Chicago City Wire

Activists asking Aldermen to discriminate, Catholic leader claims

By Karen Kidd | Mar 6, 2019

A letter from a group with "Catholic" in its title criticizing Chicago City Council for approving a multi-million-dollar subsidy to Illinois' largest Catholic health care system is asking city aldermen to discriminate, claims the vice president of a faith-based advocacy group.

Wirepoints' Glennon: Rent control would intensify housing crisis

By Karen Kidd | Mar 4, 2019

A Chicago Democratic lawmaker's second attempt at eliminating Illinois' rent-control ban would predictably worsen the state's housing crisis – or solve it in a negative way – the founder of an online news outlet said during a recent interview.

Pro-choice group trying to 'astroturf' aldermen, advocate says

By Karen Kidd | Mar 4, 2019

A letter from a group with "Catholic" in its title that criticized a split Chicago City Council approval of a multimillion-dollar subsidy to Illinois' largest Catholic health care system should not be trusted, the president of a conservative, nonprofit advocacy group said.

Hairston facing runoff with South Side activist Calloway in city's 5th Ward

By Karen Kidd | Feb 27, 2019

Chicago 5th Ward Alderman Leslie Hairston faces a runoff challenge in April from a noted South Side community activist after the five-term alderman failed to garner more than 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday's citywide election.

Moreno loses 1st Ward Chicago Alderman seat in upset to La Spata

By Karen Kidd | Feb 27, 2019

In one of the upsets in Tuesday's city-wide elections in Chicago, 1st Ward Alderman Proco Joe Moreno, whose private life raised questions in the run-up to voting day, lost his seat of about eight years to challenger Daniel La Spata.

Illinois Opportunity Project releases 'Exclusive Candidate Report' ahead of Tuesday's Chicago elections

By Karen Kidd | Feb 24, 2019

The Illinois Opportunity Project has issued a candidate's report detailing the 180 Chicago candidates in Tuesday's elections for mayor, city council and other races.

CTU-backed tax proposals are 'fringe lunacy,' says Wirepoints founder

By Karen Kidd | Feb 12, 2019

A trio of taxes pushed by a coalition of activists and unions is nothing short of insanity, said the founder of an online news outlet during a recent interview.

Taxes pushed by CTU-backed group would drive business out of Chicago, company chairman says

By Karen Kidd | Feb 7, 2019

A trio of taxes pushed by a coalition of activists and unions would drive business out of Chicago, the head of a digital services company on West Monroe said in a recent statement.

From Prairie State Wire

Illinios education officials want half the state's budget, Wirepoints warns

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Illinois education officials are out to get half of the state's budget—and they just might—to the detriment of the state's taxpayers, according to an online Wirepoints newsletter issued earlier today.

Podgorski sides with Daley in call for referendum to reduce Chicago City Council size

By Karen Kidd | Jan 31, 2019

A call by William M. "Bill" Daley, a Democratic candidate for mayor of Chicago, for a citywide referendum to let voters decide whether to reduce the City Council's aldermen from 50 aldermen to 15 has a thumbs-up from a Northside Republican party leader.

From Prairie State Wire

IPI: FBI's secret Madigan recordings in affidavit reveal nothing new about speaker's operations

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Illinois's powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), earlier today revealed to be a target in the same FBI investigation that led to an extortion indictment against a Chicago alderman, is not accused of anything new, a think tank reported.

Wirepoints president calls CTU's proposal 'irresponsible'

By Karen Kidd | Jan 18, 2019

Chicago Teachers Union's first contract proposal, delivered earlier this week to the city's mayor, asking—among other things—for a 5 percent pay raise, is "irresponsible," the president of an online news outlet said during a recent interview.

FBI found 23 guns in Burke's office, local research group says

By Karen Kidd | Jan 8, 2019

Longtime Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, facing a federal attempted extortion charge, was required to turn over almost two dozen firearms during an FBI raid on his office in November, according to a local research group's online post earlier this month.

Reps. Lang and Welch, both accused of abusing women, take jobs with influential firms

By Karen Kidd | Jan 8, 2019

The resignation of state Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) on Monday marked the second time in about as many weeks that an Illinois representative who is alleged to have abused a woman got a new gig in a high-powered organization with influence in government.

Chicago Alderman Burke says 'I've done nothing wrong' in response to federal attempted extortion charge

By Karen Kidd | Jan 4, 2019

Longtime Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, who faces a single count of attempted extortion released in a federal criminal complaint unsealed Thursday, told reporters later that day that he is not guilty of the charge.

From Prairie State Wire

Legislature overrides some Rauner vetoes, fails on others

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Illinois's outgoing Republican governor saw a few of his vetoes overridden during the Fall Veto Session in Springfield and a few new laws have been passed, a QUAD city area lawmaker said in a summary recap released last week.

Patlak 'disappointed' by Board of Review inequities

By Karen Kidd | Dec 6, 2018

Cook County Board's new Board of Review chairman, Dan Patlak, continues to voice is disappointment in fellow review board members who failed to support a staffing resolution during a meeting earlier this week.

From Prairie State Wire

State facing huge debt for public-sector retiree health benefits, says Wirepoints

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Illinois's "other debt disaster" is $73 billion in unfunded state retiree health insurance benefits and more than twice that amount owed over the next four decades, according to a special report issued this week by an online news outlet.

New health care law actually will hurt the sick, says health policy analyst at Cato Institute

By Karen Kidd | Dec 5, 2018

A health policies expert for a Washington, D.C.-based Lbertarian think tank is taking issue with a Twitter post by a left-leaning justice organization that cheered the veto-overriding passage of a new state law he warns will amount to "government-imposed rationing."

Davis, LaHood show bipartisan support for childhood abuse, neglect prevention, program CEO says

By Karen Kidd | Oct 17, 2018

Democrat U.S. House Rep. Danny K. Davis will receive a lifetime achievement award and Republican U.S. House Rep. Darin LaHood will speak at Thursday's Prevent Child Abuse America Gala in Chicago, a program official said during a recent interview.