Alderman

Calumet City 2nd Ward Ald. Monet Wilson is mounting a write-in campaign for the Illinois 29th District House seat after her ballot petitions were successfully challenged by an objection filed on behalf of incumbent Rep. Thaddeus Jones, who also serves as Calumet City's mayor. Wilson, a frequent critic of Jones on the City Council, said she lacked the funds to fight the objection in court. Jones has represented the district since 2011 and dismissed Wilson's candidacy as driven by "malicious intent," while Wilson accused him of using his 15 years in office to avoid accountability, including over an unresolved City Council inquiry into roughly $76,000 in his city spending.

Both candidates cite property tax relief as a top priority, though they differ on approach, with Wilson backing Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi's "circuit breaker" proposal. They also diverge on the SAFE-T Act, with Wilson seeking changes to better protect domestic violence survivors while Jones maintains his support for the law. Jones touted recent insurance-industry legislation and raised concerns about looming Medicaid changes and obstetric care access in the south suburbs.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and City Council members have appointed 26 people to a new Data Center Working Group, chosen from more than 250 applicants. The group, which includes residents, union members, academics, environmental advocates, and representatives from Xcel Energy, Denver Water, and the data center industry, holds its first meeting Friday and will spend several months developing policy recommendations. City leaders say the current development moratorium could be extended if more time is needed. Johnston said the city, not corporations, will decide if and how data centers operate in Denver.

The move follows other communities acting on their own after state-level frameworks stalled. In Colorado, Brighton and Colorado Springs have set local rules, and some Denver council members have floated an outright ban on large "hyperscale" facilities. In Missouri, Wentzville's Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a six-month moratorium on large-scale data center construction and expansion, following a similar county-wide pause enacted by St. Charles County in July. Officials in both states cite concerns over electricity demand, water use, infrastructure strain, and quality-of-life impacts as they study whether permanent regulations are needed.

Illinois and California lawmakers have introduced legislation to block the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) from closing its Chicago and San Francisco/San Bruno facilities, a plan first disclosed to staff in a June email. The Chicago site, many of whose records are undigitized and accessible only in person, holds documents including Pullman Strike court cases, Bureau of Indian Affairs files, and naturalization and census records used by researchers, genealogists and citizenship applicants.

Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García sent a letter to the Archivist of the United States demanding the closure be halted, signed by 20 members of Congress including Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and backed by California Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff. Durbin and Duckworth also introduced the National Archives Protection Act, which would require congressional approval before NARA can close or restrict access to regional facilities; a companion House bill was filed by Rep. Kevin Mullin. NARA has said records would be redistributed to facilities in Kansas City, Boston and Seattle. NARA did not respond to requests for comment. Archivists' advocates say the closures would harm access to records regardless of political affiliation.

Chicago Ald. Matt O'Shea announced he will not seek a fifth term representing the 19th Ward, which covers the Beverly, Morgan Park and Mount Greenwood neighborhoods. First elected in 2011 after working for his predecessor, former Ald. Virginia Rugai, O'Shea cited a desire to make way for a new generation of leadership. He pointed to work on local schools, parks and city budgets, including last year's, as highlights of his tenure, and said he intends to keep working on this year's budget before leaving office.

O'Shea endorsed his chief of staff, Erin Ross, as his preferred successor, praising her integrity and community ties. Ross, who has held the chief of staff role for three years and grew up near O'Shea, acknowledged the race is not guaranteed and said she plans to campaign actively, with a formal campaign announcement expected soon. The open seat sets up a notable race in a ward long associated with O'Shea's support for first responders and neighborhood development.

Dozens of Bridgeport residents and elected officials protested outside Rate Field, urging Amtrak to reconsider a proposed 24/7 maintenance facility near homes and to conduct a full environmental review. The rail company's plan relies on a categorical exclusion from the U.S. Department of Transportation, allowing it to skip a full environmental assessment, despite EPA research linking railyard proximity to respiratory and cardiovascular health risks.

The facility, proposed for a roughly 47-acre dormant railyard stretching from Cermak to Pershing roads, has drawn added scrutiny after Canal Edge, led by White Sox minority owner Justin Ishbia, unveiled renderings for a South Loop stadium that would swap locations with Amtrak's current riverfront site. Critics, including Ald. Nicole Lee, say the combined plans threaten the neighborhood's future, especially with the Sox's Rate Field lease expiring in 2029. Amtrak, which has received up to $572 million in federal funding, says the new facility would reduce emissions, noise and light pollution compared to its current operations. Mayoral candidates and other officials joined the protest, and state lawmakers plan to formally urge Amtrak to consider alternative sites.

Dozens of Bridgeport residents and elected officials protested outside Rate Field against Amtrak's proposed 24/7 rail maintenance facility, planned about 100 feet from some homes. The demonstration came days after Canal Edge, the development group led by future White Sox owner Justin Ishbia, released renderings for a South Loop stadium that would effectively swap sites with Amtrak's current riverfront facility near Roosevelt Road. Ald. Nicole Lee, Ald. Pat Dowell, and Cook County Commissioner John Daley warned the combined plans could devastate the neighborhood, especially if the Sox eventually leave Rate Field, whose lease expires in 2029, and urged Amtrak to consider nonresidential alternative sites, including near 47th Street and Western Avenue.

Residents object to Amtrak seeking a categorical exclusion that would let it skip a full federal environmental review, citing health, noise, and property-value concerns. Amtrak says the facility, backed by up to $572 million in federal funding, is needed to modernize its Chicago operations, while Canal Edge is separately conducting a feasibility study for the roughly $900 million stadium project. Rep. Mike Quigley, who met with Amtrak officials, said the railroad's federal preemption powers should not be used to override community objections. Mayor Brandon Johnson said no decisions have been finalized, and Amtrak's board met to discuss the plan.