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It’s Wednesday. You likely heard it outside your window, but intense thunderstorms yesterday spawned hail and at least four tornadoes across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana. Get a jump on the morning with these stories from WTTW News.
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The Chicago Animal Care and Control facility at 2741 S. Western Ave. is pictured in a file photo. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)
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Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick to lead Chicago Animal Care and Control highlighted the work of the city shelter during a committee hearing Tuesday, as some animal advocates and shelter volunteers continue to push for a nationwide search.
Susan Cappello, who spoke at City Hall during a meeting of the Committee on Health and Human Relations, was appointed by the mayor last month to lead the city-run animal shelter after serving as acting executive director for the last three years.
“I recognize that concerns have been raised about shelter operations, conditions and outcomes, and I take those concerns seriously,” Cappello said. “Municipal animal sheltering is complex work, and the decisions our staff face every day are often difficult.”
Some backstory:
A group of advocates from local rescue groups and city shelter volunteers spoke out against Cappello’s appointment Tuesday during a news conference and during public comment. More than two dozen local rescue groups signed onto a letter earlier this week calling on Johnson to conduct a nationwide search.
Dr. Jacquie Cobb, veterinarian and president of Second City Canine Rescue, called on City Council members to reject Cappello’s appointment during public comment.
“CACC is a difficult case; no one disputes that, but the difficulty is not an excuse for chronic failure, and it is not a reason to hand out a permanent promotion,” Cobb said. “After roughly three years of acting leadership, we are still talking about serious concerns involving shelter conditions, euthanasia, volunteer dysfunction and dogs spending nearly all days in cages.”
At the same time, some leaders of other local animal rescue groups such as PAWS Chicago, Anti-Cruelty Society and Tree House Humane Society have expressed support of Cappello’s appointment to lead Chicago Animal Care and Control.
Cappello said that as executive director, she would focus on strengthening city ordinance to better address backyard breeding.
The department operates with an annual budget of about $8.1 million. This fiscal year, the shelter received an increase of $657,000 in the budget, which will add eight new positions, according to Cappello.
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Sponsor Message
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Make your plans to celebrate this April with the Poetry Foundation, offering a full roster of FREE public programs, including:
- a poetry reading with Chicago’s own National Book Award winner Patricia Smith;
- a live performance by chamber music collective D+Composed;
- a library packed with more than 40,000 books of poetry for readers of all ages.
Visiting Hours: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 11 AM–5 PM; Thursday 11 AM–6 PM
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This baby warty frogfish is the first of its kind ever raised from egg to juvenile in an aquarium setting. It's roughly 1 centimeter, or less than half an inch, in size. (Shedd Aquarium / Brenna Hernandez)
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Sometimes, Shedd Aquarium is on baby watch and doesn't even know it.
Last fall, a pair of warty frogfish (Antennarius maculatus) — tropical reef-dwelling members of the anglerfish family — mated in the aquarium's Wild Reef habitat, something staff only got wise to when they found a floating mass of fertilized eggs.
The eggs were moved behind the scenes and hatched into thousands of microscopic larvae. Now, six months later, Shedd is celebrating the survival of a single juvenile warty frogfish, measuring roughly a centimeter. (Mortality rates of larval fish are notoriously high.)
It's the first such case, to Shedd's knowledge, of the species being successfully reared by an aquarium.
“This little fish is truly one in a million,” said Jenny Richards, senior aquarist at Shedd. “We’ve been so thrilled to see this little frogfish develop day by day."
More context:
The significance of this pea-sized fish extends beyond Shedd Aquarium. As scientists gain knowledge in breeding and caring for aquatic species like the warty frogfish, they can reduce the pressure on wild populations and build insurance populations.
Shedd is sharing its learnings with peers — things like the best water temperature, light levels and diet for raising warty frogfish larvae. In 2022, Shedd and partner aquariums received a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association in support of this work with larval fish.
