Chicago City Council committee plans action against rogue towing companies
CBS 2's Sabrina Franza talked with yet another victim of a rogue towing company, to which she lost thousands of dollars.
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CBS 2's Sabrina Franza talked with yet another victim of a rogue towing company, to which she lost thousands of dollars.
Members of the City Council Public Safety Committee met Tuesday to discuss a possible solution to the ongoing issue – to try to stop rogue towers from making thousands off drivers who thought they were signing their car away to someone they could trust. CBS 2's Sabrina Franza reports.
The council also approved $48 million in grant money from the state and federal government, much of which will be used to pay outstanding debt the city owes for staffing and shelter costs.
Overall, the mayor's borrowing plan would cost the city $2.4 billion through 2061.
Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd) introduced the "Stop Hate Littering Ordinance" after a wave of antisemitic flyers popped up on cars in Lincoln Park in February and April.
Aldermen were set to vote Wednesday on a measure to require a full City Council vote before removing ShotSpotter from any wards, but two allies of the mayor moved to delay the vote.
The city already has budgeted $150 million to care for migrants this year, but the mayor's office has acknowledged that won't be enough for the entire year.
The City Council Finance Committee has endorsed the plan after the mayor agreed to give aldermen more oversight of the plan, but a final vote has been put off until Friday at the earliest.
The change would move money away from the Kansas-based healthcare staffing firm and aim to create a unified housing system.
Some members asked why this may be taken from the city's rainy day fund and questioned whether they should spend more on the mission at all.
The mayor's office has been briefing alderpeople this week on the request, which will be presented to the City Council Budget Committee on Monday.
"There's a discrepancy here. It's not fair. I think it's dangerous."
The City Council Police and Fire Committee on Monday approved a measure to require a City Council vote to halt the use of ShotSpotter technology in any given ward.
Some of the council's most conservative members had sought to punish Sigcho-Lopez for speaking feet away from the remains of that burned flag, at a rally organized by what some critics have described as a far-left extremist group.
A proposal in City Council could upend Mayor Brandon Johnson's plan to end the use of ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology in Chicago.
The full City Council votes on April 17.
A group of 15 City Council members want to strip Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) of his seat as chair of the Housing Committee.
A coalition of 21 alderpersons, seven other elected city officials, and representatives from 48 community organizations is asking the mayor to address migrant stays on a case-by-case basis.
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez has said he wasn't aware a flag was burned before he spoke at a protest rally. Some colleagues want him to lose his seat as Housing Committee chair.
The Bears want a covered stadium hosting other major events, like the Super Bowl or the Final Four.
A group of Chicago alderpeople and several military veterans on Wednesday called for Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) to resign his seat as chair of the City Council's Housing Committee, after he spoke at a protest rally last week where an American flag was burned.
The ruling from Judge Michael Mullen delivers wins to both the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police and Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration in the fight over the future of police discipline
Ald. Lamont Robinson (4th) said Chicago needs more tributes to Black men and Black history.
The downtown thoroughfare would be renamed to honor former President Barack Obama.
A coalition of City Council members, community groups, and others gathered at City Hall ahead of Wednesday's City Council meeting, to urge Mayor Brandon Johnson to put an immediate end to the city's policy of evicting some migrants from city shelters, which went into effect on Sunday after multiple delays.
Phone lines in south suburban Sauk Village were disconnected for several days due to money issues, but are now being fixed.
Chicago taxpayers could pay $3.5 million to the family of a man who was killed by a driver being chased by police in the Little Village neighborhood in 2020, under a settlement recommended by the city's attorneys.
Attorneys for the city of Chicago are recommending that the City Council approve a $13 million settlement with a man who spent 26 years in prison after he was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1994.
All 22 people charged in a massive criminal gambling operation based in Northwest Indiana have pleaded not guilty in their first court appearance Thursday.
Seven stores in a strip mall in Maine Township, Illinois, had their windows smashed in apparent overnight burglaries.
Chicago taxpayers could pay $3.5 million to the family of a man who was killed by a driver being chased by police in the Little Village neighborhood in 2020, under a settlement recommended by the city's attorneys.
Attorneys for the city of Chicago are recommending that the City Council approve a $13 million settlement with a man who spent 26 years in prison after he was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1994.
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks, who was appointed to the role last year, told staff on Thursday that he is stepping down.
The Senate unanimously agreed to adopt a resolution on Thursday that will withhold senators' pay during a lapse in funding for any federal agency.
