Category: Chicago

The Fascinating History of Chicago Barbecue, Told in Tribune Coverage From 1850s to Present Day

By Nick Kindelsperger From Chicago Tribune Chicago–Barbecue has been on my mind for months now, from the newer Texas-style offerings in the suburbs to the saucy South Side classics. As I’ve hopefully made clear, Chicago has a robust barbecue tradition, particularly for a northern city. But after looking through the Tribune’s archives, even I was…


Hammered by Crime Wave, Chicago Faces Curbs on Pre-Trial Detention

Even as Chicago struggles through mounting crime, public safety advocates expect that worse times are ahead as the state is about to severely curtail pre-trial detention—a policy, they worry, that will to put more criminals on the streets statewide. Already suffering with high rates of violent crime for decades, Chicago saw murders skyrocket in 2020…


Feuds Between Drill Gangs Could Hold Clue to Death of Chris Kaba

Earlier this month 24-year-old Chris Kaba, an unarmed black man, was shot dead by a Metropolitan Police officer in an incident which immediately triggered protests on the streets of London. The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) has said its homicide investigation into the shooting by a specialist firearms officer may take between six and nine months….


Study Says Cutting Off Breasts Beneficial to Trans-Identifying Youth, But Critic Calls It ‘Terrifying’

Controversy is swirling over a new study on the impacts of surgically removing breasts from biologically female patients as young as 13 who have been struggling with gender-related distress. The Chicago study, published on Sept. 26 in the distinguished peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) Pediatrics, reported that such surgeries have…


Man Shot, Officer Injured in Chicago Police Facility Incident

CHICAGO—A man climbed five stories of a fire escape to infiltrate a Chicago police facility Monday while officers were undergoing a SWAT training exercise and grabbed at least two guns before he was shot and wounded by police, the chief said. Police Superintendent David Brown said the suspect was taken to the hospital with injuries…


Boy Pulled From Lake After Aunt Allegedly Pushed Him Dies

CHICAGO—A 3-year-old boy who was allegedly pushed into Lake Michigan in Chicago by his aunt last week has died, officials said. Josiah Brown, who had been in grave condition and was not expected to survive since he was pulled from the lake last Monday, was pronounced dead shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday, according to the…


Names of Victims in Suburban Chicago Shooting Released

OAK FOREST, Ill.—The names of three people found shot outside a suburban Chicago home and the man believed to have killed them before fatally shooting himself have been released. They were identified Friday by the Cook County medical examiner’s office as Carlos Gomez, 44; Lupe Gomez, 43; Briana Rodriguez, 22; and Emilio Rodriguez, 20. Autopsies…


4 Die in Domestic Disturbance Where House Caught Fire

OAK FOREST, Ill.—Police in suburban Chicago responding to a domestic incident early Friday found three gunshot victims who were mortally wounded outside a house and later the body of another person believed to have shot them inside the home a short time later. In a news release, the Oak Forest Police Department said that officers…


Man Who Was 1 of 8 Injured in Chicago Apartment Blast Dies

CHICAGO—A man who was one of eight people injured in an explosion that tore through the top floor of a Chicago apartment building has died, and authorities have determined the blast resulted from an “ignition of natural gas.” Chicago fire officials said Friday that the “most seriously injured person” had succumbed to injuries. The fire…


Officials: 8 Injured in Chicago Apartment Building Explosion

CHICAGO—Eight people were rushed to hospitals after being injured when an explosion Tuesday tore through the top floor of a Chicago apartment building, officials said. The explosion at the 36-unit, four-story apartment building in the South Austin neighborhood occurred at about 9 a.m., officials said. Chicago Fire Department Deputy Chief Marc Ferman told reporters a…