Two Police Misconduct Settlements Held Up In City Council Finance Committee
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.
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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.
"We are surrounded by impropriety; at the state level, at the county level, and in this body," Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) said.
Despite opposition from many progressive aldermen that her spending plan does not include more taxes on the wealthy, the City Council approved the mayor's $11.65 billion budget plan by a 39-11 vote on Tuesday.
Lightfoot was able to close an $838 million budget shortfall without a major property tax hike, though some of her revenue projections remain uncertain.
As her 2020 budget plan moved one step closer to final approval on Wednesday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot shrugged off criticism that it relies in part on federal funding that remains uncertain.
"We have seen actually four different proposals from Uber, all of which have been extremely questionable," Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Rosa Escareno said.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot's budget plan for 2020 cleared its first hurdle on Monday, including her plan to raise the city's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021, on a unanimous vote by the City Council Budget Committee.
With recreational marijuana becoming legal in Illinois next year, Mayor Lori Lightfoot is moving to end the city's practice of impounding cars found with pot inside, and to reduce the fines for using marijuana in public.
A handful of aldermen suggested the department instead should be considering an increase in the community policing budget, given its focus on improving its relationship with the community.
Calling himself "a Chicago guy through and through," Johnson said he's been proud to serve as a police officer on the same streets where he grew up.
"I think this is a historical opportunity, and it's a great opportunity for the city of Chicago," Ald. David Moore (17th) said.
The ordinance setting limits on where recreational marijuana businesses can operate in the city passed by a 40-10 vote.
Recreational marijuana becomes legal in Illinois next year, but on Tuesday, what seemed like a routine City Council Zoning Committee vote was suddenly blocked when the Black Caucus demanded a closed-door meeting.
The new facility will feature office space for Blue Cross employees and a community health center.
The ordinance would exempt the spouses of fallen police officers, firefighters, and paramedics from paying the city's portion of their property tax bills -- usually 20% to 25% of the total due.
In both cases, city attorneys conceded that officers had no legitimate reason to break into the victims' homes.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot noted Cook County leads the nation in Chapter 13 bankruptcy filings, with many of those cases tied to unpaid debt to the city.
The city also would prohibit marijuana sales within any designated residential zoning district, any building with a residential unit, or within 500 feet of a school.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot says the city of Chicago is stepping up efforts to prevent kids from vaping, amid a growing number of deaths and serious illnesses nationwide connected to electronic cigarette use.
The Chicago City Council on Wednesday officially designated the rainbow pylons and Legacy Walk on the Boystown strip of North Halsted Street as a landmark.
"Oh, back again," Lightfoot whispered from her seat on the dais in the City Council chamber. "This is this FOP clown."
Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) has been scarce since the raid by FBI agents on her ward office. She even canceled a town hall meeting set for Thursday night in her ward.
Chicago's City Council approved a $3.7 million legal settlement to three people injured in a 2014 car crash.
In her first city council meeting, Mayor Lori Lightfoot took on indicted Ald. Ed Burke. Wednesday she tangled with an executive of the Fraternal Order of Police.
Severe storms are expected to move into the Chicago area on Tuesday afternoon.
A man was found shot to death inside the hallway of an apartment building in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood.
Chicago, which had lost three in a row, including a 4-3 setback to Dallas on Sunday night, has now won all three meetings with Utah this season, with the teams' fourth and final game of the season scheduled for Thursday night.
St. Mary of the Assumption in Riverdale hasn't hosted a mass since 2011.
Chicago police said a 77-year-old woman was driving a Subaru SUV when she lost control of the vehicle and hit multiple fences and then a home.
From the final forum featuring candidates looking to replace Dick Durbin to AI being used to endorse a candidate. Here's what's happening before the polls open next week.
A conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice first elected in 2007 will not seek a third 10-year term next year.
Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, has reached a deal with the Department of Justice as part of a high-stakes antitrust trial.
Wait times to get through security hit two hours in New Orleans and over three hours in Houston as TSA staffing took a hit amid the partial government shutdown.
In July, Prasad was briefly forced from his job, but was reinstated less than two weeks later.
The war with Iran is causing gas prices to surge, with motorists in Chicago and around the country guaranteed to feel the impact at the pump Monday morning.
There's no relief in sight for drivers at the pump as the war in Iran is directly driving up the cost of gas. Analysts expect more of the same unless something changes soon.
