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The Latest Breaking News from Walter Burnett

Bally’s Chicago casino closes out year $9.7M short of Lightfoot’s budget bet

The temporary casino at the historic Medinah Temple made less than a quarter of the money former Mayor Lori Lightfoot had estimated it would churn out for police and firefighter pension funds.

Chicago Sun-Times

City Council members grouse about being blindsided by special events that inconvenience residents

Frustrated by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events’ decision to notify alderpeople by email about events instead of seeking their approval, Vice Mayor Walter Burnett (27th) has threatened to block the Windy City Smoke-Out summer festival that showcases country music and barbecue in…

Chicago Sun-Times

Bally’s casino at Medinah Temple will ‘secure Chicago’s fiscally strong and vibrant future,’ Johnson says

Johnson helped cut the ceremonial ribbon Tuesday at Medinah Temple, which is expected to take bets for the next three years while a bigger permanent casino is built in River West.

Chicago Sun-Times

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Chicago facing 2024 budget shortfall of $538 million — more than a third of it tied to migrant crisis

Mayor Brandon Johnson didn’t take his predecessor’s word for it when Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she’d left the city in great financial shape, with an $85 million shortfall. And it’s a good thing the new mayor was skeptical, his top aides told some City Council members in a budget briefing.

Chicago Sun-Times

CPS engineering scholars tour L stop project, ponder possible careers

The Paschen Engineering scholars from Westinghouse College Prep toured the upcoming Damen Green Line stop just north of the United Center. The station is expected to open next year.

Chicago Sun-Times

Ald. Walter Burnett says nothing nefarious about how he spent unaccounted for $165K — otherwise, ‘I’d be in jail’

“My accountant and my lawyers are working on that. It’s fine. It hasn’t gone anywhere. We’ve just got to reconcile it. And it will be reconciled,” Burnett said Thursday.

Chicago Sun-Times

Inside the political survival of Chicago City Council dean

Ald. Walter Burnett expected to be stuck in the political wilderness. Instead, he became vice-mayor, with a $400,000 budget, keeping the staff he had as chair of the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety.

Chicago Sun-Times

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License Committee advances compromise to make pandemic-era outdoor dining program permanent

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s version requires annual approval from local alderpersons before restaurants and bars are allowed to set up.

Chicago Sun-Times

Johnson wins first test of City Council muscle

By a 41-9 vote, Mayor Brandon Johnson reshaped the City Council in his progressive image.

Chicago Sun-Times

Former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White endorsing Vallas for mayor

The endorsement from a man who four times got more votes than any other statewide candidate could give Vallas a major boost in his efforts to get the 20% of the Black vote strategists say he needs to win the April 4 mayoral runoff.

Chicago Sun-Times

Bally’s $1.7 billion River West casino gets final zoning approval from City Council

Chicago’s 30-year quest for a casino and entertainment complex is now exclusively in the hands of the Illinois Gaming Board. Bally’s plan is for a $1.7 billion complex in River West, at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street.

Chicago Sun-Times

Secretary of State Jesse White honored for decades of community service

“He may be sunsetting his political career, but he thankfully will be continuing his humanitarian work,” Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) said during a sendoff Saturday at White’s namesake community center on the Near North Side.

Chicago Sun-Times

Mayor takes casino path of least resistance, but is it a winning hand?

Just because Ald. Walter Burnett is willing to put up with the inconvenience of a casino doesn’t mean Mayor Lori Lightfoot will easily round up the other 25 City Council votes she needs to ratify Bally’s River West site.

Chicago Sun-Times

Bally’s River West casino proposal gets city nod

Bally’s was picked over two rival bids involving South Loop sites: one by gaming behemoth Hard Rock International and another by hometown favorite Rush Street Gaming, chaired by billionaire Rivers Casino mogul Neil Bluhm.

Chicago Sun-Times

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Chicago Sun-Times

Bally’s River West casino plan expected to get mayor’s nod: sources

The city signaled in March that the proposal for the Chicago Tribune printing plant site at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street was the frontrunner over two other finalists. An official choice could be announced as soon as Thursday.

Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago City Council attendance report card: Leslie Hairston best, George Cardenas worst

Council members show up, on average, for four of every five required meetings, a new analysis by The Daily Line, WBEZ and Crain’s Chicago Business found.

Chicago Sun-Times

Lightfoot’s gas and transit giveaways hit rough patch — even after income threshold reduced

Many City Council members questioned the mayor’s motives. Others noted the $12.5 million cost and wondered if improving security should come first. The prepaid cards would cover about two tanks of gas or five CTA round-trips.

Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago should host 2024 Democratic National Convention, mayor says

After touting Chicago’s abundance of hotel rooms, an array of world-class restaurants and “arts and culture” second to none, the mayor added: “I will also say, we’re a really fun city in the summer time.”

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