Mayor Emanuel

Did you catch the "Chicago Fire" premiere? If you watched last night, you probably recognized a familiar face: Mayor Rahm Emanuel made a cameo as himself in the pilot episode. On the show, his SUV shows up to the scene of a fire. Emanuel gets out of the car and walks up to the firefighters with his security detail and aides trailing behind and shakes the hand of the battalion chief. It wasn't a speaking role but his brief appearance showed his in-charge persona. The Tribune reported that a donation was to be made to the firefighters retirees', widows' and children's assistance fund...

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's getting his own reality show. OK, that's not exactly true, but apparently Rahmbo's trips to Hollywood have been paying off in bigger ways than with gifts and campaign contributions. He's about to get a publicity boost, too: CNN has ordered and eight-part docuseries called "Chicagoland. " Produced by Robert Redford and Laura Michalchyshyn of Sundance Productions, "Chicagoland" aims to "explore where politics and policy meet real people's lives--in a city generating change and innovation in social policy, education and public safety--to meet national and local...

The city paychecks collected by Chicago elected officials are on target to pretty much stay the same next year. Fourteen aldermen signed and submitted affidavits indicating they plan to decline raises for 2013, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Aldermanic salaries are tied to the cost of living in Chicago. Of the 50 aldermen, only three--Scott Waguespack (32 nd ), Brendan Reilly (42 nd ) and Tom Tunney (44 th )--would continue to make less than $105,000 a year.

The city paychecks collected by Chicago elected officials are on target to pretty much stay the same next year. Fourteen aldermen signed and submitted affidavits indicating they plan to decline raises for 2013, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Aldermanic salaries are tied to the cost of living in Chicago. Of the 50 aldermen, only three--Scott Waguespack (32 nd ), Brendan Reilly (42 nd ) and Tom Tunney (44 th )--would continue to make less than $105,000 a year.

Design work on a new Green Line station at Cermak Road and State Street is set to begin in March, Mayor Emanuel announced Tuesday. Construction on the station is slated to start in February 2013 and last through July 2014. The station, which is expected to cost $50 million, is designed to give easy access to McCormick Place, Emanuel said. As of now, only the No. 3-King Drive, No. 21-Cermak and No. 129-West Loop/South Loop buses stop at McCormick Place. The new Green Line station is expected to have access for people with disabilities and canopy coverage on the platform.

Move over, New York and Portland, Ore. Chicago wants to pass you by on bike. The wheels of change are in motion for city cyclists thanks to new initiatives from Mayor Emanuel. In the works are 100 miles of protected bike lanes, increased bike parking and a widespread bike-share program that could put Chicago on the map as one of the nation's most bike-friendly cities. Enter Gabe Klein, the city's Department of Transportation commissioner, who took office this year. "The mayor is definitely trying to catch up to other cities with the goal of leapfrogging D.C., Portland and New...

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's getting his own reality show. OK, that's not exactly true, but apparently Rahmbo's trips to Hollywood have been paying off in bigger ways than with gifts and campaign contributions. He's about to get a publicity boost, too: CNN has ordered and eight-part docuseries called "Chicagoland. " Produced by Robert Redford and Laura Michalchyshyn of Sundance Productions, "Chicagoland" aims to "explore where politics and policy meet real people's lives--in a city generating change and innovation in social policy, education and public safety--to...

Let's get digital. Mayor Emanuel tonight will host his third Facebook town hall meeting to discuss topics such as food trucks and education reform. The hour-long event is set to begin at 6 p.m., livestreaming at facebook.com/chicagomayorsoffice and livestream.com/chicagomayorsoffice . Seven hundred people submitted more than 300 questions at askchicago.org for the session, said Kevin Hauswirth, Emanuel's director of social media. Participants voted on which questions the mayor should address.

