Top Two at Two - 9/2

1. It's the start of the school year for the largest district in the state. After a summer full of lead remediation, all schools in MPS are up and running for the beginning of the school year, except Riverside High School where clean-up continues following a chemical spill. With financials reported and the lead situation under control, Superintendent Brenda Cassellius is focused on student outcomes and literacy. Only 27% of MPS 4th graders are at least the basic level for reading according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

2. Chicago is bracing for the Trump administration’s planned increase in federal immigration enforcement that may begin as soon as this week. The operation could involve ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents as well as National Guard troops. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called the planned operation "disruptive and dangerous." At a Labor Day rally in the city, Mayor Brandon Johnson echoed those sentiments. Just wrapping up in Chicago, a Press conference where veterans, including Illinois National Guard veterans, and military legal advocates will speak about "the illegal and unconstitutional deployment of National Guard troops to the streets of Chicago." Over the weekend, Johnson signed an executive order affirming Chicago police will not “collaborate with federal agents on joint law enforcement patrols, arrest operations, or other law enforcement duties including civil immigration enforcement.