Good morning, Chicago.
In recent decades, some of the Chicago Police Department’s most notorious scandals were perpetrated by officers assigned to the same team or unit, including Jerome Finnigan of the special operations section and Ronald Watts of the public housing unit.
But it took extensive searches to connect individual accusations and see wider patterns. It might take years for the actions of CPD officers working together to come to light in lawsuits that often resulted in millions of dollars in settlement payments, thrown out convictions and the tarnishing of the reputation of the department.
This week, the city’s Office of Inspector General offered the public a shortcut. It published an interactive data portal that allows anyone to see which CPD officers are most often accused of misconduct and identifies which other officers faced accusations related to the same incident.
Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg told the Tribune that the visualized data “opens the door to tremendously powerful insights” to both members of the public and the Police Department.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Sam Charles.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including the Chicago Plan Commission approving a new vision for mixed-use community on former Lincoln Yards site, the forecast for this weekend’s Bears playoff game and how employees are reacting to the Time Out Market Chicago closing.
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Venezuela’s María Corina Machado says she presented Donald Trump her Nobel Peace Prize
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump during a meeting with him at the White House, “as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”
Chicago Plan Commission approves new vision for mixed-use community on former Lincoln Yards site
The Chicago Plan Commission approved a plan to transform the northern half of the former Lincoln Yards development site into a mixed-use community with more than 3,000 residences, new riverfront parks and a central plaza open to all neighborhood residents.
The 31-acre riverfront site, now called Foundry Park and sandwiched between Lincoln Park and Bucktown, will include a mixture of apartments, townhomes, condos, affordable housing and neighborhood retail, including a 520-foot tower.
Judge who blasted Operation Midway Blitz use-of-force tactics will hear new lawsuit by city, state
The federal judge who issued a landmark preliminary injunction in November limiting the use of force by immigration agents agreed to take over a new lawsuit filed by the state and city of Chicago alleging a much broader swath of illegal actions during the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz.
Judge: Feds can’t allege gang ties in trial of Chicago man accused of putting bounty on Gregory Bovino
Days before a high-profile trial, a federal judge barred prosecutors from bringing in evidence that a Chicago man charged with putting a bounty on Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino’s head had ties to the Latin Kings.
Cold spurt to set in for the weekend, making for a chilly Bears playoff
Watch out, football fans — weekend chills will make for a crisp kickoff come Sunday, though not the coldest.
After a week of on-and-off flurries, weather officials say a cold spell is in the forecast for the weekend, with highs in the cool teens for the Chicago Bears’ playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Column: With a flair for the dramatic, the Chicago Bears have busted these 10 myths. Can they keep it going?
One win from reaching the NFC championship game and two shy of the third Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, the Bears have shattered expectations at seemingly every turn, writes Brad Biggs.
The NFC North champions host the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs Sunday at Soldier Field (5:30 p.m., Fox-32). The Rams are a four-point favorite, but the Bears have been an underdog 10 times already this season — including in the wild-card round against the Green Bay Packers — and they’ve won six times in that role.
- 5 things to watch for in the Bears-Rams playoff game — plus our predictions
- Rome Odunze says he’s ‘good enough to go’ in Bears’ playoff game
Column: Matas Buzelis was benched again. Are the Chicago Bulls placing enough priority on his development?
The final quarter of Wednesday’s win over the Utah Jazz defined the dichotomy between the Bulls and the rest of the NBA’s approach to youth development, writes Julia Poe.
On the court, Keyonte George attempted to take the lead. The third-year Jazz guard refused to be turned away from the rim. He peppered shots over defenders and drew whistles and disbelief in equal number from the Bulls assigned to guard him. George scored 15 points in the final eight minutes of the game. On the bench, Matas Buzelis waited patiently for his turn.
“Rhynoceron,” directed and designed by KT Shivak, will be at the Chopin Theatre as part of the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. (Richard Termine)
Chicago’s International Puppet Theater Festival opens again, the largest in the nation
If there’s one thing that the annual Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival always delivers, it’s sheer range. The eighth iteration, running Jan. 21 through Feb. 1, features retellings of classics by Bhavabhuti, Shakespeare, Ibsen and Ursula K. Le Guin, plus a glimpse into Harlem history and a futuristic adventure with a reincarnated dodo. A free neighborhood tour and a Roald Dahl-inspired musical cater to young audiences, while adult offerings include late-night cabarets and a ribald exploration of puppet sexuality.
Live storytelling: Standing at a microphone telling a story can be a very personal kind of theater
A night at the theater tends to mean seeing a play. But something far more low-key and informal — a person standing at a microphone at a bar or restaurant and telling a personal story — is a form of theater, as well, and it has a strong foothold locally.
Several storytelling events take place across the Chicago area each month, where the barrier to entry is significantly lower than that of traditional theater, for both audience (you can get up to use the restroom without risking dirty looks) and storytellers (who run the gamut in terms of performing experience).
Employees surprised and saddened as Time Out Market Chicago announces closure
After seven years in Fulton Market, an all too familiar fate has caught up with Time Out Market Chicago, which will close its doors Jan. 23, the company announced Wednesday.