Sheila A. Weinberg, founder and CEO of Chicago-based nonprofit Truth in Accounting, has spent more than two decades pushing governments to publish honest financial statements, with a focus on unfunded pension liabilities.
Frank McCormick, who taught history in Waukegan District 60 for about a decade before resigning in 2022, says the district pressured staff to inflate grades, underreport discipline incidents and conceal poor academic outcomes.
Mayor Brandon Johnson proposed a $17.6 billion fiscal year 2027 budget that closes an $882.4 million deficit through new corporate and business taxes, reviving a head tax aldermen rejected last year. The spending plan includes $131.5 million in new funding for homelessness prevention, libraries, youth jobs and public safety.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget directs roughly $130 million to the Chicago Public Library and programs serving people experiencing homelessness. The investment is projected to prevent 3,000 Chicagoans from losing their homes and would close the library system’s structural deficit.
The Chicago Transit Authority will close all elevated Loop tracks from 4 a.m. Saturday through 4 a.m. Monday to complete repairs at the Wells and Lake junction. Brown, Green, Orange and Pink Line service will be rerouted, with shuttle buses replacing some downtown segments.
Pace Suburban Bus unveiled a draft plan to increase suburban bus service by 50 percent across its six-county region, the most sweeping network redesign in decades. The ReVision Draft Plan, enabled by new state transit funding, calls for expanded frequency, later evening service and seven-day-a-week routes.
The Chicago Transit Authority launched a $9.6 million yearlong pilot placing mental health clinicians and community violence intervention specialists on sections of the Blue, Green and Red lines. The Safe Ride Specialist program aims to reduce crime and service disruptions through crisis intervention and de-escalation.
Chicago-based TransUnion released a global report finding that 81 percent of suspected digital fraud attacks in the first half of 2026 targeted existing customer accounts rather than new account openings. Business leaders surveyed estimated fraud losses equivalent to nearly 7 percent of annual revenue over the past year.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after completing 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a 111.2 passer rating in a 31-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in his return from a hamstring injury. His 83.3 completion percentage was the highest in Bears history for a quarterback with at least 30 attempts.
Township High School District 214 received a $381,851 state grant to expand youth apprenticeship programs that connect students to career pathways before graduation. The funding supports work-based learning across the district’s six northwest suburban high schools.