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Articles by Heather Cherone
Breaking With Johnson Amid Split With Teachers Union, SEIU Locals Back Giannoulias
Breaking With Johnson Amid Split With Teachers Union, SEIU Locals Back Giannoulias Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias lines up on Oct. 19, 2026, to file petitions for a spot on the 2027 Chicago mayoral ballot. (Victor Hilitski / WTTW News) The Service Employees International Union Local 73 and Local 1 endorsed Alexi Giannoulias in the Chicago mayor’s race on Tuesday, breaking from Mayor Brandon Johnson and dealing his bid for a second term a major blow.
Chicago to Test New Gunshot Detection System in 6 South, West Side Districts: Johnson
Chicago to Test New Gunshot Detection System in 6 South, West Side Districts: Johnson (WTTW News) Chicago will begin testing a new gunshot detection system in six South and West side police districts within the next two weeks, a top aide to Mayor Brandon Johnson told a key City Council panel on Tuesday.
CPD Agrees to Fire 7 More Officers Who Lied to Get COVID-19 Relief Loans, CDOT Employees Also Targeted: Watchdog
CPD Agrees to Fire 7 More Officers Who Lied to Get COVID-19 Relief Loans, CDOT Employees Also Targeted: Watchdog (WTTW News) Chicago police brass agreed to fire seven police officers who improperly obtained loans from a federal program designed to help small businesses endure the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released Thursday by the city’s watchdog.
Former Chicago Board of Ethics Deputy Director Should Be Fired After She Drove Drunk, Caused Crashes, Battered Bystander: Watchdog
Former Chicago Board of Ethics Deputy Director Should Be Fired After She Drove Drunk, Caused Crashes, Battered Bystander: Watchdog (WTTW News) The former deputy director of the Chicago Board of Ethics should be fired for driving under the influence of alcohol, causing three collisions and becoming “physically combative with a bystander,” according to a report released Thursday by the city’s watchdog.
City Council Fails to Override Mayor’s Veto of Plan to Require 30 City Council Votes to Take on New Debt
City Council Fails to Override Mayor’s Veto of Plan to Require 30 City Council Votes to Take on New Debt (WTTW News) The Chicago City Council failed Wednesday to override Mayor Brandon Johnson’s veto of a measure that would have required at least 30 alderpeople to vote to approve any plan to borrow more money in an attempt to make it harder for the city to take on additional debt. The effort to override Johnson’s veto failed by just one vote. The Chicago City Council voted 32-15 on Sept.
CPD Now in Full Compliance With 32% of Consent Decree, But Snelling’s Retirement Poses ‘Test’: Monitors
CPD Now in Full Compliance With 32% of Consent Decree, But Snelling’s Retirement Poses ‘Test’: Monitors Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling discusses plans for a rally and march down Michigan Avenue on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024.
Cost to Resolve Lawsuits Tied to Disgraced Ex-CPD Detective Reynaldo Guevara Tops $473M, With 25 Lawsuits Pending
Cost to Resolve Lawsuits Tied to Disgraced Ex-CPD Detective Reynaldo Guevara Tops $473M, With 25 Lawsuits Pending (WTTW News) The Chicago City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to pay $260.8 million to 17 men who spent who spent a combined 383 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted based on evidence gathered by disgraced former Chicago Police Detective Reynaldo Guevara.
Fire CPD Officer Who Kicked Down Girlfriend’s Door, Used Racial Slurs While Drunk: Top Cop
Fire CPD Officer Who Kicked Down Girlfriend’s Door, Used Racial Slurs While Drunk: Top Cop (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) Former Chicago police Supt. Larry Snelling determined an officer who broke down his girlfriend’s door, hurled racial and homophobic slurs at her and then destroyed items throughout her home while drunk should be fired, records show.
After City Council Refused to Settle, Jury Rejects Lawsuit Filed by Family of Woman Killed by Driver Chased by CPD
After City Council Refused to Settle, Jury Rejects Lawsuit Filed by Family of Woman Killed by Driver Chased by CPD (WTTW News) A Cook County jury determined Chicago police officers were not liable for the death of a 55-year-old woman who was struck and killed by a driver being chased by officers, records show.
Top Cop Agrees to Fire Chicago Police Officer Who Repeatedly Used Racial Slurs: Records
Top Cop Agrees to Fire Chicago Police Officer Who Repeatedly Used Racial Slurs: Records (WTTW News) A Chicago police officer who repeatedly used racial slurs while on duty should be fired, the agency tasked with investigating police misconduct and former Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling agreed, records show.
