Burr Ridge
Burr Ridge, IL · Municipal
POLITICO
Giannoulias goes in on affordability
Happy Monday, Illinois! As we turn the page on one election, another one looms. TOP TALKER FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Alexi Giannoulias is taking his mayoral campaign to Chicago television screens, rolling out two new ads, including one that puts affordability front and center, as the race to challenge Mayor Brandon Johnson begins to take shape. About the economy : The secretary of state, who won reelection last week, is out with spots titled “ Stoop ” and “ Make It Work .” Both feature Giannoulias talking directly with Chicagoans about his policy goals, including raising the minimum wage from $17 to $22 an hour by 2032. The ads are an early signal of where Giannoulias intends to take his campaign — and a reflection of the issues that helped shape last week's midterm elections. His new policy platform, AlexiPlan.com, focuses on wages, housing, taxes and utility costs, all pocketbook concerns that have resonated with voters nationally. “People want safer streets, more money in [their] pockets and a City Hall that just works,” Giannoulias says in one ad, pointing to his record as secretary of state as evidence he can make government work. The bigger picture : The midterms put affordability
Chicago Public Radio
The Center Square
Environmental group says Amtrak project impact assessment was ‘rushed’
(The Center Square) – Federal authorities have said a proposed Amtrak maintenance facility project has the environmental all clear a little over a week after conceding to local opposition over the perceived impacts of the project locally. The new facility would be built on an existing 2-mile-long railyard owned, but decreasingly used, by Union Pacific.The stretch of rail infrastructure in Bridgeport, near the Sox’s current home of Rate Field, also runs adjacent to the Chinatown and Armour Square neighborhoods. The project has been granted $659 million by the Federal Railroad Administration and more than $125 million from future White Sox owner Justin Ishbia through Canal Edge, his firm poised to develop a new White Sox stadium on the site of Amtrak’s active railyard. Hannah Dembosky, founder and co-lead of activist group Bridgeport Environmentalist, told The Center Square that the Amtrak-conducted environmental assessment wasn’t what opponents were asking for. “We were worried that this was going to happen in a very rushed opaque manner and unfortunately, with the release of these documents coming around 10 or so days right after the announcement that they were going to do the environmental assessment, that is basically what we're seeing,” Dembosky said. The assessment
wjol.com
Axios Chicago
Chicago parents protest Google's AI school policy
Chicago parents concerned about AI will join activists across the nation Wednesday to protest "Big tech bullies in our schools" at local Google headquarters. What happened: Google set off a firestorm — and then partially backtracked — last week when it announced it would take away Google search from any school that opts out of its artificial intelligence products like Gemini. Why it matters: CPS, like many districts, has integrated Google technology deeply into its infrastructure. And the move appeared aimed at leveraging that dependence. The blowback: "Google is using its search monopoly to coerce schools into adopting AI," former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan said on social media. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called it "extortion" and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said "no corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children." The upshot: In the wake of the backlash, Google retreated on the Gemini part, but it still won't shut off generative AI Overviews on its school version of Google search. Schools must take the generative AI version or no Google search at all. What they're saying: "It's fundamentally problematic that a for-profit company is dictating the terms of how technology is operating
hoodline.com
Alsip Voters Extend Term Limits, Clearing Path For Mayor Ryan's Fourth Term
Alsip voters have agreed to loosen the very term-limit rules that Mayor John Ryan once championed as a village trustee a decade ago, a change that could now let Ryan himself seek a fourth term in office. The referendum, decided in the Nov. 3 general election, raises the cap for mayor, clerk and trustee from three consecutive four-year terms to four, starting with the next municipal election.
fox32chicago.com
southportcorridorchicago.com
Bennett Lawson Faces Two Challengers in Chicago’s 44th Ward Election in 2027
Chicago’s 44th Ward aldermanic race is shaping up to be a three-way contest in 2027, with incumbent Ald. Bennett Lawson facing two challengers as he seeks a second term representing portions of Lakeview, Wrigleyville and Northalsted. Lawson, who took office in 2023 after longtime Ald. Tom Tunney retired from...
Cleveland Jewish News
‘Zero sense of panic,’ Chicago Federation says of recently passed anti-Israel state measures
In March 2026, Elyse Cutler saw a screenshot of a petition a parent posted in a WhatsApp group that she manages for Jewish parents of high schoolers. The image suggested that there was an effort to get an anti-Israel referendum on the ballot for the upcoming midterm elections. “I’d never...
ABC 7 Chicago
Secret Chicago
A 28-story Lakeview apartment tower with 345 units and a 50,000-square-foot fitness club could rise at Sheridan and Diversey
That big, empty medical building at Sheridan and Diversey? It’s on its way out. And something a lot taller could take its place. Developers are pitching a 28-story Lakeview apartment tower at 2800 N. Sheridan Road , right where Lakeview meets Lincoln Park. It would replace the vacant, six-story Ida and Norman Stone Medical Building, which is already being demolished. The team expects demolition to wrap by the end of the year. Antunovich Associates , Continuum Development and Chicago Development Partners laid out the plan at a virtual community meeting last week, according to the Chicago Sun-Times . Here’s the rundown: 345 apartments , from 500-square-foot studios to 1,600-square-foot three-bedrooms 69 affordable units for households earning between $50,000 and $70,000 a year A 50,000-square-foot fitness club with a pool and a roof deck 10,000 square feet of additional retail space 275 parking spaces and 345 bike spaces Who’s running the gym? They won’t say. The team confirmed it has secured a fitness club but declined to name it. Love a little mystery. Now, the part everyone’s going to scroll to: rent. Studios would start at $2,700 a month . A three-bedroom could run $8,000 to $10,000 . A month. Yes,