The Supreme Court is allowing a man to sue a major logistics company after he lost part of his leg in a semi tractor-trailer crash on an Illinois highway, a decision that could have ripple effects across the trucking industry.
Chatham residents say they're losing a vital resource as Walgreen's prepares to close its store near 86th and Cottage Grove.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Chicago gas prices are spiking as the war with Iran drags on, with regular gas nearing $6 in some spots and premium already selling for more than $7 in some places.
In the legal venue of anti-trust enforcement, the state is not taking on the Trump administration, but rather filling a void that state officials say the Trump administration has vacated.
Engineers at Northwestern University have created a wireless polygraph to detect stress.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday announced an expansion to the city's CARE Program, a specialized team that responds to mental health crises without police.
A Texas couple is filing a lawsuit accusing the AI company of guiding their teenage son in using drugs, resulting in a fatal overdose.
An American on the repatriation flight began showing symptoms of hantavirus and another "tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus," the Department of Health and Human Services says.
More than 100 people from a cruise ship dealing with an outbreak of the rare and deadly hantavirus are set to be disembarked.
Flight attendants at Chicago-based United Airlines have approved a new labor contract, marking their first pay increases in six years.
The Chicago Fire FC announced Wednesday morning that its new stadium in the South Loop will be named McDonald's Park.
U.S. prosecutors allege a man with multiple aliases used the name of the famed Astor family to scam a Mexican billionaire out of $450 million.
Thousands of people marched from the West Loop to Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago on Friday for May Day, with activists calling for workers' rights, stronger labor protections, and increased school funding.
A $170 million-plus plan announced this week will redevelop the Water Tower Place mall on the Magnificent Mile.
The Chicago-born house music track, which began as a personal poem in 1982 and became a defining anthem of the city's house music scene, has been selected for permanent preservation by the Library of Congress.
The Library of Congress revealed this year's list of 25 recordings to be preserved for future generations on the National Recording Registry.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
Dry and quiet Thursday with highs in the 60s before showers return overnight.
Forever Fortunate Felines is looking for a home for Neon Green Relish.
Experts are reminding people to be careful if using AI for financial help, as it could leave consumers vulnerable to a data breach.
Comcast said it has reached a proposed settlement in a class-action lawsuit over a 2023 data breach.
Join Jackie Kostek at the Cornelia Arts Building in Roscoe Village.
Seven stores in a strip mall in Maine Township, Illinois, had their windows smashed in apparent overnight burglaries.
Phone lines in south suburban Sauk Village were disconnected for several days due to money issues, but are now being fixed.
Chicago taxpayers could pay $3.5 million to the family of a man who was killed by a driver being chased by police in the Little Village neighborhood in 2020, under a settlement recommended by the city's attorneys.
The bill was for a minimum of $800 for one hour, and $80 for every additional six minutes over that hour.
The families say they went to Makeda Designs because the owner, Makeda Evans, makes gorgeous gowns as seen on TikTok.
People in Lincoln Park and Lakeview have rallied against a plan to build a new industrial ComEd electrical substation in their neighborhoods, pushing local and state leaders to get involved.
Monday marks one year since Illinois enacted Karina's Law — legislation aimed at taking firearms out of the hands of people accused of domestic abuse.
Tenants at a South Shore apartment building said they've noticed their rent fluctuating by hundreds of dollars a month due to a change in how their utility billing system is set up.
A man from the Chicago suburbs lost $69,000 of his savings to a scam by a thief using an AI-generated U.S. Marshals badge to intimidate him.
Illinois lawmakers are trying to decide what should happen when artificial intelligence leads to serious destruction or even death, and two of the most influential AI companies in the world are backing opposing state bills trying to answer that question.
The Detroit Lions will host the defending NFC North champion Chicago Bears in Detroit's annual Thanksgiving Day game.
Cuypers has scored at least one goal in each of the nine games he has played this season.
The Cubs managed just four hits — all singles — after being held to a single hit in the series opener, a 5-2 victory for the Braves.
The White Sox had a 3-0 lead before the Royals rallied in the fourth.
The White Sox said the fan was taken to a hospital for treatment.
A man was found shot to death Thursday morning in Chicago's West Garfield Park neighborhood.
One man was killed and another was critically injured Thursday morning in a shooting in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood.
A young man was shot and killed while getting into his car in the Ashburn neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest Side Thursday morning.
A Chicago-area man who ran a business helping people apply for asylum and immigrant visas was recently sentenced to nine years in prison for fraud and child pornography.
Alex Murdaugh was convicted of his killing his wife and his son at the family's home in 2021.