Suspend CPD Officers, Sergeant Repeatedly Accused of Making Improper Traffic Stops for a Combined 330 Days: Police Brass
Suspend CPD Officers, Sergeant Repeatedly Accused of Making Improper Traffic Stops for a Combined 330 Days: Police Brass (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) A Chicago police sergeant and two officers repeatedly accused of improperly stopping and searching Black people should be suspended for a combined 330 days for their actions during a September 2024 improper traffic stop, Chicago Police Department leaders and the agency tasked with investigating police misconduct agreed, records show.
Johnson’s Debt Refinancing Plan Results in Just Half of What He Promised, Forcing Officials to Scramble to Fill Budget Gap
Johnson’s Debt Refinancing Plan Results in Just Half of What He Promised, Forcing Officials to Scramble to Fill Budget Gap Mayor Brandon Johnson takes questions from the media on Aug. 25, 2026. (WTTW News) Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to refinance a chunk of the city’s massive debt to fill a budget gap of $85.1 million generated just half of what he and his top financial advisers promised Chicagoans, records show.
Key City Panel Agrees to Expand Use of Cameras to Ticket Drivers Blocking Bus, Bicycle Lanes
Key City Panel Agrees to Expand Use of Cameras to Ticket Drivers Blocking Bus, Bicycle Lanes (Page Light Studios / iStock) An effort to use automated cameras to ticket drivers who block bicycle and bus lanes is set to become permanent and expand citywide under a measure approved unanimously Friday by a key City Council committee.
Mayor Vetoes Plan to Require 30 Votes to Take on New Debt
Mayor Vetoes Plan to Require 30 Votes to Take on New Debt (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) Mayor Brandon Johnson on Friday vetoed an ordinance that would have required at least 30 alderpeople to vote to approve any plan to borrow more money in an attempt to make it harder for the city to take on more debt. The Chicago City Council voted 32-15 on Sept. 30 to require new borrowing to be approved by a three-fifths vote of the City Council, rather than a simple majority of 26 votes.
Chicago Spent $224.4M on Police Overtime in 9 Months, 12% More Than Its Annual Overtime Budget: Watchdog
Chicago Spent $224.4M on Police Overtime in 9 Months, 12% More Than Its Annual Overtime Budget: Watchdog (WTTW News) The city of Chicago has spent $224.4 million on overtime for members of the Chicago Police Department during the first nine months of 2026 — 12% more than the entire annual budget the Chicago City Council set aside for police overtime as part of the city’s spending plan, according to records published by the city’s watchdog.
No Tax Hikes or Layoffs Needed to Close Cook County’s $550M Gap Thanks to ‘Budget Magic’: Preckwinkle
No Tax Hikes or Layoffs Needed to Close Cook County’s $550M Gap Thanks to ‘Budget Magic’: Preckwinkle (WTTW News) Cook County will not need to hike property taxes, lay off employees or impose new fees to close a projected budget gap of $550.8 million in 2027, after some “budget magic” by the county’s finance team, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Wednesday.
CPD Brass Inconsistently Disciplined Officers for Using Racial Slurs: Watchdog
CPD Brass Inconsistently Disciplined Officers for Using Racial Slurs: Watchdog (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) Chicago Police Department officials acted inconsistently to discipline officers for using racial slurs against members of the public between 2021 and 2024, according to an audit by the city’s watchdog.
Key City Panel Unanimously Agrees to Pay $260.8M to Resolve 16 Lawsuits Tied to Disgraced Ex-CPD Detective Reynaldo Guevara
Key City Panel Unanimously Agrees to Pay $260.8M to Resolve 16 Lawsuits Tied to Disgraced Ex-CPD Detective Reynaldo Guevara (WTTW News) A key city panel unanimously agreed Monday to pay $260.8 million to resolve 16 federal lawsuits filed by 17 men who spent a combined 383 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted based on evidence gathered by a disgraced former Chicago police detective.
Chicago Must Pay $10.5M to Family of Man Killed by Driver Being Chased by Police: Supreme Court Ruling
Chicago Must Pay $10.5M to Family of Man Killed by Driver Being Chased by Police: Supreme Court Ruling (WTTW News) Chicago taxpayers must pay $10.5 million to the family of a man who was struck and killed in 2018 by a driver being chased by Chicago police after the Illinois Supreme Court rejected the city’s appeal of the latest massive verdict sparked by a police pursuit that violated department policy, records show.
Chicago’s Parking Meters Have Been Sold, Again. Here’s What to Know
Chicago’s Parking Meters Have Been Sold, Again. Here’s What to Know A Chicago parking meter is pictured in a file photo. (400tmax / iStock) The Chicago City Council voted 46-3 Tuesday to allow Chicago’s parking meters to be sold to an investment firm after months of controversy that dredged up memories of the 2008 deal that continues to roil Chicago politics nearly two decades later.
Interim NITA Director Earning $350K Salary While Also Collecting $213K Annual City Pension, Records Show
Interim NITA Director Earning $350K Salary While Also Collecting $213K Annual City Pension, Records Show (Background: WTTW News. Inset: Provided) Newly named interim Northern Illinois Transit Authority Executive Director Jamie Rhee will collect an annual city taxpayer-funded pension of more than $213,000 while earning $350,000 to run the new agency, bringing her total annual compensation to more than $563,000, according to records obtained by WTTW News.
Defying Mayor, City Council OKs Plan to Require 30 Votes to Take on New Debt
Defying Mayor, City Council OKs Plan to Require 30 Votes to Take on New Debt (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) The Chicago City Council voted 32-15 Tuesday to require at least 30 alderpeople to vote to approve any plan to borrow more money in an attempt to make it harder for the city to take on more debt. Authored by Ald. Marty Quinn (13th Ward), the measure requires new borrowing to be approved by a three-fifths vote of the City Council, rather than a simple majority of 26 votes.
44 People Apply to Be Chicago’s Next Police Superintendent: Commission
44 People Apply to Be Chicago’s Next Police Superintendent: Commission (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) Forty-four people applied to lead the Chicago Police Department, the president of the commission charged with picking CPD’s next top cop said Monday. In 2023, the last time Chicago needed a new chief law enforcement officer, 53 people applied for the job. In 2020, 23 people applied to lead the police department, records show.
Firm Set to Buy Chicago’s Parking Meters Sells Airline That Carried Out Deportations
Firm Set to Buy Chicago’s Parking Meters Sells Airline That Carried Out Deportations A Chicago parking meter is pictured in a file photo. (400tmax / iStock) The New York-based investment firm set to buy Chicago’s parking meters announced Monday it had sold an airline that has been carrying out deportations for the Trump administration, officials announced.
CPD Officer Who Fired 3 Shots at Suspected Carjacker on 606 Trail Faces Firing: Records
CPD Officer Who Fired 3 Shots at Suspected Carjacker on 606 Trail Faces Firing: Records (WTTW News) The Chicago police officer who fired three shots on the 606 Bloomingdale Trail at a man he suspected of an attempted carjacking should be fired, the agency tasked with investigating police misconduct concluded. However, former Chicago Police Supt.
Top Cop Agrees to Fire Officer Who Investigators Say Raped, Beat Teen Girlfriend: Records
Top Cop Agrees to Fire Officer Who Investigators Say Raped, Beat Teen Girlfriend: Records (WTTW News) A Chicago police officer who investigators say raped and beat his then 19-year-old girlfriend more than seven years ago should be fired, the agency tasked with investigating police misconduct and former Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling agreed, records show.
Suspend CPD Officers, Sergeant Repeatedly Accused of Making Improper Traffic Stops for a Combined 180 Days: Police Brass
Suspend CPD Officers, Sergeant Repeatedly Accused of Making Improper Traffic Stops for a Combined 180 Days: Police Brass A Chicago Police Department vehicle is parked on Clark Street near Daley Plaza on June 15, 2026.
‘Deal of the Century’: Sale of Chicago Parking Meters to Investment Firm Advances
‘Deal of the Century’: Sale of Chicago Parking Meters to Investment Firm Advances A Chicago parking meter is pictured in a file photo. (400tmax / iStock) The Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee agreed Thursday to allow Chicago’s parking meters to be sold to an investment firm as part of an agreement that a powerful alderperson said should serve as a partial apology for the much-loathed deal to sell the city’s meters in the first place.
Illinois Supreme Court Set to Decide Whether Serious CPD Discipline Hearings Must Take Place in Public
Illinois Supreme Court Set to Decide Whether Serious CPD Discipline Hearings Must Take Place in Public (Randy von Liski / Flickr) Illinois Supreme Court justices pressed lawyers for the city of Chicago and its largest police union on Thursday about whether officers accused of serious misconduct must have their fates decided in public proceedings.
