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Man Accused in Orland Park Mall Slaying Charged with Murder
| Associated Press
Authorities say Jakharr Williams was indicted last week by a grand jury on murder, attempted murder, battery and other charges stemming from the Jan. 21 fatal shooting at Orland Square Mall.
Judge: R. Kelly Can Spend More Time in Recording Studio
| Associated Press
A judge who last month ruled that R. Kelly could only enter the Chicago warehouse he uses as a recording studio between 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. now says he can stay until 9 p.m.
Loan Repayment Program for Clinicians Also Seeks to Fight Opioid Crisis
| Kristen Thometz
Qualified clinicians can receive up to $75,000 in student loan repayment through a new federal program. In exchange, they must serve three years on the front lines of the opioid crisis in underserved communities.
New App Developed at Brookfield Zoo Helps Optimize Dolphins’ Diets
| Alex Ruppenthal
Unlike the industry serving health-conscious humans, there are no books, infomercials or 12-week programs to help dolphins optimize their diets. But there is an app for that, thanks to new research by animal welfare specialists.
Web Extra, The Week in Review: The Impact of Newspaper Endorsements
| Evan Garcia
Eddie Arruza and guests discuss whether the Chicago Sun-Times recent endorsement of Lori Lightfoot in the race for Chicago mayor will help boost the former federal prosecutor’s campaign.
The Week in Review: Mayoral Candidates Ramp Up Attacks
| Evan Garcia
City Hall scandals grow. Mayoral forums heat up. Ford invests in Chicago while Target shutters two South Side stores. Joe Ricketts’ racist emails draw fire. And Portis and Parker are traded for Porter.
Lawsuit Claims Acero Charter Violated Special Education Law, Retaliated Against Whistleblower
| Matt Masterson
A former reading specialist at a Chicago charter school claims she faced retaliation and termination last year after voicing concerns about special education students she believes were illegally denied proper supports.
At Lyric, an Electrifying ‘Elektra’ With a Rip-Roaring Female Cast
| Hedy Weiss
Lyric Opera’s production of “Elektra,” last seen here in 2012, has found its ideal cast this time around with singers whose spectacular, powerhouse voices are matched by superb acting skills.
Bankruptcy Judge Gives Sears Another Chance, OKs $5.2B Plan
| Associated Press
A bankruptcy judge has blessed a $5.2 billion plan by Sears chairman and biggest shareholder Eddie Lampert to keep the iconic business going. The approval means roughly 425 stores and 45,000 jobs will be preserved.
‘Missing’ Uptown Chandeliers to Make Their Way Back Home
| Eddie Arruza
After decades of neglect and decay, Chicago’s historic Uptown Theater is finally being brought back to life. And some of the original light fixtures – painstakingly restored – will soon make their way back to the 1925 movie palace.
Pritzker Advances Agenda, But Transition Reports Slow to Emerge
| Amanda Vinicky
When will Gov. J.B. Pritzker release the reports he says will serve as his guides? And why is it taking so long?
Illinois Senate Backs $15 Hourly Minimum Wage Within 6 Years
| Associated Press
The Illinois Senate voted Thursday to hike the statewide minimum wage to $15 an hour within six years, quickly advancing a top campaign promise of newly elected Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Bloody Handprint Among Evidence in Chinese Scholar’s Case
| Associated Press
Prosecutors are building a case, partly on a bloody handprint and the responses of a cadaver-sniffing dog, that a former University of Illinois physics student killed a 26-year-old Chinese scholar in 2017 at his off-campus apartment.
Head of Chicago Police Union Sounds Alarm on Consent Decree
| Andrea Guthmann
Are Chicago police officers ready for the reforms ordered by a new consent decree? We hear from Kevin Graham, president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police.
Chicago’s Big-Time Business Club Calls for State Tax Increase
| Amanda Vinicky
A new report from the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago recommends a 1-percent increase in the state income tax.
Mobile Carriers Tout Upcoming 5G Networks. How Fast is That?
| Alexandra Silets
Blazing speeds are reportedly coming to your devices with 5G. Chicago Tribune technology reporter Ally Marotti tells us what to expect – and when.
Jazz Enthusiast Brings Passion to New Book ‘The Jazz Alphabet’
| Jay Smith
We learn the ABCs of jazz with Chicago author and illustrator Neil Shapiro, whose new book is a “work of love” – and an ode to the greats.
MWRD Says It’s On Pace to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 50 Percent
| Alex Ruppenthal
The Chicago area’s wastewater treatment agency says it is ahead of schedule in its efforts to combat climate change.
CPS Teacher Removed After Allegedly Bringing in Friend to Beat Student
| Matt Masterson
“I want my mama,” the 9-year-old victim pleaded as he was being beaten with a belt inside his school's bathroom, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday. His attacker told him, “I am your mama.”
‘The Father’ Captures Fractured Reality of Dementia to Blistering Effect
| Hedy Weiss
The harrowing realism of “The Father” finesses a remarkable feat of imagination that makes the audience experience the same disorientation, confusion and anger that accompany the protagonist’s own loss of clarity and memory.
Spotlight Politics: More Stories of Aldermen Behaving Badly
| Paris Schutz
Chicago aldermen are caught up in some questionable or unscrupulous behavior, as the campaign for mayor gets down and dirty. Carol Marin, Paris Schutz and Amanda Vinicky have details in this week’s roundtable.
Chicago Police Watchdog: ‘Every Profession’ Has a Code of Silence
| Evan Garcia
There’s been a lot of talk in Chicago about police reform and a police code of silence. Sydney Roberts, the head of the city’s police watchdog agency, weighs in on the newly approved federal consent decree.
Ask Geoffrey: How Does Edens Expressway Stay Billboard-Free?
| Erica Gunderson
Most Chicago-area expressways are littered with billboards. How did one expressway escape the same fate? Geoffrey Baer drives by with the answer to that and other viewer questions in this encore edition of “Ask Geoffrey.”
Political Messaging in the Age of Deeply Partisan Politics
| Alexandra Silets
The season for political messaging is in swing, but how can politicians – especially those running in highly competitive races for Chicago mayor or alderman – break through?
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