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Happy Monday. Today, we introduce you to local researchers who are trying to rethink the traditional lawn. Plus, we'll get you caught up on the ongoing Michael Madigan trial.
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Researchers Liz Anna Kozik and Becky Barak at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s lawn alternatives test site, photographed in October 2024. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)
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There are 50 million total acres of lawn in the U.S. — or three times the amount of land the nation devotes to cultivating corn — covering everything from yards to corporate campuses, golf courses to highway medians. A good portion of this grass is regularly watered, mowed and chemically treated in pursuit of turf perfection.
Why?
“In a lot of places, there’s turf grass ‘just because,’” said Becky Barak, a scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action. “Just because mowers are mowing. They keep mowing, and things just stay turf grass even when they don’t have to be.”
Now, there is a growing push for a shift away from a monoculture of, say, Kentucky bluegrass to more environmentally friendly lawn alternatives.
What’s the benefit?
Ecologists argue that diverse plantings would be better for pollinators, better for stormwater absorption and better for soil than turf, among other benefits. Conservation-minded homeowners have responded by replacing grass with perennials — in Chicago, “prairie” plantings are a popular choice.
What does science say?
What’s been missing is the data to support these actions.
A collaboration between the Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Park District and University of Michigan-Flint looks to bring a more rigorous approach to finding alternatives. It recently received major funding.
“What we see as our contribution is trying to get at the actual data, trying to be able to say, ‘If you want to support pollinators, this is what we think you should plant. If you want to absorb stormwater, these are some great options for you,’” Barak said. “A lot of what’s out there is what we think should be best, just given what we know about these (native) plants. But we really want to be able to put some data behind it.”
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Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan exits the Dirksen Federal Courthouse on Oct. 31, 2024. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)
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Jurors in Michael Madigan’s corruption trial have already gotten an extensive lesson in the players and the games surrounding Springfield politics over the last few weeks. But recently, they heard about a different type of “game” from Madigan’s co-defendant, Michael McClain.
In a wiretapped phone call from May 2018 played in court Thursday, McClain complained to Madigan’s son Andrew about a utility company official who was resisting efforts to hire someone who’d been pushed by Madigan, the longtime Illinois House speaker.
“So? And that’s, that’s like, that’s what happens when you do, when you’re in this game,” McClain said on the call, summarizing the words of ComEd exec Fidel Marquez’s read on the situation. “I mean and yo—, you never (know). Maybe someday you can ask for a favor, so.”
“I just love these people that, they, they are in a regulatory body, right?” McClain continued. “And they’re offended if people ask for favors. Hello? Dumb s--ts.”
The call came as jurors heard testimony from Marquez himself — who began cooperating with the FBI in 2019 and secretly recorded conversations now being used at trial — about the lengths Commonwealth Edison officials went to appease Madigan so he’d support their legislative agenda in Springfield.
Where things stand:
The trial of Madigan and McClain, who are accused of racketeering and bribery, is now entering its sixth week. Here are some highlights from last week:
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Jurors last Monday heard about McClain’s alleged plan to arrange under-the-table payments to an ex-Madigan employee who was fired after being accused of sexually harassing another staffer.
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Fidel Marquez took the witness stand Tuesday afternoon and continued testifying through the rest of the week. ComEd’s former vice president of governmental affairs, Marquez previously pleaded guilty to a bribery charge and is expected to avoid prison time due to his cooperation with the government.
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One of the key allegations in the trial is that ComEd hired Madigan allies to no-work jobs as a gift to Madigan so that he would support critical energy legislation in Springfield. “I didn’t expect them to do any work for ComEd,” Marquez testified last week, “as they were being paid as a favor to Mike Madigan.”
What’s ahead?
The trial, which had been slated to last 11 weeks, is now expected to extend into the new year.
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Also From WTTW News: |
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Get caught up on all the news you may have missed last week with "Week in Review."
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Chicago is set to spend 21% more in 2025 to directly fight homelessness than it did this year, as city, state and county officials transition to a unified shelter system that will care for migrants as well as longtime residents who are unhoused, records show.
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This Week's Public Meetings and Civic Events
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Every Monday, WTTW News highlights the public meetings and civic events you should know about.
Chicago City Council
It's budget time at Chicago City Council, which means a series of hearings will be held for city departments all week. Find the schedule here.
Chicago Transit Authority
The CTA board is set to meet Wednesday at 10 a.m. On the agenda is approval of the agency's capital improvement plan.
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Back in the Day: November 11, 1887 - Haymarket Affair Hangings
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On May 1, 1886, hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers went on strike and marched to demand an eight-hour workday. Chicago workers, who were known to have shifts in the stockyards, rail yards, and factories that’d reach over 12 hours, made up the largest demonstrations in the country. The protests were peaceful until police shot several striking workers at the McCormick Reaper Works two days later. In response, on May 4, around 2,500 workers gathered at Haymarket Square. As police marched toward the protesters and ordered them to disperse, someone threw a homemade bomb at cops, which immediately exploded, killing seven police officers and at least three workers. Here’s WTTW on what happened next: “Police arrested hundreds of labor activists, and ultimately charged eight men. Even though most of the defendants hadn’t even attended the rally, with urging from Chicago’s business leaders and newspapers, all eight “anarchists” were convicted, without legal precedent, of a conspiracy. Seven were sentenced to death.” On this day in 1887, four of the men were executed behind what was then the Cook County Courthouse at 54 West Hubbard.
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Where can we find the best cheeseburger in Chicago? Tell us where and why it’s the best. |
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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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