Good morning, Chicago.
The jurors in the landmark racketeering trial of former House Speaker Michael Madigan and his longtime confidant deliberated for their first full day yesterday without reaching a verdict — though they should be all set on office supplies.
The jury of eight women and four men resumed deliberations at 9 a.m. and left the courthouse at 4:40 p.m., putting their total deliberation time at about nine hours since getting the case Wednesday afternoon.
Under their self-imposed schedule, the panel will return for more discussion at 10 a.m. today and call it a day at 3 p.m.
So far the only communication from the jurors has been about scheduling — and office supplies. Shortly before noon yesterday, they sent a note to the judge asking for more highlighters, sticky notes and white-out.
That followed requests on Wednesday for “more pens and highlighters and tape” as well as “at least five more copies of the indictment.”
“Apparently there is some kind of arts and crafts going on back there,” U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey quipped after reading yesterday’s note. When another message from the jurors arrived later in the day, the judge joked that it would be a red flag only “if they start asking for pipe cleaners and macaroni.”
Follow along with Tribune reporters in the courtroom while jurors deliberate.
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Midair collision is the deadliest US air disaster in almost a quarter century
A midair collision between an Army helicopter and a jetliner killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials said, as they scrutinized the actions of the military pilot in the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter century.
At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the American Airlines regional jet late Wednesday while it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport, just across the river from Washington, officials said. The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.
President Trump says tariffs on Canada and Mexico coming tomorrow — and he’s deciding whether to tax their oil
President Donald Trump said his 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico are coming tomorrow, but he’s still considering whether to include oil from those countries as part of his import taxes.
Trump said his decision will be based on whether the price of oil charged by the two trading partners is fair, although the basis of his threatened tariffs pertains to stopping illegal immigration and the smuggling of chemicals used for fentanyl.
For first time in 92 years, Walgreens suspends quarterly dividend amid financial struggles
Walgreens Boots Alliance announced that it is suspending its practice of paying cash dividends to stockholders.
The change comes amid struggles for the Deerfield-based retail pharmacy giant. Walgreens announced plans in October to shutter 1,200 stores over the next three years, including in Chicago. Walgreens has been cutting costs for years, including through layoffs in Illinois and other locations.
Obama Presidential Center subcontractor sues over cost overruns, alleges discrimination
A federal lawsuit filed earlier this month alleges one of the main firms involved in managing the construction of the Obama Presidential Center racially discriminated against one of the project’s African-American owned local subcontractors, leaving them $40 million in the red and at risk of bankruptcy.
But the company in charge of engineering and professional design services for the center pointed the finger right back, saying in an attached memo that construction costs and delays “were all unequivocally driven by the underperformance and inexperience” of that subcontractor, II in One.
Hemp fight moves to City Hall as aldermen debate regulation, tax
The fight over the future of hemp in Chicago moved to the City Council yesterday, weeks after a push by Mayor Brandon Johnson helped block state legislation to strictly license, tax and regulate the often high-inducing products.
As aldermen sparred in a council committee meeting alongside dueling hemp sellers and marijuana dispensary owners, the council appeared far from agreement on the safety and fairness of potential local regulations — despite all sides agreeing that the unregulated product that can get users high must face some restrictions.
As negotiations continue, Chicago schools chief Pedro Martinez says he ‘can’t even imagine the need’ for a teachers strike
Pedro Martinez, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, said yesterday he “can’t even imagine the need” for the Chicago Teachers Union to go on strike, saying the two sides are on the way to reaching an agreement amid contentious negotiations.
“Any work stoppage would only disrupt our children’s learning, and given how close together the sides are, it wouldn’t make any sense to do something so drastic,” Martinez said at the January Board of Education meeting.
UIC undergraduate resident advisers move to unionize
In a move that could make them some of the first undergraduate student workers to unionize in Illinois, resident advisers at the University of Illinois at Chicago filed for union representation yesterday.
The undergraduates filed for representation with the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 39, a Madison, Wisconsin-based labor union that represents workers in nonprofits and health care and at universities. Union organizers said more than 85% of the 170 undergraduate housing staff workers at UIC had signed union cards.
Column: For the figure skating community, plane crash has an unimaginable link to past tragedy
The skaters who died Wednesday were those trying to join the future elite, writes Philip Hersh. They were among 150 athletes from the sport’s lower competitive levels who had been invited to a national development camp that took place Monday and Tuesday.
They are mourned not just because they were young and talented. They are mourned because to anyone associated with the sport, they are part of the family.
- 14 from ‘close-knit’ figure skating community killed in crash, with 6 of them from Boston club
- Dick Button, Olympic great and voice of skating, dies at 95
Chicago Bulls are shut out of NBA All-Star selections for the 2nd straight year
For the second year in a row, the NBA All-Star Game will not feature a player from the Chicago Bulls.
Zach LaVine — a two-time All-Star in 2021 and ’22 — was passed over Thursday for a reserve spot in the Eastern Conference despite ranking 10th in the East in scoring (24 points per game) and shooting 51.1% from the field and 44.6% from 3-point range.
The Ben Johnson-Dennis Allen connection is new, but the Chicago Bears defensive coordinator sees ‘a really good fit’
It’s early yet. Dennis Allen barely has his new office settled at Halas Hall. So it’s difficult for the 52-year-old coach to deliver a concrete vision of what his Chicago Bears defense might look like in 2025.
But Allen does know what he’s after and how he likes his units to operate. So it was little surprise Thursday when the new Bears defensive coordinator offered up two qualities he is certain will be part of the M.O. going forward: Attacking. Aggressive. No questions asked.
You wanna fight? Video game competitions, once the stuff of arcades, now fill hotel convention centers
Head-to-head fighting games were born in the heyday of American arcade culture in the ‘90s and there were competitions even then — usually meetups at the local bowling alley or arcade or basement. Now they take the form of a double-elimination bracket played at a conference center.
What to do in Chicago: Groundhog Days in Woodstock, comedian Jimmy O. Yang and an early start on Lunar New Year
Also around the area this weekend, the Chicago Travel and Adventure Show lands in Rosemont and a concert by pop band MICHELLE.
