😮 Mayor Johnson, saboteur?

Early Voting Has Begun!

Early voting for the March primary has officially begun. The Triibe’s Tonia Hill and Injustice Watch’s Charles Preston join today’s podcast to discuss important races — don’t forget about the judges! Also, some sports news. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

• Learn more: Here are the primary races we're watching. [City Cast Chicago 💻]

Illinois Sues Trump Over Planned Health Cuts

As President Donald Trump moves to cut more than $100 million in federal health care grants for Illinois, the state is pushing back with a lawsuit. The same goes for California, Colorado, and Minnesota. In Illinois, much of the funding currently goes to HIV prevention and other infectious disease screening. [Tribune 🔒]

School Board Members Accuse Mayor of 'Sabotage'

The Chicago school board will no longer use Alma Advisory Group, a search firm, to find a new district CEO. A statement from six board members praised Alma’s work but claimed that Mayor Brandon Johnson’s board appointees have “sabotaged” the search and are running “political interference.” [Chalkbeat]

This Week’s Must-Read

The aptly named Out of the Past Records has operated on the Near West Side since 1986. It was opened by the late “Mayor of Maxwell Street” and his wife Marie Henderson. She’s now semi-retired with her granddaughter taking over leadership. It’s one of the few Black-owned businesses left on Madison Street. [Block Club]

• A record-store crawl? There’s another old family-owned record shop in Beverly Woods. [City Cast Chicago 💻]

Another week, another batch of Chicago headlines. Were you paying attention to the news? Test your knowledge!