Drivers in the Chicago area can expect to start paying more at the pump this week, as oil prices have spiked amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Palatine, Illinois-based Weber has issued a recall of more than 3.2 million metal wire bristle grill brushes because you could ingest the bristles.
This is after Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed an ordinance that would have banned most hemp-derived products this weekend.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced a $1.5 billion investment from biotherapeutics company CSL for a new plasma therapy manufacturing plant in Kanakee.
When a doctor was told there was no cure for his daughter's condition, he was motivated to transform not only her health, but the lives of thousands of others.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
It has been nearly six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the many questions doctors are still working to answer concerns the long-term effects.
Leaders from Cook County, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository denounced changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced a $1.5 billion investment from biotherapeutics company CSL for a new plasma therapy manufacturing plant in Kanakee.
Capital One is laying off more than 1,100 workers at the former Discover headquarters in north suburban Riverwoods.
A new development at the southeast corner of Chicago's East Lakeview community would clear away a medical office building and replace it with a residential high-rise.
The City of Aurora, Illinois, is seeking input from residents about data center development.
Not one, but two hotels are now planned or proposed for Chicago's Northalsted LGBTQ+ nightlife district.
Jennifer Runyon, a Chicago native who became famous as an actress appearing in "Ghostbusters" and "Charles in Charge," died last week.
A woman was arrested on Sunday for firing multiple shots at the Beverly Hills home of Rihanna, Los Angeles Police Department officials say.
Actor and filmmaker Bruce Campbell told fans that he is in treatment for cancer and will cancel some upcoming public appearances.
Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka, known for his hits like "Laughter in the Rain," "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" and "Calendar Girl," has died.
A 19th-century George Méliès film, thought to be long lost, has been found among a box of brittle movie reels that a Michigan donor brought to the Library of Congress, officials said.
Meteorologist Laura Bannon has the extended forecast.
A man was found dead inside the hallway of an apartment building in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood.
Digital therapeutics company Mynd Immersive introduced a VR experience designed specifically for older adults.
Motorola said Hytera recruited and hired Motorola employees and told them to steal trade secrets related to digital mobile radio technology. Hytera plead guilty to a federal charge.
The church and its campus are on the Preservation Chicago list of most endangered buildings.
The suspect was taken to Mt. Sinai with multiple gunshots to the upper body and was pronounced dead, CPD said in an update on Monday night.
Following a warm and record-setting day, things are about to change as a severe storm threat, with all weather hazards possible, arrives on Tuesday afternoon.
Severe storms are expected to move into the Chicago area on Tuesday afternoon.
A man was found shot to death inside the hallway of an apartment building in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood.
A couple from Fox Lake, Illinois, has been charged with abusing an 11-year-old boy for years and telling him he deserved it.
A Chicago senior citizen said his phone has been ringing off the hook with hundreds of unwanted spam calls that have made his beloved landline virtually unusable. New efforts in Springfield could bring real relief.
A proposed Illinois law hopes to create more oversight on private companies to protect consumers from skyrocketing utility prices.
The three women said they are working to make their way back home, but without any help from the U.S. State Department.
If you feel like you're drowning in a sea of text alerts and desperate email pleas for "just $5" this election season, you are far from alone.
A north suburban school bus driver became a victim of sophisticated scammers who are targeting more people and more vulnerable populations to make more money.
Chicago, which had lost three in a row, including a 4-3 setback to Dallas on Sunday night, has now won all three meetings with Utah this season, with the teams' fourth and final game of the season scheduled for Thursday night.
The Chicago Bears have been busy bolstering their defense on the first day of free agency, signing linebacker Devin Bush Jr., safety Coby Bryant, and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, according to reports.
Sacramento outscored the Bulls 68-36 in the paint.
Blackhawks rookie forward Oliver Moore left midway through the first period after three shifts with an undisclosed injury when sliding into the end boards seconds after assisting on Rinzel's goal.
That event takes place during a bit of a break in Northwestern's spring schedule, giving Ashley and Dianna the chance to compete in Augusta, then return to Evanston to focus on a potential repeat.
The suspect was taken to Mt. Sinai with multiple gunshots to the upper body and was pronounced dead, CPD said in an update on Monday night.
The man charged with the execution-style murder of a bar owner last month in far south suburban Momence has pleaded not guilty.
A man is dead after being shoved down a flight of stairs during a fight in Chicago's River North district early Monday.
Robbers invaded a home and held the resident at gunpoint this past weekend in the north Chicago suburb of Winnetka.
A man was found shot and killed in a car in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood late Sunday.
