Daywatch: The origin story of the Ed Burke corruption probe
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Good morning, Chicago.
A who’s who of Illinois Democrats was gathered in Philadelphia in July 2016 for the party’s national convention, where Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were vying for the chance to take on Donald Trump.
Among the Chicago heavyweights in attendance that week was Ald. Daniel Solis, a staunch Clinton supporter who told the Tribune the excitement of potentially having the first woman in U.S. history ever to be nominated for president was “a historical moment in the life of this country and in my life.”
As it turned out, Clinton’s nomination wasn’t the only history going down in the City of Brotherly Love. Behind the scenes, one of the most significant public corruption cases in Chicago history was about to be born.
Two months before the event, Solis had quietly agreed to cooperate with federal investigators after being confronted with evidence he’d used his elected position for personal gain. By the time the convention began on July 25, he was outfitted with an audio recorder, a first step in what became an unprecedented turn as an FBI mole.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Jason Meisner.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
Subscribe to more newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Today’s eNewspaper edition
Former UIC employee’s retaliation case may reveal gaps in state whistleblower protections
Sharon Feldman, a former University of Illinois at Chicago employee, told the Tribune she wanted state workers like her to know that despite a long-standing ethics law in Illinois that aims to protect whistleblowers, state university employees who report wrongdoing can be left unknowingly vulnerable to retaliation.
Feldman’s attorney and former legislators involved in passing the state ethics law two decades ago believe her case may reveal a gap in the legislation and could lead to a chilling effect on reports of wrongdoing at state universities.
State lawmakers propose new Chicago school board map
The new map represents the legislature’s third attempt at crafting boundaries for 20 districts, each of which will eventually elect a representative to the board that oversees Chicago Public Schools. The shift to an elected board, which was approved in 2021 and takes full effect after elections in 2026, also includes a board president elected citywide.
West Town community group, alderman, ask mayor and police leaders to give specifics on plan to confront rash of street robberies
As a citywide spike in robberies and carjackings continues, West Town area residents and a Northwest Side alderman gathered Wednesday to call for Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling to lay out specifics for combating the violent crime surge.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to turn old Jewel-Osco into migrant shelter stalls
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s hope to buy a former Far South Side grocery store and parking lot as part of his plan to create winterized base camps for incoming migrants stalled amid widespread City Council resistance Wednesday.
Infant deaths have risen for the first time in 20 years
The number of American babies who died before their first birthdays rose last year, significantly increasing the nation’s infant mortality rate for the first time in two decades, according to provisional figures released by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Retiring WGN-TV meteorologist Tom Skilling honored in Congress
Tom Skilling, a meteorology icon in Chicago and native son of Aurora, was honored Wednesday in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Bob Knight, the tempestuous coach who won 3 NCAA championships at Indiana, dies as 83
Knight was among the winningest coaches in the sport, finishing his career with 902 victories in 42 seasons at Army, Indiana and Texas Tech. He also coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in 1984.
Chicago Bears Q&A: Why wasn’t an extension in place with Montez Sweat before the trade? Could Jaylon Johnson get the franchise tag?
Before the Bears get back on the field Sunday in New Orleans, the Tribune’s Brad Biggs digs deep into the weekly Bears mailbag.
When art is not the destination, but on the way: O’Hare debuts $3.5 million public art commission
You can’t easily visit one of the most sensational art exhibitions currently on view in Chicago. Tickets are not for sale, not even at the elevated prices that have become the norm in American museums, and security checks include metal detectors and the removal of footwear. Forget about bringing your own bottle of water, or any liquids for that matter.
Yes, art critic Lori Waxman is talking about the airport.
‘The Killer’ review: Netflix’s latest feels like just killing time for a globetrotting assassin
Like any streaming giant with an occasional interest in putting its titles in theaters first, if only for a moment, Netflix has given us plenty of junk, writes film critic Michael Phillips. Plenty. “The Gray Man.” “Red Notice.” So many hundreds of millions of dollars of junk. Not entertaining junk; I like entertaining junk. Just junk.
With a higher level of filmmaker and craft, junk becomes a different and more depressing question — why this material? For example, director David Fincher and his latest, “The Killer,” a sleek, tight, fastidiously executed nothing.
‘A Holly Jolly Christmas’ for WLIT: Here’s why the Chicago station switches to a holiday format now
WLIT-FM 93.9 will begin playing only Christmas music at 4 p.m. today.
For the Chicago-based adult contemporary radio station, the weeks leading up to Christmas are, in terms of ratings, the most wonderful time of the year.