If all goes according to Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan, downtown Chicago may become one giant WiFi hot spot, including underground on the Red and Blue "L" Lines. Emanuel has asked officials to explore the possibility of turning traffic and street lights into "smart polls" offering Internet access to anyone nearby, according to the Guardian . Emanuel discussed the idea as part of his plan to reaffirm Chicago as "the broadband backbone of America. " Read the full story at the Guardian .

Maggie Daley passed away on Thanksgiving Day. She had been the woman behind former Mayor Richard M. Daley during his 22 years in office. As sitting Mayor Emanuel said, "While Mayor Daley served as head of the city, Maggie was its heart. " The soft, caring core to a powerful machine. We could learn a lot from Maggie Daley. The position of first lady is not something that we the people vote for, but she's just as important as the official second-in-command. She's the woman who's there when times are rough and stresses are high.

Did you catch the "Chicago Fire" premiere? If you watched last night, you probably recognized a familiar face: Mayor Rahm Emanuel made a cameo as himself in the pilot episode. On the show, his SUV shows up to the scene of a fire. Emanuel gets out of the car and walks up to the firefighters with his security detail and aides trailing behind and shakes the hand of the battalion chief. It wasn't a speaking role but his brief appearance showed his in-charge persona. The Tribune reported that a donation was to be made to the firefighters retirees', widows' and children's assistance fund...

If all goes according to Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan, downtown Chicago may become one giant WiFi hot spot, including underground on the Red and Blue "L" Lines. Emanuel has asked officials to explore the possibility of turning traffic and street lights into "smart polls" offering Internet access to anyone nearby, according to the Guardian . Emanuel discussed the idea as part of his plan to reaffirm Chicago as "the broadband backbone of America. " Read the full story at the Guardian .

Let's get digital. Mayor Emanuel tonight will host his third Facebook town hall meeting to discuss topics such as food trucks and education reform. The hour-long event is set to begin at 6 p.m., livestreaming at facebook.com/chicagomayorsoffice and livestream.com/chicagomayorsoffice . Seven hundred people submitted more than 300 questions at askchicago.org for the session, said Kevin Hauswirth, Emanuel's director of social media. Participants voted on which questions the mayor should address.

Design work on a new Green Line station at Cermak Road and State Street is set to begin in March, Mayor Emanuel announced Tuesday. Construction on the station is slated to start in February 2013 and last through July 2014. The station, which is expected to cost $50 million, is designed to give easy access to McCormick Place, Emanuel said. As of now, only the No. 3-King Drive, No. 21-Cermak and No. 129-West Loop/South Loop buses stop at McCormick Place. The new Green Line station is expected to have access for people with disabilities and canopy coverage on the platform.

Move over, New York and Portland, Ore. Chicago wants to pass you by on bike. The wheels of change are in motion for city cyclists thanks to new initiatives from Mayor Emanuel. In the works are 100 miles of protected bike lanes, increased bike parking and a widespread bike-share program that could put Chicago on the map as one of the nation's most bike-friendly cities. Enter Gabe Klein, the city's Department of Transportation commissioner, who took office this year. "The mayor is definitely trying to catch up to other cities with the goal of leapfrogging D.C., Portland and New...

You've heard the stoner arguments for legalizing pot: "Weed is 100 percent natural, dude. It's from the earth. Thomas Jefferson grew it, man. Thomas. Jefferson. " But lately the case for legalization and decriminalization of possession comes from entirely different camps, and they're using arguments with more finesse, research and economic impact than those tossed out at a party in your friend's smoke-filled basement. Witness the City Council, which is looking at reduced penalties for possession of amounts less than 10 grams.

Should the mayor's new title be "Demolition Man"? This year, Mayor Emanuel had city crews tear down 270 dangerous vacant buildings so gangs would stop using them as illegal activity havens. "I am committed to using every tool available to fight crime and make Chicago's streets as safe as possible for our families," Mayor Emanuel said in a news release. Demolition of the 100th building on Aug. 31 and the 200th building on Oct. 29 were both benchmarks of the $4 million initiative that started this summer.