Tag: chicago

Chicago Public Schools Going Broke – Facing $734 Million Budget Deficit and Laying Off Almost 1,500 Teachers and Staff

There’s an old saying that goes, something that can’t go on forever won’t.

Chicago is now in the early stages of learning that this applies to their public school system. They’re facing a massive budget deficit of $734 million and are on pace to lay off almost 1,500 teachers and staffers.

Perhaps Mayor Brandon Johnson should have been more focused on delivering the services that American citizen taxpayers paid for and less on the needs of illegal immigrants and Chicago’s ‘sanctuary city’ status.

BREAKING – Chicago Public Schools are now BANKRUPT as the city faces a $734 million deficit after paying for illegals, and must now lay off 1,458 employees, including 432 teachers and 677 special education classroom assistants. pic.twitter.com/8sAqN4rfHL

— A Man Of Memes (@RickyDoggin) July 14, 2025

NBC News in Chicago reports:

CPS parents concerned about looming budget cuts following layoffs

Chicago Public Schools parents and community members sounded off on Monday, three days after the district announced more than 1,400 layoffs, including teachers, classroom assistants and security officers.

The first of five community listening sessions took place at Dyett High School, allowing parents a chance to provide input on the budgetary process following layoffs.

The district’s chief budget officer painted a grim picture of where Chicago schools stand.

“We are facing a budget deficit of $734 million for the 2025-2026 budget. In plainest terms, we are $734 million short of of potential expenses next year,” said Michael Sitkowski, CPS chief budget officer.

Feedback from the roundtable discussions is expected to help district officials make major budgetary decisions.

“For us to pass a balanced budget, this means we need to identify $734 million of additional resources or cost reductions,” he said.

So, those in attendance got to work. Parents, teachers, and even students, took a serious look at their biggest concerns.

This was entirely predictable, wasn’t it?

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Muslim Immigrant Recruited For Jihad in Chicago

According to CBS News, A Chicago-based Muslim has been “convicted of using social media to recruit ISIS operatives and try to spread violent jihad and encourage people to carry out attacks on behalf of the terrorist group.”

Fortunately, President Trump has defeated ISIS. Unfortunately, Islamic radicalism still exists and Biden’s open border allowed potential jihadists into the country. Sadly, some in the West remain asleep at the wheel.

Per CBS:

Following a bench trial in federal court in Chicago, Ashraf Al Safoo, 41, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate commerce, one count of conspiracy to intentionally access a protected computer without authorization, four counts of intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization, and four counts of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

Al Safoo was arrested in October 2018, following a raid at his home in the Budlong Woods neighborhood.

Federal prosecutors said he is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Iraq, and moved to the U.S. in 2008.

He was accused of working with ISIS to various social media accounts to spread propaganda supporting violent jihad and recruit operatives to carry out terrorist attacks for the Islamic State.

This convicted jihadist was born in Iraq and was accused of working with ISIS to spread propaganda and recruit jihadis.

Among the evil he promoted were violent attacks during Christmas, as well as celebrations of terrorist attacks and mass shootings.

Al Safoo encouraged jihadis to “cause confusion and spread terror within the hearts of those who disbelieved.”

The ideology of Islamic jihadists remains a threat to Western Civilization. Fortunately, President Trump has made it harder for them to come into the country and cause harm in America, although there are likely already sleeper cells in America from Islamic countries who came in under Biden.

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Declining Enrollment Leaves 150 Chicago School Buildings Half Empty, Spending Tens of Thousands for Each Student

There are currently as many as 150 Chicago school buildings that are half empty, due to lower enrollment in the city.

The city has been run by Democrats for decades and their closest allies are the teacher unions. There is absolutely no excuse for this disastrous mismanagement of the city’s schools.

The pandemic, and the shuttering of schools for months, certainly didn’t help.

FOX News reports:

Chicago schools face enrollment crisis with 150 buildings half-empty

A new report showed that declining enrollment in Chicago leaves about 150 of its schools half-empty.

The report, authored by ChalkBeat and ProPublica, found that 47 schools are operating “at less than one-third capacity, leading to high costs and limited course offerings.”

Chicago Public Schools had roughly 325,000 students enrolled this year after losing 70,000 students from a decade ago, according to the report.

“District officials project that three school years from now, there could be as few as 300,000 or, in a best-case scenario, as many as 334,000 students. Those estimates are based in part on the city’s sharply falling birth rates. Citywide, from 2011 to 2021, the number of births dropped by more than 43%,” the authors of the report wrote.

While the city faces enrollment struggles, the city spends about $18,700 per student. Some schools are “double or triple” that number the report stated. One school that enrolled 28 students costs $93,000 students…

Frederick Douglass Academy High School, which has 28 students this year, reportedly costs $93,000 per student.

This is one of the reasons why more and more Americans are beginning to favor school choice, including homeschooling.

