The Latest Breaking News from Brandon Johnson

The city signed the lease before the environmental assessment was completed. Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th) said it was done without her knowledge.

Johnson said Congress should add $5 billion for migrant assistance. The Biden White House is asking for $1.4 billion. It may be an uphill challenge to get more from the GOP House.

The Chicago City Council put off a vote on accepting donated land at 115th and Halsted that would be the site of a migrant tent camp. Also delayed was a vote on whether to put a binding referendum on the March ballot to raise the real estate transfer tax to…

Volunteers, churches and advocacy groups are scrambling to find indoor shelter for migrants in Chicago as the temperatures drop

The $150 million in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $16.6 billion budget is only “half of the projected amount necessary to care for asylum seekers,” the Civic Federation noted in its annual review of the city budget.

A City Council committee voted to put a referendum on the March ballot asking voters to authorize the Council to quadruple the real estate transfer tax rate on sales over $1.5 million and more than double the rate on sales above $1 million. The rate would drop on sales below…

The modest improvement from an 82% graduation rate in 2022 to 84% this year represents a continued increase since a decade ago, when it sat at 59%. Mayor Brandon Johnson and U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona lauded the achievement Tuesday.

A top official said Chicago could be forced to raid its reserves, even though that would almost certainly cause Wall Street rating agencies to reduce the bond rating, increasing how much it costs the city to borrow money.

LaSalle Street would be perfect for the new federal effort, announced last week, that encourages cities and states to turn empty office buildings — particularly ones near transit — into housing.