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It’s Tuesday, Chicago. Bundle up and start your day right with these local stories from WTTW News.
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Kim Foxx, left, and new Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke, right. (WTTW News)
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On Monday, Eileen O’Neill Burke was sworn in as the new Cook County state’s attorney. She kickstarted her term with a series of policy announcements related to the SAFE-T Act.
Where that law requires a prosecutor to request an offender be detained before trial, O’Neill Burke said that prosecutors will automatically request to detain alleged offenders for any felony offense using a firearm, domestic violence and sex crimes, crimes committed on public transportation, Class X felony offenses (murder, armed robbery, etc), and crimes against children.
O'Neill Burke replaces Kim Foxx who served as the county's top prosecutor for the past eight years. Foxx decided not to run for reelection this year but she still celebrated what she views as her biggest wins while in office.
Foxx’s administration on Saturday published its final report and an eight-year data summary to highlight the “comprehensive overview of the substantial reforms and impacts achieved” during her tenure as Cook County’s top prosecutor. Namely, her office highlights nearly 250 wrongful convictions overturned and more than 15,000 cannabis-related convictions expunged.
“It has been an honor to serve the people of Cook County, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have led such meaningful changes in our community,” she said in a statement.
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Flanked by Budget Director Annette Guzman, Mayor Brandon Johnson addresses the news media on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. (Heather Cherone / WTTW News)
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Mayor Brandon Johnson defended his handling of the negotiations over the city’s 2025 spending plan on Monday, while acknowledging growing concerns that time is running short to nail down an agreement that can win the support of the Chicago City Council.
“I get the noise around my administration,” Johnson said. “I’m doing it differently, and I know it feels a certain way, but I’m doing it better. I am. We’ll have a balanced budget that invests in people.”
Johnson once again referred to himself as the “collaborator in chief” eager to work with all 50 alderpeople to craft a spending plan set to top $17.3 billion.
But the mayor also appeared to shift tactics, telling reporters that he will no longer discuss specific budget proposals in public until they are nailed down. Less than two weeks ago, Johnson told reporters that he had revised his budget proposal to rely on a property tax hike of $150 million.
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Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles looks up from his cellphone as he walks the field before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (Nam Y. Huh / AP Photo)
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For the first time in franchise history, the Chicago Bears fired a head coach in the middle of a season. After a string of demoralizing losses, Matt Eberflus is no longer in charge of the NFC North underdogs, who are a meager 4-8 this season. On yesterday's 'Chicago Tonight,' we looked into what ails the Monsters of Midway and guess what's next for the rebuild and quarterback Caleb Williams' development. So far, we know that General Manager Ryan Poles is sticking around and plans to lead the search for the next coaching hire. Right now, former offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is serving as the interim head coach.
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Back in the Day: December 3, 1818 - Illinois Becomes 21st State
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Daily Chicagoan usually highlights the lesser-known and off-the-beaten-path tidbits of local history for our regular Back in the Day segment. That said, sometimes there’s a big event that’s hard to ignore (or, we can’t find anything more interesting for that given date). Today’s a notable one: the 206-year anniversary of Illinois becoming a date. On this day in 1818, President James Monroe signed a resolution on Dec. 3, 1818 making Illinois the 21st state in the Union. Back in April of that year, he’d signed legislation called the Enabling Act, which laid the groundwork for Illinois to achieve full statehood. The first state capital was located in the southern Illinois
village of Kaskaskia. It moved to Vandalia in 1819 and then in 1853, it moved to Springfield, which remains the capital to this day.
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Where is your favorite place in the Chicago area to go holiday shopping? Tell us why.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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- We check in on former House Speaker Michael Madigan's corruption trial and the latest on the city budget with our Spotlight Politics team.
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5:30 PM|10:00 PM
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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