Aldermen Discuss Possible Pilot Program For Guaranteed Basic Income Funded With COVID Relief Money
Similar pilot programs in other U.S. cities typically offer $500 cash to around 125 people for a limited time, with no strings attached.
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Similar pilot programs in other U.S. cities typically offer $500 cash to around 125 people for a limited time, with no strings attached.
Ald. Chris Taliaferro said he's recommending sponsors of the Anjanette Young Ordinance speak with the mayor about "working together on responsible legislation."
The city's 2021 spending plan does not include money for the Taste of Chicago or the Air & Water Show, but officials hope the latest federal COVID relief plan might help fund some summer events.
Aldermen voted 37-10 in favor of an ordinance authorizing a package of new federal grants to go toward the public health response to the pandemic, rental assistance, and other programs.
After holding meetings exclusively by video conference for the past 11 months, the City Council could resume in-person meetings as early as April, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said at Wednesday's meeting.
Lightfoot apparently didn't realize her microphone wasn't muted when she uttered "you got to be f*****g kidding me," during the meeting.
Lightfoot said the $377 million in federal grants include $179 million for the Chicago Department of Public Health's response to the pandemic, and $79.8 million for the Department of Housing for rental assistance programs.
"To call her a firecracker wouldn't be enough to say. She was more of a stick of dynamite. So she was a hugely, unbelievably a true labor leader," said Ald. Nicholas Sposato (38th).
"A truly welcoming city means that we have to walk the walk and protect everyone's due process rights," Lightfoot said before signing the update to the Welcoming City ordinance.
Following an unusually lengthy discussion, a key City Council committee on Monday signed off on paying a $175,000 settlement to a West Side family who were victims of police officers raiding the wrong apartment four years ago.
In late January, the Joliet City Council approved a plan to build a 31-mile pipeline connecting to Chicago's drinking water supply from Lake Michigan, as well as upgrades to the Southwest Pumping Station next to Durkin Park in the Scottsdale neighborhood.
The City Council Public Safety had been scheduled to meet Friday to vote on two separate ordinances to create a civilian oversight agency, but the vote has been pushed back until March.
The first case involves an incident on March 23, 2017, when police broke through Ashanti Franklin's apartment door at 6 a.m., guns drawn, looking for someone who didn't live there.
Villegas has been Lightfoot's floor leader since she took office in May 2019, helping her wrangle votes for her agenda on the City Council, including two contentious budget votes.
Joliet's existing water source is expected to dry up by 2030.
The proposals from the Black Caucus would not make any changes to CPD or city policy, but would give aldermen another opportunity to publicly discuss what specific reforms the city should seek in order to stop incidents of wrong raids.
The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley House, at 6247 S. St. Lawrence Ave., will be protected from demolition or significant alterations as an official city landmark.
Aldermen voted 41-8 to approve a plan to eliminate exemptions in the Welcoming City Ordinance that had allowed police to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in certain limited circumstances.
"He spent his life dedicated to protecting the residents of this city, and it's my pledge to Lt. Williams' family that we will do all that we can to stop this senseless violence in the city of Chicago," said Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th).
Mayor Lori Lightfoot had earlier pushed back on the project, telling Ald. Anthony Beale she could not support it without more specifics on how much it would cost, who would pay for it, and how it would fit with CPD's existing community policing strategies.
The project is the third and final phase of a million-square-foot expansion of cargo space at O'Hare.
More than three years after the city's police oversight agency ruled officers were not justified when they shot Antwon Golatte during a traffic stop in 2015, the city is on the verge of settling his excessive force lawsuit.
Four more carjackings were reported within four hours across the city overnight.
Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) said the measure creates "a clear line separating local law enforcement from federal immigration enforcement."
Dozens of Chicago aldermen are demanding the resignation of Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara, after he downplayed last week's assault on the U.S. Capitol, falsely claiming there was no violence from those who stormed the building.
Murakami, or "Mune" as he likes to be called, was introduced on Monday on the South Side after signing a two-year, $34-million contract.
Each of the kids had $250 to spend during their holiday shopping spree at JD Sports on State Street.
A boy and a girl, both 15, were charged with multiple felony counts of aggravated battery in the attack that left Larry Gilkey, 62, in a medically induced coma.
Mass transit detectives released photos of each suspect sought in two separate robberies on a CTA Red Line train in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood last week.
Operation North Pole went off without a hitch over the weekend, as hundreds of volunteers and first responders teamed up to give children battling serious illnesses a Christmas they'll never forget.
Four Democratic members of Congress made a surprise visit to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in west suburban Broadview on Monday.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's office said there should be an answer by Monday as to whether the mayor will veto a budget plan passed by the City Council over the weekend.
Director of the National Economic Council Kevin Hassett said Sunday that President Trump's idea to give Americans $2,000 checks funded by tariff revenue will "depend on what happens with Congress."
More see Trump's policies responsible for economy today than Biden's; there are also concerns about AI impact on jobs.
A government shutdown is still possible if Mayor Brandon Johnson decides to veto the spending plan.
