It’s already the middle of the week. Kick off your Wednesday with these stories from WTTW News.
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Anjanette Young joins “Chicago Tonight” on Feb. 3, 2026. (WTTW News)
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A new Chicago Police Department policy that does not ban officers from serving no-knock warrants or from pointing guns at children during raids is now final, despite a pledge by Mayor Brandon Johnson to impose strict limits on how search warrants are used in Chicago.
The policy, which was finalized Dec. 26 with no public notice, will take effect once officers are trained on the new policy and after “the development and implementation of a new electronic search warrant reporting application,” records show.
Anjanette Young, a social worker who was handcuffed while naked during a botched raid in February 2019, told WTTW News’ “Chicago Tonight” she is frustrated with the policy.
“I’m frustrated with the process,” Young said, vowing to continue to lobby state lawmakers this spring with the help of state Rep. Kam Bucker (D-Chicago). “I’m also learning in this journey of being in this space that change doesn’t happen overnight and that it’s a marathon and not a sprint.”
More context:
Published Tuesday, Young’s book — “Past the Pain: How to Emerge From Trauma With Purpose” — details her experiences during the raid and amid the political firestorm that engulfed her in December 2020 when CBS2-TV aired video of the incident.
Young said she wrote the book to share how she coped with the trauma she experienced in an effort to help others.
“It is so important for people to understand what it means to experience trauma,” said Young, who also created The I AM HER Foundation in the wake of the raid.
Ald. Maria Hadden (49th Ward), the lead sponsor of the Anjanette Young ordinance, said she was hopeful at the start of 2025 that the measure was on its way to passage. Instead, Johnson never even formally introduced it, and there is no indication that will change.
“While I think they continue to work in good faith, there’s not been the kind of sustained effort that would get an ordinance passed,” Hadden said of the mayor’s office. “Or even bring it to a vote.”
During the 2023 mayoral election, Young endorsed Johnson after he vowed to “end no-knock warrants once and for all” in his campaign platform.
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(WTTW News)
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After a year of historic declines in violence across Chicago, the city has begun 2026 with further drops in the number of shootings and homicides.
According to Chicago Police Department data, there were 29 homicides recorded throughout the city in January. That’s the second lowest total for that month over the past decade — trailing only 2019 when there were 23 homicides — and marks a 29% decrease over January 2025 (41 homicides).
The total number of shootings recorded last month also dropped slightly year-over-year, according to the CPD, falling from 112 in January 2025 to 101 in January 2026. The overall number of shooting victims remained nearly the same, with 123 people shot last month compared to 126 people shot in January 2025.
Some backstory:
Chicago closed out 2025 with 416 homicides recorded, the city’s lowest total since 1965, and a drop of 171 homicides compared to 2024.
Police Supt. Larry Snelling credited his department’s collaborative work across bureaus with helping drive down violence levels.
“This collaboration is focused on seeking justice for victims and preventing additional crimes from happening,” Snelling said in a statement. “Rather than work in silos, our bureaus are working together to combat violence through more comprehensive investigations and on-the-ground missions.”
According to CPD data, total robberies are down 31% year-over-year and robberies involving a firearm are down 39%. Overall violent crime citywide is down 15% compared to last January, the CPD said, while property crime has dropped 16%.
Police officers also recovered more than 800 firearms in January, an average of more than 26 per day.
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Albeiro Ropero Remolina hugs his wife after he was released from ICE custody. (Provided photo)
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After nearly a month spent in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, a Chicago father of three has been reunited with his family.
Albeiro Ropero Remolina, who has epilepsy, was detained alongside his wife while he was warming up the car to take her to work on Dec. 29. A team of federal immigration officers swarmed their vehicle and took them into custody.
On Friday, the family received the news that Ropero Remolina’s habeas corpus petition was granted in Indiana and his bond had been set. On Monday night, Ropero Remolina’s wife drove up to Indiana to reunite with her husband.
“I’m really excited, our kids miss him so much,” Remolina’s wife said late Monday evening in an interview conducted in Spanish. She requested that her name not be used for fear of retribution. WTTW News granted that request.
While Ropero Remolina’s wife was released the same day from the Broadview ICE detention center, he was not.
“The times my husband spoke with the children, he would tell them not to be sad that he was on a work trip and would be home soon,” she said.
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Back in the Day: February 4, 2021 - Feds Give Obama Presidential Center Green Light
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Back in 2016, toward the end of his first-term, President Barack Obama announced Chicago’s Jackson Park as the site of his Presidential Center and Library. Initially expected to open in 2021, it hit numerous obstacles and delays, but on this day five years ago, federal officials gave the project a green light to proceed with construction. On February 4, 2021, a federal review concluded the $500 million project will have “no significant impact” on the federally protected park. Construction began in August 2021 and the building is now slated to open in June 2026.
At the time, Obama celebrated the decision in a video he posted to Twitter.
“We can unlock the South Side’s fullest potential,” said Obama, who picked Jackson Park as the site of his presidential library in 2016 — and said it would open in 2021, only to watch as it was stymied by federal regulations and lawsuits.
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Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for Feb. 4-10
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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, Feb. 4:
Runo Plum, Lutalo at Schubas. Tickets.
Two impressive singer-songwriters with roots in Minnesota will combine folk and indie rock in Lakeview.
Thursday, Feb. 5:
Purelink, Pan-American at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
This acclaimed electronic trio formed in Chicago in 2020. Now based in New York, they return home for a show in Ukrainian Village.
Friday, Feb. 6:
The Cactus Blossoms, Angela Autumn at Old Town School of Folk Music. Tickets.
Two brothers making effective throwback folk and Americana headline the Lincoln Square mainstay.
Dean Johnson, Lily Seabird at Schubas. Tickets.
The Pacific Northwest crooner brings along the excellent Burlington, Vermont, songwriter as an opening act.
Ye Vagabonds, Lilla Sol at Sleeping Village. Tickets.
Expect transcendent and gorgeous harmonies from this Irish band.
Saturday, Feb. 7:
BASIC, BCMC, Flux Bikes at Constellation. Tickets.
Like knotty jams and intricate instrumental grooves? Try this show.
Ghostface Killah, Philmore Greene, Woes at Ramova Theatre. Tickets.
The Wu-Tang Clan legend makes a stop in Bridgeport.
Monday, Feb. 9:
Modern Cults, Jack Brereton, Style2000 at Empty Bottle. Free.
There’s no better way to kick off a week than a “Free Monday” show at the Ukrainian Village dive.
Tuesday, Feb. 10:
G’Nite, Free Range, Al Scorch at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
This all-local bill features a headliner celebrating a new EP.
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What's the one thing out-of-towners get wrong about
Chicago?
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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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