Brandon Johnson

Renderings of the proposed new Bears stadium

Bears stadium costs? Add another $1.2 billion

The Bears put the figure at $4.7 billion. But a state official says the tally to taxpayers goes even higher when you include the cost of refinancing existing debt.

By Fran Spielman and Mitchell Armentrout

Stephen Mitchell wears a dark blue zip-up sweater and red ballcap as he stands in a meeting room with several white tables.

Education

CPS selective, magnet schools appear to take hit under new equity funding formula

Local school councils at several specialty elementary schools in Chicago say they’re facing budget cuts — a claim backed by a WBEZ/Sun-Times analysis.

By Sarah Karp | WBEZ and Nader Issa

Mayor Brandon Johnson Chicago City Hall.

Politics

Chicago lobbyists escape serious punishment for improper donations to Mayor Johnson’s campaign

The board says it doesn’t have the authority to enforce an executive order barring lobbyists from contributing to a mayor’s political committee.

By Tessa Weinberg | WBEZ

City Hall

Mayor Johnson's plan to borrow $1.25 billion hits another roadblock

Things went sideways in the Finance Committee, and Ald. Pat Dowell, the committee chair, recessed the meeting until Wednesday, telling the Sun-Times she hopes the committee will vote then.

By Fran Spielman

City Hall

Mayor reverses course, will call for $70 million in funding for migrant care, key City Council member says

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), says city officials are acting based on their expectation that busing will ramp up again as the Democratic National Convention nears.

By Sophie Sherry

City Hall

Johnson renews call for Gaza cease-fire at Eid celebration

Thousands gathered Wednesday morning for prayers at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, where Mayor Brandon Johnson briefly gave a renewed call for peace in Gaza.

By David Struett

Money

Fast-tracking Chicago's housing, commercial development

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s “Cut the Tape” report takes aim at bureaucracy that bogs down building in the city.

By Abby Miller

Fran Spielman Show

Bears in a hurry to build domed lakefront stadium, but Friends of the Parks says, 'Not so fast'

Gin Kilgore, acting executive director of Friends of the Parks, is not about to go along with what she called Bears President Kevin Warren’s “Buy now. This deal won’t last” sales pitch.

By Fran Spielman

Housing & development

Mayor Johnson seeks more than $150M in TIF assistance for La Salle Street revamp

The four projects named by Johnson’s office stand to create more than 1,000 new apartments with at least 319 projected to have affordable rents through tax increment financing assistance.

By Fran Spielman, Abby Miller, and 1 more

A large camp of homeless people along Lower Wacker Drive on Feb. 15, 2018. | Kevin Tanaka/For the Sun Times

City Hall

City Council's Progressive Caucus responds to 'Bring Chicago Home' defeat with 'we heard you' humility

The caucus’ statement Monday was in stark contrast to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s defiant tone after Chicago voters rejected a referendum last week to combat homelessness.

By Fran Spielman

Education

CPS to start funding schools based on student need, not enrollment

As part of a larger effort to remake Chicago Public Schools, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Board of Education moves ahead with its latest policy change.

By Sarah Karp | WBEZ

Richard Guidice, executive director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management & Communications, speaks at a September 2022 news conference. He’s retiring.

City Hall

Mayor Brandon Johnson losing seasoned chief of staff after less than a year in office

The appointment of City Hall lifer Rich Guidice sent a reassuring message to those most fearful of the most progressive mayor in Chicago history. But now, Guidice is abandoning ship before seeing Chicago through the Democratic National Convention in August.

By Fran Spielman

Immigration

Day 4 of Chicago migrant evictions: Mayor Johnson urged to end them

The city began evicting migrants from its 23 shelters, affecting potentially 2,000 people by the end of April. Alderpersons are calling for a halt and greater transparency.

By Michael Loria

Immigration

Chicago slowly starts evicting migrants from shelters

Dozens of adults were expected to be evicted Sunday, amid an outbreak of measles, but just three were. They will be able to reapply for shelter at the city’s designated ‘landing zone.’

By Michael Loria

Elections

Bring Chicago Home votes will be counted after Illinois Supreme Court denies appeal

The Illinois Supreme Court denied an effort to block the ballot question regarding tax rates on property sales.

By Tessa Weinberg | WBEZ and Mariah Woelfel | WBEZ

Immigration

Chicago failed to take Catholic archdiocese up on offers to house migrants for free

For well over a year, church officials have offered up rent-free locations to the city, but Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has yet to act. Oak Park, on the other hand, is now housing migrants at a former Catholic school.

By Michael Loria

Farzin Parang, executive director of the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago, stands and speaks at a podium adorned with the Illinois state seal.

Elections

Real estate groups ask Illinois Supreme Court to block ‘Bring Chicago Home’ referendum

The groups want the court to remove a question from the March 19 primary ballot that asks voters if they approve an increased sales tax on high-end properties.

By Tessa Weinberg | WBEZ and Mariah Woelfel | WBEZ

The Watchdogs

How Brandon Johnson’s inner circle compares to past mayors’

It’s more heavily Black, with no Asian Americans among his top political appointees. Overall, the city payroll is far different from the significantly white employee base that Mayor Richard M. Daley had when he left office in 2011, a Sun-Times analysis finds.

By Lauren FitzPatrick and Justin Myers

Demonstrators outside City Hall in March 2021 want an elected school board in Chicago

Education

Illinois lawmakers approve elected school board for Chicago. What comes next?

Illinois House OKs deal approved by the Senate that would put 10 of 21 school board seats up for election this November. Mayor Brandon Johnson will appoint the rest, including the board president.

By Nader Issa and Tina Sfondeles

Elections

Helping the unhoused 'a matter of life and death,' Johnson says during Bring Chicago Home push

Mayor Brandon Johnson received a tour detailing the homeless veteran services provided at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center a day after an appellate court ruled votes would be counted in the Bring Chicago Home ballot referendum.

By Kaitlin Washburn