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to Roll Out Race-Based Grants as Reparations: “Investing in Black is Not a Criminal Act”

Ahead of Juneteenth, far-left Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed Executive Order 2024-1 to create a “Black Reparations Agenda”—a government-sanctioned program that will funnel taxpayer dollars into grants and programs exclusively for Black residents, under the guise of “reparative justice.”

The new executive order calls for a sweeping “Reparations Task Force” to develop a plan focused on redressing historical wrongs allegedly tied to slavery and Jim Crow laws—neither of which existed in the state of Illinois. The end goal? Handouts based entirely on race.

“Today’s Executive Order is not just a public declaration; it is a pledge to shape the future of our city by confronting the legacy of inequity that has plagued Chicago for far too long,” said far-left Mayor Brandon Johnson.

“In partnership with the Chicago City Council Black Caucus and our dedicated allies, we are continuing to build on the bedrock of my administration to move forward in reconciliation through targeted investments aimed at rectifying decades of deliberate disinvestment in Black neighborhoods and communities.

“These decisive actions move us beyond words and are a testament to my administration taking on the responsibility of this work. Thank you to all for your unwavering dedication that has brought us to this pivotal moment toward a more just and equitable Chicago for all.”

During the signing ceremony, Johnson made it crystal clear this isn’t about unity—it’s about prioritizing one racial group above all others.

“Our way will bring to Black residents in reclaiming ownership of our own communities. That is the spirit of Juneteenth, you all. It is about reflecting on our past. Other cultures are taught to never forget.

“We need to be reminded as Blacks here in Chicago and America, remembering our past and working towards a more just future. Investing in Black is not a criminal act. Says she need a witness, so I’m going to say it again. Investing in Black is not a criminal act.”

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Says Deportations a ‘War on Our Humanity’ — Then Calls ICE Agents a ‘Disease’

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has urged people to rise up against the “disease” of immigration enforcement.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Johnson was asked during a public meeting on Wednesday about whether he would be joining protests against the Trump administration’s policy of mass deportations.

“This is a necessary fight for all of us to be able to push back,” Johnson said.

”Whether we use the courts or whether we continue to protest and raise our voices, dissent matters in this moment.”

“It’s a war on our culture. It’s a war on our democracy. It’s a war on our humanity.”

“I am counting on all of Chicago to resist in this moment because, whatever particular vulnerable group is being targeted today, another group will be next.”

”None of us are immune from this disease,” he added.

Earlier this week, Johnson argued that the Trump administration represents “what our country would look like had the Confederacy won” and that immigration enforcement amounted to a form of terrorism.

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Historically Ignorant Chicago Mayor Says Trump is What Country Would Look Like if the Confederacy Had Won the Civil War

If you need further proof that many of our cities and states are being run by first-class morons, look no further than Chicago’s Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson.

While offering some recent comments about the Trump administration and the actions being carried out by ICE, Johnson suggested that this is what the country would look like if the Confederacy had won the American Civil War.

The mayor is apparently unaware that the Confederacy was a creation of members of his party and that the Republican party was founded to end the practice of slavery in the United States. Is he even aware that President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant were Republicans?

Breitbart News reports:

Chicago Mayor: Trump Is ‘What U.S. Would Have Looked Like if the Confederacy Won’

Chicago’s radical, progressive, Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson told the media on Wednesday that the Trump administration is “what our country would look like had the Confederacy won.”

The race-obsessed, left-wing mayor railed against the Trump administration after hundreds of protesters flooded the streets of the Windy City in opposition to the president’s lawful immigration enforcement policies. Johnson by turns called Trump a “terrorist” and a “racist” in his comments to the press.

The mayor with the single worst approval rating in the entire country also reminded the media that he recently said that Trump’s immigration policy is “what terrorism looks like.”

Earlier, Johnson said, “Federal agents should never be allowed to come into our city and assault elected officials or any Chicagoan. All residents have the right to due process under the Constitution, any action to the contrary is unconscionable,” in a statement after an ICE raid was protested last week.

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Former Dem ‘super mayor’ pleads the Fifth after failing to produce public records in court

A Chicago suburb’s former Democratic “super mayor” is facing yet another legal hurdle after failing to produce public records from her time in office after being held in contempt of court earlier this month.  

In a hearing on Friday, Tiffany Henyard’s attorney Beau Bridley pleaded the Fifth on his client’s behalf after she was ordered to hand over public records from her time in office.

“The smear campaign against Tiffany Henyard, which began while she was in office, continues even now that she is out of office,” Bridley said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Bridley conceded that the former mayor does not have the requested document, with an Illinois judge allowing Henyard’s legal team to submit an affidavit in its place. 

“The mayor has no document that the plaintiff seeks,” Bridley said. “This matter is going to be resolved with a simple affidavit. The whole hearing was much ado about nothing.”

The hearing stems from a lawsuit filed by the Edgar County Watchdogs Inc., after the organization sued Henyard and the Village of Dolton for failing to produce financial records after the documents were requested under the Freedom of Information Act. 

