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The SAFE-T Act established in 2021 that an officer could be subject to discretionary decertification if accused of misconduct through a complaint —– which can be filed by anyone. Former East Carondelet police officer Jerame Simmons Jr. allegedly lied on applications for police jobs when he said he had a high school diploma, and was investigated on allegations of sexual assault and intimidation.
Jim Dey: "Those who are disenchanted and leaving are unlikely to support Illinois’ stumbling status quo. Those who stay don’t mind and will continue to vote accordingly. Politics almost always trumps policy in Illinois, so why should those in charge do anything other than they’ve been doing for years whether the downstate rubes like it or not? No reason at all."
“We have to be clear-eyed about the election results. Voters are not in love with us, but rather giving Democrats an opportunity to show them that we can deliver. If we fail at this mission, voters could return us to the realities of either small majorities or worse, the minority again. The stakes are high," Budzinski said. More Highlighted Illinois Stories
“If I had to weigh the two, it would be ShotSpotter would go,” Police Chief Carla Redd said when asked to compare it with the city’s Flock license plate-reading cameras. The cut is part of approximately $3.19 million in reductions across city government, including lower police overtime and training expenses and three vacant Police Department positions that would remain unfilled.
The project announced last October between Google and Broadwing Energy is currently under development in Decatur with the expectation of bringing CCS technology to commercial operation by 2030, to potentially store over 2 million tons of carbon dioxide waste per year in an injection well operated by Archer-Daniels-Midland, Co., known better as ADM.
Casting a shadow over the adjacent University of Chicago, the Center serves as a symbol of how vital the university system is to progressive political ambitions. The modern university has become a nearly consolidated DNC operation network, and among its major sources for ideological conditioning, political activism, and votes (legal and illegal).
"November 3 may have delivered Gov. Pritzker a third term in office, but it also delivered a growing headache for him and his presidential ambitions: nearly 50 percent of Illinois’ 102 counties now want to separate from the state."
Illinois’ 2024 Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, commonly referred to as the swipe fee, bans credit card processors from charging processing fees on parts of a transaction that aren’t going to the business conducting the sale, such as sales tax and tips going directly to employees.
The Illinois Freedom Caucus urged support for the legislation, calling it a rare opportunity to come together “on a common sense, pro-taxpayer reform.”
The Illinois Flash Index increased from 101.5 in September to 101.7 in October, reflecting continued strength in state revenues and an improving labor market. The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability said Illinois sales tax revenues grew $175 million, (17.1 percent) in October and corporate income tax receipts increased $100 million (43 percent).
"According to the agency’s first proposed operating budget, overall the CTA is projected to receive $2.5 billion out of slightly more than $5 billion allocated for 2027, a 16 percent jump from this year. ... This while highways across Illinois are rife with increased vehicle traffic. On the tollway system, drivers are due for a whopping 57 percent toll rate increase for passenger vehicles next year while suffering with exorbitant gas prices."
A board committee of Plainfield School District 202 recently questioned the cost students face — up to $710 — to participate in marching band at its four high schools. If Illinois opts into the Education Freedom Tax Credit, also known as the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, band members in Plainfield and other public school districts could access donated money to use on band costs and other educational expenses.
Richard Posner, arguably the most influential judge of his generation and a prolific author whose interests ranged from law and economics to how humans choose their sexual partners, died Tuesday at age 87.
Political Rival Mike Manzo said that Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s bad habits were well known before he became speaker — so any blame should be spread around to those who overlooked it or enabled him. The General Assembly “covered for Welch for this long.”
“The paper is not an argument that institutional discrimination is a myth. Rather, it’s an argument that sociology no longer treats the question of what causes inequality as open and that has significant consequences,” Sociology Professor Ilana Redstone wrote.
The lawsuit claims Amazon violated the Illinois BIPA law by allegedly not properly notifying users of its Amazon Photos service and obtaining their consent before allegedly scanning their faces imaged in photos uploaded to Amazon Photos. The claims of the lawsuit were similar to those leveled in other big money class actions brought under the BIPA law against other social media and tech companies, including Facebook- and Instagram-parent Meta, Google, Apple, Microsoft and others.
State Rep. Travis Weaver is seeking a constitutional amendment that would establish new rules for redistricting, arguing the current maps leave some voters underrepresented. “I think it's definitely an instance where we would need to see people put what is right ahead of what is expedient,” Weaver said. “I know it's a lot to ask in politics, but that's the ask that I have on the table.”
"The good news is, Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford is providing some real visionary leadership on this issue. A couple of years ago, she co-chaired a legislatively established Commission on Equitable Public University Funding. ... If enacted, SB 13 will represent the first ever research-based formula for funding public universities in Illinois history."
Jim Dey: "The political intrigue, deceit and double-dealing among Democratic colleagues demonstrates once again why the possibly apocryphal statement attributed to President Harry Truman is dead on: 'If you want a friend in politics, get a dog.'"