City Council Approves Plans for 200 Affordable Homes in Edgewater, Humboldt Park
City Council Approves Plans for 200 Affordable Homes in Edgewater, Humboldt Park In Edgewater, 90 affordable units are set to be built near Broadway and Thorndale Avenue by Bickerdike Redevelopment Corp. (Courtesy of Bickerdike Redevelopment Corp.) The Chicago City Council approved plans Wednesday to build nearly 200 new homes and set them aside for low- and moderate-income Chicagoans in Edgewater and Humboldt Park.
Key City Panel Backs $202M Subsidy for New Development on Lincoln Yards Site
Key City Panel Backs $202M Subsidy for New Development on Lincoln Yards Site A rendering of the proposed Foundry Park development along the Chicago River. (Chicago Department of Planning and Development) Efforts to transform long vacant land along the north branch of the Chicago River between Bucktown and Lincoln Park into a new neighborhood advanced Tuesday with a vote by a key city panel to use $201.6 million from the area’s Tax Increment Financing districts to subsidize the project.
Key City Panel Advances Push to Force Firms to Disclose Whether They Are Profiting from Immigration Raids
Key City Panel Advances Push to Force Firms to Disclose Whether They Are Profiting from Immigration Raids (WTTW News) A key City Council unanimously voted to require firms that win lucrative city contracts to disclose whether they are also helping carry out President Donald Trump’s effort to implement the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history. The City Council’s Committee on Contracting Oversight and Equity unanimously advanced the measure authored by Ald.
Fate of Chicago Police Reform Push at Stake Ahead of Illinois Supreme Court Arguments: Attorney General
Fate of Chicago Police Reform Push at Stake Ahead of Illinois Supreme Court Arguments: Attorney General Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Aug. 11, 2026. (WTTW News) Unless the Illinois Supreme Court upholds a ruling that Chicago police officers accused of serious misconduct must have their fate determined during public proceedings, the more than seven-year effort to reform the Chicago Police Department will fail, Attorney General Kwame Raoul warned.
City Officials Want to Step Up Protections for Renters. Here’s What to Know About the Competing Proposals
City Officials Want to Step Up Protections for Renters. Here’s What to Know About the Competing Proposals Video: Joining “Chicago Tonight” are Michael Glasser, president of the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance; Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th Ward), lead sponsor of the rival proposal; Jung Yoon, chief of policy in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office; and Roderick Wilson, executive director of the Lugenia Burns Hope Center.
After City Council Refused to Settle, Lawsuit Filed by Family of Woman Killed by Driver Being Chased by CPD Set for Trial
After City Council Refused to Settle, Lawsuit Filed by Family of Woman Killed by Driver Being Chased by CPD Set for Trial (WTTW News) A Cook County jury is set to decide whether the Chicago Police Department is liable for the death of a 55-year-old woman who was struck and killed by a driver being chased by officers, records show.
Under Pressure From City Council, Lawyers Settle 3 More Cases Tied to Disgraced Ex-CPD Detective: Records
Under Pressure From City Council, Lawyers Settle 3 More Cases Tied to Disgraced Ex-CPD Detective: Records (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) As members of the Chicago City Council turned up the pressure on its attorneys to resolve lawsuits tied to disgraced former Chicago police Detective Reynaldo Guevara, city lawyers have agreed to resolve three more suits, federal court records show.
State Week: Trump endorses Bailey; Chicago's mayor to seek re-election Original
Republican Darren Bailey picked up the endorsement of President Donald Trump this week, whether he wanted it or not. Bailey has appeared to campaign without much mention of Trump during his second bid for governor. The Republican needs support from the Chicago area and moderates who are upset with current Gov. JB Pritzker. Our discussion focuses on whether Trump's public backing of Bailey helps or hurts his chances. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson officially launched his campaign for a second term.
Rival Renters’ Rights Ordinance Advances, Setting Up City Council Showdown
Rival Renters’ Rights Ordinance Advances, Setting Up City Council Showdown (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) A second Chicago City Council panel advanced a proposal to rewrite the city’s 40-year-old renters’ rights ordinance, sending a rival proposal to the full City Council and setting up a showdown between two competing versions.
Johnson’s Scaled-Back Push to Protect Renters Passes First Test
Johnson’s Scaled-Back Push to Protect Renters Passes First Test (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) A key Chicago City Council panel on Wednesday advanced Mayor Brandon Johnson’s scaled-back effort to rewrite a 40-year-old law to add new protections for renters and additional ways to hold “slum lords” accountable.
Deal Reached to Sell Chicago Parking Meters to Investment Firm, Alderpeople Say
Deal Reached to Sell Chicago Parking Meters to Investment Firm, Alderpeople Say A Chicago parking meter is pictured in a file photo. (400tmax / iStock) A deal has been reached that will allow Chicago’s parking meters to be sold to a New York-based investment firm that in turn will sell an airline that has been carrying out deportations for the Trump administration, five alderpeople announced Tuesday.
