Good morning, Chicago.
Mayor Brandon Johnson indicated yesterday he is moving ahead with a stalled ordinance to overhaul guidelines on Chicago police raids but hedged on whether his latest plan would preserve a key ban on no-knock warrants that he campaigned for two years ago.
Johnson confirmed in a City Hall news conference that his administration was working on an updated draft of the so-called Anjanette Young ordinance, named after the Black woman who took on the city following a wrongful police raid that made national headlines in 2020 after video showed Chicago cops leaving Young, a social worker, handcuffed and naked in her home during the search.
But the mayor repeatedly dodged questions about whether his latest effort would include a major tenet from the original draft — a ban on no-knock warrants — that was the animating force behind Young’s demands for reform.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Alice Yin.
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President Donald Trump says he’s exploring option to send jailed US criminals to other countries
President Donald Trump said yesterday that he was exploring whether he can move forward with El Salvador’s offer to accept and jail violent American criminals in the “most severe cases” even as he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both say it raises clear legal issues.
Rubio reached an unusual agreement with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele a day earlier that the Central American country would accept U.S. deportees of any nationality, including American citizens and legal residents who are imprisoned for violent crimes.
Trump won’t rule out deploying US troops to support rebuilding Gaza, sees ‘long-term’ US ownership
President Donald Trump suggested that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be permanently resettled outside the war-torn territory and proposed the U.S. take “ownership” in redeveloping the area.
Trump’s audacious proposal appears certain to roil the next stage of talks meant to extend the tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and secure the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza.
Northwestern University under investigation by Department of Education for ‘antisemitic harassment’
Northwestern University and four other schools are under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for what the federal agency is calling “widespread antisemitic harassment” after mass student protests that broke out last spring against the Israel-Hamas war.
Gov. JB Pritzker stresses importance of federal education funding amid latest threats from Trump
Gov. JB Pritzker continued his offensive against President Donald Trump’s policy initiatives yesterday, raising concerns over new reports that the White House is seeking to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, a move the governor said could deprive Illinois of essential federal funding.
Alderman told to leave City Council meeting after he appeared to call colleague a white supremacist
A City Council debate over whether a controversial pro-Gaza puppet display at the Chicago Cultural Center is antisemitic or a fair expression of free speech descended into disorder yesterday, with an aldermanic ally of Mayor Brandon Johnson being told to leave the council chambers after he appeared to call another alderman a “white supremacist.”
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, who last year was criticized for speaking at a protest rally where an American flag was burned, later Tuesday claimed he said the words “this is white supremacist” in the direction of Ald. Bill Conway, 34th, and didn’t direct his comments to Conway individually. After the comment was made during the committee meeting it was temporarily recessed and neither alderman returned. The committee chair said he told Sigcho-Lopez not to return.
Second man charged in deadly 2024 ambush of two high school students in Loop
A Far South Side man has been accused of being one of three gunmen who fatally shot two Innovations High School students in the Loop early last year.
Another man was charged late last week in the same shooting and was ordered detained Saturday by a Cook County judge. At that detention hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, prosecutors said the victims were ambushed from behind by three masked gunmen who exited a stolen dark blue Infiniti SUV on Wabash Avenue between Madison and Washington streets as the teens walked in front of CTA elevators.
Madigan jurors end fifth day of deliberations with no verdict
Jurors in the Michael Madigan trial closed out their fifth day of deliberations yesterday without reaching a verdict.
The jury began its discussion Wednesday afternoon, kicking off the final phase of a landmark four-month trial. Altogether the jurors have deliberated for roughly 29 hours — longer than in two other recent high-profile corruption cases.
Once-obscure Bolingbrook company WeatherTech has wild ride with its 13th Super Bowl ad
When Super Bowl LIX airs Sunday on Fox from New Orleans, more than 100 million viewers are expected to watch the Kansas City Chiefs vie for an unprecedented three-peat when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
But an unlikely Chicago team is on an equally remarkable Super Bowl run, as WeatherTech, a once-obscure Bolingbrook car floor mat manufacturer, and Pinnacle Advertising, a small Schaumburg agency, roll out their 13th Super Bowl commercial since 2014.
Column: Chicago Blackhawks fans can send a message tonight by cheering — not booing — the Canadian national anthem
It’s Chicago’s turn, writes Paul Sullivan.
The Edmonton Oilers come to town tonight for a game against the Blackhawks at the United Center. We’ll see if fans from our mostly blue city will act like lemmings and boo the Canadian anthem just because some Canadians booed ours.
How to have a great cruise down the Nile River in Egypt
Cruising leisurely down the Nile River is one of the most popular tourist activities in Egypt. Yes, you can see ancient and remarkable temples with almost no effort. Yes, you can see miles of countryside without leaving your deck chair. But a cruise might not be as much fun as you think if you ignore these tips.
Super Bowl 2025: 41 restaurant and bar specials across Chicagoland
Bars and restaurants around Chicago are welcoming fans for Super Bowl watch parties with bottomless beer and cocktails, giveaways and buffets, but there are also plenty of options for anyone hosting their own gatherings at home. No matter the score, you’ll feel like a winner when you check out one of these 41 Super Bowl celebrations.
Valentine’s Day concerts: Top 5 music picks from Justin Timberlake to an all-night dance party
Valentine’s Day is what you make of it, and that’s never been as clear as it is this year. Concert venues, party promoters and event creators are pulling out all of the stops, presenting a bevy of opportunities for Chicagoans to celebrate the big day, whether with their beloved or with a group of friends. From long-delayed mega concerts with one of the biggest pop stars of the aughts to an all-night New Wave dance party, this Valentine’s weekend is sure to please everyone, whether in a relationship or joyously single.
