city to incorporate a 25 percent minority ownership stake into the Chicago casino, either through a rebooted offering or other investment vehicle.
Mayoral advisor Jason Lee called Lori Lightfoot, Johnson’s former mayoral opponent and ire of the Chicago Teachers Union, a “brilliant legal mind.” Johnson also plans to meet with Arne Duncan, a civic leader in Chicago, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools and former U.S. Secretary of Education, who has also been a pointed target of the CTU in the past.
Leading task force member Leo Terrell said his team will meet with university leaders, affected students and staff, local law enforcement and community members about the reported incidents and will consider whether remedial action is necessary.
The land in question was allegedly once owned by Henyard’s boyfriend.
Wirepoints Research and Commentary
The League of Women Voters long ago threw away its place as a neutral arbiter of issues and elections. Today, it's a leading voice of the far left -- a shrill, intolerant part of the cancel culture. 
Ted joined Chicago Tonight to talk about the Congressional House Republicans' proposal to slow the increase in federal Medicaid spending by $880 billion over the next decade. Ted warned that we need to take a serious look at the program; that it's been turned into an entitlement for the middle class instead of remaining focused on the poor and needy. And that's driven state enrollment – and spending – to unsustainable levels. 
Ted joined Dan and Amy to discuss the current debate over Medicaid spending, why it's so important to reduce the state's enrollment in the program, Rahm Emanuel's miserable record as Chicago mayor, the questions congressmen should ask Mayor Johnson during his Wednesday testimony on illegal migrants, and more. 
Weekly crime statistics from the Chicago Police Department: Report through 2/9/25 
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher recently, insisting that the nation's mayors must focus on delivering “safe streets, strong schools, and stable finances.” Its a bit odd coming from him, as the record shows Emanuel accomplished none of that while running Chicago. SIGN UP HERE FOR FREE WIREPOINTS DAILY NEWSLETTER
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Ted joined Tom Miller to discuss the auditor general's scathing review of the costs of the state's healthcare program for illegal immigrants, why Illinois has the nation's worst debt, credit rating, taxes and finances etc., the high cost of Illinois' borrowing, why the state's budgets remain totally unbalanced, the importance of DOGE, and more. 
Some readers here asked if those responsible could face criminal prosecution. Probably not, but the sentiment is entirely understandable. 
No white males are allowed to purchase shares in the offering. 
Mark joined Jeff Daly to talk about the details of Gov. Pritzker's budget speech, the implications of the governor's rhetoric against Trump and his supporters, how the state managed to eliminate the deficit with billions in "found" revenue, why Illinois hasn't published its financial reports, and more. 
Illinois politicians are once again touting a “balanced” budget. One problem. Calling the budget “balanced” completely ignores the fact that Illinois is underpaying its pension funds by the billions – same as it has every year for a long time. 
A little more than three months ago the governor's budget office projected a whopping $3.2 billion deficit for 2026. So it’s reasonable to ask how that deficit simply disappeared when Pritzker released his proposed 2026 budget last week. It’s a particularly interesting question given that Pritzker declared in his budget speech: “I am not going to base a budget on bloated revenue estimates.” 
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