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If the appeal before the Chicago-based First District Appellate Court fails, Smollett would have to finish a 150-day stint in jail that his trial judge ordered during his 2022 sentencing. Smollett spent just six days in jail before his release pending the outcome of the appeal. In the appeal, Smollett’s legal team says chief prosecutor Kim Foxx’s office used proper discretion to drop the original charges four years ago. Authorities said Smollett paid two men he knew from work on the TV show “Empire” to stage the attack. As he sentenced Smollett, Judge Linn excoriated him as a narcissist and pronounced himself astounded by Smollett's actions given the actor’s multiracial family background and ties to social justice work.

Persons: Smollett’s, ”, Smollett, Nenye Uche, Uche, Dan Webb’s, Kim Foxx’s, “, he’d, Prosecutors, Donald Trump’s, James Linn, Judge Linn excoriated, ___ Organizations: CHICAGO, Authorities Locations: Illinois, Chicago, Cook, MAGA, Cook County

Illinois' Pretrial Fairness Act, which abolishes cash bail as a condition of pretrial release, will take effect Sept. 18, making Illinois the first state to end cash bail and a testing ground for whether — and how — it works on a large scale. Critics say cash bail policies are especially unfair to Black people and other people of color. In 2017, New Jersey essentially replaced its cash bail system with a risk assessment process that gauged the potential danger a released defendant could pose to the community. But cash bail is still allowed in some instances in that state and others that have curtailed the practice, such as New York and Alaska. California has made several efforts to reform its cash bail system, but lawmakers balked at sweeping reform.

Persons: Shannon Ross, Ross, Ross couldn’t, “, ”, Sharone Mitchell Jr, John Curran, he’s, “ I’ve, ” Curran, Jim Kaitschuk, Kaitschuk, Mitchell, ” Mitchell, Nikuya Brooks ’, Brooks, didn't, I’m, “ I’m, ” Brooks, “ You’re, you’re, ” Ross, ___ Savage Organizations: CHICAGO, Associated Press, Illinois, Commission, Civil, Illinois Sheriffs ’ Association, Police, Scout, Chicago Community Bond Fund, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: Chicago, Illinois, Cook, United States, New Jersey, New York, Alaska . California, DuPage County

☆ Zara's billionaire founder – one of the world's richest people – has just bought a $232 million luxury Chicago apartment tower
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Amancio Ortega has purchased a 45-story Chicago apartment tower. Ortega, founder of Zara parent company Inditex, splashed out $232 million on the property. Pontegadea, Ortega's family office, bought the 45-story 727 West Madison property, a company spokesperson told Insider. AdvertisementAdvertisementPrices start at $2,166 a month for a studio, rising to $6,083 for the most expensive apartment available, a three-bed. Ortega is the world's 14th richest person, with an estimated net worth of around $75.2 billion, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index shows.

Persons: Amancio Ortega, Ortega, there's, Charles Koch, Michael Dell, Walton, Inditex Organizations: Seattle HQ, Toronto's Royal Bank, Service, Madison, Chase Bank, Bloomberg, Pontegadea, Meta's Seattle, Royal Bank Plaza Locations: Chicago, Zara, Manhattan, Wall, Silicon, Cook County, Meta's, Toronto

☆ Lung transplant successful in two people with organs on wrong side of their bodies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Deer was added to the lung transplant list, but he faced an additional hurdle. Courtesy Northwestern MedicineThe genetic condition, called situs inversus, affects about 1 in every 10,000 people, according to the Cleveland Clinic. But having yet another rare condition that ends up causing enough lung damage that someone would need a lung transplant is even rarer,” Bharat said. Complicated surgeryLike Deer, Vega was put on the lung transplant waiting list, and like Deer, needed individualized treatment. Laura Brown/Courtesy Northwestern MedicineJust reattaching blood vessels created in utero for a left lung to openings on a “normal” right lung, for example, was especially difficult.

