Evanston, Illinois

Evanston's City Council appointed 4th Ward Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma as acting mayor following Daniel Biss' resignation, as Biss is heavily favored to win Illinois' 9th Congressional District seat in the Nov. 3 election. Council members chose Nieuwsma in a 5-4 vote that followed several failed attempts to nominate other aldermen, most of whom declined consideration. Nieuwsma, who has served as alderman since 2021, is not among the six candidates running in the Feb. 23 mayoral primary and plans to remain 4th Ward alderman after that race concludes. He will serve as acting mayor until April 2027, when voters elect someone to complete Biss' term, which runs through May 2029.

Illinois Democrats are split on strategy ahead of potential midterm gains that could hand their party control of the House and possibly the Senate. Some, like Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who is running for Senate, favor confrontation, including refusing to confirm Trump nominees or fund ICE and potentially ending the filibuster. Others, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Rep. Bill Foster, favor combining aggressive oversight of Trump officials and businesses with legislative wins, while downplaying quick impeachment. Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Trump himself, warn that a Democratic majority would mean relentless investigations and a renewed impeachment push.

The debate reflects broader uncertainty over Democratic strategy and control of Congress following the November midterms, a key variable for prediction markets tracking the 2026 elections and any renewed impeachment proceedings.

A coalition of Chicago community organizations, including Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly and Access Living, has pressed Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration for more than a month for answers on why roughly $6.3 million allocated to the city's Home Repair Program remains unspent while low-income seniors struggle to get critical repairs and accessibility modifications.

The funding gap traces back to late 2024, when the city shuttered its Small Accessible Repairs for Seniors program and merged its services into the broader Home Repair Program, which previously aided about 300 senior households annually. Since the consolidation, seniors say they've had trouble accessing help and are increasingly turning to 311 or their alderpersons for urgent repairs needed to remain safely in their homes. Some have even been redirected to the same community organizations whose funding was cut when the senior-specific program ended. The advocates are demanding the city clarify any restrictions on the carryover funds and ensure they reach residents with urgent needs as 2027 budget planning gets underway.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle's office has awarded $191 million in stopgap "bridge" loans to 32 suburban villages, school districts and libraries, aiming to soften the impact of another delay in property tax bill distributions. The interest-free loans, covering roughly two months of expected tax revenue, left $109 million remaining in the program's fund, according to records obtained by the Tribune.

Many applicants requested far more than they received. Mount Prospect District 57 sought $20 million but got about $6 million; Skokie/Evanston District 65 asked for $68.3 million and received roughly $23 million; financially strained Harvey requested $24 million but was awarded only about $1.7 million. Other struggling south suburban governments, including Robbins and Dolton, also received a fraction of their requests.

The loans come as tax bills, delayed a month, are due in October, continuing cash-flow problems tied to the county's troubled property tax system overhaul. Last year's distribution issues involving contractor Tyler Technologies compounded the strain. Treasurer Maria Pappas' office says most districts now receive accurate reporting, though system fixes are ongoing.

Evanston, Illinois police are investigating after a resident was injured during an encounter with federal law enforcement agents near Howard Street and Dodge Avenue. The incident occurred around 9:49 a.m. when officers responding to the scene found a man on the ground and called an ambulance.

Witnesses said people believed to be U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had attempted to take the man into custody. A federal agent at the scene told a local officer that the man had been released after his team determined he was a U.S. citizen. A community activist who tracks ICE activity in the area provided video of the encounter to local media. Local officials said no further information was immediately available as the investigation continues.

The incident adds to a series of confrontations between federal immigration enforcement and residents in the Chicago area, amid heightened scrutiny of ICE operations and their tactics in local communities nationwide.

Illinois Democrats gathered at the state fair in Springfield for their annual Democrats' Day, with Gov. JB Pritzker, Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren delivering anti-Trump speeches while downplaying ideological rifts roiling the national party. Warren praised Senate candidate Juliana Stratton for standing up to AIPAC and corporate PACs, touching on divisions over Israel-Gaza policy and campaign finance that have proven more combustible elsewhere. But the celebratory tone was clouded by House Speaker Chris Welch's handling of a sexual harassment scandal involving former Rep. Harry Benton, and the recent indictment of Rep. Carol Ammons and her husband on fraud charges. Welch skipped the main event; three House Democrats have refused to join his working group on the harassment issue, calling its formation flawed.

A day later, Republicans held their own fairground rally, with Gov. candidate Darren Bailey and running mate Aaron Del Mar attacking Pritzker over cost of living, public safety and schools while avoiding mention of Trump. Senate candidate Don Tracy branded Stratton and Democratic Socialist allies as extreme, and House GOP leader Tony McCombie renewed criticism of Welch. Separately, the DNC narrowed its 2028 convention host shortlist to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia, excluding Chicago, which hosted in 2024 and remains in contention for 2032. Pritzker's campaign also launched a TV ad branding Bailey as extreme ahead of November.