Category: Illinois

Suspect Charged After Chicago Officer Dies After Shootout

CHICAGO—A teenager was charged with first-degree murder and other counts Thursday after a Chicago police officer died from injuries suffered in a shootout, authorities said. Steven Montano, 18, of Chicago, also was charged with two felony firearms charges and misdemeanor counts of assault and interfering with reporting domestic violence, the Chicago Police Department announced in…


Chicago Police Chief Resigns Following Ousting of Lori Lightfoot

The Chicago chief of police has announced his resignation following Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s failed bid for reelection. “Today, Superintendent David O. Brown informed me that he would be resigning as Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department effective March 16. I accepted his resignation,” Lightfoot said in a March 1 statement. “I personally want to thank him…


Lori Lightfoot Loses Reelection Bid for Chicago Mayor

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat, lost her reelection bid to former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, who will be headed to a runoff election on April 4 after no candidates received a majority of votes. The race was officially nonpartisan, which means Republican, Democrat, and Independent voters could all…


Lori Lightfoot Loses Reelection Bid for Mayor

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will lose her reelection bid, The Associated Press projects. Lightfoot, a Democrat, lost the race to former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, who will be headed to a runoff election on April 4 after no candidates received a majority of votes. The race was officially…


Hundreds Lose Jobs as Troubled Pharma Company Abruptly Shutters All Sites

Illinois-based Akorn Pharmaceuticals closed all its locations in the United States this week, abruptly laying off hundreds of employees, according to a letter sent to employees by the company’s president and CEO, Douglas Boothe The employees will receive no severance pay or extended health insurance. The letter was obtained by the Herald & Review newspaper in…


No Grade Level Proficiency in Math or Reading at Dozens of Illinois Schools: Report

According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, not a single student in 53 schools in Illinois can do math at grade level, and in 30 schools, not a single student can read at grade level. These schools, located throughout the state, are under the purview of the Illinois Public School system and…


3 Killed, Including Baby, in Chicago Highway Shooting

CHICAGO—Three people were killed, including an infant, and three more were hurt after a shooting on a Chicago interstate highway, officials said Monday. The shooting occurred Sunday at around 10:30 p.m. on the I-57 expressway near 111th Street in the South Side, Illinois State Police trooper Josh Robinson said. One-year-old A-mara Hall was among those…


O’Hare ‘Out of Control’: Chicago Airport Gets Flooded by Homeless People, Staff Feel Unsafe

Chicago O’Hare International Airport is facing a crisis as a large number of homeless people are reportedly settling in the facility, posing a safety risk to passengers, triggering a slew of complaints online, and putting pressure on the city’s mayor. Thousands of homeless individuals are seeking shelter at the airport from the cold weather, a…


Illinois Judge Issues Second Block on ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban

An Illinois judge issued a second temporary restraining order on Thursday against a ban on so-called “assault weapons” and magazines that hold more than 12 rounds. The lawsuit (pdf), filed by 1,690 plaintiffs against Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.) in January, argued that the Protect Illinois Communities Act (HB 5471) violated multiple clauses in the Illinois Constitution,…


Illinois Court Rules Against State, Says New Gun Ban Violates Constitution

The state of Illinois has lost a gun regulation appeal in a case filed by gun owners and advocates against a law seeking to ban the possession and sale of some semiautomatic firearms. A county court first issued a temporary restraining order against the law, which the state appealed. On Jan. 10, Illinois Governor J.B….