Not my normal spot for an interview: the bike lane. I talked with Mayor Brandon Johnson about cycling in Chicago. Here's how he sees bike infrastructure fitting into the city, told by him from atop a Divvy bike to @chicagotribune.com (part 1/2):

Mayor Brandon Johnson seeks $90 million in settlement of suits tied to corrupt cop, @jake-sheridan.bsky.social and @jmetr22b.bsky.social w the details. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/11/m...

NEW: Ald. Brendan Reilly is officially running for Cook County Board President against Toni Preckwinkle. He's focusing on crime to unseat Preckwinkle, a progressive who has been in office for 15 years. First reported by @adquig.bsky.social (gift link): www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/10/d...

One day. One new speed camera. $60,000. Chicago's new speed cams are raking it in, early data shows. They captured $1.7M in three weeks in June, now the most-ticketed month in three years, as aldermen tout their safety impact. With William Tong for @chicagotribune.com: t.co/EHnTVvdcF9

Should retired police be able to sell marijuana? Alderman Andre Vasquez says no, blocks dispensary. Interesting, from @jake-sheridan.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/03/r...

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new speed cameras see big early revenue as aldermen tout safety impact. Story by @jake-sheridan.bsky.social and William Tong www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/07/m...

Powerful graphic: Chicago just saw its smallest summer murder total since 1965. The city is on track to see one of its lowest murder totals in decades, a trend in play all year that continued through the city's most violent season. Murders are way, way down after a spike. Look:

Should cops be able to profit from selling weed? Ald. Andre Vasquez blocked a group of retired police from opening a dispensary after community pushback. “There’s just something fundamentally unfair and unjust about it.” For @chicagotribune: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/03/r...

Should local TikTok personality Jroy be held accountable for a string of shootings that took place near his West Side street party in Chicago? We unpack the debate. thetriibe.com/2025/08/ther...

This story from @jake-sheridan.bsky.social unspools the controversy over a Northwest Side anti-gentrification ordinance. An interesting story about money, housing and public policy by our intrepid reporter. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/24/a...

This weekend, dozens of Chicago Tribune journalists will be on standby as huge protests promise to arise in our city. At the same time, many of us will be organizing to fight buyouts. Our work is essential to democracy, and it's under attack. I'm grateful for my union today.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson blasts Rahm Emanuel today: Donald Trump's "playbook" of government cuts is the same strategy Emanuel executed in Chicago with school closings & "neoliberalism," Johnson said. “A tyrant in the White House. We got here because someone gave him the script." Watch⬇️

Yikes! 100 artists have drafted a letter to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson expressing “deep concern” over alleged failures in his administration’s work for the arts community, ripping Dept. Head Clinée Hedspeth. By @jake-sheridan.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/04/10/a...

Charities across Chicago are experiencing the same inexplicable decline: A shortage in winter coats. Is it donation fatigue? B/c the city has weathered warm winters recently? A mix of both? “We really can’t put our finger on what it is,” said one advocate. “We’re significantly thousands behind.”

New here: Mayor Johnson pinned hopes for fiscal stability on meetings with Gov. Pritzker's team on "progressive revenue." Such meetings have not been happening, a source close to Pritzker told me. More on Chicago's financial future, for @chicagotribune: t.co/aYh893GhWM

Lions huddle on heated rocks. Penguins get a snow melt system & warmed pool. Koalas can't figure out when to go inside with their "smooth surface" brain, so zookeepers watch close. On how Lincoln Park Zoo animals stay warm in winter, by @chicagotribune.com's Rebecca Johnson: t.co/tiYg4uHjFH

NEW: Mayor Brandon Johnson's budget passes 27-23, the closest vote in decades. The vote ends a chaotic, tense struggle over the budget that ultimately included no property tax hike, few cuts and several fee hikes. Details in @chicagotribune (gift link): t.co/cQ1rmKVAHq

Mayor Brandon Johnson's $17.1 Chicago budget passed in a 27-23 vote. The 2025 budget largely avoids spending cuts while also not raising property taxes — despite Johnson's initial plan to hike them $300 million — while passing with one of the slimmest margins in decades.

Clear here: Johnson’s relationships with many City Council progressives are just straight up bad right now. They feel like he doesn’t respect them, doesn’t lead with transparency and isn’t being responsible. It is very hard for him to get much done without them.

Both Chicago City Council Progressive Caucus chairs excoriated Mayor Brandon Johnson his budget process. They said it was disrespectful & will harm the city. “We are not prepared, and the fault lies squarely with you and your administration,” Ald. Maria Hadden said. Her speech:

NEW: Plow the Sidewalks has been added to the Chicago budget aldermen will soon vote on. A line item for $500,000 under "accessibility programming" in the amended budget is an earmark for the program to pilot city-run snow plowing, I'm told.

A moment of calm, then two more anti-Trump protesters stand & shout with signs. Hard to hear what the fourth anti-Trump protester is saying because of their mask. The often disruptive crowd of regular pro-Trump attendees cheers as the other folks get booted. Meeting recessed.

At Chicago City Council, anti-Trump protesters disrupt public comment with signs decrying fascism. Several public comment speakers had just stated their support for Trump border czar Tom Homan’s plans for mass deportations. The protesters got kicked out pretty quick.

Chicago youth organizer: “We don’t need more policing. We need youth programs & investment into tools that are more capable of making communities safer.” Group wants over $100 million in police vacancies cut and shifted to guaranteed income & youth jobs amid budget crisis.

Before Ronnie Reese was fired, Mayor Brandon Johnson texted CTU’s Stacy Davis Gates: "Ronnie! Call me. Message from the Elders." CTU says she didn’t respond. City Hall won’t explain text. Mayor says he didn’t learn of misconduct until later www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/03/a...

