Following closely on the heels of the county assessor’s office, Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez announced Monday that her office was also freed from federal oversight of hiring and employment practices, known as Shakman monitoring. But the person in charge of birddogging compliance and reporting back to the court suggested the office was still deficient in key areas.

Judge Edmond Chang found the office in substantial compliance with the Shakman requirements to keep politics out of county hiring and promotions, “due to the creation and implementation of a new Employment Plan, acting in good faith to remedy instances of non-compliance, the absence of employment decisions based upon political factors, and the implementation of procedures that will prevent politics from interfering with the long-term operations of the office,” according to a release from Martinez’s office.

Political flexing akin to a boxing weigh-in — think signatures instead of muscles — took place Monday as mayoral and aldermanic candidates turned in nominating petitions of varying heft to get their names not just on the ballot, but with any luck, at the top.

Community activist Ja’Mal Green hoped to make a statement by hauling his signatures — about 30,000, he said — in a wheelbarrow decked out with ribbons and bows.

Is Chicago ready for a $25-an-hour minimum wage?

SEIU, the big union that’s expected to play a major role in this winter’s city elections, is asking candidates seeking its endorsement to take a position on that subject, and the group appears quite serious about that and other strongly pro-labor positions it’s pushing candidates to back.

At an enrollment event this week, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle welcomed some of the more than 3,000 participants in the Cook County Promise guaranteed income pilot.

The participants, who were selected by lottery, are set to receive their first monthly payment of $500 on Dec. 15.