People forget Michelle Obama is from the South Side of Chicago. She’s reminding us all now.

BREAKING: The Chicago City Council voted 33-15 Wednesday to reject a ban on so-called sweepstakes machines, heeding the objections of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration. @wttw.bsky.social

FULL STORY: Chicago has spent more than $225 million to resolve more than 200 lawsuits alleging Chicago police officers committed a wide range of misconduct, just six months into 2026, according to an analysis of city data by @wttw.bsky.social

Good morning from Chicago City Hall, where the City Council meeting is now underway. The main event: Will a majority of members of the City Council vote to can sweepstakes machines, over the objections of Mayor Brandon Johnson? Follow along, yes? @wttw.bsky.social

BREAKING: Chicago taxpayers paid $27.5 million to a man who was wrongfully convicted of a 2008 murder and spent 10 years in prison, setting a new city record for a payment to resolve a wrongful conviction case, according to records obtained by @wttw.bsky.social news.

Piping plover chicks have hatched at Montrose Beach, where parents Imani and Sea Rocket are now keeping close watch over their brood of four as they explore Chicago’s lakefront. https://to.wttw.com/4eKeAbw

Through the end of May, CPD has spent $107.1M on overtime, according to the city's watchdog. That's 2.4% more than during the first 5 months of 2025 — even though CPD must reduce its OT spending by 30% to end the year on budget Background, for @wttw.bsky.social

Approved 17-11 Final vote set for Wednesday Voting no: Alds. Raymond Lopez, Marty Quinn, Brian Hopkins, Anthony Beale, Derrick Curtis, Ronnie Mosley, Monique Scott, Chris Taliaferro, Felix Cardona, Brendan Reilly, Debra Silverstein @wttw.bsky.social news.wttw.com/2026/06/11/p...

Approved, unanimously, by the City Council's Finance Committee Final vote set for Wednesday @wttw.bsky.social

NEW: Mayor Johnson's allies called off a plan to ask the Chicago City Council to reverse its decision to green light video poker and slots across the city. 6 bars and restaurants have state licenses to let their customers try their luck. Background for @wttw.bsky.social news.wttw.com/2026/06/12/s...

NEW: Chicago taxpayers have paid $2.7M for a system designed to alert officials about which officers have been the subject of repeated misconduct allegations. But it is not clear how — or why — Benchmark Analytics was selected by officials in the Johnson administration. @wttw.bsky.social

1,000+ words (Pete Kiehart for The New York Times)

“Is Mr. Boutros here?” U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman said. “I don’t see him.” @wttw.bsky.social

BREAKING: State officials approved applications from six Chicago bars and restaurants on Thursday, the same day that Mayor Brandon Johnson asked the Chicago City Council to reverse its decision to green light video poker and slots across the city. @wttw.bsky.social

Chicago taxpayers should pay $250,000 to a man wrongfully convicted based on evidence developed by an officer repeatedly accused of misconduct, city lawyers recommended. @wttw.bsky.social

Taxpayers should pay $650,000 to two women struck and injured by a driver being chased by Chicago police, city lawyers recommended, the latest large settlement prompted by a police pursuit. @wttw.bsky.social

#BREAKING Federal prosecutors in Chicago have moved to permanently dismiss charges against two defendants in a fraud case tied to Loretto Hospital in what appears to be a bid to avoid a hearing over prosecutorial misconduct before a grand jury:

Taxpayers should pay $650,000 to two women struck and injured by a driver being chased by Chicago police, city lawyers recommended, the latest large settlement prompted by a police pursuit. (via @heathercherone.bsky.social)

NEW: An Illinois bill and court ruling could make certificates of innocence more valuable and easier to get. The court orders help exonerated people find jobs and housing after they’re freed. (Co-published with @boltsmag.org) www.injusticewatch.org/project/deny...

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said weeks before the primary election in March that the bulk of the problems with the county’s property tax system had been solved. But with another 2-month delay looming, Preckwinkle said "structural reform" is needed.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King defended the school district in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday amid congressional criticism of CPS support for trans students and “ideological agendas.” https://to.wttw.com/3QAmESS

Filed by Lawrence Ligas, who was active in Chicago politics and served as an election judge during the 2024 presidential election on the city's Northwest Side

NEW: Cook County property owners will have until at least October to pay the second installment of their 2025 property taxes, officials announced Tuesday. @wttw.bsky.social

If you could time-travel to any moment in Chicago's history, what would it be? Your response could be included in our newsletter, the Daily Chicagoan. Subscribe here: to.wttw.com/4axsYlD

A timely reminder! Please know that I have taken the time out of enjoying this beautiful Sunday to block each and every person who jumped into my mentions with some version of “actually, all journalists suck”

“You become a journalist because you love the First Amendment. You become a journalist because you love the country … There is no democracy without journalism. It can’t be done. That is why I am a journalist.” www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/m...

An Anthony Stewart Head story. Some of you might recall the name of my TV site at the Chicago Tribune was The Watcher. Because I watched a lot of TV, but also because of Giles, of course. So the story involves me making a total ass of myself in a fairly harmless way. Long ago in the Before Times,

From @govpritzker.illinois.gov:

The Chicago Bears are moving forward with plans to leave Illinois in favor of a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana. https://to.wttw.com/4aw8KrD

42 hours and 11 minutes ago, @mayorofchicago.bsky.social posted this

Building a stadium in Indiana "will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses," the Chicago Bears announce.

gutted

The population of Chicago is, of course, 2.7 million people

Former Chicago Ald. Joe Moore nods approvingly.

You can listen to records made inside Midwest jails and prisons at Walls Turned Sideways next week. I spoke with the duo behind the event. news.wttw.com/2026/06/04/c...

No one knows when or how a myth that Chicago's tall buildings keep it safe from tornadoes started. But it is just that, a myth! Tornadoes not only can touch down in Chicago, they do. https://to.wttw.com/4eoIEct

Help us make the case for restored federal funding and support of public media now and into the future. Here's how to help: to.wttw.com/41DWS2T #ProtectMyPublicMedia #ILovePBS #ILoveWTTW

The victory lap Mayor Johnson took hours after state lawmakers agreed to impose a new tax on digital advertisements was premature — the new revenue won’t help the Chicago City Council fill the $1.16B projected gap in the city’s 2027 budget. @wttw.bsky.social news.wttw.com/2026/06/03/v...

"Pelley was not uncivil. He didn’t threaten anyone. He didn’t curse or scream. He was professionally disagreeable. Which is basically the job description for journalists. It’s the job description that Weiss herself wrote. She just didn’t mean it."

Good morning from Chicago City Hall. The meeting of the City Council's Public Safety Committee is underway — even though there are just seven (7) members of the 18-member committee present . Vice Mayor Samantha Nugent is also here, making 8 alderpeople present. 9 members are needed for a quorum.

Attorneys for the former “Broadview Six” defendants are taking new steps toward potential sanctions after federal prosecutors were accused of covering up their own alleged misconduct before the grand jury that indicted the case last fall. https://to.wttw.com/43LlWoO

Mayor Johnson took a victory lap after the General Assembly passed a $56B budget that authorizes the City Council to impose a tax on digital advertisements, which could help fill the $1.16B projected gap in the city’s 2027 budget. @wttw.bsky.social