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Happy Tuesday. There’s a big snowstorm tomorrow and I’m already seeing dibs chairs in my neighborhood.
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(WTTW News)
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Chicago taxpayers spent at least $107.5 million to resolve lawsuits alleging Chicago police officers committed a wide range of misconduct — including wrongful convictions and improper pursuits — in 2024, setting a new record, according to an analysis of city data by WTTW News.
That is the most Chicago taxpayers have paid to resolve police misconduct lawsuits in a single year since 2011, and 43% more than in 2023, according to WTTW News’ analysis of reports released by the Chicago Department of Law.
Some backstory:
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Annually, the city sets aside $82 million to cover the cost of police misconduct lawsuits. The actual cost of resolving those lawsuits in 2024 was nearly 31% more than anticipated, forcing taxpayers to spend an extra $25.5 million, according to the analysis. In 2024, the City Council scrambled to close a $982.4 million budget deficit by hiking taxes by $165 million.
Behind the numbers:
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WTTW News’ analysis of settlements and verdicts reached in 2024 included all cases identified by the Chicago Law Department as caused by some form of police misconduct, including false arrest, excessive force, extended detention, malicious prosecution and illegal search or seizure that resulted in a jury verdict against the city or that the Chicago City Council agreed to resolve with a payment. It does not include cases involving motor vehicle collisions other than crashes caused by pursuits launched by officers.
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In 2024, city officials resolved at least 122 lawsuits alleging police misconduct, according to WTTW News’ data analysis. The largest payment by taxpayers for a single incident — $20 million — went to a 15-year-old boy who was gravely injured when a Chicago police officer launched an unauthorized pursuit in 2021.
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Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, right, speaks, Oct. 21, 2020, during a news conference in Chicago. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
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President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned Democratic former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Trump commuted Blagojevich’s 14-year sentence for political corruption charges during his first term.
Blagojevich was convicted on charges that included seeking to sell an appointment to then-President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat and trying to shake down a children’s hospital. Blagojevich, who appeared on Trump’s reality TV show “Celebrity Apprentice,” was convicted in 2011. He served eight years before Trump, a Republican, cut short his term.
Some background:
The intended pardon during Trump’s fourth week in office follows clemency that Trump granted on his first day back to the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. The move paved the way for the release from prison of people found guilty of violent attacks on police as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of failed plots to keep Trump in power after he lost the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden.
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Snow totals will matter less than the timing of Wednesday's forecast storm, set to hit during the p.m. commute, forecasters said. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)
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Chicago's about to get a “good thumping” of snow mid-week — its first of the winter — and while the accumulation isn't expected to reach even half a foot, the timing of the storm will pack a significant punch, according to Gino Izzi, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service Chicago office. A winter storm watch has been issued for the Chicago area and much of northern Illinois from 9 a.m. Wednesday to 3 a.m. Thursday. The worst of the snowfall is predicted to hit between late afternoon and early evening, coming down at a rate of up to an inch an hour during the p.m. rush hour.
Meteorologists will continue to refine the forecast and the snow total predictions, which currently range from a high confidence in at least 4 inches, with the possibility of up to 8 inches. Up until now, winter 2024-25 has been light on the white stuff. Chicago recorded just 2.4 inches in December and 4.6 inches in January.
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Back in the Day: February 11, 2015 - Jackie Robinson West Stripped of Little League Title
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In 2014, the Little League World Series captured America's hearts and attention with the success of Mo’ne Davis, a pitcher from Philadelphia, who became the first girl to throw a shutout in the event, and the performance of Jackie Robinson West, an all-Black team from Chicago's Washington Heights. The squad defeated the Las Vegas-based Mountain Ridge squad 7-5 in the 2014 U.S. championship game and reached the world championship game, losing 8-4 to a team from South Korea. On this day 10 years ago, LLWS officials stripped Jackie Robinson West of its United States title for "knowingly using ineligible players who lived outside the team’s prescribed residential boundaries." It was a scandal that rocked Chicago, and marred the inspiring performance of its children. In 2021, JRW and Little League International settled the lawsuit. While the team’s U.S. Championship will remain vacated, its players were cleared of wrongdoing and the youth baseball organization dropped its fraud lawsuit against its coaches.
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Staff Recommendations: Chicago’s Open Mics |
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Every Tuesday, WTTW News staffers highlight their favorite things in Chicago. Here’s Abena Bediako, the Judy and John McCarter Family Fellow, on local open mics.
Abena Bediako: If you’re like me, you love a good laugh, especially one that comes out of nowhere. Here are some of my favorite open mics in the city.
The Lincoln Lodge Comedy Club - 2040 N. Milwaukee Avenue
This is a go-to spot if you’re in need of a more intimate vibe. They are a nonprofit comedy club that encompasses three characteristics: indie, comedy, and of course Chicago. Those who hit the stage at the Lincoln Lodge always deliver.
The Laugh Factory - 3175 N. Broadway
If you know, you know. The Laugh Factory is a chain of comedy clubs and naturally, there needed to be one in Chicago. This caters to a bigger crowd so it might feel like the pressure is on more than ever, but the talent always brings the laughs.
Stand Up Stand Up (Wicker Park) - 1540 N. Milwaukee Avenue
Thursday nights are the perfect segue into the weekend and you might as well laugh your way into them with Stand Up Stand Up. Though you’ll see some local and national comedians, it boasts more than good jokes: You’ll also have a chance to watch live musical performances.
The Sidebar Show - 1958 W. Roscoe St.
The Sidebar Comedy Show is only available Tuesday nights 8:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and they make it count. The venue is comfortable with a nice chill vibe and it's another location with a great blend of comedians and musicians.
Red Room Comedy Club - 7442 N. Western Avenue
Red Room Comedy Club is a newer spot nestled right between Evanston and Rogers Park. It’s an intimate setting, fitting about 50 people in the space, that makes the night even more enjoyable. And the best thing…they have available parking!
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It’s Valentine’s Day Friday. What’s the most romantic place in Chicago?
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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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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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