"Surely lawmakers could take seriously concerns about taxes, regulations, economic opportunity and political representation, even when those concerns come from voters who are unlikely to support the party in power. The folks we send to Springfield may represent one district, but they govern an entire state."
Durbin condemned Trump's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticized pressure placed on Ukraine by the U.S. leader.
The settlement stems from concerns raised by Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office and consumer advocates regarding the costs of Peoples Gas’ ongoing pipe retirement program, which is intended to replace over 1,000 miles of old iron pipes that carry natural gas underneath Chicago.
“Under our current system, we are relying on IDOC to investigate complaints about IDOC. … That is not a sufficient model,” state Rep. Kevin Olickal said at the hearing.
Superintendent Dr. Terrance Jordan said the decision to cancel e-learning days is threefold: less screen time, a better learning environment, and money. "We just know that our kids respond better when they're in front of a teacher. There's no replacement for personal interactions, relationships, and being able to provide in-the-moment interventions and supports for our students," he said.
Jim Dey: "Nonetheless, the symbolism of 45 counties saying 'Include me out' sends a nationwide message about the degree of unhappiness by the people of Illinois with the state of Illinois."
The challenged conditions would require state election officials to use DHS’ Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to verify the citizenship of every registered voter in states’ voter databases. They would also force states and local election authorities to discard hundreds of millions of dollars in voting equipment and transition to paper-ballot systems.
Illinois had the nation's third-largest net loss among Gen Z adults. The report found an estimated 103,961 moved out of the state, while 83,930 moved in for a net loss of 20,031 Gen Z residents. Only New Jersey (-37,556) and California (-58,109) saw larger net losses than Illinois. Top Chicago Stories
Resignation of Chief Financial Officer Ashlee Gabrysch "takes the failures of this mayor to worrying new levels, a point where the city is quite likely to be locked out of the debt markets until it gets a new administration that can restore confidence in the quality — and honesty — of Chicago governance."
Retired Police Chief Tom Weitzel: "Mayor Johnson must stop treating police staffing as a political talking point and publicly commit to rebuilding patrol strength immediately. City leaders must stop vilifying the profession while expecting an increasingly strained police department to deliver services with fewer resources."
The findings highlight concerns about intellectual diversity, self-censorship and whether universities are creating environments where students feel free to disagree without fearing academic consequences.
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"Nobody wants a government shutdown," said Ald. Samantha Nugent. "They’ve just decided, for whatever reason, to present a budget that doesn’t have the votes."
Other scheduled events include a discussion titled “The Idea of Meritocracy,” which examines criticisms of meritocracy’s implementation.
Local media reported that the city responded to Chicago’s domestic violence crisis by investing $3.9 million into a police program that has so far produced few documented results and failed to accomplish one of its top goals of connecting survivors with community service providers. Life Span, a nonprofit that provides legal services, has to turn away 60 percent of survivors looking for help due to a lack of funding, executive director Amy Fox said.
Ald. Matt O’Shea blames that sharp turn to the left — with seven Democratic Socialists serving alongside the most liberal mayor in Chicago history — for turning off candidates who might otherwise find it attractive.
Chicago’s Chief Financial Officer Ashlee Gabrysch was hired in August, and her abrupt resignation fits a pattern. Earlier this year, Steven Mahr stepped away from the CFO role after about eight months, taking over for Jill Jaworski who also resigned. Also in August, budget director Annette Guzman stepped down.
Dolton Library District Board Member Sonya Williams had sued the district and Dolton Library business manager Katrina Hawkins in 2025, about two years after she and Hankins had gotten into a physical altercation at the district's Christmas party. According to court documents, Williams accused Hankins of assaulting her "because of her (Williams') perceived affiliation with the Dolton Mayor at the time (Tiffany Henyard), who was under scrutiny for misuse of Village funds, and because Williams had campaigned for more racial diversity in Library staffing."
Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to increase spending by more than $665 million next year, with over half of that going to debt service and pension contributions. Since 2019, just under 40 percent of new spending has gone to increases in pension contributions and debt service.
Downtown Chicago’s rent surge is cooling as a stagnant job market and some welcome new development make for another quarter of slowing rent growth.
Under Karina’s Law, domestic violence victims can get a search warrant for the police to go after their abusers’ firearms. But the Chicago police have served just three of the 91 warrants issued since the law took effect last year.
"Public safety often ranks as the top issue in municipal elections. It’s also the largest cost in the annual city budget. ... Yet, the city of Chicago underinvests in CVI. While the state has put $117 million into CVI this year, the city committed just $32 million to CVI — a fraction of Chicago’s $2.1 billion police budget."
Tiheta Hinton, Mayor Brandon Johnson's new human resources chief, was accused during her time in the city's procurement department of threatening staffers and interfering with attempts to correct employees who fell short of the city's contracting protocols. The report also notes a dispute with City Hall security following a "meeting for performance termination."
