The Latest Chicago City Council: Some Newbies, Many Incumbents
Here's the breakdown: 37 incumbents and 13 newcomers; 38 men and 12 women. They range in age from 26 up to 71. CBS 2's Jim Williams reports.
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Here's the breakdown: 37 incumbents and 13 newcomers; 38 men and 12 women. They range in age from 26 up to 71. CBS 2's Jim Williams reports.
After taking his second oath of office, the mayor said he and aldermen have a lot of important work to do, but Emanuel shied away from discussing the city's major financial problems – massive budget deficits and severely underfunded employee pension funds – and focused almost entirely about the plight of disadvantaged youth.
Former President Bill Clinton and a who's who of Illinois politics were on hand Monday morning as Mayor Rahm Emanuel was sworn in for a second term.
Some big names were in Chicago Monday to celebrate Mayor Rahm Emanuel's second term. Former President Bill Clinton will watch as Emanuel is sworn in, along with all 50 aldermen, the city clerk, and city treasurer. Lyric Opera soprano Renee Fleming and Englewood poet Harold Green also will perform at the ceremony.
City officials have begun taking applications from former criminal defendants seeking financial reparations for torture by police from the 1970s through the early 1990s, but advocates for torture victims said they doubt many additional credible cases will be found.
Minutes before Bruce Rauner became the first sitting governor in memory to address the Chicago City Council, aldermen unanimously passed a resolution rejecting his call to create so-called "right-to-work zones," which would allow workers to choose if they want to join unions, or pay dues in jobs organized by labor unions.
Aldermen have approved a deal to provide $5.5 million in reparations to police torture victims, a step Mayor Rahm Emanuel said was an "essential step in righting a wrong."
Chicago aldermen and labor leaders have answered a resounding no to Gov. Bruce Rauner's plans to create so-called "right to work" zones in communities throughout the state.
Two more newcomers are poised to join City Council, based on final unofficial tallies.
Gov. Bruce Rauner has suggested creating so-called "right-to-work zones" across Illinois, but Mayor Rahm Emanuel and several aldermen have said that won't happen in Chicago on their watch.
Chicago Aldermen have to rethink their positions on who will become the City Council's budget analyst. Former Alderman Helen Shiller has broken the stalemate over the job by saying she no longer wants it, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.
Survivors of torture under former Chicago Police Cmdr. Jon Burge and victims' supporters have long called for repayment for the suffering, pain, and often wrongful imprisonment they have suffered.
More absentee ballots have been counted in five aldermanic races in Chicago that are still too close to call. WBBM's Mike Krauser has the latest numbers.
Of the 18 runoff races for City Council, five of them remain too close to call.
Eighteen aldermanic races saw runoffs Tuesday following the February election. In many of this week's contests, incumbents associated with Mayor Rahm Emanuel were forced to defend their seats.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is facing off against challenger Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, while 18 seats on the City Council are at stake, including in the 2nd Ward, where two candidates are vying to replace Ald. Bob Fioretti, who gave up his seat on the City Council to run for mayor, but came in 4th place in February.
The Chicago City Council unanimously passed a resolution honoring the recently retired WBBM Newsradio reporter John Cody.
An effort to begin phasing out Chicago's Red Light Camera system was derailed at Wednesday's City Council Meeting, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.
The City Council has cleared the way for the city to take control of Park District land on the South Side for the Barack Obama Presidential Library and Museum, if the University of Chicago's bid for the facility is selected.
At a joint meeting Wednesday, three City Council panels voted heavily in favor of the Emanuel administration's plan to transfer about 20 acres of land in either Washington Park or Jackson Park to the city if the Barack Obama Foundation picks the University of Chicago's bid for the future Obama presidential library.
Aldermen were expected to give preliminary approval on Wednesday to the Emanuel administration's plan to allow the city to take control of Park District land to be used for the Barack Obama Presidential Library, if the president and first lady choose the University of Chicago's bid for the facility.
Of the 43 contested races for city council, 19 of them will be headed to the runoff round in April.
The campaigning is over, it's decision day, and the polls are open. Voters now have a chance to choose whether they want Mayor Rahm Emanuel to stay in office, and who they want to represent their ward on the City Council.
Some campaign literature supporting incumbent Mike Zalewski says one of his challengers supports Section 8 housing.
At least 8 of the 50 aldermen will be new due to vacancies, deaths or remaps.
Officials on Sunday were trying to determine the cause of a fire that forced people from their homes in the southwest Chicago suburb of Burbank the day before.
A man was due in court Sunday after being arrested and charged with hitting a woman with a vehicle last week and then running off in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood.
A man was stabbed to death in a fight in Chicago's Washington Heights neighborhood early Sunday morning.
Sacha Boisvert scored his first NHL goal with 5:42 to play to give Chicago a two-goal lead and Tyler Bertuzzi scored his team-leading 32nd goal as the Blackhawks beat the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night.
Two people were injured early Sunday in a shooting on the Bishop Ford Freeway alongside Chicago's Pullman community.
A U.S. crew member who went missing when an F-15E fighter jet was shot down over a remote area of Iran has been rescued by U.S. forces.
President Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security to find a way to pay "each and every employee" of the agency.
The Illinois Accountability Commission is asking the federal officials who ran Operation Midway Blitz to testify at two hearings on federal agents' tactics during last year's immigration crackdown in Chicago.
Officials from 23 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit seeking to block President Trump's executive order that aims to restrict mail voting.
