The Rundown | Chicago News

Some state agencies are issuing guidance about a large event of waterfowl deaths across Illinois. Chicago’s murder count dropped again this year, but the lethality of shootings increased. The Greater Chicago Food Depository says the need is greater and donations are down.

A doctor from Illinois is among the people whose death sentences were commuted to life in prison today by President Joe Biden. Chicago is finishing its third consecutive year with a drop in murders. The National Weather Service is reporting mild temperatures and rain this holiday week, meaning we won’t get a “white Christmas.”

Chicago’s deputy mayor for public safety says the city’s downward trend in murder numbers owes to collaboration between police and former gang members working the streets. Illinois Transportation leaders are reminding people to stay sober while driving around for the holidays. How holiday songs could help save lives.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez has threatened to file a lawsuit against the Board of Education and all seven of its members hours before they plan to fire him at a hastily called special meeting this evening. Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Relations was in Chicago this week strategizing with local agencies about what he called “challenges the local Mexican community faces.” A dramatic influx of immigrants over the past year helped Illinois witness its highest single-year population growth in decades.

One parent says she feels shut out of the debate about whether to keep the Chicago Public School chief in his job. Cook County might help more Chicagoans with guaranteed income now that the city has cut its own program. The Council on American Islamic Relations of Chicago, Sacramento and New Jersey announced a lawsuit against the U.S. State Department to demand it evacuates Palestinian-American citizens from Gaza.

A Cook County commissioner is calling for support for Amazon workers on strike. The Council on American Islamic Relations in Chicago is joining two other chapters to sue the U.S. State Department. The Chicago Cubs and Sammy Sosa are mending fences after years apart.

On the agenda for a special Chicago Board of Ed meeting Friday: the CEO's potential ouster. Cook County’s new top prosecutor drops charges against a cop recorded on video repeatedly punching an Arab American teenager. A news study found factors like gender, education and income are influencing one’s feeling of loneliness.

The prosecution is resting in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain. A church on Chicago’s North Side wants to help people dealing with grief and sadness during the holidays through a Blue Christmas service tonight. Demolition is underway on a building that housed the E2 nightclub.

The head of Chicago’s Film Office is out of a job. It’s the latest in an ongoing staff shakeup at the city’s cultural arts department. Officials at Columbia College Chicago say program cuts are necessary to the school’s future. How Chicago’s 2025 budget will affect your pocketbook.

Advocate Health Care is making a $1 billion investment on Chicago’s South Side. Food delivery app GrubHub will pay nearly $25 million to customers, drivers and restaurants nationwide thanks to a multi-year investigation from the Illinois Attorney General’s office and the Federal Trade Commission. Chicago’s police oversight commission is asking residents to share their experiences with traffic stops this evening.

Chicago’s new budget avoids a property tax increase that the mayor had initially proposed. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announces who will serve on the partly elected, partly appointed school board that takes over this January. A measure in Springfield would make sure insurance companies aren’t relying on artificial intelligence to deny claims.

A lobbyist aligned with former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is testifying about the joke-worthy job expectations of a clout-heavy AT&T subcontractor. The Chicago Department of Public Health reports eight cases of mpox in the last three months. Illinois Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is sounding an alarm over the incoming president’s immigration plans.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is offering a fourth version of his budget proposal to the City Council he hopes will end weeks of tense negotiations and delays. Chicago Department of Public Health officials are closely monitoring hospitalizations from repertory viruses. The ACLU of Illinois is raising concerns about free speech at two north suburban public library systems.

A vote on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's 2025 budget proposal has been pushed back to Monday. The State of Illinois has received $290 million in federal grant money for a railway improvement project on Chicago’s South Side. The Archdiocese of Chicago held its annual Posada today and prayed outside the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Center downtown.

Brandon Johnson is the latest in a line of Chicago mayors who’ve set aside funds for police vacancies they have no chance of filling. Chicago Public Schools looks poised to keep open five of seven charter schools slated for closure. A new report shows Illinois still owes a lot of money on pensions – but the gap is closing.

A new study has ideas for how to make Cook County’s complicated property tax system more fair. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says he’d be willing to speak with President-elect Donald Trump’s border czar, but questions Thomas Homan’s legal authority to carry out mass deportations. Activists want President Joe Biden to use the last days of his lame-duck term to grant protections to undocumented immigrants.

Family and fellow first responders will gather at a South Side church today to say goodbye to fallen Oak Park police detective Allan Reddins. Illinois restarts a program to offer down payment *and* student loan assistance. A bid to help a disgraced political worker is a new focus in the racketeering conspiracy trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

City of Chicago Warming Centers are open as temperatures dip into the single digits tonight. A new quantum computing campus is coming to Chicago's South Side. A federal judge is setting aside concerns about a government witness’ competency in the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

The latest on the city of Chicago’s contentious budget process as a December 31st deadline looms. An effort to give Springfield voters the power to recall the county sheriff gets shot down, once again. Ukrainian refugees in Chicago can now access free language learning courses and vocational training at Wright College in Humboldt Park.