Persons: Dennis, Deer, ”, Ankit Bharat, Bharat, Yahaira Vega, situs, ” Bharat, Vega, “, Laura Brown, Vega —, Norvell Tolbert, ‘, ’, ” Deer, Gesturing Organizations: CNN, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern, Cleveland Clinic, Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute, “, Northwestern Medicine, Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic, Memorial Hospital Locations: Cook, Illinois, Chicago, Elgin , Illinois

☆ William Friedkin, Director of ‘French Connection’ and ‘Exorcist,’ Dies at 87
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( William Grimes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Both parents were Jews who had left Ukraine early in the century with their families to escape the tsarist pogroms. His mother, who was known as Rae, was an operating room nurse; his father worked a variety of low-paying jobs. After graduating from Senn High School on Chicago’s North Side in 1953, Mr. Friedkin took a job in the mailroom of the local television station WGN. Within a few years he had worked his way up to director, turning out hundreds of shows, from “Bozo’s Circus” to live performances of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, as well as documentaries. His documentary work coincided with the advent of portable cameras, a decisive influence on his style.

Persons: Friedkin, ” Peter Biskind, “, ” William Friedkin, Billy, Louis, Rachel, Green, Rae, ”, Gene Siskel, Paul Crump, David Wolper Organizations: Riders, Raging Bulls, ‘ Star, ‘ Raiders, Senn High, WGN, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Chicago Tribune, Jail, San Francisco Film Locations: Chicago, Ukraine, Cook, Los Angeles

☆ In the Age of Trump, It’s Hard to Be Humble - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

OK, now wait, listen, when I hear the words “housing policy,” I tend to sort of doze off. And I’m talking, like, the most regressive, meaning, Texas, which is the conservative bastion of anti-taxes, is more progressive than Washington State, liberal Washington State. So over here in Illinois, which is the quintessential liberal state, there’s this one county that contains the city of Chicago. Blue states are the places where tens of thousands of homeless people are living on the streets. Blue states are the places where economic inequality is increasing most quickly in this country.

Persons: I’ve, they’ll, there’s, Binya Appelbaum, He’s, There’s, it’s, ” “, Binya, ”, “, they’re, Don’t, — you’ve, Let’s, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, It’s, you’re, don’t, We’re Organizations: Republican, Times, Democratic Party, Republican Party, House Democrats, City Council, Palo Alto, Washington State, Democratic, Republicans Locations: U.S, America, California, San Diego County, Palo Alto, Calif, San Francisco, Palo, Washington State, Texas, Washington, Nevada, Illinois, Chicago, Cook County, Connecticut

☆ Kia and Hyundai will pay out millions to people who had their cars stolen in Tik-Tok inspired 'Kia Boys' thefts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Chris Panella | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kia and Hyundai will pay millions to people who had their cars stolen in a Tik-Tok inspired trend. The "Kia Boys" trend involved using a common USB charging cord or metal object to start the car. Kia and Hyundai will pay millions of dollars to people who had their car stolen thanks to a missing antitheft device and a TikTok-inspired trend. It affects owners of certain 2016 to 2021 Hyundai models and certain Kia models made between 2011 and 2021. The spike in theft of the models is partially thanks to a TikTok trend from the "Kia Boyz," which followed people breaking into Kia and Hyundai models only using a screwdriver and a USB cord.

☆ Meet ‘Chonkosaurus,’ the Thick Snapping Turtle Stealing Hearts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“It was so fat, you know, the legs kind of spilled out,” Mr. Santore recalled. “It looked like a fat sandbag.”Its size has prompted a question online: What has the animal been eating? Perhaps the most valuable insight came from the men in the video who actually saw Chonkosaurus. “Holy hell, you look good!” Mr. Santore says in the video. You’ve been eating healthy?” He asks the turtle if it has heard of liquid salad, and Mr. Scorch later says that Chonkosaurus is “thick but strong.”Chonkosaurus’s nutritional pursuit does not appear to be completely selfish, however.

☆ A TikToker who calls herself 'your rich BFF' is teaching 'broke adults' how to claim cash from Ikea
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

TikToker "Yourrichbff" wants to help "broke adults" get cash from IKEA. In a TikTok, she spoke about how Ikea settled a 2019 class action lawsuit for $24 million. US shoppers who bought items from IKEA between 2017 to 2019 might be able to claim up to $60. At press time, her TikTok on Ikea claims had been viewed more than 674,000 times. Vivian and representatives for IKEA did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ Democrats choose Chicago as the site of the 2024 convention
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Natasha Korecki | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Democratic Party has chosen Chicago as the site of its 2024 convention. "Chicago is a great choice to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention," Biden said in a statement. "The last Chicago convention was a huge success. It makes sense to put the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 2024. Republicans are holding their 2024 convention in Milwaukee.

