Tessa Weinberg covers city government and politics for WBEZ. She comes to Chicago from The Missouri Independent, where she was a founding member of the team and focused on covering health, education and the legislature. She previously covered Texas state government for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and first spent a stint in Chicago as an intern at The Chicago Tribune.
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How some Chicago migrants struggling to leave shelters are getting help
A trust fund is helping landlords provide rental assistance to the influx of migrants who have been bussed to Chicago.
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Records show at least two Chicago City Council members aren’t accepting a pay raise
The city’s budget office wouldn’t confirm whether Mayor Brandon Johnson or the remaining 48 alderpersons will receive the annual raise.
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Johnson administration defends contract with private defense firm to prop up migrant ‘base camps’
The administration says it’s looking into whether it can staff the tent camps with local organizations once they are built.
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Chicago’s tipped workers could soon get a higher minimum wage. Here’s what to know.
Chicago alderpeople advanced a plan to raise tipped workers’ pay to the city’s minimum wage over five years. It still needs full council approval.
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Chicago elected officials get a pay bump. But the mayor’s administration won’t say yet who accepted it.
Mayor Johnson’s salary could increase $4,800 due to an automatic pay raise tied to inflation. But his office won’t say if he took the money.
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How Thursday’s Chicago City Council was a big moment for progressives
From a tax to help the unhoused to raising the minimum wage for restaurant workers, a slew of plans progressives have long wanted got introduced — but passage remains miles away.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson vows he won’t raise property taxes to close $538 million budget gap
Johnson has criticized past mayors’ reliance on raising property taxes, saying he won’t burden working families. The budget hole is due in part to the influx of migrants and pension costs.
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Here’s what we know about Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to set up migrant ‘base camps’
The proposal aims to stop using police station lobbies and airports as points of intake, where nearly 2,000 migrants are currently staying.
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Chicago’s first casino opens Saturday
Bally’s temporary location at Medinah Temple passed state inspections and is expected to open Saturday. Here’s what you need to know.
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Chicago’s homeless living on streets and in shelters sharply increased in 2021
The report from homeless advocates comes as Mayor Brandon Johnson seeks to raise a tax on high-end properties to fund services for the unhoused.