Chicago Drivers Caught on Camera Blocking Bus, Bicycle Lanes Hit With $4.5M in Fines: Data Original
Chicago Drivers Caught on Camera Blocking Bus, Bicycle Lanes Hit With $4.5M in Fines: Data (WTTW News) Drivers who blocked bicycle and bus lanes have racked up nearly $4.5 million in fines since November 2024, when an effort to use automated cameras to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians launched downtown, according to city data unveiled Tuesday.
Former CPD Supt. Larry Snelling Starts Collecting $190K Annual Police Pension, Records Show
Former CPD Supt. Larry Snelling Starts Collecting $190K Annual Police Pension, Records Show Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling talks to the news media following a meeting of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (WTTW News) Former Supt. Larry Snelling will collect an annual city taxpayer-funded pension of approximately $190,000, according to records obtained by WTTW News.
Mayor Brandon Johnson Launches Reelection Campaign, Vowing to ‘We Can’t Go Backward’
Mayor Brandon Johnson Launches Reelection Campaign, Vowing to ‘We Can’t Go Backward’ Brandon Johnson takes “Chicago Tonight” on a tour of the Austin neighborhood on April 13, 2023. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) Mayor Brandon Johnson launched a bid for reelection on Sunday, asking Chicago voters to send him back to City Hall for another four years after he spent his first term battered by outside events and suffering from self-inflicted wounds.
Tech Group Sues Illinois Over Social Media, Digital Ad Taxes
Tech Group Sues Illinois Over Social Media, Digital Ad Taxes (Thomas Ulrich / Pixabay) A tech industry trade association sued the state of Illinois Friday afternoon in an effort to block new taxes on social media companies and digital advertisements, records show. NetChoice, a trade association representing the tech industry, filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court to block the taxes approved as part of the state’s 2026-27 spending plan set to take effect Jan. 1, records show.
Taxpayers Should Pay Man Struck in Head 3 Times by CPD Officer With His Radio $225K: City Lawyers
Taxpayers Should Pay Man Struck in Head 3 Times by CPD Officer With His Radio $225K: City Lawyers An image captured by a Chicago Police Department officer’s body-worn camera shows Officer Michael Donnelly pointing his gun at a man’s head while he is being restrained by other officers.
City Lawyers Recommend Paying $6M to Family of Man Killed by Driver Being Chased by Police
City Lawyers Recommend Paying $6M to Family of Man Killed by Driver Being Chased by Police (WTTW News) Chicago should pay $6 million to the family of a man who was struck and killed by a driver being chased by Chicago police while waiting at a CTA bus stop, city lawyers recommended, the latest massive settlement prompted by a police pursuit. Michael A.
Pay 2 Men Who Spent a Combined 38 Years in Prison for Double Murder They Didn’t Commit $14M, City Lawyers Recommend
Pay 2 Men Who Spent a Combined 38 Years in Prison for Double Murder They Didn’t Commit $14M, City Lawyers Recommend Chicago City Hall. (WTTW News) Chicago taxpayers should pay $13.75 million to two men who spent a combined 38 years in prison after they were coerced into confessing to a gruesome double murder and kidnapping in 1998, city lawyers recommended.
Number of Unhoused Chicagoans Dropped 12% in 2026 But Remains Near All-Time High, Survey Found
Number of Unhoused Chicagoans Dropped 12% in 2026 But Remains Near All-Time High, Survey Found A volunteer with Street Samaritans hands out a care package to a person camping underneath a bridge in November in the Chicago area.
Chicago City Council Puts Bally’s Officials on Hot Seat Amid Dispute Over Video Gambling
Chicago City Council Puts Bally’s Officials on Hot Seat Amid Dispute Over Video Gambling (WTTW News) But after more than three and a half hours of tense questioning, the conflict triggered by the City Council’s decision to green-light video gambling terminals in every Chicago bar and restaurant remained deadlocked.
Key City Council Panel Agrees to Tighten Chicago’s Ethics Law After ‘Problematic Incidents’
Key City Council Panel Agrees to Tighten Chicago’s Ethics Law After ‘Problematic Incidents’ Chicago City Hall is pictured in a file photo. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) A key Chicago City Council committee agreed on Tuesday to tighten Chicago’s Governmental Ethics Ordinance, advancing a slate of changes that includes a requirement that candidates explicitly stand by their advertisements.
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