A federal judge on Friday rejected efforts by the Justice Department to revive two subpoenas it served to the Federal Reserve.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago has been charged with making a false bomb threat that forced an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport last month, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Skyrocketing property taxes continue to be a hot-button issue in Cook County — particularly since last fall, when many residents saw their tax bills increase by 100% or more.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias this weekend issued a warning about a surge in text messages that falsely claim to come from his office or the DMV within it.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
It's become an annual March Madness tradition at CBS Chicago, pitting our city's best eateries in direct competition in a foodie bracket challenge. We did pizza, we've done Italian beef, we've done Chicago dogs. This year, we're taking flight with wings.
Allergy season is here, and the dreaded pollen can trigger sneezing, congestion, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Northwestern Medicine and the American Red Cross teamed up for a community blood drive in Chicago on Monday morning.
Ending domestic violence is the goal of groups and advocates all over the world, and some experts in Chicago say it is time to become less reactive and more proactive when it comes to the people causing harm.
A new Iowa law bans local nondiscrimination protections on the basis of gender identity after the state became the first in the U.S. to roll back its civil rights code last year.
Food containing norovirus may smell and taste normal but still cause serious illness if consumed, FDA warns.
The federal government is suing Illinois, Connecticut and Arizona over efforts to regulate prediction market operators such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
The owners of the popular Uncommon Ground restaurant, live music venue, and brewery in Chicago's Wrigleyville community announced this week that they're looking for a successor to take over the business.
Chicago consistently ranks in the top three cities in Fortune 500 company headquarters, and now a competition has been launched to build on Chicago's power in business.
The flagship Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community will be moving later this year, a restaurant representative said Tuesday.
Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen threw some shade at former teammate Michael Jordan in a new pop commercial.
Chicago blues legend Muddy Waters' birthday is Saturday, and in his memory his eldest son is putting on a concert in Chicago.
A federal judge in New York has tossed out actor Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against actor Justin Baldoni over their roles in the movie "It Ends With Us," but left intact a claim for retaliation.
Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane was lured to a Dallas studio for a meeting, then allegedly kidnapped and robbed by a group including rappers Pooh Shiesty and Big30.
When Jean-Luc Godard's "Hail Mary" opened in Chicago on April 4, 1986, it drew a throng of angry protesters who considered the film an affront to their faith.
Applications are open for residents and bands who want to participate in PorchFest in Chicago's Lakeview and Roscoe Village communities this year.
Suzanne Le Mignot on Saturday night attended the inaugural FECK Awards — centered on forgiveness, empathy, compassion, and kindness — and was moved by the story of Azim Khamisa, whose son was killed in a gang initiation robbery in 1995. Meanwhile, Kylee Miller captured a rainbow in River North.
First responders rescued a horse from an overflowing creek near Marengo, Illinois, northwest of Chicago this weekend.
Meteorologist Kylee Miller has your 6 a.m. First Alert Weather forecast for Sunday, April 5, 2026.
U.S. forces rescued a missing airman after his fighter jet was shot down over a remote area in Iran this past Friday. Asal Rezaei reports.
A man riding a bike was killed early Sunday morning when a sport-utility vehicle hit him on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
A U.S. crew member who went missing when an F-15E fighter jet was shot down over a remote area of Iran has been rescued by U.S. forces.
The Illini held a tight defense against UConn and managed to shrink the Huskies' lead to 6 points with seven minutes left on the clock in the second half.
A man was found shot to death in the South Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side early Sunday.
A man riding a bike was killed early Sunday morning when a sport-utility vehicle hit him on Chicago's Southwest Side.
Officials on Sunday were trying to determine the cause of a fire that forced people from their homes in the southwest Chicago suburb of Burbank the day before.
A Morgan Park family is still in shock after a staggering 300% spike in their latest property tax bill, and the man poised to take over as Cook County Assessor at the end of the year says it's an error he wants to make sure doesn't happen again.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have built a "self-driving" lab that uses robotics and artificial intelligence to accelerate work that would take humans weeks or months to complete.
Johnson said the position was temporary, but when the chief homelessness officer was first appointed, she told CBS News Chicago that her role was funded for three years, not two.
A former stand-out college football star with a criminal history has been convicted of sexually abusing foster children who were in the care of a Chicago facility at the center of a massive investigation.
Two more women have filed lawsuits against Massage Envy, accusing the company of failing to protect them against sexual assaults by two of their therapists.
Sacha Boisvert scored his first NHL goal with 5:42 to play to give Chicago a two-goal lead and Tyler Bertuzzi scored his team-leading 32nd goal as the Blackhawks beat the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night.
Michigan overpowered Arizona early and humbled the Wildcats all night long, turning the Final Four meeting billed as the Game of the Year into a 91-73 Wolverines highlight reel Saturday night.
After waiting 21 years to get back to the Final Four, the Illini nation wanted more.
The Illini held a tight defense against UConn and managed to shrink the Huskies' lead to 6 points with seven minutes left on the clock in the second half.
Watch parties are underway in Chicago, the suburbs, and Indianapolis with Illini fans hoping the team punches their ticket in the Championships.
A man was due in court Sunday after being arrested and charged with hitting a woman with a vehicle last week and then running off in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood.
A man was stabbed to death in a fight in Chicago's Washington Heights neighborhood early Sunday morning.
Two people were injured early Sunday in a shooting on the Bishop Ford Freeway alongside Chicago's Pullman community.
A man was found shot to death in the South Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side early Sunday.
The president of Wisconsin's largest mosque was detained by federal immigration agents, drawing accusations from local officials and religious leaders that the arrest was motivated by his statements against Israel.