☆ You Can’t Throw the Bums Out if You’ve Voted With Your Feet
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Allysia Finley | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

There’s a great deal of ruin in a nation, as Adam Smith once observed. Brandon Johnson ’s victory in last week’s Chicago mayoral race is a reminder that no matter how bad things get, they can always get worse. Its high crime and taxes are driving away businesses like Citadel, Boeing and Tyson Foods. Despite some of the highest property taxes in the country, its pension funds are in a death spiral. A net 175,000 people left Cook County between 2020 and 2022.

[1/2] Cook County commissioner and mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson campaigns a day ahead of the runoff election in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. April 3, 2023. REUTERS/Jim VondruskaCHICAGO, April 4 (Reuters) - Brandon Johnson was elected Chicago mayor on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press, defeating Paul Vallas in a runoff between two Democrats to take over a city grappling with crime, an issue that dominated the race. Johnson, a 47-year-old Cook County Commissioner, becomes the 57th mayor of the third-largest U.S. city, after incumbent Lori Lightfoot was eliminated from the race in February. Vallas called for more police officers, while Johnson suggested more mental health support and opportunities for young people. Johnson, a former Chicago teacher and union organizer, says he will promote 200 new detectives from the existing pool of police officers.

☆ Chicago Voters to Pick New Mayor as Crime Dominates Tight Race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Joe Barrett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CHICAGO—Residents of the nation’s third-largest city are heading to the polls on what is expected to be a wet, gloomy Tuesday to decide a contentious mayoral race that has focused heavily on public safety. Polls show a tight race with a slight lead for Paul Vallas , a moderate former head of public schools in Chicago and other big cities, who is running against fellow Democrat Brandon Johnson , a progressive Cook County commissioner and organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union. Mr. Vallas was the top vote-getter in the first round of voting and Mr. Johnson came in second. Mayor Lori Lightfoot came in third in the February election and didn’t make the runoff.

☆ Brandon Johnson Defeats Paul Vallas to Become Chicago Mayor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Joe Barrett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CHICAGO—Brandon Johnson, a Cook County Board commissioner with strong backing from the Chicago Teachers Union, pulled an upset victory over former schools chief Paul Vallas to become mayor of the nation’s third-largest city after a contentious race focused on public safety. Mr. Vallas had been ahead in recent polls and came in first in the initial round of voting in February. Mr. Johnson had come in second, squeezing out Mayor Lori Lightfoot , who came in third and didn’t make the runoff.

☆ Chicago to elect new mayor as crime emerges as key issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CHICAGO, April 4 (Reuters) - Crime is the central issue in Tuesday's mayoral runoff in Chicago, where voters are choosing between two candidates with contrasting approaches to public safety. Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas calls for more cops; Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson calls for more mental health support and opportunities for young people. Johnson, a former Chicago teacher and union organizer, says he will promote 200 new detectives from the existing pool of police officers. A poll last week by Emerson College Polling, WGN-TV and The Hill showed Vallas leading Johnson by 5 points, with 13% undecided. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Donna Bryson and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Chicago mayoral election live results: Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas face off in runoff election
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas are facing off in the Chicago mayoral runoff election. The winning candidate will succeed Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who was the third-place finisher in the initial Feb. 28 mayoral election behind Vallas and Johnson, respectively, missing her chance to compete in the runoff. Garcia came in fourth place in the February mayoral election; in 2015, he was also a mayoral candidate, forcing then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel into a runoff election, which he eventually lost. According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, Vallas raised $6.4 million in the lead-up to the initial February mayoral election and has raked in at least $10.9 million since March 1. Johnson raised nearly $4 million before the February election and has taken in at least $5.8 million since March 1.

CHICAGO — Former Rep. Bobby Rush, a longtime African American leader in Illinois, plans to throw his support behind Paul Vallas in the mayor’s race, providing Vallas a potential boost among Black voters heading into next month’s election. The endorsement announcement, first shared with NBC News by Vallas’ campaign, is expected Tuesday morning. Rush plans to offer his backing at an event on the city’s South Side that will include an anti-violence march, according to a spokeswoman for the Vallas campaign. Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas speaks during a press conference at his campaign headquarters on Feb. 3, 2023 in Chicago. Al Sharpton, who’s a host on MSNBC, is set to hold a large get-out-the-vote rally at a church whose pastor has backed Johnson.

