Jared Rutecki

CPS faces a $734 million budget shortfall as the new academic year kicks off.

Chicago Board of Education members talk about their concerns regarding the budget proposal and the plan to defer a $175 million pension payment.

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The Adams County Sheriff Has Been Cooperating With ICE. Does That Violate Illinois Law? The Adams County Sheriff’s Office in western Illinois has transferred at least two men into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, in apparent violation of the state’s TRUST and Way Forward...

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office in western Illinois has transferred at least two men into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, in apparent violation of the state’s TRUST and Way Forward Act, according to a lawyer who helped provide technical support for the legislation.

Pritzker Gives Boon to Trial Lawyers, Vetoes Treasurer-Backed Bill The Illinois governor signed 266 laws on Friday. The new laws include measures to make public defenders more independent, tighten safety regulations at warehouses and increase the age for required ann...

The governor signed 266 laws including measures to make public defenders more independent, tighten safety regulations at warehouses and increase the age for required annual driver tests.

Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source Gets $815M Upgrade Since 1995, Argonne National Laboratory, located just southwest of Chicago, has been at the forefront of atomic-scale research in the United States.

Argonne: The Advanced Photon Source or APS, after nearly three decades and thousands of experiments, went offline to allow for an $815 million Department of Energy-funded upgrade.

Billboard Promoting Far-Right Group Proud Boys Pops Up in Southern Illinois The sign is located at Old U.S. Route 50 and St. Rose Road, about 1,000 feet from the entrance to Central Community High School. It lists a local phone number for people to call.

A billboard rising from a Clinton County cornfield near Breese that appears to be a recruiting tool for the Proud Boys — a far-right extremist group tied to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — has touched off outrage in the small southern Illinois community.

Chicago Board of Education Members Weigh in on CPS Budget Proposal, $734M Shortfall CPS leaders said they crafted a budget proposal to keep cuts out of the classroom, but the plan leans heavily on one-time funding, raising questions about long-term stability.

CPS Board of Education: The budget also includes $79M in TIF revenue assumptions, bringing the total expected from the city up to nearly $379M. Some are concerned about the sustainability of the plan, such as board member Jitu Brown.

CPS Students Return for 1st Day of Classes as District Continues Working to Close Budget Gap Chicago Public Schools students returned to their classrooms Monday for the start of the new academic year, as district officials continue working to finalize a budget proposal to close a $734 million...

Chicago Public Schools students returned to their classrooms for the start of the new academic year, as district officials continue working to finalize a budget proposal to close a $734 million funding gap. news.wttw.com/2025/08/18/c...

Black Mayors of Cities Trump Decries as ‘Lawless’ Tout Significant Declines in Violent Crimes Members of the African American Mayors Association are determined to stop President Donald Trump from burying accomplishments that they already felt were overlooked. And they’re using the administrati...

Members of the African American Mayors Association are determined to stop President Donald Trump from burying their accomplishments.

These mayors have seen a drop in violent crime after a pandemic-era spike. In some cases the declines were monumental.

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Northeastern Illinois University Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for $125M Education Building The nearly 190,000-square-foot, multi-use building will be home to NEIU’s Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education. The facility, set to open in 2027, will include classroom space, laboratories, adminis...

The nearly 190,000-square-foot, multi-use building will be home to NEIU’s Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education. The facility will include classroom space, laboratories, administrative and office space, and general campus space.

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CPS Students Return for 1st Day of Classes as District Continues Working to Close Budget Gap Chicago Public Schools students returned to their classrooms Monday for the start of the new academic year, as district officials continue working to finalize a budget proposal to close a $734 million...

Chicago Public Schools students returned to their classrooms Monday for the start of the new academic year, as district officials continue working to finalize a budget proposal to close a $734 million funding gap.

to.wttw.com/3V87anK

The Adams County Sheriff Has Been Cooperating With ICE. Does That Violate Illinois Law? The Adams County Sheriff’s Office in western Illinois has transferred at least two men into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, in apparent violation of the state’s TRUST and Way Forward...

“If state law conflicts with federal law, federal law trumps state law.”

Adams County Sheriff’s stance on immigration enforcement may violate Illinois law. The investigation by @blairpaddock.bsky.social uncovers detentions, deportations and potential legal fallout.

🔍 Full story:

The Adams County Sheriff Has Been Cooperating With ICE. Does That Violate Illinois Law? The Adams County Sheriff’s Office in western Illinois has transferred at least two men into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, in apparent violation of the state’s TRUST and Way Forward...

The Adams County Sheriff has been cooperating with ICE, despite Illinois' sanctuary laws prohibiting so. As a result, at least two men have been deported.

news.wttw.com/2025/08/15/a...

Unions Rally at Jesse Brown VA Facility, Demand Trump Administration Restores Collective Bargaining Rights Last week, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs terminated union contracts for most bargaining-unit employees, stripping labor protections for about 400,000 workers. Friday’s rally was part of a na...

Workers at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health facilities gathered across the street from the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center on the Near West Side to call on the Trump administration to restore collective bargaining rights.

Stewardship Efforts Pay Off at 63rd Street Beach, Where Rare Species Are Making Themselves at Home 63rd Street Beach sees heavy recreational use while also managing to support diverse wildlife.

For the first leg of their inaugural migratory journey, Chicago’s surviving piping plover chicks, El and Bean, didn’t travel far south.

The two settled in at 63rd Street Beach, adjacent to Jackson Park, where the dunes must have looked familiar.

Week in Review: Trump Threatens DC-Style Crime Crackdown in Chicago; CPS Presents 2026 Budget Plan Local leaders slam President Donald Trump’s threat to take over policing in Chicago as flat-out illegal. And school board members push back on a CPS budget that puts off a huge pension payment.

