Aldermen Seek New Limits On City Employees' Outside Employment
The City Council Ethics Committee on Thursday backed an ordinance tightening the reins on when city employees can moonlight for private contractors.
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The City Council Ethics Committee on Thursday backed an ordinance tightening the reins on when city employees can moonlight for private contractors.
Ald. Michele Smith (43rd), who co-sponsored the proposed change in liquor sale hours, said it was prompted in part by the growing popularity of European soccer.
Chicago Police Lt. John Cannon said criminals have been exploiting the rise of services like Uber and Lyft in order to prey on unwitting victims.
"It's not the questions that are the problem, it is the content of the questions, and the offensive nature of the tone and the questions and the 'concerns,' – in quotes – that were expressed," she said.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is supporting the 6-month demolition moratorium, after originally opposing a longer version of the ordinance.
Starting in 2021, food establishments would not be allowed to sell or serve food in polystyrene or styrofoam containers.
The aldermen want to halt the trend of people buying existing affordable multi-family homes and replacing them with luxury housing, pushing out working class and middle class families.
A License Committee and full City Council vote has been delayed on Mayor Lori Lightfoot's proposal to allow on-site consumption of marijuana at licensed cigar bars, hookah lounges, and other tobacco shops.
Board spokesman Jim Allen said the city and county haven't purchased new voting machines since getting rid of the old punchcard equipment in 2005.
Alma Benitez says detectives accused her of lying about what she saw, and tried to convince her to change her account of the shooting of Laquan McDonald.
The largest settlement on the agenda for Monday's meeting is a $500,000 payment to Andy Jardinas, who accused a police officer of shoving him to the ground while handcuffed, in a police lockup in 2016, causing a major head injury.
"These individuals, the worst bad actors, they're not stopping. In fact, they want you to chase them," Chicago Police Cmdr. Sean Loughran said.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot's plan to allow for on-site consumption of marijuana at licensed cigar bars, hookah lounges, and other tobacco shops hit a speed bump on Wednesday, as the City Council License Committee delayed a vote on the plan until at least early next week.
The Cubs still won't be able to open Gallagher Way to people who don't have a ticket on the days of games or concerts.
Food truck owners have said the current two-hour time limit often leaves them without enough time to make a profit, given how long it takes to set up and break down.
Angry words sharply divided the City Council Black Caucus as its members split this week over a proposal to delay sales of recreational marijuana.
Cigar bars, hookah lounges, and other tobacco shops would be authorized to allow customers to smoke weed sometime next year, under a proposed ordinance Mayor Lori Lightfoot has introduced to the City Council.
Following a heated debate at City Hall, and multiple parliamentary votes on City Council procedures, aldermen on Wednesday voted down a bid by the Black Caucus to delay recreational marijuana sales in Chicago by six months.
Without debate, aldermen approved an ordinance that would prohibit all city elected officials and employees from being paid by a private client to lobby any government body in Illinois, at either the state, county, or municipal level.
A City Council committee on Tuesday approved an ordinance that would delay recreational marijuana sales in Chicago until July.
Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), who chairs the City Council Black Caucus, has moved to force a City Council vote this week on his proposal to delay legal weed sales in the city for six months.
Despite claims they were essentially approving a "hush money" payment to the family of a "coke-fueled" gang-banger, the City Council Finance Committee on Wednesday signed off on a $1.2 million settlement in the death of Heriberto Godinez, who died during an arrest for burglary four years ago.
With recreational marijuana becoming legal on Jan. 1, Cresco Labs, owners of MedMar Lakeview, are seeking to build a new dispensary at 3524 N. Clark St. so it can expand its current operations.
The settlements include a $1.2 million payment to the family of a man who died in police custody and a $125,000 payment to a witness to the Laquan McDonald shooting.
Proposed settlements in four more lawsuits accusing police officers of misconduct will put taxpayers on the hook for nearly $3.5 million, including two wrongful death lawsuits on tap before the City Council Finance Committee next week.
A third teen stood charged Tuesday morning in the brutal beating of a 62-year-old man on a CTA bus on Chicago's West Side last week.
A man was found dead with a gunshot wound to the back in the Jeffery Manor neighborhood on Chicago's South Side Tuesday morning.
The Chicago Department of Aviation is launching an "O'Hare Moments" campaign to celebrate 70 years of travel. Commercial flights began at O'Hare on Oct. 30, 1955.
Man dead, another injured after shooting on CTA Pink Line train in downtown Chicago
A Northwestern doctor said it's still too soon to tell if the flu shot protects against this new strain called subclade K.
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.
Do you remember the opening scene from “Love Actually,” showing all the happy moments at London Heathrow Airport? If so, O’Hare International Airport wants to hear from you?
Meteorologist Laura Bannon has the extended forecast.
Police are investigating a shooting on a CTA Pink Line train in The Loop early Tuesday morning.
So far this season, there have been 4.6 million reported flu cases, and nearly 2,000 people have died from the flu in the U.S., including three kids.
Pacific Submarine, located off 159th Street and Page, has served the community for more than 30 years.
Police are investigating a shooting on a CTA Pink Line train in The Loop early Tuesday morning.
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.
An intersection along 111th Street in Chicago's Mount Greenwood neighborhood was closed early Monday after a pavement collapse.
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.
A third teen stood charged Tuesday morning in the brutal beating of a 62-year-old man on a CTA bus on Chicago's West Side last week.
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 third teen stood charged Tuesday morning in the brutal beating of a 62-year-old man on a CTA bus on Chicago's West Side last week.
A man was found dead with a gunshot wound to the back in the Jeffery Manor neighborhood on Chicago's South Side Tuesday morning.
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.
