Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, his wife and his brother-in-law are under federal criminal investigation for a dubious residential property tax appeal that dogged him during his gubernatorial campaign last year, WBEZ has learned.

A law-enforcement source familiar with the investigation confirmed to WBEZ that the probe, which has not been revealed publicly until now, began last October and remains active. There are no signs that criminal charges are imminent.

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s removal of toilets from an Astor Street mansion to gain a property tax break, a move that gained notoriety during his recent election campaign, is under review by federal prosecutors, WBEZ-FM 91.5 reported Wednesday.

The report, attributed to an unnamed “law enforcement source,” said Pritzker, his wife, M.K., and his brother-in-law, Thomas Muenster, were part of the federal review. The station reported that the review began last October and said there were no signs that any charges were imminent.

Somewhere in Springfield — whether stashed in a desk drawer or tossed in the trash, we don’t know — is an unreleased investigative report by a state government watchdog alleging that a member of the General Assembly engaged in wrongdoing of some kind.

We’d sure like to see that report to learn the details about alleged wrongdoing by a public servant. And guess what? The legislative watchdog responsible for that report, Julie Porter, wanted to release her findings publicly. Because that’s how good government operates: with a dose of independent oversight and transparency leading to accountability when warranted.

Facing pushback from some of the City Council’s most senior aldermen, Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot tried Wednesday to refine the signature promise of her campaign: ending aldermanic prerogative.

Lightfoot has promised to issue an executive order on May 20 — inauguration day — ending the unwritten rule that has given aldermen virtually iron-fisted control over zoning and permitting in their wards.

Chicago Public Schools leaders are withholding millions of dollars from city charter school operators as the district seeks more leeway in the number of dollars they’re required to set aside for the privately managed, publicly funded schools.

After a dozen charter school administrators and families lined up for public comment at the Board of Education’s monthly meeting on Wednesday to decry what they deem a devastating $50 million cut that could impact the roughly 57,000 students at Chicago’s 119 charters, board members approved a resolution calling for “an equitable, alternative funding formula.”

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says she’s back in the saddle after a tough loss in the Chicago mayoral race.

Thursday marks her first full board meeting since her resounding April 2 defeat to Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot. Preckwinkle stopped by the Morning Shift Wednesday to chat about what’s ahead.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said it’s “to be determined” whether she will keep some of the $116,000 raised during a political fundraiser at Ald. Edward Burke’s home, contradicting her frequent campaign declaration that she returned all the money.

During the mayoral campaign, Preckwinkle said she gave back $116,000 raised during a January 2018 fundraiser at Burke’s home, at one point saying, “We’ve returned every single dollar that was raised at the Burke event.”

Along Milwaukee Avenue around Logan Square, the change is easy to spot: Taquerias and two-flats are giving way to sleek apartment high-rises, ramen bars and boulangeries that serve the urban gentry.

Unease over gentrification, which has driven up rents and driven out longtime working-class residents, helped mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot win a landslide victory this month.

Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59 Superintendent Art Fessler, who has overseen the implementation of a controversial curriculum, won’t get a raise or contract extension, officials announced Wednesday.

Fessler, hired in 2013, is in the middle of a five-year contract that doesn’t guarantee automatic raises in the final three years, though he is eligible for pay bumps following annual evaluations with the board. The deal expires June 30, 2021.