Category: Chicago

Teen Charged in Fatal Shooting Near Chicago ‘Bean’ Sculpture

CHICAGO—A 17-year-old boy has been charged with second-degree murder after a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot near “The Bean” sculpture in downtown Chicago’s Millennium Park, which is among the city’s most popular tourist attractions. The shooting prompted a curfew at the park to combat violence. Officials announced Sunday that minors will not be allowed in…


16-Year-Old Boy Fatally Shot Near Chicago’s ‘Bean’ Tourist Attraction

CHICAGO—A curfew banning unaccompanied minors will be implemented after a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot near “The Bean” sculpture in downtown Chicago’s Millennium Park, which is among the city’s most popular tourist attractions, city officials said Sunday. Police said the teen was shot in the chest at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday near the giant, mirrored…


Lori Lightfoot Faces Criticism After ‘Call to Arms’ Against Supreme Court

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot faced criticism Tuesday after issuing a “call to arms” on Twitter following the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion suggesting Roe v. Wade may be overturned. “To my friends in the LGBTQ+ community—the Supreme Court is coming for us next. This moment has to be a call to arms,” the…


Boeing Leaves Chicago as City Struggles With Crime, Other Problems

Boeing said it is moving its headquarters from Chicago though it will still maintain a “strong” presence in the city, whose reputation as a major hub that welcomes corporations and their staff stands in contrast to a recent upsurge in crime. The plane-making giant said in a May 5 statement that it will relocate its…


Teen Killed Himself After Bullying Over COVID-19 Vaccination Status: Lawsuit

A 15-year-old boy who was targeted by an allegedly false rumor that he was unvaccinated was bullied until he took his life earlier this year, according to a lawsuit filed by his parents. A lawsuit (pdf) filed by the boy’s parents, Robert and Rosellene Bronstein, accused administrators at the Latin School of Chicago, a private…


Archdiocese of Chicago Reaches $800,000 Settlement in Sexual Abuse Claims

An $800,000 settlement has been reached between the Archdiocese of Chicago and individuals who accused five clergymen of sexual abuse, lawyers for the plaintiffs have confirmed. The claims were made against five religious leaders, including the Rev. George Clements, a prominent black Catholic priest, and civil rights activist who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago, Alabama,…


Plastic Grocery Bag Bans Actually Boost Sale of Small Plastic Garbage Bags: Study

Researchers have discovered that bans and fees on plastic carryout grocery bags (CGB) could have serious unintended consequences. The investigators found that both bag fees and outright prohibitions boosted the sale of 4-gallon and 8-gallon plastic bags—in line with the view that many consumers reuse their supposedly single-use bags as garbage bags around the house….


Chicago Prosecutors Erase Thousands of Cannabis Convictions

Chicago prosecutors on Wednesday announced that over 15,000 cannabis convictions have been expunged. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, the state’s top prosecutor, said her office would expunge an additional 214 cannabis cases this week, bringing the total number of cannabis convictions removed from the record since December 2019 to 15,191. The measure is in…


Fed’s Evans: Comfortable With Two 50 Bps Point Increases

Chicago Federal Reserve Bank President Charles Evans said Tuesday that he’s “comfortable” with a round of rate hikes this year that includes two 50 basis-point increases and reaches a neutral setting by year end, but he does not see the need for bigger hikes. “We should be looking for clear progress of easing inflationary pressures…


Fed’s Evans: Half-Point Hikes Likely, Shouldn’t Go Too Far

Chicago Federal Reserve Bank President Charles Evans on Monday signaled he would not necessarily oppose getting interest rates up to a neutral setting of 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent by the end of the year, a pace that would require a couple of 50 basis-point rate hikes at upcoming Fed meetings. “Fifty is obviously worthy…