Axios Chicago
February 17, 2026
1 big thing: Johnson vetoes hemp ban
Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed the hemp ban ordinance — a win for small businesses.
What they're saying: "I continue to have significant concerns around the current proposal and the potential negative impacts this prohibition-style ban could have on our city," Johnson said in a letter Friday.
The big picture: Last month, the council voted 32-16 for an ordinance to ban intoxicating hemp products from being sold anywhere except regular cannabis dispensaries, effectively outlawing the sale of hemp-derived THC and CBD gummies, creams, oils and other products.
- Hemp-derived THC drinks were exempted and can still be sold at liquor stores.
State of play: Ald. Marty Quinn (13th), who sponsored the ordinance, has argued that the products are unsafe, unregulated and in some cases, marketed to children.
- "[Johnson]'s placing a preference of small businesses over the safety of our kids," Quinn tells Axios.
Friction point: Chicago hemp businesses argued the ordinance would have forced businesses to close and put extra strain on consumers who use these products for pain relief, not for getting high.
What they're saying: "We can protect young people, ensure safe packaging and responsible sales, and provide clear enforcement mechanisms without dismantling small businesses which make up the fabric of our neighborhoods," Johnson wrote.
2. In photos: Jackson's life, activism and politics
The Rev. Jesse Jackson leaves behind an expansive legacy, starting with his time alongside Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to founding Operation Rainbow PUSH on the South Side of Chicago.
Through the lens: Here's a look at some of Jackson's most memorable moments.
3. Study finds ChatGPT reflects stereotypes
Researchers have found that LLMs, like ChatGPT, are just as biased as the rest of the world.
Why it matters: Last year, over 50% of adults in the U.S. reported using Large Language Models, and as more people rely on the information these platforms deliver, geographic, racial and economic stereotypes are perpetuated further.
Driving the news: Internet scholars at University of Oxford and University of Kentucky recently compared 91 U.S. cities with populations over 250,000 across a range of categories, including social and physical attributes, food quality, governance, politics and business climate.
Zoom in: In the paper, the authors define the "silicon gaze" as "shaped by the positionalities and power asymmetries of its training data, designers, and platform owners," so for AI models, those sources tend to be predominantly male, white and Western.
How we did: Chicago ranked in the top 10 for U.S. cities considered more fashionable and smarter than all but 14 other cities. Chicago also ranked high for "nurturing creative minds."
- On a less positive note, ChatGPT thinks we're "smellier" than a lot of cities. In fact, only 12 cities are smellier (sorry, New Orleans, but you stink, apparently!)
- Our food scene still reigns supreme, coming in No. 5 for overall food quality.
Whoa … whoa … whoa: Apparently, we're not friendly, falling in the bottom 10. Who the heck you calling not friendly?!
4. Homeowners are staying put longer
U.S. homeowners are staying in their houses for the longest time in at least 25 years, largely thanks to their low mortgage rates, data shows.
Why it matters: That — along with still-high home prices and tight inventory — is keeping the housing market on ice.
The big picture: Sellers at the end of 2025 had owned their homes for an average of 8.6 years — a record going back to early 2000, when the average was 4.2 years.
State of play: Homeowners in metro Chicago are staying longer than the national average — about 9 years for homeowners who sold in the fourth quarter last year.
- In 2000, homeowners in the Chicago area were only staying about a year before their homes changed hands.
5. Tips and Hot Links: ICE in Oak Brook
6. Iftar specials for Ramadan
Axios Chicago
