Politics

Two weeks to the day, the Chicago Board of Elections approved a non-binding referendum, which would have allowed March primary voters to question the fate of the $9 billion PSI Quantum computing campus.

Tonight: J.B. Pritzker has launched his reelection campaign - we meet one of the republicans hoping to unseat him. CPS is losing students at an alarming rate - and could look vastly different in ten years. Will more schools have to shutter? And how you can personally have a political impact -- the non profit organization coaching voters on how to call and demand things from their elected representatives. 

A new study out concludes Chicago Public Schools is losing a staggering 10,000 students every year. And it's lost 100,000 in the last 20 years. How low can the population go, and can the city turn this decline around? Joining us now is Hal Woods of the group Kids First Illinois - who put out the report.

So do you feel like things are overwhelming these days and you want to make a difference, but you're not sure how?  Five-calls is making waves on social media in the wake of the deadly shooting of Alexi Pretti in Minneapolis.  It's an app that helps constituents contact members of Congress.  As influencers, activists, and everyday people wade into public policy conversations, many are turning to tools like 5 calls to streamline civic engagement.  It works by aggregating contact information giving users a direct line to local and federal officials to urge action on issues. Joining us now is Nick O'Neill, the founder of Five Calls.

Believe it or not - we are only weeks away from early voting here in the 2026 primary elections. There are several contested races to think about - one of them is the race for Governor. J.B. Pritzker is uncontested on the democratic side to seek a third term leading Illinois. But several candidates are vying to be the nominee on the republican side - and tonight we meet one, Ted Dabrowski - a North Shore businessman and former policy analyst for the publication Wirepoints.

In Illinois, there's no state rules protecting workers from extreme temperatures. So, workers and unions have launched a campaign pushing for a bill that would change that.

Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth sparred with Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a Senate hearing Wednesday.

Promising to fight back against the Trump administration, a Chicago alderman has officially announced his run for Congress.

Chicago Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez announced Wednesday he is running for Illinois’ 4th Congressional District seat as an independent following Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s retirement. 

Bankrate financial analyst Stephen Kates breaks down the Federal Reserve’s decision to pause interest rates. 

Greg Bovino demoted, Chicago City Council spars over changes to the Welcoming City Ordinance, and more all on tonight's episode of "The Chicago Report." 

The Trump administration is paying a political price, largely for Bovino's bravado and bluster as he has reportedly been sidelined and locked out of his social media accounts. Chicago Sun-Times Reporter Dan Mihalopoulos weighs in.