Good afternoon, Chicago.
Defense attorneys in the corruption trial of former House Speaker Michael Madigan attacked the credibility of a key prosecution witness today, questioning his motives for cooperating with the FBI and grilling him over attempts to hide money in a divorce and his recent attempted purchase of a gun to shoot rattlesnakes.
Fidel Marquez, the former vice president of external affairs at ComEd, began working with the FBI in early 2019 after agents confronted him at his mother’s home and played incriminating calls captured on a secret wiretap.
He went on to make multiple undercover recordings of his own, both audio and video, that have been played for the jury laying out the stream of benefits the utility allegedly extended to Madigan and his allies, mostly through requests relayed by his co-defendant, Michael McClain.
Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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Nurses at University of Illinois Hospital walk off the job, in second strike since August
The nurses are seeking better security to prevent patients from attacking them at the hospital, are concerned about potential staffing changes, and they’re asking for higher pay. Read more here.
More top news stories:
- 2 men fatally shot in Chinatown Tuesday night, police say
- Oregon man charged in 1981 Griffith murder
Chicago-based Grubhub sold for $650 million to Wonder Group Inc.
Grubhub, which is celebrating 20 years as a pioneering Chicago-based food delivery service, has a new owner — and a much lower valuation. Read more here.
More top business stories:
- City commission approves $98 million in TIF funds for massive LaSalle Street renovation
- Art Institute names tech billionaire, Groupon co-founder Eric Lefkofsky as board chairman
Turnovers are plaguing the Chicago Bulls. Can they cut down mistakes without slowing the pace?
The Bulls can’t stop turning the ball over. Their 16.5 turnovers per game entering Wednesday were the ninth-most in the league, preventing other offensive improvements from translating into wins. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
- Chicago Bears Q&A: Will the offense look different with Thomas Brown in charge? Why wasn’t Matt Eberflus fired?
- Chicago Bears release veteran guard Nate Davis, who signed a 3-year, $30M contract in 2023
Column: Eric Simonson returns to what he calls the ‘golden age’ of Chicago theater
Simonson writes movingly about his friendships with Larry Sloan, the charismatic producer and director, and Scott McPherson, the playwright of, most memorably, “Marvin’s Room,” both gone from AIDS by the mid-1990s; about all manner of shows and theaterfolk; and being part of the cast of “The Grapes of Wrath,” the 1988 Steppenwolf play adapted by Frank Galati from John Steinbeck with music by Michael Smith, and traveling with that show to Broadway. Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
- Column: Hollywood loves a scammer. But is there an appetite for a movie about a convicted cryptocurrency fraudster?
- John Krasinski named People magazine’s 2024 Sexiest Man Alive
Republican John Thune of South Dakota is elected the next Senate majority leader
Thune, 63, is in his fourth Senate term and has promised to work closely with Trump, despite differences the two have had over the years, and will be a crucial part of the incoming president’s efforts to push through his policy agenda. Read more here.
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