Smile because there’s only one more day until the holiday weekend. This Thursday, we have stories on the city’s alarming budget forecast, a redlining explainer and our interview with CTU’s Stacy Davis Gates.
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(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
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Chicago is once again facing a budget crunch, WTTW News' Heather Cherone reports.
The city is facing a projected $982.4 million budget shortfall in the 2025 fiscal year, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced late Wednesday.
But the city's financial situation is even more dire than you might think at first glance.
The city’s budget for the current fiscal year is $222.9 million in the red, because of lower-than-expected corporate tax revenues and the decision by leaders of the Chicago Public Schools not to make a $175 million payment to its employee pension fund.
Those are the largest budget deficits since 2021, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that triggered an economic catastrophe. The projected budget shortfall for 2025 is more than 80% larger than the gap Johnson closed during his first year in office.
Johnson and the Chicago City Council now face a series of tough decisions by the end of the year, but officials declined to discuss specifically how they plan to fill the gaps facing the city this year and next.
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WTTW News Explains: What is Redlining?
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Chicago is still a fairly segregated city — with the vast majority of the Black population living on the city’s South and West sides, the Latino population on the West and Northwest sides, and the White population on the North Side. How did this happen? Well, it wasn't by coincidence but by design.
It dates to a time when Black residents were prevented from buying homes — not only by real estate agents who “steered” prospective Black buyers to Black neighborhoods, but also by banks and the federal government — through a process called redlining. Put simply: Redlining is the act of denying people access to credit because of where they live and who they are, even if they’re qualified borrowers.
Our WTTW News: Explains series covers the practice in depth. Watch the Brandis Friedman-narrated video here.
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Read the story
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Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Aug. 27, 2024. (WTTW News)
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The first days of classes are in the books for Chicago Public Schools, and Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates joined “Chicago Tonight” to talk about the year ahead. CTU is still in the midst of public contract negotiations, and the union said CPS leaders aren’t doing enough about the lack of academic resources. This comes amid concerns over district funding.
Here's Davis Gates on the CPS/CTU contract negotiations:
On her Chicago Tribune op-ed criticizing CPS CEO Pedro Martinez:
“Very rarely do people ask that question, ‘What type of leadership?’ Well, the leadership has to be visionary and transformative. We’re working with the school district that has performed at a level of ‘good enough' for generations."
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Chicago Favorites: The Lakefront
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Arne Duncan, former Chicago Public Schools CEO and the founder of the gun violence prevention nonprofit Chicago CRED, speaks at a news conference Feb. 1, 2024. (WTTW News)
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Every Wednesday, we profile interesting Chicagoans in our “Everybody’s Got a Story” segment. The next day, we run picks from these locals about their favorite things in the city. Here’s Arne Duncan, former secretary of education and co-founder of Chicago CRED. Read our interview with him from yesterday here.
Arne Duncan was born, raised and still lives in Hyde Park. Beyond a few stints elsewhere like in Massachusetts, Australia (the 6'5" South Sider played pro basketball there), and Washington, D.C. (he was also the secretary of education from 2009 to 2016), Duncan has called the neighborhood home for most of his life. "Hyde Park has absolutely shaped me,” he says. “I live two or three blocks from where I grew up. As a kid, you don't understand how special and what a uniquely diverse environment that is.”
A few blocks from his home is Lake Michigan. It’s Duncan’s favorite part of the city and his WTTW News recommendation. “The lakefront is a saving grace,” he says. “My wife and I walk out there many nights, including last night. The work I do is really tough, but just getting out and seeing the lake is part of what makes Chicago so special for me. I'm hugely biased toward the lakefront.”
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Also From WTTW News: |
We don’t mean to bum you out, but the Brookfield Zoo humanely euthanized a 24-year-old bison named Judy due to ailments related to her advanced age.
After 31 years, DNA testing identifies the body of a man found near the Wisconsin and Illinois border, reports Eunice Alpasan.
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Back in the Day: August 29, 1996 - ‘Macarena’ Takes Over the 1996 DNC in Chicago
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Hillary Clinton Does The Macarena (1996 DNC via ABC News)
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After the violence and chaos plaguing the 1968 Democratic National Convention, Chicago would wait 28 years before it would host another DNC. In 1996, the festivities returned to the city at the newly opened United Center. Where the ‘60s event featured protests, the Yippies and “the Battle of Michigan Avenue,” the most enduring moments of the ‘96 DNC were spirited renditions of Los Del Río’s “Macarena” throughout the week. The pop song was a smash hit — ubiquitous basically everywhere that summer — and the convention was no exception. You can watch a ridiculous video that was filmed 28 years ago today, which includes delegates, First Lady Hillary Clinton and more
dancing to the tune.
It was everywhere. Vice President Al Gore even joked about the craze in his speech. "This is some crowd. I’ve been watching you do that ‘Macarena’ on television. And if I could have your silence, I would like to demonstrate for you the Al Gore version of the ‘Macarena.’” The serious then-vice president proceeded to stare stone-faced at the camera. It killed.
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What’s a now-closed Chicago neighborhood spot that you miss dearly?
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your response. Your answers will be published Friday.
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Other News From Around Town:
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Developers of Color Get Shut Out of Building Chicago Multiunit Housing, Analysis Finds (Chicago Sun-Times)
CTA Boss Spent More Time Traveling World Than Visiting Chicago Transit Stations, Schedule Shows (Block Club Chicago)
Amy Jacobson Steps Down From Amundsen Coaching Job After Outrage Over Controversial Comments About Guz Walz (Chicago Tribune)
Foxtrot Brings Back 45 Former Vendors as September Return Inches Closer (Eater)
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On the Artbeat with Marc Vitali |
Summer is winding down, and the fall arts season hasn’t yet started. What to do? Here are five recommendations:
“World Music Wednesday” – A weekly showcase of world music at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Strong lineup includes artists from Honduras, Senegal and that international city of immigrants, Chicago. Starts Wednesday, Sept 4.
“Morbid Curiosities” – Explore the ghoulish history of surgery at the International Museum of Surgical Science. This after-hours tour has bone saws, human skulls, bloodletting devices … and a gift shop. Thursday, Aug. 29, and Thursday, Sept 5.
“Royko: The Toughest Man in Chicago” – A one-man show about Chicago’s beloved and behated columnist Mike Royko. The multimedia play promises to be “bittersweet” – let’s hope that means nuance. Begins Sept. 5 at Chopin Theatre.
“Einstein in Kafkaland” – New graphic novel tells untold story of the meeting between Albert Einstein and Franz Kafka, with a side of Alice in Wonderland. Local artist Ken Krimstein’s cartoons have appeared in The New Yorker.
“Taste of Polonia” – Indoor/outdoor fest features tribute bands – including the Police, Elvis and an all-woman band who play Iron Maiden – and modern pop music from Poland. Plus, pierogis and an air-conditioned casino. Aug. 30 – Sept. 2.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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