City’s watered-down rules on debt collection win support

Mayor Rahm Emanuel agreed Wednesday to soften his plan to protect consumers against financial scams to satisfy businesses concerned about losing their licenses for mere technical violations.

State loans city $15 million to replace crumbling pipes

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has already doubled water and sewer rates over four years to replace Chicago’s crumbling water mains, 900 miles of them a century-old. Now, he’ll be able to do that work even faster and more cheaply, thanks to a $15 million, low-interest loan from Gov. Pat Quinn’s $1 billion Clean Water Initiative.

O’Hare’s new nap nook

Air travelers will soon be able to take a nap between flights without leaving O’Hare Airport.

Minute Suites plans to offer “extended-stay suites”— featuring a daybed sofa, workstation, high-definition TV and personal computer with Internet access — for $30-an-hour or $120 overnight near the rotunda …

‘Embarrassed’ aldermen OK almost $33 million in police misconduct settlements

With Chicago’s most powerful alderman describing himself as “embarrassed and ashamed,” the City Council’s Finance Committee agreed Tuesday to shell out nearly $33 million to settle two cases of police misconduct that gave the Chicago Police Department another “black eye.”

Chicago can’t afford retirees’ health care costs: panel

Chicago taxpayers can no longer afford to subsidize retiree health care at existing levels, a mayoral commission has concluded, recommending painful solutions that range from sharply higher employee contributions and reduced city support to forcing retirees to fend for themselves under ObamaCare.

Emanuel, Preckwinkle team up on tougher gun rules, sentences

Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to broaden the requirement for reporting the loss, theft, sale or transfer of firearms to all gun owners in all of Cook County and double the jail time for an array of gun violations to stop the bloodbath on Chicago streets.

Vanecko court hearing set for next week

The McHenry County judge who was chosen to preside over the involuntary-manslaughter case of Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko, a nephew of former Mayor Richard M. Daley accused in the 2004 death of David Koschman, has scheduled a hearing for next week.

Mayor decides to re-bid city’s lucrative red-light camera contract

Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration decided Thursday to rebid Chicago’s lucrative red-light camera contract but extend it six months to give the city’s inspector general time to complete his investigation of the current vendor, Reflex Traffic Systems.

Mayor to put more teachers in libraries to help kids with homework

Struggling students will soon have an easier time getting one-on-one help with their homework at Chicago’s public libraries.

“Teacher in the Library,” a popular and privately funded program serving 58,000 kids each year at 57 libraries, is being expanded next fall to the 21 libraries …

City retirees warned to expect higher health-care costs

Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s City Council floor leader warned Chicago’s 35,000 retirees on Thursday to prepare themselves for a painful but necessary reality: higher health-care contributions and reduced benefits to whittle away at an $800 million unfunded liability for Chicago taxpayers.

Chicago gun control ordinance in the works, Emanuel says

Conceding that “waiting is not my strong suit,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday he’s drafting a Chicago-only gun control ordinance that, he hopes, will prod the Illinois General Assembly to ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips.

Survey: More than eight of ten people satisfied with treatment by Chicago cops

When some Chicagoans think of the police department, disgraced cops like Anthony Abbate or Jon Burge might come to mind. Or last year’s rising gun violence. But a University of Illinois at Chicago survey of more than 4,000 people showed a mostly positive public opinion of the men and women in blue. More than 80 percent of those surveyed said they were somewhat satisfied — or very satisfied — about their recent encounters with officers.

Consumer protection plan leaves Emanuel facing rare opposition

Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to protect consumers against financial scams ran into a buzzsaw of opposition Wednesday from retailers and debt collectors fearful they could lose their licenses for mere technical violations.

Top cop McCarthy tries to recruit celebrities like Derrick Rose to combat ‘code of silence’

Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said Tuesday he’s actively recruiting local celebrities like D-Rose to star in a public service campaign aimed at reversing the code of silence that has shielded known criminals and made it difficult for police to solve gang crimes.

Emanuel, McCarthy to move cops into districts to revitalize CAPS

Calling community policing done right a “force multiplier,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Supt. Garry McCarthy tried Tuesday to breathe new life into Chicago’s once-vibrant, but now stagnant, CAPS program.