Stories by Amanda Vinicky
What Does ComEd Bribery Deal Mean for Your Electricity Bill?
| Amanda Vinicky
ComEd is set to pay a $200 million fine as it seeks to get a bribery charge dismissed. Where will the money come from?
How Will CPS Improve Remote Learning? Track Attendance? Schools Chief Talks Reopening Plan
| Matt Masterson
It’s become one of the most pressing questions of the summer: Will schools reopen this fall, and if so, how will they do it safely? We speak with Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson.
Chicago Tap Theatre’s Virtual Show Goes the (Social) Distance
| Angel Idowu
When the pandemic hit, the Chicago Tap Theatre adapted to the new virtual reality. This weekend, they’re taking it a “tap” further with their virtual show “30 Feet Together, 6 Feet Apart.”
Black Restaurant Week: A Look at What’s on the Menu
| Erica Gunderson
Friday marks the start of Black Restaurant Week, a nationwide showcase of Black-owned restaurants now in its fifth year. Here’s a look at what to expect.
Grant Park Infrastructure is Crumbling, Advisory Council Warns
| Nick Blumberg
With more than 300 acres in a prime downtown location, it’s no wonder Grant Park is sometimes referred to as Chicago’s front yard. But if you ask the leaders of the Grant Park Advisory Council, some yard work is in order.
Trump, Congress Square Off Over Virus Aid as Crisis Worsens
| Associated Press
Divisions between the White House and Senate Republicans and differences with Democrats posed fresh challenges for a new federal aid package with the U.S. crisis worsening and emergency relief about to expire.
COVID-19 Restrictions Could Return to Metro East Region of Illinois, Pritzker Warns
| Kristen Thometz
Illinois has a plan in place to roll back restrictions if COVID-19 positivity rates spike. Now, one of the state’s 11 regions is “dangerously close to that threshold,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday.
Trio Allegedly Defrauded Victims Out of $750K Through Romance, Inheritance Scams
| Matt Masterson
Two men and a woman with Chicago-area ties could face decades in federal prison after they allegedly swindled dozens of victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through inheritance and romance fraud schemes.
Officials Say No ‘Backroom’ Deal for General Iron, But a ‘Clear Path’ to Reopen
| Patty Wetli
Opponents of the Lincoln Park metal shredder want General Iron closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but if the facility checks all the right boxes, it could eventually restart operations, officials said.
How Does This Infectious Disease Expert Unwind? By Making Soap
| Kristen Thometz
Dr. Emily Landon is one of the city’s preeminent experts on the coronavirus, which has dominated her life for the past six months. To unwind, Landon makes her own soap – a hobby she started years ago.
Trump Not Planning ‘Portland-Style’ Deployment of Federal Agents in Chicago: Lightfoot
| Heather Cherone
Mayor Lori Lightfoot sought to calm fears Tuesday that the president plans to send 150 unidentified, secret federal agents to Chicago, saying she has been told it will not be a “Portland-style” deployment. “We do not welcome dictatorship,” she said.
Lightfoot Orders Visitors to Chicago from Kansas to Quarantine for 2 Weeks
| Heather Cherone
For the second week in a row, Mayor Lori Lightfoot expanded the city’s quarantine order. Starting Friday, visitors from Kansas will be required to quarantine for two weeks in effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Spotlight Politics: ComEd Bribery Scheme Ensnares Madigan
| Alexandra Silets
The agreement ComEd reached to plead guilty to one count of bribery on Friday sent shock waves through the political world when “Public Official A” was described as the speaker of the Illinois House.
How Students in Waukegan Juggle High School with Corporate Jobs
| Brandis Friedman
The pandemic has upended how we work and how our children attend school. For one school network, Cristo Rey schools, the students attend school and work. Here’s a look at their model — and how it’s changing.
‘Party is Over’ for Downtown Landlords as Leasing Dips, Vacancies Rise
| Erica Gunderson
The gleaming skyline that makes Chicago an architectural wonder is primarily made up of office towers. But those glassy marvels have been largely empty since March. A look at the prospects for downtown commercial real estate.
Chicago’s Cultural Institutions Reopen With New Restrictions
| Marissa Nelson
Chicago’s cultural institutions are beginning to reopen after shutting their doors in mid-March as the coronavirus spread. What you can expect on your next trip.
Lightfoot to Trump: If You Want to Help Chicago, Don’t Send Agents, Develop ‘Moral Courage’
| Heather Cherone
Mayor Lori Lightfoot says President Donald Trump’s plan to send 150 federal agents to Chicago would do much more harm than good, warning the president in a letter Monday that agents would “foment a wave massive wave of opposition.”
Chicago Voters to Weigh in on Citywide Plan, Broadband Internet, Assault Weapons on Nov. 3
| Heather Cherone
Chicago voters will get a chance to weigh in on three issues of citywide concern during the Nov. 3 election — but they will not get a chance to have their say on the hot-button issues of police accountability or the sale of e-cigarettes.
Aldermen Greenlight Plan to Pay $4.95M to Settle Lawsuit Over CPD Impound Program
| Heather Cherone
Aldermen agreed on Monday to settle a class-action lawsuit that claimed the city’s impound program was unconstitutional, and made it impossible for Chicagoans to get their cars back after they were towed away.
CDC Study Finds Measures Taken by Cook County Sheriff Mitigated COVID-19 Spread in Jail
| Matt Masterson
Through the use of aggressive strategies and widespread testing, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office was able to successfully mitigate the spread of COVID-19 inside the Cook County Jail, according to a new study.
Aldermen Agree to Pay $500K to Settle Case That Sought 48 Years’ Worth of Misconduct Files
| Heather Cherone
Aldermen on Monday advanced an agreement to settle a lawsuit that sought to force the Chicago Police Department to turn over nearly five decades’ worth of secret files detailing allegations of misconduct by officers.
Teenage Mariachi Band Shares Culture, Connects to Roots Through Music
| Marc Vitali
A talented band of Chicago teens recorded a new album during the pandemic. We met members of Mariachi Herencia de Mexico on a sunny day in Pilsen where they shared their musical heritage.
Chicago Violence Sparks War of Words Between Trump, Mayor
| Associated Press
The war of words between Mayor Lori Lightfoot and President Donald Trump escalated Monday, with the mayor rejecting any suggestion that federal troops should be dispatched as they were in Portland, Oregon, and Trump all but promising to send them.
Gov. Pritzker: Wear a Face Mask Every Time You Leave Home
| Kristen Thometz
As Chicago reimposes restrictions to stop a recent uptick in coronavirus cases, Gov. J.B. Pritzker implored residents to wear face coverings to “protect the gains we’ve made” against the virus.
Lightfoot Orders Bars to Stop Indoor Service Amid Coronavirus Increase
| Heather Cherone
Chicago bars will no longer be able to serve customers indoors starting Friday as part of a rollback ordered by Mayor Lori Lightfoot following an increase in the number of coronavirus cases.
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