Read @jake-sheridan.bsky.social and @aliceyin.bsky.social story from a wild day of Human Resources heat on Mayor Brandon Johnson as he tries to pass a budget www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/03/a...

Wednesday night before Thanksgiving and Mayor Brandon Johnson responds to Ronnie Reese scandal the Tribune broke Tuesday morning. By @aliceyin.bsky.social, @jake-sheridan.bsky.social and @royalpratt.bsky.social: www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/27/m...

Mayor Brandon Johnson admin is moving to place Ronnie Reese on the do not hire list and remove two women he pushed on the list. This comes many months after 1st Trib report about culture complaints at City Hall @aliceyin.bsky.social @jake-sheridan.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/27/m...

An "untouchable" top staffer in Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration was fired months after several complaints alleged harassment, misogyny, racism and other abuse. Gift link to our story on the complaints we obtained, with @byaliceyin & @royalpratt: www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/26/m...

Coupla two tree good budget stories to catch up on… From @jake-sheridan.bsky.social on the lack of funding for a $1 million sidewalk plowing pilot that accessibility advocates were counting on: www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/25/m...

NEWS: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s comms chief faced sexual harassment, misogyny, racism complaints before firing. Chief of staff Christina Pacione-Zayas was criticized for talking about "peace circles" to complaining workers, city gave him “verbal coaching.” www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/26/m...

Important context: Johnson admin knew of sexism, verbal abuse complaints many months earlier. We previously reported on 3 workers fired after complaining about mistreatment in August 2023. Story, with @jake-sheridan.bsky.social and @aliceyin.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/26/m...

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s former communications director was accused of sexual harassment, misogyny, racism and other abusive behavior before he was terminated. Story by @aliceyin.bsky.social, @jake-sheridan.bsky.social, @royalpratt.bsky.social: www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/26/m...

One reason this is remarkable: It's another apparent big political misread by the Johnson administration. The $300 million property tax hike Johnson proposed was dead on arrival with aldermen. Pressure mounted here too and caused the mayor to switch up.

NEW: Mayor Johnson is adding the 162 vacant consent decree-related jobs he cut back into the city's budget. The move comes after pressure from advocates & IL AG Kwame Raoul & will make it even harder for Johnson and the City Council to balance their knotty 2025 budget. Release:

The more-conservative wing of the Chicago City Council is invoking the third rail amid tense budget negotiations. Their letter today calls on Mayor Brandon Johnson to make cuts, saying he will be blamed if he & the council fail to pass a budget by Dec. 31 & trigger a shutdown:

What's happening with the 'Plow the Sidewalks' campaign? Nothing, in Mayor Brandon Johnson's 2025 budget. Despite calling for it to start in 2025 this May, Johnson put $0 toward the transit & disability rights effort. For @chicagotribune + thread👇: www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/25/m...

Chicago Tonight | The Week in Review: Johnson Proposes $150 Million Tax Hike; Solis Takes the Stand, with @themelodymercado.bsky.social @jake-sheridan.bsky.social @robhartmedia.bsky.social Reema Amin and host @ndblumberg.bsky.social news.wttw.com/2024/11/22/w...

Mayor Brandon Johnson made a big show of promoting a Plow the Sidewalks program. His budget includes no funding for it, despite his campaign promise to enact the policy and earlier pledge to pilot it. Story by @jake-sheridan.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/25/m...

Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposed city budget doesn't include any money for a pilot project to shovel city sidewalks. He promised it when he ran and transportation and disability advocates have advocated for it. @jake-sheridan.bsky.social with the story: www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/25/m...

In May, Mayor Brandon Johnson touted this plan to have the city test clearing sidewalks of snow as “an important step forward in building a safer city.” But the test run didn’t make it into next year’s “challenging” budget, @jake-sheridan.bsky.social reports. www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/25/m...

I‘ve begun putting together a starter pack of Chicago’s alternative, independent and community media. We have one of the richest media ecosystems anywhere around! go.bsky.app/Rn9XDbg

Finally, a welcome unsolicited press release: "Animals Delighted by Fresh Snowfall at Brookfield Zoo Chicago." Very good. Very very good.

Mayor Brandon Johnson keeps goading President-elect Donald Trump. Today, the mayor said Trump's plan to create "upheaval and chaos" instead of making progressive reforms is "small and soft." "The president-elect should get big and strong, like we are in Chicago." More:

Mayor Brandon Johnson is now proposing hiking Chicago property taxes by $150 million, down from his original $300 million recommendation. That’s probably not gonna be the final number — read @jake-sheridan.bsky.social for more. www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/19/m...

Should Chicago dodge pension payments for quick relief if it means more pain in the future? Some aldermen think so to avert property tax hikes, but ratings agencies see it as a "short term fix" & urge them to pay & "stay the course." With @adquig.bsky.social: www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/17/k...

The cost of police misconduct lawsuits in Chicago is soaring, but the city isn't budgeting more money to pay for them. Great graph here:

Wanted to share this news here too: I feel so lucky to be a part of this newsroom and to get to play a role in making it stronger. We in our guild are so lucky to fight alongside one another. So many people here were brave, smart, tireless and strong. I'm so grateful for us!

🚨The Chicago Tribune Guild has a contract🚨

NEWS: We have a Chicago Tribune Guild contract: lowest paid workers get 10% raises, newsroom-wide pay hikes two years in a row (first time in decades) and a signing bonus. The Chicago Tribune’s editor in chief had his 401k match snatched, our current workers keep theirs. That’s union strong.