It's Wednesday and we're sick of this weather. Warm up and dry off with these stories from WTTW News.
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Chicago City Hall. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
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A proposal that would create a city-owned nonprofit housing developer — the centerpiece of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s effort to reduce Chicago’s massive affordable housing shortfall — will face a key test Wednesday.
A joint session of the Housing and Finance committees will consider Johnson’s proposal to leverage the city’s financial power to build what the city calls “green social housing,” permanently affordable, mixed-income and environmentally sustainable housing at a meeting set for noon Wednesday.
More about the proposed project:
The nonprofit developer, which would be known as the Residential Investment Corp. and operated by the Department of Housing, would be funded with $135 million from the $1.25 billion bond measure approved by the City Council a year ago.
Those funds would be used to make low-interest three- to five-year loans to affordable housing developers through a first-of-its-kind initiative, officials said. Chicago would be the largest city to set up its own nonprofit development arm.
“This financing model will ensure that we have a consistent funding commitment to answer our need for housing units that meet green building standards, and it will make Chicago a national leader for innovatively and steadfastly investing in our communities,” Johnson said in a statement.
The goal of the program would be to build 400 affordable units annually and the effort would give affordable housing developers a way to finance their projects without relying on federal income tax credits or raising money from private equity funds, officials said.
If endorsed by the joint committee, the measure could head to the full City Council for a final vote on April 16.
Some backstory:
Chicago faces an affordable housing shortfall of more than 119,000 units, and more than half of Chicagoans spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent and utilities, making them burdened by housing costs.
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Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle speaks at a news conference about the county's guaranteed basic income program on April 8, 2025. (WTTW News)
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A $42 million pilot program run by Cook County to provide a guaranteed basic income to residents to help reduce poverty was the largest of its kind in the U.S. when it launched. While it concluded late last year, on Tuesday, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced plans for a new advisory committee that will review research, develop recommendations and design a new model for the future of the program.
The group will include policy experts, service providers, researchers and residents who participated in the pilot program. The funds were distributed in the form of $500 monthly checks to 3,250 households across Cook County over the past two years, half of whom earned $21,000 or less annually. Those payments were typically used to help cover the cost of groceries, rent, transportation and utilities.
More context:
According to a survey of participants, 75% of those who took part reported feeling more financially secure and 94% said the funds helped them handle unexpected financial emergencies. Additionally, 70% of participants said the funds had a positive effect on their mental health.
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(Joe Hendrickson / iStock)
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A group of former Northwestern football players who sued the university following allegations of a yearslong hazing scandal under ex-head coach Pat Fitzgerald is expected to settle their lawsuit. According to a university spokesperson, settlement documents are currently being finalized after Northwestern and the former student athletes recently engaged in a mediation process that resulted in the agreement.
“The settlement would fully resolve the student plaintiffs’ claims against Northwestern and Fitzgerald,” Northwestern spokesperson Jon Yates said in an emailed statement Tuesday.
Some backstory:
Fitzgerald, who led the Wildcats football team for 17 seasons, was initially suspended by the university for two weeks, then fired in July 2023 following reports that a player said he’d seen “egregious and vile and inhumane behavior” as part of an extensive hazing scandal that allegedly took place under the coach’s watch.
The player said some of that hazing involved coerced sexual acts — allegations that a second player also recounted to The Daily Northwestern student newspaper — and that Fitzgerald may have known that hazing took place.
More context:
While the proposed settlement would resolve the players’ lawsuits, Yates said it would not affect Fitzgerald’s ongoing suit. His attorneys have claimed the former coach “committed no wrongdoing.” Fitzgerald’s trial on his lawsuit remains scheduled for Nov. 3.
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Back in the Day: April 9, 2010 - Chicago-born Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Announces Retirement
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John Paul Stevens served in Washington D.C. as a United States Supreme Court Justice for nearly 35 years from 1975 to 2010 but his life and career have deep roots in Chicago. He grew up in Hyde Park, attended the University of Chicago, served as a Navy code breaker in the Pacific during World War II, and later studied law at Northwestern University Law School. A staunch advocate against political corruption, bribery and partisan gerrymandering, he was eventually appointed to the Supreme Court by President Gerald R. Ford. On this day 15 years ago, Stevens announced his retirement from the highest court. He left the court in June that year and died in 2019.
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Local Live Music Recommendations for Apr. 9-Apr. 15
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Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.
Wednesday, April 9:
Olive Avenue, Rain Garden, Sydcram at Sleeping Village. Tickets.
The ‘70s-inspired pop-rock project from Chicago’s Ryan O’Toole has a new album out this week called “Love Is a Dangerous Cat.”
Thursday, April 10:
Free Range, hemlock, Red PK at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
The Chicago songwriter Sofia Jensen plays a release show for their excellent new LP “Lost & Found.”
Sadurn, Sleeper’s Bell at Hideout. Tickets.
A rising Chicago band opens for the Philadelphia indie-rockers.
Friday, April 11:
Ganser, No Men, NÜDE at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
The explosive and experimental Chicago noise rockers are gearing up to release a new album.
Sunday, April 13:
Pictoria Vark, Cusp, Prathloons at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
The recent local artist celebrates the release of her new LP “Nothing Sticks.”
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What's your favorite meal on the South Side? Tell us where.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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