Good afternoon, Chicago.
A onetime top political aide to House Speaker Michael Madigan will testify today in the trial of a former AT&T Illinois boss accused of bribing Madigan by secretly paying a Madigan ally through the aide’s lobbying firm.
Tom Cullen, a lobbyist who played political point man for years on Madigan’s government staff, is a key witness in the trial of Paul La Schiazza, not only because he was the alleged go-between for the illicit payments but also because of his intricate knowledge of Madigan’s operation.
The Tribune first reported in 2022 that Cullen had testified before the federal grand jury that was looking into broad aspects of Madigan’s political world, which prosecutors allege included a criminal enterprise aimed at providing personal financial rewards for Madigan and his associates.
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.
Subscribe to more newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Daily horoscope | Ask Amy
Mayor Johnson shifts course on Zoning chair, picks West Side moderate over progressive ally
Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to appoint West Side Ald. Walter Burnett to lead the City Council’s powerful Zoning Committee after he faced pushback on naming a progressive council ally to the post. Read more here.
More top news stories:
- Columbia College, facing money woes, will reduce degree programs
- Naperville City Council to vote on $25.5 million settlement resolving federal civil rights lawsuit over wrongful conviction
The end of Chicago’s Greyhound station could be Gary’s gain, analysis shows
As the end date of Greyhound’s lease at its downtown Chicago bus station approaches, the company has begun routing more buses through Gary, a new analysis of bus schedules shows. Read more here.
More top business stories:
- Drake Tower co-op unit owned by former FCC chair Newton Minow until his death last year listed for $1.25M
- United Airlines will offer free internet on flights using service from Elon Musk’s SpaceX
Column: As the White Sox home in on the worst record in baseball history, here are some of Chicago’s other worsts
Jerry Reinsdorf’s Very Painful Series of Unfortunate Events is nearing its endgame as the Chicago White Sox season winds down. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
- Chicago baseball report: ‘Sodfather’ helps with makeshift White Sox diamond on The 78 — and Cubs raise ticket prices
- Column: How the Chicago Bears used a combination of poise and belief to spark their Week 1 comeback
Review: ‘The Roommate’ on Broadway has stars much bigger than this story
It’s near-impossible to look away from Mia Farrow’s enveloping performance as a lonely but feisty Iowan in director Jack O’Brien’s staging of Jen Silverman’s quirky one-act, one-set play “The Roommate.” Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
- It’s time to mark Mexican Independence Day with fiestas in Fox Valley
- Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to impaired driving in New York
Gulf Coast residents still reeling from Hurricane Ida clean up mess left by Francine
From cemeteries to homes to businesses and parks, Gulf Coast residents, many still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Ida three years ago, were cleaning up the mess left by Francine, which struck Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane Wednesday. Read more here.
More top stories from around the world:
