Good morning, Chicago.
Axel Calderon loved growing up with his cousin Zulma Daniela Calderon Pacheco, describing her as someone who would always go out of her way for others and one of his favorite people to talk to.
But early Saturday, Calderon received a phone call from his dad: His cousin had been fatally shot at a nightclub in the west suburbs.
“I couldn’t even process it at the time,” Calderon said. “I just didn’t want to believe it and I still don’t.”
Calderon Pacheco, 21, of Chicago, was killed Saturday at the Mansion Live nightclub in Stone Park after being shot in the face, officials said. Her death was classified as a homicide by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
According to Stone Park police, a fight broke out inside the nightclub about 1:40 a.m. Saturday. A security guard at the club fired one shot, which struck Calderon Pacheco, police said. The guard was taken into custody and released pending further investigation.
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Ukraine-US talks on ending war with Russia start in Saudi Arabia as Kyiv launches huge drone attack
High-stakes talks between senior delegations from Ukraine and the United States on how to end Kyiv’s three-year war with Moscow opened in Saudi Arabia today, hours after Russian air defenses shot down 337 Ukrainian drones over Russia.
Senate confirms Lori Chavez-DeRemer as Trump’s labor secretary
The Senate voted yesterday to confirm Lori Chavez-DeRemer as U.S. labor secretary, a Cabinet position that puts her in charge of enforcing federally mandated worker rights and protections at a time when the White House is trying to eliminate thousands of government employees.
The Senate has now confirmed all but one of Trump’s picks for his Cabinet.
Federal warning to Northwestern: Protect Jewish students or face funding cuts
Northwestern University was one of 60 schools that received letters yesterday warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations to protect Jewish students on campus.
The letters are the latest in a long line of actions taken by President Donald Trump to crack down on antisemitism. In a press release, the department warned that federal funding or “public investment funded by U.S. taxpayers” to those who “do not fulfill their obligations” could be withdrawn.
Mayor Brandon Johnson opens up City Hall gift room, promises public access
As Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration finally unlocked to the press the controversial City Hall “gift room,” tours revealed what lies inside: Quirky, but generally low-value souvenirs filling metal shelves in a cramped closet space.
The mayor’s administration invited the Tribune to see the room Monday, less than a week after the controversy featured briefly in Washington D.C. when a Republican congressman questioned Johnson about the gifts.
Federal jury awards $120 million in wrongful conviction case
A federal jury in Chicago awarded $120 million in damages yesterday to two wrongfully convicted men who spent more than 15 years in prison, a pair who alleged they were railroaded in a bogus investigation at the hands of CPD detectives and Cook County prosecutors.
John Fulton and Anthony Mitchell were teens when they were arrested in the 2003 murder of Christopher Collazo in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Both were convicted and sentenced to 31 years in prison. In 2019, a Cook County judge vacated both convictions and the Cook County state’s attorney’s office declined to prosecute the men again.
Feds charge man on parole in deadly daylight attack after victim left county courthouse
Federal prosecutors allege a man on parole for a federal drug conviction participated in a brazen ambush slaying on the South Side in January after following the victim home from the Cook County criminal courthouse.
Marquez Robinson, 25, also known as “Little Smoke,” was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court yesterday with being a felon in possession of a firearm, court records show.
Column: Chicago Bears are going big this offseason with 5 new starters in the trenches
If last offseason was all about quarterback Caleb Williams, the Chicago Bears have returned to one of the oldest tenets of football: It’s a game won and lost in the trenches.
In less than a week, the Bears have five new starters in the trenches, writes Brad Biggs.
- Bears betting big on upside of defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo with 3-year, $48 million contract
- Tracking the Chicago Bears in NFL free agency
Chicago Bulls championship banners temporarily removed from United Center after Disturbed concert
Chicago Bulls fans may have noticed something different at the United Center during Monday’s win over the Indiana Pacers — the team’s six championship banners were missing from the rafters.
The banners were removed for cleaning following Saturday’s concert featuring Disturbed, Three Days Grace and Sevendust at the arena.
Chicago Humanities Spring Festival boasts Leslie Odom Jr., Eve Ewing and Paul Reiser — because culture isn’t dead yet
You know how you don’t know which end is up right now? Nobody is interested in facts. (So we hear.) Expertise is no longer valued. (So we hear.) Humanities are being yanked out of higher education. (Students would rather join hedge funds.) Just last month, University of Illinois at Chicago announced it planned to close its School of Literatures, Cultural Studies and Linguistics.
The world is on fire, and night is day, and war is peace. And yet, the Chicago Humanities Festival is doubling down.
Garcia’s Chicago opens soon, a music venue and restaurant inspired by the Grateful Dead
Jerry Garcia, co-founder of the band Grateful Dead and certified cultural icon, dreamt of one day owning a place where he and other musicians and guests could hang out when not on the road. His vision was an oasis of easy vibes with plenty of opportunities to jam.
Although Casa Garcia never materialized in the musician’s lifetime, something very much like it is scheduled to open on March 21 at 1001 W. Washington Blvd. in the West Loop, in the building formerly occupied by the restaurant Wishbone.
Michelle Obama and her brother to launch a podcast
Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, will host a new weekly podcast series starting this month featuring a special guest pulled from the world of entertainment, sports, health and business.
