Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez today filed lawsuits on behalf of Cook County against HSBC, Bank of America and Bank of America subsidiaries including, Countrywide and Merrill Lynch, alleging that their predatory and discriminatory mortgage lending and loan servicing activities violated the Fair Housing Act. The complaints assert that these financial institutions’ activities, in part, led to the foreclosure crisis throughout Cook County.

The Cook County Government Fellowship is a summer internship opportunity in Chicago for graduate students to develop leadership skills, create a civic network and have a lasting, positive impact on Cook County.

The Cook County Board today approved revisions to the County’s procurement code that will strengthen future participation of Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) and crackdown on fraudulent activity. “These changes will enhance our ability to hold contractors who skirt the law accountable, while giving worthy M/WBEs greater opportunities to do business with Cook County,” President Preckwinkle said.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle today set in motion the development of a plan that will look at the County’s transportation network and its impact on economic growth and quality of life over the next 25 years. “We can no longer continue to make one-off transportation investments. We need a coherent strategy. The County should invest in transportation as a way to foster economic development and create communities that are desirable places to live and work,” Preckwinkle said.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle today introduced proposed revisions to the County’s procurement code to enhance participation of Minority- and Women Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) and to crackdown on fraudulent activity. “My administration remains committed to ensuring that M/WBEs share an equal footing with larger companies seeking to do business with Cook County,” President Preckwinkle said.

The Cook County Board today approved technology upgrades proposed by President Toni Preckwinkle to track the location of County vehicles and automate building inspections, moving away from a paper-based system. The Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) system will provide real-time GPS tracking of county vehicles. President Preckwinkle anticipates that over the next several years the new technology will improve emergency response times, snow removal and roadway maintenance.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle today announced that the County Medical Examiner’s Office has been awarded provisional accreditation by the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME). Provisional accreditation recognizes that the office is making substantial progress toward or meeting professional standards in key areas of operations, staffing and procedures. The professional recognition follows months of preparation and a site visit by representatives of NAME last month. Preckwinkle was joined for the announcement Thursday by Dr.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office has objected to the concealed carry applications for 240 individuals within the first month of Illinois’ new concealed carry law, Sheriff Thomas J. Dart said today. Among the 240 applicants, five have already been denied by the Illinois State Police. The Illinois Concealed Carry Licensing Board will review and decide the merits of the remaining 235. 118 of the individuals reside in Chicago, while 93 reside in suburban Cook County.