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Yes, we’re already sick of the snow, too. Before you shovel, warm up with these stories from WTTW News.
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(WTTW News) |
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The city of Chicago spent more than $212 million on overtime for members of the Chicago Police Department in just the first 10 months of 2025 — 6% more than the amount Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to set aside for police overtime in all of 2026, records show.
Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling told the Chicago City Council on Nov. 5 that he was confident that CPD would be able to spend no more than $200 million on overtime in 2026.
However, CPD is on track to spend at least $241 million on overtime by the end of 2025, according to a WTTW analysis based on data published by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg.
When members of the Budget and Government Operations Committee pressed Snelling to detail why CPD is set to exceed its annual overtime budget for the eighth straight year, Snelling said he would not hesitate to order officers to work extra hours to keep the people of Chicago safe.
“There’s no way I’m ever going to sit up and tell you that it’s never going to be necessary to use overtime,” Snelling said. “We’re a police department, things happen. We have to make sure if we’re using it, that we’re using it in the most careful manner, the most responsible manner, and in order to do that, we have to have measures in place.”
Snelling said his command staff would continue to use data-tracking tools to monitor overtime spending and hold commanders accountable for spending.
More context:
In a separate hearing, Budget Director Annette Guzman told alderpeople a new timekeeping system for officers will allow managers to better control overtime spending. Until April 2019, CPD tracked their hours worked with a paper-based recordkeeping system requiring staff members to make manual calculations and enter data into two separate software systems.
CPD officers have worked more than 3.5 million hours overtime so far this year for dozens of reasons, according to the inspector general’s database.
Guzman has said new controls will go into effect in 2026 to reduce that burden on taxpayers. |
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A still image from a video taken of the demolition of the Crawford Coal Plant smokestack, April 11, 2020. (Alejandro Reyes / YouTube) |
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The Chicago Board of Ethics voted 4-1 to fine former Inspector General Joe Ferguson $5,000 for violating the city’s ethics ordinance by divulging a confidential report that found city officials could have prevented a plume of dust from enveloping Little Village in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when crews demolished the former Crawford Power Plant.
Ferguson is now the head of the Civic Federation, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog group, and has been fiercely critical of Johnson’s financial stewardship of the city.
In a statement to WTTW News, Ferguson said that while he was disappointed by the fine, he had no regrets about his decision to send the report to two unidentified media organizations.
“This community, long subject to environmental injustice, deserved access to the truth,” Ferguson said. “City government has an obligation to protect its people from this kind of harm and it failed miserably in doing so. So, if given the choice, I would do it again as city officials must be held to the highest standards of transparency and accountability in serving its most vulnerable of citizens.”
Some backstory:
WTTW News was the first to obtain a copy of the report, which former Mayor Lori Lightfoot repeatedly refused to make public, ignoring a resolution unanimously passed by the Chicago City Council demanding its release.
The report was made public two weeks before Lightfoot lost her bid for reelection, finishing third to now-Mayor Brandon Johnson and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas.
The report determined that city officials put Little Village residents at risk when they allowed the smokestack demolition to proceed on April 11, 2020, based on a permit issued in July 2018 that did not mention the use of explosives.
The former Crawford Power Plant is now a warehouse leased by Target. |
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Chicago police officers respond to Ariel Roman, who is seated on the ground moments after he was shot inside the Grand Red Line station on Feb. 28, 2020. (Civilian Office of Police Accountability) |
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A federal jury is set to decide whether Chicago police officers violated the civil rights of the Chicago man they shot during a February 2020 incident in the Grand Red Line CTA station, records show. Former Chicago Police Officer Melvina Bogard was acquitted in November 2022 on criminal charges of aggravated battery and official misconduct for shooting Ariel Roman during rush hour at one of the city’s busiest train stations. But the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the agency charged with investigating police misconduct, determined the shooting violated department policy and was unjustified. The agency better known as COPA urged that Bogard, and her partner, Officer Bernard Butler, be fired. Chicago Police Supt. David Brown agreed.
Roman’s shooting was captured on cell phone video and was one of several instances of police violence that drew widespread attention during 2020, fueling calls for criminal justice reform that grew after a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd in May 2020. The trial, set to start Dec. 8 and last 10 days, represents a high-stakes gamble for the city, whose lawyers typically recommend settling civil cases involving actions by the police that led to criminal charges and are ruled to have violated department policy. |
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Back in the Day: Dec. 2, 1985 - Bears Record Only Loss of ‘85 Season |
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The Chicago Bears’ dominant 1985 campaign to their first Super Bowl victory since 1963 is as close to a perfect NFL season as you can imagine. If there’s one blemish, it happened on this day 40 years ago when the Bears, without quarterback Jim McMahon, fell to the Dan Marino-led Miami Dolphins 38-24. It would be the team’s only loss of the season. While Walter Payton logged 121 rushing yards and backup QB Steve Fuller notched two rushing touchdowns and one passing TD, the team couldn’t overcome a steep 31-10 deficit at the half. The very next day, members of the team would record a rap song called “The Super Bowl Shuffle,” which would thankfully foreshadow the Bears’ eventual championship and would be nominated for a Grammy. |
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This Week’s Staff Recommendations |
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Every Tuesday, WTTW News staffers highlight their favorite things in Chicago. This week, it’s Joel Ortiz, the Judy and John McCarter Fellow with WTTW News and Chicago Tonight, on his favorite local date spots.
Joel Ortiz: Amid holiday parties, gift shopping and friends’ dinners, it’s important to carve out some time to check in with yourself. Whether on your own or with a companion, here are my picks for self-reflective date nights:
Rock Climbing at First Ascent or Brooklyn Boulders: Rock Climbing might not be the obvious pick for self-care. However, it’s cathartic and will remind you that you can do hard things. This activity can be demanding, but both gyms offer beginner classes, gear rentals and lower difficulty climbs.
Get Lost at Myopic Books: Myopic Books’ rickety wooden floors and quiet interior serve as a meditative hub in the middle of Wicker Park. The second floor offers some seating to relax and comb your way through a well-curated selection. I usually stop by Stan’s Donuts afterwards as a side quest. I’d also suggest Open Books, First Aid Comics and literally any Chicago Public Library branch.
Treat Yourself To Dinner: For the North Siders, you can’t go wrong with Essence of India in Lincoln Square with their coconut curry shrimp. For the South Siders, try picking up some chicken curry from Ja’ Grill in Hyde Park. For the Northwest, you can’t go wrong with Meson Del Taco. Their bowls of pozole and steak platillos will incite a spiritual experience within you. Lastly, for the West Side, I find myself enamored by one of the few Dominican spots in the city, Tropical Taste Restaurant. Every time I walk in, I’m greeted with a “make yourself comfortable, mi amor” followed by a meal that warms my spirits. I recommend the pollo guisado with arroz con gandules.
Pretty Ol’ Parks: Something a bit more evergreen is enjoying your tax dollars by checking out some of the best parks in the city. Making your way through the likes of Humboldt Park, Tom Ping Memorial Park, Jackson Park’s Osaka Garden, Horner Park, Garfield Park and countless others. They serve as a local way to reconnect with some fall foliage or enjoy a fresh, pillowy coat of snow. |
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Where's your favorite place in Chicago for holiday shopping? Tell us why.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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