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Good morning, Chicago. Did you get snow this morning? Warm up with these essential local stories from WTTW News.
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A rendering of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park proposed for the Southeast Side. (Credit: Lamar Johnson Collaborative)
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The push to approve a quantum computing campus at the former U.S. Steel South Works site has been moving at quantum speed, opponents say, and they want the Chicago Plan Commission to pump the brakes on the process to allow for additional community input.
On Monday, conservation organizations Bird Friendly Chicago and Friends of the Parks joined the chorus calling for the Plan Commission to vote “no” on rezoning the 440-acre South Chicago site, a matter the commission is set to consider today.
What Friends of the Parks said:
Their concerns:
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Given the parcel’s location on the lakefront, along a major migratory flyway, the group is requesting the Plan Commission require the highest level of bird protection in any building constructed on the site.
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Two Chicago Park District parks — Steelworkers Park and Park 566 — are also part of the South Works site, raising questions about public access.
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Additional concerns about the proposed planned development include: quantum computing’s drain on the energy grid; the extremely cold temperatures needed to cool quantum computers, and how that will be achieved; possible contaminants flowing into Lake Michigan and the river system; and displacement of residents if the campus drives gentrification.
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Jussie Smollett pleads not guilty at Leighton Criminal Court Building, Thursday, March 14, 2019. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Pool / Chicago Tribune)
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The Illinois Supreme Court Thursday morning tossed out actor Jussie Smollett’s disorderly conduct convictions, ruling prosecutors improperly charged him a second time after Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office initially dismissed the charges alleging he orchestrated an elaborate hate crime hoax against himself.
The court ruled Thursday that special prosecutor Dan Webb and his team had no standing to charge the former “Empire” star after Foxx and her office initially resolved the case through an agreement which saw Smollett forfeit the $10,000 he paid in bond and complete 16 hours of community service.
“We hold that a second prosecution under these circumstances is a due process violation,” the high court wrote, “and we therefore reverse defendant’s conviction.”
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A voter casts her ballot in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood on Nov. 5, 2024. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
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It wasn’t a sea change, but voting behavior shifted in Chicago and the state of Illinois, mirroring the rest of the nation and sweeping President-elect Donald Trump into office for a second term. While the Illinois Democratic supermajority isn’t at risk, the decreased vote share for Vice President Kamala Harris as compared to President Joe Biden in 2020 was evident in election results data from around the city and state.
Now that counting has officially ended, let's dig even deeper into the numbers.
For the most part, the share of GOP voters in Chicago precincts rose only slightly. Trump was leading in the 41st Ward on the city’s far Northwest Side with about 51.29% of the vote. No Chicago wards were won by the GOP in the 2020 presidential race, though the 41st, represented by Ald. Anthony Napolitano, came closest, with about 51% voting for President Joe Biden.
We have a precinct-by-precinct look into Chicago's 2024 election.
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Arts and Culture Events from Marc Vitali |
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Every Thursday, WTTW News arts correspondent Marc Vitali highlights the best events in the arts.
Avoid heartache and embrace the finer things in life. In other words, skip the Bears this weekend and focus on artistic endeavors with winning potential Here are some odds-on favorites:
“Life is Messy” – Anna Lasbury at the WNDR Museum
This immersive museum of photogenic wonders is a go-to place for the Instagram crowd. I’m going to check this out – a new installation from Chicago artist Anna Lasbury, who has gone viral with the fake cakes she makes. Opens Thursday, Nov. 21.
“Falsettos” – Court Theatre
Hyde Park’s Tony Award-winning theater stages this Tony-winning musical by William Finn with a book by Sondheim collaborator James Lapine. It’s a web of family affairs as a man leaves his wife for a man, she dates the therapist, and their son navigates his changing home while prepping for his bar mitzvah. Through Dec. 8.
“Let’s Go Home” – At Circle Contemporary Chicago, a dozen outsider artists consider themes of domesticity and Home, Sweet Home. Guest curator Christina Stavros (of Intuit) sets the scene with imagery of loved ones, lived experiences, and homelands. Opens Friday, Nov. 22.
“Iconic Artists” – You know his whimsical work from WFMT calendars, Mariano’s shopping bags, and the Belmont Station of the Red Line – Chicago artist David Lee Csicsko makes bright and endearing illustrations that just might inspire the budding artists in your life. His latest book depicts Picasso, Warhol, O’Keeffe and 47 others. Available at local bookstores.
“The Comedians” – At Raven Theatre, two comedians in a romance ponder their relationship as one’s career takes off.. Originally commissioned for Audible, this is the first time the play is being staged for a live audience. Think of it as a queer “A Star is Born” set in a comedy club, but think fast – this is the last weekend. Through Nov 24.
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Back in the Day: November 21, 1984 - Basketball Prospect Ben Wilson Murdered
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In 1984, 17-year-old Chicagoan Ben Wilson was the top-ranked high school basketball player in the country. During his junior year, he led Simeon Career Academy to their first-ever state title. A 6-foot-8 forward nicknamed "Benji," Wilson's game was described by his high school coach Bob Hambric as "Magic Johnson with a jump shot." On this day 40 years ago, Chicago mourned as Wilson died from wounds sustained from a shooting the day prior. Wilson was shot and killed by kids from a rival school in front of a store on Vincennes Avenue near 81st Street. The tragedy is one of the worst in Chicago basketball history: Wilson could have had a career that rivaled Michael Jordan and Derrick Rose and more importantly, he could have lived a long and happy life. In 2022, the city renamed the intersection of 78th Street and Eberhart Avenue in Wilson's honor and Wilson's story is memorialized in the 2017 Steve James ESPN 30 For 30 documentary "Benji."
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Other News From Around Town
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The Chicago Bulls are almost a month into their NBA season. How do you feel about the team so far? Tell us what you think and why.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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