According to a Financial Times report, Griffin has spent more than $5.3 billion on property, business infrastructure, philanthropy and political contributions since relocating to South Florida. The Citadel founder's investments have made him one of the most influential private figures in the region, with supporters pointing to the jobs, institutions and development his money could bring.
Chicagoans approved nearly every referendum on the ballot in 2026 except, notably, the one asking if voters approve of government funding for the South Works quantum facility. But, Illinois has already committed at least $700 million to the quantum project.
Preckwinkle previously told reporters that her proposal was thanks to “budget magic” while also calling it the most difficult budget year since 2011. “The first thing we did was ask for belt-tightening. We asked our departments and bureaus and separately elected officials to cut their budgets and that was about 8 percent cuts in those budgets," she said.
“The ‘Chicago City Council Budget Accountability Coalition’ acts as if it cares about the poor and working-class families of Chicago, but instead prioritizes business interests while criticizing a plan that looks to solve problems and not balance the budget on the backs of the people who are struggling to make ends meet,” Grassroots Collaborative Executive Director Carlos Fernandez wrote in a statement on behalf of People’s Unity Platform (PUP).
Weiheng Zeng, a Chinese national living in Canada, was arrested in August after federal authorities said surveillance video captured him taking photographs of aircraft and facilities from a private FedEx parking lot at O'Hare.
The developers behind the former Michael Reese Hospital site are taking another shot at landing the Bears, unveiling a $10 billion stadium-anchored megaproject proposal that would replace and expand housing next door to try to solve the team’s chief objection to the property.
Wildcats for Israel criticized the decision: "Our connection to Israel does not tell you anything about our values or opinions. When we lose the ability to speak across our differences, we lose our ability to solve problems and grow together.” The university has now suspended the host club, Spoon University, while an investigation from its civil rights office proceeds.
As part of the proposal, developers aim to build more than 5,000 residential units on site and at nearby off-site locations that include affordable, senior and student housing, according to a news release. The proposed financing plan would make the stadium publicly owned and would include substantial contributions from the Bears.
"When you have taxpayers throughout the four wards in Markham that are displeased with some of the park conditions, that throws up major red flags on what's going on internally," City Manager Derrick Champion said. Besides neglected playgrounds, city leaders say vendors weren't getting paid. On the other hand, questions have been raised as to whether the city can afford to take on this financial burden.
Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) introduced Healing Arts Chicago, a paid job training program. Artists apprentice in community mental health clinics in neighborhoods throughout the city and train to become nationally certified as community health workers through coursework at Malcolm X College.
"Juliana Stratton’s decisive win over Don Tracy was not a personality contest, a historic milestone, or a referendum on national politics. It was a vote for more of the status quo — the Pritzker-Stratton-CTU-aligned progressive machine — that has driven families and businesses out of Chicago for years."
His argument for the former Michael Reese Hospital site: The Bears are an important part of Chicago's identity and economy, and keeping the team in the city could create jobs, attract investment and bring additional economic opportunities to the South Side. "Taxation is the price that you pay for a civilized society," Davis said.
Deputy Corporation Counsel David Holtkamp said 2026 represents the highest amount of utility bill ever debt collected, with the city projected to collect $40.2 million this year. Holtkamp also said the city is on track to collect $30 million in vehicle-related debt and over $17 million in administrative hearings judgments this year.
"This is the result of anti-ICE rhetoric from sanctuary politicians like Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker," Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. "DHS is calling on Governor Pritzker and all other sanctuary politicians to knock off this violent rhetoric and start cooperating with ICE before any more officers are injured in the line of duty."
Almost three years after Illinois lawmakers required a committee to drive academic progress for Chicago’s Black students, the new group will hold its first meeting. “This committee is being watched nationally,” committee co-chair Michilla Blaise said, “not just by people who are angry about it, but also people who are inspired by it.”
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Governor JB Pritzker's 70-page federal wish list would cost trillions of dollars, but not a word is provided on that or how it would be paid. Summary and audio linked here.
Glennon raised the stakes of the moment in broader civilizational terms: “This election in Illinois is not about the usual pedestrian issues… it’s about nothing less than whether Western civilization survives in our democratic republic of America because [the left], just on the open border alone, will destroy the country, and now they’re bringing in the jihadists, frankly, into the party.” Audio and summary linked here.Audio and summary linked here.
New Trier High School made national headlines nine years ago as a "canary in a coal mine" for political indoctrination in public schools. The canaries lived. 
Among the consequences of economic growth that badly lags national averages are billions of lost revenue every year. Yet denial reigns in Illinois, fueling the vicious cycle of demand for higher taxes. SIGN UP HERE FOR FREE WIREPOINTS DAILY NEWSLETTER
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To top it off, Stratton is funded mostly by Gov. JB Pritzker, who has long purported to be a rock solid supporter of Israel's right to exist. El-Sayed is anything but. 
What Pritzker doesn't tell you that it cost taxpayers billions, not millions, in higher taxes to get those upgrades, vastly exceeding the savings.
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