Warty frogfish are most commonly found in the Indo-Pacific region, living in coral reefs and on rocky seabeds. While Shedd's baby frogfish remains behind the scenes, adult frogfish can been seen the the Wild Reef exhibit, nestled in the rocks.
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A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent takes part in an early morning operation in Park Ridge, Ill., Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (AP Photo / Erin Hooley)
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Hundreds of Chicago officials, attorneys and leaders are set this week to call for a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of abuse by federal immigration officers during “Operation Midway Blitz” — a plan Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke claims will make it harder for her office to secure convictions in those cases.
Attorneys with the law firm of Loevy and Loevy say a “broad coalition” is set to make a public call for a special prosecutor after Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents “terrorized” Cook County communities last fall during the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement operation.
That group has expressed frustrations with O’Neill Burke, whose office had not yet charged any federal agents in connection with “Midway Blitz.”
That coalition — which the law firm says includes more than 200 elected officials, community organizations, journalists, attorneys, academics, religious leaders, and other stakeholders — is set to hold a press conference Thursday in Federal Plaza.
But already O’Neill Burke is pushing back. She called the plan “frivolous, contrary to centuries of legal precedent and court rulings, (and) riddled with factual errors,” saying that a petition for a special prosecutor would only make it “more difficult” for her office to prosecute ICE agents who break the law.
Some backstory:
Numerous calls for criminal charges have been made after federal agents killed Silverio Villegas González during a traffic stop in suburban Franklin Park and critically wounded Marimar Martinez in Brighton Park in separate incidents during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge last fall. No agents have yet been charged with a crime in either case.
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More From WTTW News:
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Back in the Day: March 11, 2016 - Trump Cancels Chicago Rally
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On this day 10 years ago, a planned campaign rally for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump was abruptly canceled at the University of Illinois Chicago’s UIC Pavilion (now called Credit 1 Arena). Citing security concerns and a massive protest raging outside, the Trump campaign canceled the 6 p.m. event at 6:30 p.m. when about 6,360 Trump supporters were already inside the venue. This decision led to a confrontation between Trump supporters and protesters as they exited the venue. When UIC announced the rally, students and staff protested the decision and demanded its cancellation. While the university refused, protestors celebrated the campaign’s last-minute choice to call
off the event, shouting, “We stopped Trump! We stopped Trump!” Later, five people were arrested in the incident.
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Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for March 11-17
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Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.
Wednesday, March 11:
Cornelia Murr, Reverend Baron, Mia Joy at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
Expect dreamy, mesmeric pop from the London headliner.
Thursday, March 12:
Fran, glow in the dark flowers at Constellation. Tickets.
Whether she’s with a full band or totally solo, this Chicago songwriter is a captivating live performer.
Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore, Nicole Miglis at Thalia Hall. TIckets.
These two artists, an ambient musician and a harpist, recently teamed up on the collaborative LP “Tragic Magic.”
Friday, March 13:
Ganser, Repent, Strapped at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
A beloved local art-rock outfit takes the stage in Ukrainian Village.
Grace Rogers, Kate Teague, Sleeper’s Bell at Hideout. Tickets.
This Kentucky folk-rocker had one of 2025’s best albums in “Mad Dogs.”
Saturday, March 14:
Dark Star Orchestra at Riviera Theatre. Tickets.
Mourn January’s loss of Bob Weir with one of the premier Grateful Dead cover bands.
White Reaper, Drug Church at Concord Music Hall. Tickets.
One of Louisville’s finest rock bands headlines the Logan Square club.
Sunday, March 15:
TAKAAT at Constellation. TIckets.
Pronounced "tuh-cot," this band name means “noise” in the Tuareg language Tamashek and features the rhythm section of Nigerien guitarist Mdou Moctar's band.
Monday, March 16:
Florry, National Photo Committee at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
This is the best rock show of the week. Get there early for the local openers.
Tuesday, March 17:
Matt Berninger, Ronboy at Park West. Tickets.
Get there early for the opener. If you’re late, don’t worry. The opener also plays bass in the headliner’s band.
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What's your favorite local movie theater? Tell us why.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM
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Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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