The Latest Breaking News from Willie Wilson

CHICAGO — U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley on Thursday announced he will not run for Chicago mayor in 2023.

CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s controversial free gas and public transit card giveaway narrowly passed the City Council Wednesday after aldermen debated whether the measure will truly help struggling residents or simply be a political “gimmick.”

The 15-to-12 Budget Committee vote for Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s “Chicago Moves” program sets the stage for a full City Council showdown next week. The odds favor Lightfoot, but the outcome is by no means assured.

A few weeks ago, I helped Chicago business owner and philanthropist Willie Wilson organize a mass gas giveaway, his latest effort to help people in need across Chicagoland. Shortly after Wilson’s event, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced plans for a $12.5 million, taxpayer-funded transportation giveaway of her own.

Chicago businessman and mayoral candidate Willie Wilson announced he will be giving away another $1 million in gas this Saturday, a move that will provide some relief for city motorists but also, once again, raises thorny questions about Wilson providing handouts to potential voters.

The $1 million giveaway is planned for Saturday at yet-to-be-announced locations throughout Cook County.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plans to reserve 75% of gas cards for residents of South and West Side neighborhoods defined as “high-mobility hardship.”

The ex-president’s latest attempt to extract money from small donors centers on his supposed luck on the links.

CHICAGO — As Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot gears up for her expected reelection campaign after three tumultuous years, she finds herself in a familiar position: on the defensive.