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Spotlight Politics: Battle Over Illinois Democratic Party Chair; Lightfoot Pitches Soldier Field Dome

Debate over who should chair the Democratic Party of Illinois continues as Gov. J.B. Pritzker recruits state Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-Cicero) to run against current chair U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly.

Chicago School Board Won’t Fire 2 Teachers Who Protested Metal Scrapper’s Move from North Side

The board voted 6-0 to reject the recommendation from Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez that teachers Lauren Bianchi and Charles “Chuck” Stark be terminated for violating safety rules involving protests and a trip to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Instead, they each got a warning and were directed to undergo training.

Chicago and Ukraine Artists Rage Against the War Machine

An art show near Ukrainian Village is a cry of protest against the ongoing war in Ukraine. Artists from Chicago and Ukraine are raising their voices in opposition to the Russian invasion. 

Russia Says It Will Quit the International Space Station After 2024

NASA said in February it intends to keep operating the International Space Station until the end of 2030, after which the ISS would be deorbited and crashed into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean. Commercially operated space platforms would replace the ISS as a venue for collaboration and scientific research, NASA said.

Google Buys Thompson Center, Will Preserve Much Loved, Loathed Loop Landmark

Google’s announcement that it would take the Helmut Jahn-designed structure off the state of Illinois’ hands caps a years-long effort to figure out what to do with 1.2-million-square-foot building at Randolph and LaSalle streets with its distinctive red-and-blue accented steel frame.

Captive Coyote at Center of ‘Ambassador’ Animal Controversy Will Remain at Cook County Forest Preserve But Get Bigger Digs

Complaints from animal rights advocates regarding the coyote, dubbed “Rocky,” prompted the forest preserve to review its ambassador animal program. A report was released Tuesday, outlining changes to the program, including a bigger enclosure for the coyote.

10 Things to Do This Weekend: July 28-31

A massive music festival, cultural celebrations, vintage goods and a book fair usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

Ousted CPS Board Member Calls for Probe of New Near South High School Plan

Former board member DwayneTruss called for the inspector general of the Chicago Public Schools to probe the deal that would allow the high school to be built at 24th and State streets, once home to the demolished CHA Harold L. Ickes homes. 

Lookingglass Theatre Company to Host Free Performance Marking 1919 Race Riots

This Wednesday, the Lookingglass Theatre Company will honor Eugene Williams at 31st Street Beach with an artistic ritual. On July 27, 1919, 17-year old Eugene Williams was stoned to death after unintentionally swimming over to the “Whites only” section of Lake Michigan. 

21-Year-Old Man Charged in Highland Park Parade Shooting Indicted on 117 Counts

The man charged with killing seven people at Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade has been charged with 21 counts of first-degree murder, three counts for each of the seven people killed in the shooting.

As Chicago Surpasses 300 Monkeypox Cases, Officials Urge Testing

In Chicago, 326 people have tested positive for monkeypox, according to city officials who are urging residents to educate themselves about the virus and to get tested if they have symptoms. 

Indiana Man Pleads Guilty to Buying Gun Used to Kill Chicago Police Officer Ella French

“While this will never heal the painful wounds of losing Ella, this is a small step toward justice for her family and all those who love her,” Chicago Police Supt. David Brown tweeted Wednesday.

Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership Awarded $24M to Lead Community Health Response Team

City officials announced Wednesday that they have awarded $24 million to the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership to serve as the lead organization for a new initiative to promote overall health and wellness.

Joliet Amazon Workers Allege Racist Death Threats, Hostile Work Environment in Federal Complaint

Current and former employees at an Amazon warehouse in Joliet say the mega-retailer has allowed a racially hostile work environment, including death threats against Black employees and workers who are allowed to wear Confederate flag clothing, according to a complaint filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights.

AR-15 Style Guns Have Brought in Over $1 Billion in 10 Years

The profits have come as the weapons have been used in mass shootings that have horrified the nation, including one that left 10 people dead at a grocery store in Buffalo and another where 19 children were shot to death in Uvalde, Texas.