A new report shines a light on electricity shortages that Illinois could face in less than 10 years.
With less than two weeks until Christmas, if you're sending gifts to people far from home, the deadlines to get them there on time are fast approaching.
A condo owner in Country Club Hills says he's forced to sell his home after his condo association failed to reimburse him for repairs to his leaking roof. Edward Hadnott's condo has sat empty since a major roof leak in 2022.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
Millions of people with an Affordable Care Act health plan face a massive jump in premiums next year — this chart shows just how much.
It's the holiday season, which means it's the most common time of year for norovirus to spread. Here's what you need to know about this winter stomach bug.
A study conducted in part by Chicago's Northwestern Medicine found that tanning beds not only triple the risk of melanoma, but can also damage DNA across nearly the whole skin surface.
An investigation into the case of a Michigan man who contracted rabies after an organ transplant provided more details on the infection's origin.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
The Chicago Bears are expanding their search for a new stadium to Northwest Indiana, even though they already own land in Arlington Heights and have also proposed a new lakefront stadium in Chicago.
A Culver's is coming to Chicago's South Loop, a real estate broker has confirmed.
A new vision for passenger rail is on track in southeastern Wisconsin. The MARK Passenger Rail Commission held its inaugural meeting on December 5, 2025, at Racine City Hall.
U.S. Steel says it'll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand.
Traffic at O'Hare International Airport is growing faster than expected, and this has Chicago city leaders wanting to make big changes to future construction plans at the airport.
The singer said an MRI showed a cancerous spot on one of his lungs after he recovered from a lengthy bout of bronchitis.
James Ransone, the actor who played Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series "The Wire" and appeared in many other TV shows and movies, has died.
Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre is hosting "The Phantom of the Opera," and staff offered a firsthand look at the iconic chandelier inside the theater this week.
The special features interviews with Kathy Bates, Annette Bening, Albert Brooks, Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Jerry O'Connell and Mandy Patinkin.
The Oscars ceremony is moving to YouTube starting in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday.
The first robbery happened on Dec. 13, around 5 a.m., in the 0-100 block of West 69th Street. Days later, an armed robbery occurred on the train in the 0-100 block of West 79th Street on Dec. 15, around 3:30 a.m.
His family said their loved one is in this hospital only after he tried helping one of the teens who targeted him.
The small plane, piloted by the Mexican Navy, was carrying a child, who was a burn victim, going to get medical treatment. The plane crashed into the water in Galveston on the Texas coast about 50 miles southeast of Houston.
Murakami joins the White Sox on a two-year contract worth $34 million.
The shopping spree comes after a playoff-clinching weekend, with Moore helping to get the win against the Packers on Saturday night.
A 19-year-old tourist was speaking out on Monday, days after she was attacked on the CTA Red Line in the Loop. The woman now charged has a history of violent encounters on public transit.
An intersection along 111th Street in Chicago's Mount Greenwood neighborhood was closed early Monday after a pavement collapse.
A boy and a girl, both 15, were charged with multiple felony counts of aggravated battery in the attack that left Larry Gilkey, 62, in a medically induced coma.
Mass transit detectives released photos of each suspect sought in two separate robberies on a CTA Red Line train in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood last week.
Six alleged members of a South Side street gang are accused of running an operation that committed armed robberies and carjackings, murdered rivals, and violently protected their turf.
Cameras not working, video evidence missed by police and a psychic that leads a hit and run victim's son to a clue that changes the case
Some Chicago area hospitals are at risk of significant flooding both in and around the buildings, according to new KFF Health News/Fathom models.
Lawmakers in Springfield are looking to address the high water bills being reported in some suburbs from customers of Illinois American Water.
Electric bills in the Chicago area could go up as much as $70 in the next three years because of data centers, according to the Citizens Utility Board.
Advocates and legislators are seeking solutions and and accountability for a pattern of Chicago police arresting Black gun owners on firearms charges despite valid FOID and CCL licenses.
Murakami, or "Mune" as he likes to be called, was introduced on Monday on the South Side after signing a two-year, $34-million contract.
Each of the kids had $250 to spend during their holiday shopping spree at JD Sports on State Street.
The Flames spent the day with a handful of second through eighth-graders from Glenwood Academy and really got into the holiday spirit with a fun shopping spree.
The Bulls had nine scorers in double figures, led by Matas Buzelis with 28 points.
The Bears' next game will be against the 49ers on Dec. 28.
A 19-year-old tourist was speaking out on Monday, days after she was attacked on the CTA Red Line in the Loop. The woman now charged has a history of violent encounters on public transit.
Cook County Sheriff's investigators last week recovered 12 tons of a stolen substance with stimulant properties from a warehouse in Chicago's suburbs.
A federal grand jury has indicted six alleged members of a South Side Chicago street gang, accusing them of running an operation that committed armed robberies and carjackings, murdered rivals, and violently protected their turf.
Chicago police this past weekend issued a community alert about a rash of burglaries targeting businesses around the city from Rogers Park to Beverly.
Armed robbers hit a 7-Eleven store in Chicago's Norwood Park neighborhood early Monday.
