It’s almost Friday, which means it can only be Thursday. Get ready for the rest of the week with these stories from WTTW News.
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Michael Madigan takes the witness stand to testify in his own defense at his landmark corruption trial on Jan. 7, 2025. (Illustration by Cheryl Cook)
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Powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan organized a “stream of bribes” in order to enhance his own power and line his own pockets, federal prosecutors said in their final words to jurors before they begin deliberations in the landmark corruption case.
Closing statements officially got underway Wednesday afternoon, more than three months after the corruption trial of Madigan and his longtime friend and ally Michael McClain began.
Speaking before a PowerPoint slide that included just two words — “POWER” and “PROFIT” — Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz began by telling jurors that those were the two things that allegedly drove Madigan, with the help of McClain, “to break the law time and again.”
She reminded the jury of Madigan’s immense power not only as speaker, where he could control which bills lived and died in the General Assembly, but also as chair of the Democratic Party, which gave him authority over campaign financing for other legislators.
According to Schwartz, Madigan repeatedly abused that power to organize bribes and help shower benefits on himself and his allies.
“Ladies and gentlemen, legislation should not be bought,” she said. “But that’s what was happening here. And Madigan knew that, because he and McClain set it up that way.”
Madigan and McClain face charges including racketeering conspiracy, federal program bribery and wire fraud. Madigan alone is also accused of attempted extortion. Both men have pleaded not guilty. Before closings began Wednesday, jurors heard two hours of instructions, which laid out the individual charges against Madigan and McClain and the process jurors must go through to determine their guilt or innocence.
Prosecutors are expected to finish their closing arguments Thursday, while Madigan and McClain will put forth their own closings later this week.
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The cast of “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” now playing at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. (Charles Erickson)
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“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” recently made its regional debut at The Yard at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where it’ll run for the next two weeks. While Jocelyn Bioh’s 90-minute Broadway comedy takes place within a span of one day confined completely inside the walls of the titular character’s salon, the play is larger than life, transporting the audience into a colorful world known well by Black women.
Jaja’s shop feels like its own character, a staple in the Harlem community that at any moment could be blasting familiar Afro-pop beats or playing beloved clips from Nollywood films, helping to move the story along while clients get laborious styles like Beyonce’s “Lemonade” braids or, even worse, micros. The crowd at The Yard on Friday was uproarious almost the entire show.
“In so many productions, I have seen Black women and their hair not done well or in a way that we would want to be reflected in,” said Nikya Mathis, the play’s Tony Award-winning hair and wig designer. “Salons are everything. Salons are the therapist’s office. It’s like your sisterhood space to talk about your favorite shows or to unleash about your relationships." “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” is a celebration of Black hair and salons, a kind of sanctuary for Black women where societal expectations on how to present and perform no longer exist.
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Planned Parenthood sign. (WTTW News)
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Planned Parenthood of Illinois will be closing four health centers, including one in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, due to a financial shortfall and an “uncertain patient care landscape” under the Donald Trump administration, the reproductive health care provider announced Wednesday. In addition to Englewood in Chicago, Planned Parenthood health centers in Ottawa, Decatur and Bloomington in central Illinois will also be closing. Appointments at the four health centers will end in March 2025. None of the health centers provide procedural abortion care, according to a news release.
Some backstory:
Planned Parenthood of Illinois has seen a 47% increase in overall abortion care patients and an “unprecedented” number of out-of-state patients since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.
“We made plans for the patient surge however rising care costs and lower reimbursement rates from insurers is jeopardizing PPIL’s sustainability,” Interim President and CEO Tonya Tucker said in a statement.
In an effort to minimize patient disruptions, Planned Parenthood of Illinois leaders said they plan to expand patient care as needed at locations in Champaign, Peoria, Springfield, Waukegan and in Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood.
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Back in the Day: January 23, 1978 - Walter Payton Wins Pro Bowl MVP
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The Pro Bowl is the NFL’s annual all-star game, which usually occurs right before the Super Bowl. While the games aren’t usually amazing — players rightfully tend to hold back the energy to avoid injury — it’s still pretty fun. It’s great to see the standout athletes from the season team up, especially when the games are set against the tropical backdrop of locales like Hawaii, Los Angeles and Orlando. On this day 47 years ago, Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton led the NFC All-Star Team to a 14-13 victory against their AFC Rivals. Payton would end his career with nine Pro Bowl appearances but this game marked the only time he secured the game’s MVP honors. He
also won the more prestigious NFL MVP award for his performance in the 1977 season.
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Arts and Culture Event Recommendations From Marc Vitali
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Each Thursday, WTTW News arts correspondent Marc Vitali highlights the week's must-see cultural events.
Beat the January blahs with some blues — or a prize-winning play or an art show. In a few months when everyone is complaining about the heat, you’ll recall that time in the dead of winter when you bundled up and defied the season. Here are three things that promise to be so much more memorable than your couch. Find even more picks on our site.
“Fat Ham” – Goodman Theatre
This 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning play sets “Hamlet” at a Southern backyard barbecue, where a gay man wrestles with his identity while his father’s ghost urges him to avenge his death. Directed by Tyrone Phillips of Chicago’s Definition Theatre, the show finds a comedy of masculinity inside Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. Through March 2
“Up to the Challenge: Art of the Great Depression and World War II” – Koehnline Museum of Art (Oakton College, Des Plaines)
The exhibition opened last month, but I’m just recommending it now because it took the USPS four weeks to deliver the press materials. The show presents themes of activism, social justice and the resilience of people. It’s a good opportunity to experience art by important but lesser-known local artists and also a chance to see cool paintings of an earlier Chicago. Through Feb. 7
“The Women of Chicago’s Black Renaissance” + "Southern Soul Celebration" – The Logan Center
On Friday, Grammy-winning pianist Michelle Cann interprets the works of Florence Price, Margaret Bonds and other often overlooked composers. On Saturday, the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago hosts its first ever blues show: “Southern Soul Celebration” with Nellie “Tiger” Travis, Joe Barr and Theo Huff. Jan. 24 and 25
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