Stories by Matt Masterson

The final two alternates were selected Monday, meaning opening statements in the trial of Madigan and his longtime confidant Michael McClain went forth at the Dirksen Federal Building with a 12-person jury and six alternates.

One additional juror was seated Thursday at the Dirksen Federal Building, where Madigan and his longtime confidant Michael McClain stand accused of racketeering, bribery and wire fraud.

The board’s monthly meeting, which had been scheduled for Oct. 24, is no longer set to be held and a makeup date has not yet been announced.

Eleven jurors were picked through the first three days of the selection process last week, but so far no new members have been chosen through two days of questioning this week.

The school district on Wednesday released its 20th-day enrollment figures — which serve as the office CPS tally for the academic year — showing there are currently 325,305 students enrolled.

According to Chicago Police Department figures, there were 34 people shot in 29 separate shootings between Friday and Monday evenings. 

The board’s monthly agenda review committee meeting, which had been scheduled for Wednesday morning, will not be held as planned, Chicago Public Schools announced over the weekend.

The West Side hospital’s ex-CEO George Miller was charged in a superseding indictment Friday after he allegedly received more than $750,000 in bribes.

“This announcement is not made lightly,” Acero said in a statement. “It is made with compassion and an unrelenting commitment to the individuals we serve. We hope to welcome as many transitioning scholars as possible to our other network schools and manage this difficult transition with integrity, mindfulness and clarity of mission.”

In-person jury selection officially began Wednesday morning in the Dirksen Federal Building, where Madigan and his longtime confidant Michael McClain face charges of racketeering, bribery and wire fraud.

Attorneys for the former Illinois House speaker and his longtime confidant met with prosecutors Tuesday afternoon to iron out any final wrinkles before the trial gets into swing.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and top prosecutors from more than a dozen other states filed a lawsuit against social media app TikTok alleging the platform has deceived the public about the dangers it presents to children and teens.

The mayor announced his new picks for the board amid a tumultuous time between Johnson and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, who said he rejected the mayor’s request that he resign his position.

Five people were killed by gunfire in shootings across Chicago over the weekend, according to the Chicago Police Department.

The longtime House speaker, along with his longtime confidant and current co-defendant Michael McClain, are finally set to go to trial this week, more than two and a half years after the men were first charged in a bombshell federal indictment that accused them of racketeering, bribery and wire fraud.

Board president Jianan Shi, Vice President Elizabeth Todd-Breland and fellow members Mariela Estrada, Mary Fahey Hughes, Rudy Lozano, Michelle Morales and Tanya Woods plan to step down from their positions this month.

Voters in the Nov. 5 election will pick a member to represent each of 10 new districts as the board triples in size from its current size of seven up to 21 members beginning in January 2025.

According to figures from the Chicago Police Department, there have been 439 homicides and 1,808 shootings recorded through the first nine months of 2024. Those totals are down 8% and 5%, respectively, compared to the same time last year.

The FBI is seeking any information about a man dubbed the “bare-chested bandit” who is believed to be responsible for a trio of bank robberies in the Loop in recent weeks.

Robert Crimo III, who remains in custody at the Lake County Jail, once again refused to attend a status hearing in his case Wednesday, months before he is set to stand trial on seven counts of first-degree murder and dozens of other charges.

District Judge John Blakey on Wednesday denied a defense motion seeking to toss out a handful of charges, including bribery counts, after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling narrowed the federal bribery statute — known as “section 666” — in a ruling earlier this year.

One person is dead and two others were injured following a traffic crash overnight in McKinley Park after Chicago police attempted to investigate two people they believed to be armed.

According to the Chicago Police Department, 30 people were shot in 25 separate shootings between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Mayor Brandon Johnson and Police Supt. Larry Snelling announced the new Bell 429 helicopter Friday, saying it would be used to help patrol around the convention sites and keep eyes on activities citywide.

Teamsters Local 727, which represents more than 800 drivers, announced this week that its members have voted to authorize a work stoppage after they claim their employer, SCR Medical Transportation, has refused to bargain in good faith.

A former Cook County prosecutor and two Chicago police officers are facing felony charges alleging they fraudulently collected more than $100,000 in overtime pay.