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Chicago Police Recruit Allegedly Found with Cocaine in Pocket

A Chicago Police Department recruit found himself in hot water during a training exercise after allegedly possessing crack cocaine. This incident unfolded during a narcotics arrest training scenario, as reported by CWB Chicago. The recruit’s surprising explanation for the discovery of the illicit substance has raised eyebrows among officials.

The scenario was intended to be a routine exercise, with recruits practicing search techniques. According to the report, a recruit discovered real crack cocaine while searching a fellow recruit’s pocket. The suspect offered a curious defense, claiming the pants were not his own but borrowed from his brother, who is also in law enforcement.

The training exercise involved a trainer providing recruits with a baggie marked with blue stars, simulating heroin. However, the recruit found a different baggie, clear and knotted, containing four smaller bags adorned with green dollar signs. Each of these smaller bags reportedly contained suspected crack cocaine.

In response to the discovery, the trainer questioned the recruit about the contents of the knotted baggie. The recruit initially dismissed it as “trash” before offering his explanation about the ownership of the pants. This bizarre claim has left officials perplexed as they continue their investigation.

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Drags Out Tired Democrat Talking Points-Calls DOGE an “Act of War” Compares Trump to Nazi Regime

When the left runs out of substantive arguments, they pull out the same tired talking points.  Chicago’s far-left, radical mayor, Brandon Johnson, is the latest example.

During his weekly press conference, Johnson claimed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is “an act of war” and that the Trump administration is similar to “the Third Reich.”

Johnson claimed Chicago is the most “pro-worker” city in the U.S., but is facing “hostility” from Washington.

Johnson whined, “The fact that the President of the United States of America is cutting off food supply and medicine to working people and families across this country — that is an act of war.”

“And we’re going to need leaders who are prepared and willing to stand up for working people, because this battle has reached our front doors all across America where people are struggling and suffering. And in order to alleviate that pain and discomfort, it’s going to require bold leadership. We can’t tippy toe.”

A reporter asked how Chicago can with the Trump administration for the benefit of the city with an adversarial position, Johnson referred to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s State of the State address in February, where he remarked that it “took the Nazi’s one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a Constitutional Republic.”

“Governor Pritzker… offered up a warning,” Johnson stated.

“You have a president that is cutting off medicine and food, a president that is working to erase culture. I mean, you can’t make this up. He’s doing it in plain sight.”

Johnson expanded on the ‘everything I disagree with is literally Hitler’ rhetoric noting how an “entire nation and or globe” questioned how Germany could have descended into Nazism and anti-Semitism so quickly and suggested Trump is “carry(ing) out the playbook that was done against an entire people-group.”

“He’s doing it right here in this country,” he continued, “against working people, erasing Black folks from museums and the history and the culture. So, when you ask how we balance that, you have to fight it and resist it with everything that’s in you.”

“The President of the United States of America is capturing the hopes and aspirations of working people and holding us hostage as he works to implement and annihilate democracy.”

“When you ask how we balance that, you have to  fight it and resist it with everything that is in you.”

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Pope Leo’s Childhood Home Faces Eminent Domain as He Relocates to a More Eminent Domain

“Every man has by nature the right to possess property as his own,” wrote Pope Leo XIII, in his famous 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, laying down the basics of Catholic social teaching.

The plans of contemporary socialists to seize private property, Leo XIII denounced as “emphatically unjust, for they would rob the lawful possessor, distort the functions of the State, and create utter confusion in the community.”

The last Pope Leo’s defense of private property adds no small amount of irony to the small Chicago suburb of Dolton, Illinois’ plan to honor the new American-born Pope Leo XIV by seizing his childhood home from its private owners.

Yesterday, Chicago-area media reported that Dolton officials plan to use eminent domain to take the home where Leo XIV, formerly Robert Francis Prevost, was raised from its current private owners to create a publicly accessible historic site.

At present, the owners are auctioning off the small, 1949-built home for a reserve price of $250,000.

In a Tuesday letter to the auction house running the sale, Dolton attorney Burton Odelson cautioned buyers against purchasing the house.

“Please inform any prospective buyers that their ‘purchase’ may only be temporary since the Village intends to begin the eminent domain process very shortly,” reads Odelson’s letter, per NBC Chicago.

Odelson told Chicago’s ABC7 that the village had initially tried to voluntarily purchase the home but had snagged on the sale price.

“We’ve tried to negotiate with the owner. [He] wants too much money, so we will either negotiate with the auction house or, as the letter stated that I sent to the auction house, we will take it through eminent domain, which is our right as a village,” Odelson said.

One wonders how outrageous the owners’ offered sale price was given its current auction price of $250,000.

The fact that the home was once lived in by the current pope surely doesn’t enable the owners to command that much of a sale premium on what is undeniably a quite modest dwelling.

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