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Mayor Brandon Johnson addresses the news media on July 16, 2025. (Heather Cherone / WTTW News) |
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The Chicago City Council failed Wednesday to override Mayor Brandon Johnson’s veto of a measure that would have allowed Chicago Police Department officials to preemptively impose a curfew anywhere in the city and begin enforcing it with just 30 minutes notice. The failure of at least 34 members of the City Council to vote to reject Johnson’s action means the first mayoral veto in 19 years will stand.
Some backstory:
Before the City Council voted 27-22 on June 18, Johnson repeatedly questioned whether the measure was constitutional and frequently said that he does not believe that expanding the city’s curfew would stop teen “trends” or “takeovers,” large gatherings organized on social media and popular among teens, from turning violent.
There has not been a violent mass gathering of teens in Chicago since March. By contrast, there have been several in the western suburbs, according to media reports.
Speaking at an early morning news conference outside his fifth floor office, Johnson said again the measure was unnecessary, especially given the sustained drop in homicides and shootings since the start of the year.
Through the end of June, the number of homicides dropped 30%, as compared with the same period in 2024, according to Chicago Police data. The number of shootings is also down 30%, according to police data. The original version of the ordinance would have required Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling and Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Garien Gatewood to have “jointly determined that there’s probable cause to believe that a mass gathering will occur.” The ordinance sets no limits on how large an area could be covered by the “snap curfew.”
The version of the ordinance approved by the City Council requires Snelling only to “consult” Gatewood.
That change prompted Ald. Jason Ervin (28th Ward) not just to drop his support for the measure that he had co-sponsored with Hopkins and Dowell but to join the leaders of the City Council’s Progressive Caucus in trying to stop its passage. |
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A Chicago coach house. (WTTW News) |
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Opponents of a proposal to allow Chicagoans to build basement, attic and coach house dwellings across the city without obtaining special permission from city officials blocked a vote on the measure Wednesday, after last-minute negotiations fell apart.
The City Council’s Zoning Committee voted 13-7 to send the proposal to the full City Council for a final vote, where Alds. Marty Quinn (13th Ward) and Greg Mitchell (7th Ward) used a parliamentary procedure to block a vote until the City Council’s next meeting.
The City Council is not scheduled to meet again until September, after its summer recess.
The measure, which has been in the works for two years, has the support of Mayor Brandon Johnson as a way to chip away at Chicago’s massive shortage of affordable housing.
If approved, the measure would weaken the decades-old tradition known as aldermanic prerogative that gives a City Council member the final authority over housing developments in their own wards.
What else happened?
The Chicago City Council also agreed Wednesday to pay $35.2 million to resolve four lawsuits alleging a wide range of misconduct by Chicago police officers.
Less than seven months into the year, Chicago taxpayers have spent at least $224.5 million to resolve nearly two and a half dozen lawsuits, exceeding the city’s budget to resolve lawsuits alleging police misconduct by more than $142 million, city records show.
It is unclear how the city will find the money to make the payments approved Wednesday by the City Council, since it has already exhausted the $82 million officials set aside to cover police misconduct settlements and judgments in 2025. |
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Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza addresses the news media at City Hall on Feb. 21, 2023. (WTTW News) |
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Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced Wednesday she will not run for reelection as Illinois comptroller as she weighs 2027 bid for Chicago mayor. Mendoza’s decision not to seek a fourth term as the state’s chief fiscal control officer is likely to set off an intense race for a coveted statewide office and signals the start of the 2027 mayoral election cycle, even though the election is 587 days away.
More context:
Mendoza, the first woman to serve as Chicago city clerk, served in that role under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel before winning a special election to replace former Illinois Comptroller Judy Barr Topinka.
She had already launched a bid for a third term as comptroller when Emanuel announced he would not run for reelection in 2019, setting off a massive scramble. Mendoza finished fifth, winning just 9% of the vote, trailing former Mayor Lori Lightfoot and several others. |
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An initiative that aims to bring city clerk services directly to Chicago residents is returning this weekend. The “Mobile City Hall” initiative, hosted by the City Clerk’s Office, is kicking off its first event of the year Saturday, with other opportunities taking place through September.
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Back in the Day: July 17, 2020 - Protesters, Police Clash Over Columbus Statue In Grant Park
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Surveillance footage released by the Chicago Police Department shows protesters marching toward the Christopher Columbus statue on July 17, 2020 evening. (Chicago Police Department) |
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In 2020, Grant Park was a flashpoint for massive social justice protests touched off by the police murder of George Floyd in May of that year. The Columbus statue, in particular, was the scene of multiple demonstrations where activists called for the removal of statues of Columbus, saying that the Italian explorer is responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas. The Grant Park statue was erected in 1933 when Chicago hosted the world’s fair for the second time, while Little Italy’s 9-foot-tall bronze of Columbus was originally displayed in the Italian Pavilion of Chicago’s first world’s fair in 1893. On this day five years ago, tensions reached a boiling point between marchers and police. In all, 12 people were arrested for mob action and dozens were injured, including a then-18-year-old Miracle Boyd, who lost a tooth after she was punched by a Chicago police officer. Then Mayor Lori Lightfoot removed the statue on July 24, 2020, and called the move "temporary." In 2022, the CPD officer who was seen on video striking activist Miracle Boyd during the protest resigned from the department. To date, the statue has not returned to Grant Park, nor will it, according to a statement from Chicago officials in May 2025. |
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This Week’s Arts and Culture Events
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Each Thursday, WTTW News arts correspondent highlights Chicago’s must-see cultural events.
Marc Vitali: Do you remember the song “One of These Things (Is Not Like the Others)” from “Sesame Street?” They showed four objects: three animals and one hat, or three boats and a tree. Kids flexed their brains and learned to identify objects. In this week’s diverse set of picks, none of the things are much like the others – except that every choice is a chance to flex and learn. The kid in you would approve.
“Amélie” – Chopin Theatre
This musical adaptation of the beloved French film promises to be a sunny adult fairy tale. Leading actor Aurora Penepacker is a bright light, and if the show captures even part of the charm of the 2001 movie, it’ll be as welcome as a summer breeze in Paris. Now in previews, so see it before those infernal critics. From Kokandy Productions. Through Sept. 28
“Rhythm World – Grand Finale” – Studebaker Theatre
Tap dance just feels good, whether you’re doing it or watching it. The Chicago Human Rhythm Project presents “JUBA! Masters of Tap and Percussive Dance” in the final show of “Rhythm World,” celebrating their 35th anniversary season. The Eric Hochberg Trio performs, and dancers move to “Fly Me to the Moon” and more. It’s the Studebaker Theatre in the Fine Arts Building, and it’s free. July 18.
“We Lit the Fire and Trusted the Heat” – Gallery 400, University of Illinois
Named after a quote from Angela Davis, this heady project features a sonic sculpture constructed of glass rods salvaged from a prison. Artist Maria Gaspar enlists vibraphonist Thaddeus Tukes to actually play the sculpted instrument. Projected in the background is a video documenting the demolition of a building in the Cook County Jail. Wednesday, July 23.
“Arthur and Friends Make a Musical” – Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire
A shining knight of PBS, Arthur and his friends hit the stage to put on a musical as only they can do. Here’s one for the dramatic children in your life – a song-and-dance filled show that brings the Marc Brown books and TV series to three dimensions on stage. With Buster, Brain, D.W. and everyone’s favorite anthropomorphic aardvark. Through Aug. 10. |
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What's the best place to get Italian ice in the Chicago area? Tell us where and why. |
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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