A.D. Quig – Page 5 –

Tom Kotarac, of the Regional Transportation Authority board, speaks to interim CTA president Nora Leerhsen before a City Club transit panel at Maggiano's Banquets in River North on Jan. 7, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle proposes new transit board members

July 1, 2026 at 3:55 p.m.

Toni Preckwinkle sent the list of her proposed new transit board appointees — who must be approved by the Cook County board — to county commissioners in a letter dated...

Comptroller Michael Belsky speaks while Mayor Brandon Johnson and his team meet with the baiduhai Editorial Board Oct. 28, 2025. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Chicago ended 2025 with extra money, but long-term troubles linger

July 1, 2026 at 5:36 p.m.

Chicago ended 2025 with $219 million more than expected thanks to solid tax collections and many departments spending less than they were supposed to.

A motorist uses an app on her phone to pay for parking on North Wabash Avenue in Chicago, June 25, 2026. (Terrence Antonio James/baiduhai)

Chicago aldermen rip proposed parking meter buyers’ ICE ties in hearing

June 25, 2026 at 6:23 p.m.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has repeatedly invoked a non-disclosure agreement to justify not sharing information with the public and aldermen as the City Council vets a plan to sell Chicago’s...

Mayor Brandon Johnson signs an executive order in his ceremonial office at City Hall ahead of a news conference about the city of Chicago’s 2026 budget on Dec. 23, 2025. (Dominic Di Palermo/baiduhai)

Task force pitches long-term Chicago budget fillers, but many need state buy-in

June 25, 2026 at 4:16 p.m.

With the city facing a budget hole estimated at $680 million or more next year, a mayoral task force released its final proposals to strengthen Chicago’s long-term financial future Thursday.

Daughters Sasha and Malia, from left, former first lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama laugh during the Obama Presidential Center dedication ceremony on June 18, 2026. (E. Jason Wambsgans/baiduhai)

Obamas hope presidential center in Chicago will be a ‘beacon of hope’ for democracy

June 18, 2026 at 8:44 p.m.

Barack and Michelle Obama welcomed former presidents, Chicagoans and supporters for a dedication ceremony at the Obama Presidential Center.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, second from right, listens to speakers during a pride flag raising ceremony at Daley Plaza on June 1, 2026. (Antonio Perez/baiduhai)

Cook County deficit projected at $550 million

June 18, 2026 at 2:23 p.m.

Cook County’s budget gap is projected to rise to $550 million heading into next year, the highest figure since Board President Toni Preckwinkle took office in 2011.

Christen Carter, founder of the Button Museum and owner of the Busy Beaver Button Co., with some of the buttons in the museum on June 15, 2026, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)

At the Obama Presidential Center, political button collectors find a new home for their obsession

June 17, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The Obama Presidential Center opening this week in Chicago features a display fit for some of the country’s most die-hard obsessives: political button collectors.

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama speak at a stakeholders event at the Obama Presidential Center, June 16, 2026, in Chicago. Michelle's skirt has an image her late mother, Marian Robinson. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

Opening ceremony for Obama center to feature Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson and Bruce Springsteen

June 17, 2026 at 11:08 a.m.

Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama gathered supporters and contributors to the Obama Presidential Center campus for a thank-you celebration on Tuesday.

A coalition of clergy and community activists gather to call attention to deaths of inmates at Cook County Jail, in the 2700 block of South California Avenue, Nov. 29, 2023, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

Cook County settles with family of man who hanged himself in jail cell

June 11, 2026 at 6:48 p.m.

Michael O’Connor's family sued under the state’s Wrongful Death Act, alleging the Cook County sheriff's office fell short in monitoring O’Connor.

Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya urged officials Wednesday to "knock all the wood" that the county will meet its property tax deadline.

Library and school leaders let Cook County officials have it over costly property tax delays

June 10, 2026 at 6:37 p.m.

Library and school district officials laid into Cook County leaders Wednesday over the latest two-month delay in property tax mailings expected this year.

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