Good morning, Chicago.
Former House Speaker Michael Madigan contended last week that as a blue-collar leader with a strong work ethic, he was angry and upset when he found out close associates he’d recommended for jobs with utility giant Commonwealth Edison had actually done little or nothing for the money.
Yesterday, however, the jury in Madigan’s corruption trial heard a different side of the speaker, chuckling as he told his old friend Michael McClain that some of Madigan’s political hires “have made out like bandits.”
“That’s you laughing, sir, isn’t it?” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu asked Madigan after playing the August 2018 wiretapped phone call, which Madigan’s lawyers had fought hard to keep the jury from hearing.
Madigan confirmed that yes, it was.
The tape, which has the potential to be highly damaging to Madigan’s case, was played near the outset of a tense cross examination of Madigan, whose risky decision to take the witness stand in his own defense has given him an opportunity to tell his own story but also provided new ammunition to prosecutors that the judge had previously barred.
Read the full story – and listen to the audio played in court – here.
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Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages, officials say
Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, two officials involved in the talks said today. Mediator Qatar said the negotiations were at the “closest point” yet to sealing a deal.
Incoming Donald Trump team is questioning civil servants at National Security Council about their loyalty
Incoming senior Trump administration officials have begun questioning career civil servants who work on the White House National Security Council about who they voted for in the 2024 election, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by President-elect Donald Trump’s team, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.
At least some of these nonpolitical employees have begun packing up their belongings since being asked about their loyalty to Trump — after they had earlier been given indications that they would be asked to stay on at the NSC in the new administration, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters.
Mayor Brandon Johnson testing ShotSpotter replacements as alderman tries for his own pilot
As Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration conducts pilot testing on first-responder technologies to replace the ShotSpotter system he discontinued, one skeptical alderman wants to move ahead on a technology tryout he set up himself.
Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, announced his plans yesterday to test a technology that helps police identify and respond to gunshots with tools like acoustic detectors, infrared cameras and even drones. The pilot program would cover half a square mile in the Back of the Yards neighborhood and cost the city nothing, but it can start only with Johnson’s approval, Lopez said.
McDonald’s sued over Hispanic scholarship program one week after rolling back some diversity goals
An anti-affirmative action group has sued McDonald’s over a scholarship program for Hispanic and Latino students a week after the company said it was ending some of its corporate diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
Bally’s resumes demolition at Freedom Center as city lowers revenue projections, looks to permanent casino to meet goals
Halted for nearly a month in the wake of a river spill, demolition at the future site of the permanent Bally’s Chicago Casino complex resumed Friday after the city approved a new plan for razing the last vestiges of the Freedom Center.
Illinois approves 4 new conditions for women for medical marijuana
For the first time since 2019, Illinois regulators have approved new medical conditions to qualify for medical cannabis, all centered around women’s health.
Endometriosis, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids and female orgasmic disorder were approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health, at the recommendation of the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board.
Coyote rescued from Aldi fridge section in Humboldt Park
Wielding brooms, two Chicago police officers can be seen in a video shared to social media trying to get a mysterious animal out from behind a refrigerated section in an Aldi grocery store yesterday.
After some prodding and poking, one of the officers finally grabs ahold of a bushy tail and pulls. But what comes out is not a raccoon, a stray dog or a possum. It’s an adult male coyote, who immediately jumps back in to hide behind the lettuce and spinach.
Calling domestic violence ‘unique in nature,’ Judge reduces sentence for woman who shot alleged abuser
In a case indicative of the justice system’s slowly changing attitudes toward domestic violence, a Cook County judge yesterday reduced the sentence for a Chicago woman who said she shot and killed her abuser in 2001, allowing her to shave more than three years off her prison term.
Marseilles Redmond, 44, had sought early release from prison under an Illinois law that allows domestic violence survivors to make a case to a judge for a reduced sentence, though she faced obstacles from an unfavorable Illinois Supreme Court decision that was later rectified by the legislature. The law is meant to provide a path for the court system to recognize potential mitigating circumstances for defendants who have suffered from domestic abuse.
Now after years of fighting, Redmond has slightly less than a year left to serve behind bars. Judge Paul Pavlus reduced her prison sentence from the original term of 28 years to a little over 24 years, per a plea agreement with Cook County prosecutors.
Four Chicago magnet schools awarded $15 million grant to implement personalized learning
Walking up the stairs to the second floor of Avalon Park Fine & Performing Arts School, a row of tables transforms the hallway into Ms. Leachman’s Diner and farther down the hall Ms. Strahan’s Food Court.
Huddled around gingham-clothed tables and reorganized couches meant to resemble restaurant booths, students begin working out the totals of their imaginary customer’s orders.
Learning about percentages and ratios, the imaginary restaurants named after the fifth-grade and sixth-grade teachers provide students with a more interactive way to put what they’ve learned from their math unit into practice. One way the school has begun transitioning to implementing a “personalized learning model.”
Avalon Park is among four Chicago magnet schools that have received a $15 million grant over five years to implement this model, allowing students to create their own learning paths, explicitly tailored for them. The instructional model allows students to work with teachers to co-design their learning path, pace and environment based on their strengths, needs and interests.
Zach LaVine is having the best season of his career. So why is the Chicago Bulls star overlooked?
Zach LaVine’s teammates are confused.
The Chicago Bulls guard is cruising through a six-game streak with 30 or more points. He’s shooting better than ever in a completely reimagined offense. But around the league — and, even more important, in the trade market — the response to the best season of the two-time All-Star’s career feels tepid at best.
Column: Chicago Bears’ coaching search enters Week 2 as hot candidate Ben Johnson turns focus to Detroit’s playoff run
One head coaching vacancy closed Sunday when the New England Patriots hired Mike Vrabel and another opened with Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys parting ways.
Review: The best part of this ‘Uncle Vanya’ is the cast, not the staging in a factory
There was something about seeing this show as much of Los Angeles burned up, listening to the proto-environmentalist Astrov talk of how forests are disappearing, rivers running dry, animals dying, writes Tribune theater critic Chris Jones. “The climate is spoiled,” he says in this 1897 play, “and the Earth becomes poorer and uglier every day.” Furthermore, he is all too aware that no one really is listening to what he has to say.
Museums for winter 2025: Our top picks around Chicago for the chilly months
Winter is the very best time to get lost in a museum. Whittling away an entire afternoon without having to step outside once? Sign us up. From the crosstown coincidences to the closing-soon, here are our top picks.
Art for winter 2025: 10 shows, from revisionist surveys to unusual solos
If your New Year’s resolutions include seeing more art, be it for distraction or engagement, look no further than Chicago’s bountiful museum and gallery scene. From revisionist surveys to unusual solo shows, 2025 promises to provide creatively, at least.
