Politics

Fox Chicago's Paris Schutz talks about the One Fair Wage discussion, continued fallout after Chicago Deputy Mayor's firing, talking to the architect of a new Soldier Field idea, and the latest hotel tax hike in Chicago.

Chicago is ramping up the hotel tax to fund tourism.  On Wednesday, city council unanimously voted to create a tourism improvement district, raising hotel taxes to 19% --the highest in the nation.  Supporters say it's needed to boost the city's marketing budget.  To weigh in, we have Michael Jacobson, President of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association.

There's an architect making a last-minute pitch to keep the team at Solider Field.  Edward Peck's design includes a translucent roof, more seating, and an entertainment district.  Could these upgrades be enough to keep Indiana or Arlington Heights off the table?  Peck joins us know to make his case.

Like clockwork - city council and the mayor are at odds on another issue. Yesterday, the council voted 30-18 to freeze planned hikes in the minimum wage for tipped workers like servers and bartenders. So instead of gradually going up to match the regular city minimum wage around $16, it will stay at $12.62 an hour. But a frustrated mayor johnson said he has other plans.

The CTA is suing the Trump administration over paused funding for two of its projects. 

More fallout today after yesterday's surprise firing of Mayor Johnson's point person for public safety, deputy mayor Garien Gatewood. More than 20 city council members have sent the mayor a letter condemning the move, and what they say is a character assassination from the mayor's office with claims that Gatewood presided over a hostile work environment.

Copyleaks CEO Alon Yamin joins ChicagoLIVE to talk about the growing use of AI-generated voices, videos and images in political ads. He explains why deepfakes are getting harder to detect, why transparency and enforcement matter, and what voters should watch for as AI misinformation becomes more common.

Fox Chicago's Paris Schutz talks about the surprising shakeup in Mayor Brandon Johnson's office as well as talking to Juliana Stratton and Don Tracy on their upcoming race.

After Tuesday's primary election, the field is set in the race for Illinois' open U.S. Senate seat, vacated by Dick Durbin.  Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton won the democratic nomination, backed by millions of dollars from Governor JB Pritzker and former Illinois GOP party chair Don Tracy.  If elected, he would be the first republican to represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate since Mark Kirk lost his reelection bid in 2016. 

A sudden shakeup inside Mayor Brandon Johnson's office today. Garien Gatewood, Chicago's first deputy mayor for public safety has been fired.  That's a position Mayor Johnson created days after taking office in 2023.  But that's not all-- Manny Whitfield, Director of Violence Prevention, was also let go.

Former Chicago Bulls All Star Joakim Noah stood alongside community leaders Thursday to push state legislation aimed at expanding housing support for people returning from prison, arguing stable housing can shape whether someone successfully rebuilds their life.

A new “mega projects” bill aims to offer tax advantages to the Chicago Bears and major developers as state leaders respond to the team’s potential move to Indiana.