☆ The prosecutor in the Trump case waded into treacherous political waters.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Jonah E. Bromwich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But the Trump question came to dominate the Democratic primary as the race entered its final stretch in 2021. As the district attorney’s investigation against the former president began to heat up, Mr. Bragg and his opponents started to signal to prospective voters that they had the bona fides to lead a potential prosecution of Mr. Trump. Mr. Bragg had some history to draw on. Still, as a candidate, Mr. Bragg was mostly focused elsewhere. When Mr. Bragg took office, and his prosecutors were presenting evidence about Mr. Trump and his businesses to a grand jury, the new district attorney stopped them, concerned that the case, which centered on whether Mr. Trump fraudulently inflated the value of his properties, was not strong enough to move forward.

☆ Chicago Mayoral Candidates Vie for Key Hispanic Voters in Runoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Joe Barrett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chicago mayoral candidates Paul Vallas, left, and Brandon Johnson this month aimed to make clear with voters what sets them apart. CHICAGO—The two candidates competing to become mayor of the nation’s third-largest city are courting Hispanic voters, who make up roughly 30% of the population and could decide next month’s election. Paul Vallas , a former schools chief and moderate Democrat, has strong backing among white voters, while Brandon Johnson, a progressive Cook County commissioner, is working to solidify his support among Black voters. The crucial question is which candidate can expand his base to win the April 4 runoff.

Trump has said he would stay in the race if he is indicted. Trump, meanwhile, is making a forward-looking pitch to voters, NBC News’ Allan Smith and Jonathan Allen report. And the Washington Post reports Friday that prosecutors investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot have obtained a report commissioned by Trump’s campaign that undercut his falsehoods about the election. Santos mulls re-election: New York GOP Rep. George Santos told the Associated Press he is a “maybe” on running for re-election. Sparks fly in the Windy city: Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., endorsed Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson in Chicago’s mayoral race on Thursday.

☆ Why Lori Lightfoot Became the First Chicago Mayor to Lose in 40 Years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Joe Barrett | Ben Kesling | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CHICAGO— Lori Lightfoot , weighed down by fights with the powerful teachers and police unions and a pandemic surge in crime, couldn’t make a runoff election in the city where she won all 50 wards four years ago to become mayor. Ms. Lightfoot came in third in Tuesday’s election. Former public-schools chief Paul Vallas and Cook County Board member Brandon Johnson were the top two vote-getters and will face off in the April 4 runoff. U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia came in fourth in the field of nine.

☆ Why Lori Lightfoot Is the First Chicago Mayor to Lose Re-Election in 40 Years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Joe Barrett | Ben Kesling | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Crime tops Chicago voters' concerns in mayoral election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks to children after a press event ahead of expected Thanksgiving travel at O'Hare airport in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., November 21, 2022. The Chicago race is technically nonpartisan, but every candidate identifies as a Democrat in the heavily left-leaning city. There were more than 800 murders in Chicago in 2021, the most in a quarter-century. Garcia, considered a liberal member of Congress, has said he would increase the number of officers on patrol and fund more community-based anti-violence programs. Reporting by Joseph Ax Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Chicago Prosecutor Drops Sex Abuse Charges Against R. Kelly After Federal Convictions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Talal Ansari | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

R. Kelly is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence and is awaiting sentencing in another trial. The Cook County, Ill., state’s attorney’s office said it will no longer pursue indictments against R&B singer R. Kelly after his convictions in other cases. Nearly four years ago, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said Mr. Kelly had been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving four victims, three of whom were minors at the time.

☆ Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Faces Tough Re-Election Bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Joe Barrett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CHICAGO—Mayor Lori Lightfoot is facing stiff competition from a large field of candidates in her re-election bid as Chicago struggles with public safety concerns and the lingering economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ms. Lightfoot, a 60-year-old former federal prosecutor, was the first Black woman and first gay person elected mayor of the nation’s third largest city, winning every city ward in a 2019 runoff against Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Now, early polls show the mayor as an underdog in the Feb. 28 election, with the top two vote-getters expected to face off in an April runoff if no candidate wins a majority in the first round.

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