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Good morning, Chicago. The school year starts next week and WTTW News has stories on the CPS budget crisis, CPD traffic stops and more. |
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(WTTW News) |
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Some local lawmakers are saying they support more funding for Chicago Public Schools, but it shouldn’t all come from the state.
This comes as students and teachers prepare to head back to school next week. But CPS officials are deep in some homework of their own — closing a whopping $734 million deficit by the end of the month. There is little wiggle room to cut costs or bring in revenue.
CPS is set to release its budget proposal on Wednesday, and the school board is expected to vote on it at its monthly meeting on Aug. 28.
“Of course the state will have a very critical role in providing funding not just for Chicago Public Schools but for districts throughout the state,” said state Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago). “Exactly how that happens really depends on what we see on Wednesday when CPS does release its budget.”'
More context:
CPS interim CEO Macquline King and members of the school board have said that the district is out of options after recently making some cuts to hot lunches, school crossing guards and other services to narrow the gap.
Last month, education advocates and the Chicago Teachers Union were in outcry after more than 1,400 staff — including more than 400 teachers — were laid off because of the dire financial situation. Advocates have also raised concerns about the impacts these cuts will have on student outcomes, especially for Black and low-income families.
In the spring legislative session, state Rep. Curtis Tarver (D-Chicago) introduced a bill to bring back state control of CPS through the School Finance Authority, which expired in 2010. Now he says that while there isn’t much appetite for a full state takeover, there still needs to be some state intervention to implement reforms.
Despite the time crunch, Williams said she’s optimistic the school system will be able to close the budget deficit and meet students’ needs.
“It’s not all bad news here,” Williams said. “We have made progress here. The evidence-based formula does work. It provides more funds to the schools that need it most. It’s also important to note that we are seeing improved student outcomes in CPS.” |
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(WTTW News) |
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The lawsuit accusing the Chicago Police Department of targeting Black and Latino drivers with a massive campaign of traffic stops should be expanded to include all Black and Latino Chicagoans who have ever been pulled over — or could be in the future, lawyers asked a federal judge in court records filed Tuesday.
Some backstory:
Two years ago, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois sued the city on behalf of five Black and Latino Chicagoans who had been repeatedly stopped while driving — both before and after they filed suit, calling it the latest chapter in the department’s “long and sordid history” of racist discrimination.
If U.S. District Court Judge Mary Rowland agrees to certify the lawsuit as a class action, it will sharply raise the stakes in the case and increase the pressure on city officials to reach a settlement to reduce the costs to taxpayers.
Rowland has already ruled there is enough evidence that the city intentionally discriminated against Black and Latino drivers because of their race, and that the mass traffic stop program unlawfully burdens Black and Latino drivers disproportionately, for the lawsuit to proceed, court records show.
Chicago taxpayers have already paid $1.46 million to defend the lawsuit that accuses the CPD of making more than 1.5 million traffic stops between 2016 and 2023 based on dubious evidence of minor violations that took direct aim at Black and Latino Chicagoans but spared White Chicagoans, according to records obtained by WTTW News. |
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People rally outside of Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (WTTW News) |
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Two Chicago-area hospitals are at risk of closing their doors completely. Federal funding cuts and allegations of mismanagement prompted the closures of most operations at Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown, while Oak Park’s West Suburban Medical Center is facing a similar fate. Weiss’ massive winding down follows the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issuing a termination notice for the hospital, citing violations related to nursing services, emergency protocols and the facility’s physical condition. Local leaders and community members rallied outside Weiss on Friday to condemn the shutdown. One organizer, Linh “Lilly” Le, said she was there as a “show of solidarity.”
Both safety-net hospitals are under the ownership of Dr. Manoj Prasad’s Resilience Healthcare as of 2022, and Prasad has come under fire for mismanagement allegations. Weiss and Western Suburban have recently dealt with faulty air conditioning systems and have a history of disinvestment. |
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Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker dismissed President Donald Trump’s threat to send the National Guard to Chicago, the latest in a long series of threats issued by the president against Chicago and its leaders.
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Illinois will be strengthening its background checks for police officers statewide through a new bill signed more than a year after a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy fatally shot Sonya Massey inside her downstate home. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed into law SB1953, also known as Sonya Massey’s Bill, which will require law enforcement agencies to enact stricter hiring processes in response to Massey’s fatal shooting in July 2024.
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Back in the Day: August 13, 1987 - Wettest 24 Hours in Chicago History |
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Earlier this week, it rained cats and dogs in Chicago, but that was nothing compared to 38 years ago when the city recorded its wettest 24 hours in history. In 1987, August started off bone dry with just 0.39-inch precipitation totals, but during the night of Aug. 13, the forecast shifted. Torrential downpours and roving thunderstorms pelted the Chicago area until 2:45 p.m. the following afternoon. A record-breaking 9.35 inches of rain had smothered the area, hitting hardest near O’Hare, which was surrounded by flood waters, trapping fliers and drivers for a day. In total, three died, and flood damage topped a staggering $220 million in the city. According to the National Weather Service, the record for most rainfall in a calendar day was July 23, 2011, while Aug.13-14, 1987, gets the title for a 24-hour period. While August started out dry in 1987, it remains the wettest month in Chicago history with 17.10 inches of rainfall. |
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Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for Aug. 13-19 |
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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.
Thursday, August 14:
Babehoven, youbet at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
Avrom Farm Party is a music festival happening in Green Lake, Wisconsin, this weekend. If you can’t make it, this official pre-party is a great slice of the lineup.
Friday, August 15:
FACS, Mass Text at Fitzgerald’s. Tickets.
Chicago post-punk and experimental stalwarts get an assist from an opening set from Meat Wave’s Chris Sutter.
The O’Mys, Ganser, Junegrass, more at Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest. Free.
Is the best-booked Chicago street festival happening in Rogers Park this weekend?
Saturday, August 16:
Bonny Doon, Mass, Fran at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
Detroit folk rock heroes make a welcome return to Ukrainian Village.
Pictoria Vark, Samuel Aaron, Astrachan, more at Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest. Free.
The best-booked Chicago street festival is happening in Rogers Park this weekend.
Sunday, August 17:
Sharp Pins, Fib, Good Flying Birds, Feller at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
If you like indie rock, this is the bill for you.
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What's your favorite music festival held in Chicago? From your neighborhood block party to Lollapalooza, tell us where, why and when. |
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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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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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