The Latest Breaking News from City Council

Thanks to a push from organized labor, a special City Council committee approved an ordinance authorizing Bally’s to build a $1.7 billion permanent casino in River West, preceded by a temporary home at Medinah Temple.

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Mayoral challenger Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) is leading the call for the city’s top cop to appear before the “Committee of the Whole” — meaning, all 50 alderpersons. He was joined by 29 colleagues, including several of the mayor’s hand-picked committee chairs.

A manager of the building where three women died during a stretch of warm temperatures said city rules required them to provide heat through June 1. “Nobody is going to freeze to death in Chicago in May,” said Ald. Brian Hopkins, who introduced an ordinance to ease that requirement.

Two mayoral allies used a parliamentary maneuver to put off approval of an ordinance that would alter Chicago’s seldom-enforced curfew law, though it is expected to pass at Wednesday’s Council meeting.

CHICAGO — As a candidate for mayor, Lori Lightfoot promised to transform Chicago’s often corrupt political culture, in part by taking away the near-total power aldermen have over matters in their own wards and by leading a transparent government.

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia City Council did a silly thing Thursday, passing a resolution honoring Joel Embiid as the “Most Valuable Philadelphian,” and calling the resolution silly is the best thing you can say about it. Embiid had finished second in the voting for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award to…

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Facing community pressure to delay or cancel the Angel Stadium sale amid a corruption investigation into Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu, the Angels on Friday gave the Anaheim City Council 25 days to grant final approval to the deal.

LOS ANGELES — Joe Russell, a Hollywood producer who has worked on spots for billionaires seeking political office, was on a date with his wife at the Grove on a recent afternoon when he took a break to talk about the suddenly relevant phenomenon of L.A. billionaires seeking public office.

It’s an unusual timeline for any legislation to move through the council, and unnecessary at that, said Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd), who vehemently opposes Bally’s proposal to break ground at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — A year and a half ago, two power brokers in Anaheim discussed a critical question on the phone: Who should they invite to a secretive gathering of Anaheim business leaders, consultants and politicians?