Mayor Brandon Johnson and his allies fended off a challenge Wednesday over the fate of a controversial megadevelopment project near the stalled Lincoln Yards site.

The Finance Committee’s 14-12 vote and Budget Committee's 17-to-16 vote set the stage for the marathon budget stalemate to end Friday, averting what might have been Chicago's first budget shutdown.

Chicago Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson surpassed former Mayor Lori Lightfoot in unpopularity according to a new poll.