Property taxes could be going up in Chicago. Pastors and community leaders met today at the Columbus Park Refectory to discuss a revival of activity they want to help usher in on Chicago’s West Side. A restaurant in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood has earned a prestigious Michelin Star less than a year after opening its doors.

We hear from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s chief of staff amid fallout in his press office. Tom Homan, president-elect Donald Trump’s new border czar, was in Chicago last night speaking to a crowd of GOP supporters on the Northwest Side. A downstate congresswoman appears as a government witness in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

A coalition of civil rights groups is pushing Illinois lawmakers to require police to receive ongoing training to identify hate crimes. Chicago Public Schools celebrated the opening of 22 sensory classrooms across the district for students with disabilities today. Major League Baseball owners, executives and managers are all gathered in Dallas this week for the annual Winter Meetings.

The price of water is going up for some Illinois residents. A new Northwestern University study shows the impact misinformation has on consumers. We hear from a Belmont Cragin teen that blew his SAT exam out of the water.

Chicago officials today are carrying out a months-old plan to clear away the city’s biggest homeless encampment. A former Illinois lawmaker involved in two alleged bribery schemes facing Michael Madigan will have to testify in the former House speaker’s racketeering conspiracy trial. Chicago Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson says he fired Head Coach Luke Richardson because the team was developing bad habits and falling short in too many games.

Former President Barack Obama was in Chicago last night to talk about unifying Americans. Remembering Oak Park Detective Allan Reddins. The Illinois Department of Public Health is warning against respiratory illnesses.

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled today the smell of raw cannabis is enough for police to search a vehicle without a warrant. The new director of Chicago’s office that helps formerly incarcerated people reenter their communities says he has big goals for 2025. A key part of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s bid to turn the state into an electric vehicle manufacturing hub just hit a speed bump.

The charter school network that is aiming to close 7 schools failed to show up to a board meeting to answer questions. Chicago’s law department is cracking down of owners who don’t maintain vacant lots. Cook County holds a summit to improve language access for residents with limited English proficiency.

The Chicago Board of Education has offered the head of the school district a buyout. Job recommendations Michael Madigan presented to Gov. JB Pritzker are emerging as a focus in the former speaker’s federal corruption trial. A snowy cold front means a windy afternoon and evening in the Chicago area.

Mayor Brandon Johnson shared a new violence reduction goal for next year. The Chicago Teachers Union narrows its demands as it tries to land a contract before Trump is inaugurated. Cook County’s public health system is launching free doula services for pregnant patients.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says he supports a pilot program to plow the city’s sidewalks, despite not including enough money for it in his budget proposal. The Chicago Bears are looking to the future following the unprecedented firing of now-former Head Coach Matt Eberflus. Musicians Kendrick Lamar and SZA will hit the road together next year – including a stop in Chicago.

The new Cook County State’s Attorney announced a new pre-trial detention policy after taking the oath of office. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson brushes off principal support for the school district's CEO; Johnson says it is about support for students. UChicago professors and students are rallying today to demand leaders fulfill a promise to host scholars from Gaza.

Defense lawyers for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan are now tearing into the testimony of a government mole. The top prosecutor in Springfield is vowing to keep Sean Grayson in jail while he awaits trial for the shooting death of Sonya Massey. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is warning potential donors to make wise contributions ahead of Giving Tuesday.

What is the top priority for Cook County’s new top prosecutor? Some City Council members want further cuts to reduce next year’s proposed city budget. Chicago advocates are training undocumented immigrants about their rights ahead of looming threats of deportation.

Federal prosecutors today ended their direct examination of a star government witness in the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Homicides in Chicago have decreased by nearly 9% so far this year compared to last year. The Illinois Department of Public Health says we’re currently seeing low levels of seasonal respiratory illness, but warns that those numbers may shoot up after Thanksgiving.

A church that burned down in Chicago’s South Side broke ground for a new building. Fans of the sitcom “Parks and Rec” can hear from actor Jim O’Heir … aka Jerry Gergich .. about his new book on the show. A Thanksgiving Eve show at Chicago’s Metro will showcase an eclectic mix of local musicians.

Antioch Missionary Baptist Church broke ground on its new building today. Government mole Danny Solis is laying out how he helped steer developers to Michael Madigan’s law firm in the federal corruption trial of the ex-Illinois House Speaker. A non-profit addressing housing challenges in disinvested Chicago neighborhoods is getting a $15 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

Prosecutors in former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s corruption trial are focusing on his alleged efforts to shake down developers. Why Chicagoans’ electric bills are expected to increase by mid-next year. Record-setting travel numbers are anticipated this Thanksgiving season.