Chicago Tonight | The Week in Review: Trump Threatens DC-Style Crime Crackdown in Chicago; CPS Presents 2026 Budget Plan, with Laura Washington, @themelodymercado.bsky.social @jake-sheridan.bsky.social Simone Alicea & host @ndblumberg.bsky.social

What if they’re posting on short form video platforms tho?

Chicago Officer Who Fatally Shot Partner Krystal Rivera Stripped of Police Powers After New Allegations A Chicago Police Department spokesperson confirmed that Officer Carlos Baker has been relieved of his police powers, effective Friday.

The Chicago police officer who fatally shot his partner, Officer Krystal Rivera, earlier this year has been stripped of his police powers.

This move comes days after he allegedly struck another female officer during an alleged incident inside a Wicker Park bar Sunday.

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A new ICE detention center is in the works in Indiana, dubbed the “Speedway Slammer.”

Indiana state Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn talks about the fiscal responsibilities this new facility will impose on Indiana.

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More Than Half of CPS Board Calling for ‘Critical’ Changes to District’s Budget Plan The letter came after several board members voiced concerns about the district’s proposed spending plan, one CPS officials have pledged would keep any cuts out of the classroom.

More than half of Chicago’s 21-member Board of Education signed on to a letter calling for “critical” changes to CPS’ latest budget proposal in the form of a loan and the district picking up a $175 million municipal pension payment.

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New Republican to Run for Illinois Governor as Election Season Begins Illinois Republicans held their annual events around the Illinois State Fair on Thursday, with former Illinois GOP Chair Don Tracy launching a U.S. Senate campaign and Ted Dabrowski announcing he will...

Former Illinois GOP Chair Don Tracy launched a U.S. Senate campaign and Ted Dabrowski, the president of conservative research group Wirepoints, announced he will launch a campaign for governor in the coming weeks.

Astronaut Jim Lovell Talks Tom Hanks, ‘Apollo 13’ in 1995 ‘Chicago Tonight’ Interview Jim Lovell was the commander of the Apollo 13 mission. The dramatic story of those astronauts returning to earth after major mechanical problems in space was made into a hit movie starring Tom Hanks a...

Astronaut Jim Lovell Talks Tom Hanks, ‘Apollo 13’ in 1995 ‘Chicago Tonight’ Interview news.wttw.com/2025/08/14/a...

Illinois Democrats Say State Should Be Blueprint in National Fight Against Donald Trump Democrats across the country are searching for a winning message in the 2026 elections, but Illinois Democrats say they’re already found one.

Democrats across the country are searching for a winning message in the 2026 elections, but Illinois Democrats say they’re already found one.

With Nonprofits Stretched Thin, New Network Aims to Boost Collaboration Nonprofit organizations around the country are under stress. They’ve seen cuts to their funding from the federal government — but the community needs they try to meet are more pressing than ever.

Nonprofit organizations around the country are under stress. Enter Chicago Nonprofit Connect. The new networking organization aims to help Chicago-area nonprofits break out of their silos and find ways to make the work they do more effective and more sustainable.

Advocates Raise Concerns About New ICE Detention Center in Indiana The Miami Correctional Facility in Miami County, Indiana, is allowing the federal government to detain immigrants. It’s located about 130 miles southeast of Chicago’s border with Indiana and 70 miles ...

The Miami Correctional Facility in Miami County, Indiana, is allowing the federal government to detain immigrants. It’s located about 130 miles southeast of Chicago’s border with Indiana and 70 miles north of Indianapolis.

From a Circus in the Park to a Dolly Parton Jam Session, Here’s 6 Arts Picks for This Week According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the dog days of summer actually ended on Aug. 11. So where are we now — the hot dog days? The dog-tired days? This week’s cultural offerings are a doggone deligh...

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the dog days of summer actually ended on Aug. 11. So where are we now — the hot dog days? The dog-tired days? This week’s cultural offerings are a doggone delightful six-pack of opportunities both sublime and slightly silly.

Illinois Judge Rejects Request to Arrest and Return Texas Democrats Who Fled State Amid Redistricting Battle Judge Scott Larson said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton “failed to present a legal basis” for the Illinois court to consider civil arrest warrants filed in a different state.

A downstate Illinois judge has rejected a request from Texas officials to arrest and return absent Democratic Texas House legislators who fled to Illinois back to their home state.
 
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CPS officials are planning to rely on non-classroom cuts, additional revenue streams and more to close a budget gap of more than $700 million.

WTTW News' Matt Masterson elaborates on the key ways CPS is trying to close the budget gap.

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Kimbriell Kelly named editor-in-chief at Sun-Times, WBEZ A Pulitzer Prize winner, Kelly has a background in investigative reporting. She will succeed Jennifer Kho, who will work on a project dealing with the future of public media.

Chicago Public Media, which owns the Sun-Times and WBEZ, announced today that Kimbriell Kelly will become the organization's editor-in-chief starting Sept. 2.

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The city’s One Summer Chicago program put 30,000 young people to work this year, providing jobs in transportation, health care, business and more.

WTTW News took a look at some of the barriers young people may be experiencing when looking for work. to.wttw.com/3Hfhbwm

CPS Banking on TIF Funding, Pension Contingency to Keep Cuts Out of Classrooms in Latest Budget Plan “The choices we have are difficult ones,” CPS chief budget officer Mike Sitkowski told the Board of Education, “and it’s very difficult for us to be able to make cuts of this magnitude and keep the im...

District leaders published their proposed spending plan for the 2026 fiscal year, which they say will avoid a high-interest loan that would have sent CPS on a “downward spiral” of credit downgrades, higher interest rates and steeper cuts to staff, programs and services.