A long and muddy list of misdeeds by government mole Danny Solis was front and center today at the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. The Chicago Bears have reportedly agreed on a property tax bill with the Village of Arlington Heights that could open the door to the team building a stadium in the northwest suburb. The Thanksgiving travel rush is expected to be bigger than ever this year.

A new analysis says Chicago will spend nearly twice as much on the Police Department as much as what Mayor Brandon Johnson proposes in his 2025 budget. What's at stake for the electric vehicle industry during a Trump administration? The Chicago Bears lose their fifth consecutive game in an overtime thriller at Soldier Field.

Illinois lawmakers’ two week fall session has come and gone – with not a lot to show for it. A conservative group is taking its challenge to Illinois' law governing mail-in ballots to the Supreme Court. The Chicago Bears say they’re ready to face the Minnesota Vikings after a crushing loss to the Green Bay Packers.

The Chicago Teachers Union rallies for a contract. Government mole Danny Solis takes the stand in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. A measure to phase out Illinois’ subminimum wage has cleared the state legislature, but not everyone’s on board.

The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the felony conviction of actor Jussie Smollett for allegedly lying to police about a fake hate crime. College hopefuls can now fill out the federal application to get financial assistance paying for tuition. Winter weather has finally arrived in Chicago.

It’s been two decades since Mucca Pazza first formed. The not-your-average marching band has been leaving an impression on its audience since the beginning. There are cheerleaders, sure. But their pom poms are made out of caution tape. They have sousaphones, clarinets, and drums, but also a violinist and even an accordion player. 
 
 “We’re sort of a marching band, for, like, the nerds. Maybe the scientists. Maybe the underdog, and also the whole world,” said founding member and cheerleader Sharon Lanza. “So, I like to think of it as a sort of a marching band for the world versus, you know, the Bears.” 
 
 In this episode of The Rundown podcast, Erin Allen talks to Lanza and the band’s artistic director and guitar player, Charlie Malave, about how Mucca Pazza got started, their signature performances (loaded with chaos and spectacle) and what keeps them going. 
 
 And be sure to check out the band’s live performance in WBEZ’s Studio 10. You can watch it on YouTube -- just search for WBEZ Chicago.

Illinois lawmakers have differing ideas on how to curb drugs getting into state prisons… and, lawmakers want more time to study how carbon capture technology impacts the environment. A no-show ComEd contractor and central player in former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s corruption trial takes the stand for a second day.

Jurors in former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s federal corruption trial heard how one of his top political operatives got a do-nothing ComEd consulting job. Anti-abortion advocates and some Christian employers are joining together to sue Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and other state officials. Chicago breweries and bars say they can’t afford Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed tax hike on alcohol.

Fans and artists were shocked when Pitchfork Music Festival announced this month that it wouldn’t be returning to Chicago next summer after 19 years. The festival had become a staple for the city’s music scene, and an opportunity for local artists to perform alongside big names. 
 
 In a social media post, organizers blamed the rapidly evolving music festival landscape for their exit saying, “the decision was not made lightly.”
 
 “We are deeply grateful to the City of Chicago for being our Festival’s home for nearly two decades, to the artists who graced our stages with unforgettable performances, and to the fans who brought unmatched energy year after year.”
 
 Vocalo producer Morgan Ciocca talked with local musicians Jeff Parker, Sen Morimoto and Kara Jackson to find out how they’re processing the news.

Some Chicago alderpersons say they’re working on reducing Mayor Johnson’s proposed property tax hike. Federal prosecutors are moving to a new phase of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s racketeering conspiracy trial. Illinois nursing homes that are understaffed may have to pay the state hefty fines next year.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is now pitching a $150 million property tax increase – half of what he initially wanted for next year. The organization that thwarted George Lucas’ vision of a lakefront museum in Chicago is now calling for the city to slow down plans for another massive development on the city’s Far South Side. The unusual warmth for this time of year could soon come to an end as Chicago prepares for the first snowfall of the season.

Chicago’s top cop says more needs to be done to protect police and society as a whole. Prosecutors in former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s corruption trial their first glimpse of something called the Magic Lobbyist List. Week two of lawmakers’ fall veto session in Springfield gets underway today – will we see a pension fix by the end of the week?

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is trying to keep Illinois’ ban on assault-style firearms intact while the state appeals a legal challenge to it. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker was in Joliet today for the installation of the first electric vehicle charging station funded through the state Climate Equitable Jobs Act. The Chicago Sky will have the third-overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.