All articles tagged with #chicago
Crowds at Chicago’s 57th Street Beach and North Avenue Beach triggered a heavy police presence, a helicopter, and traffic backups on DuSable Lake Shore Drive after reports of a planned teen takeover; authorities dispersed groups and monitored for potential teen trend activity, with no confirmed injuries reported at this time.
Five Chicago police officers were injured after a driver struck them while dispersing a large teen gathering at Loomis Street and Roosevelt Road on the Near West Side. An 18-year-old Plainfield man, Rashad Johnson, was arrested at the scene and charged with five counts of attempted murder plus weapons and other felonies as investigators examine the after-prom-style gathering that drew hundreds.
During a Memorial Day weekend “teen takeover” on Chicago’s West Side, an 18-year-old driver struck five officers while they were dispersing a crowd on South Loomis Street; the driver was arrested, none of the officers were seriously injured, and a gun was found in the car. About 30 minutes earlier, a 19-year-old was shot near West Roosevelt Road, part of a day in which at least 19 people were shot citywide. Police say the shootings may not be linked, and CPD urged parents to monitor their children as the teen-takeover trend continues to spread.
As Memorial Day weekend unfolds in Chicago, authorities report 18 people have been shot so far, with investigators continuing to track incidents as communities brace for more violence.
US workers have filed a class-action in Illinois alleging Guzman y Gomez violated federal and state laws by not providing 60 days’ advance written notice before a mass layoff after abruptly closing all Chicago-area stores, affecting more than 500 employees; the suit seeks back pay and benefits for up to 60 days per worker and a jury trial as the Australian chain exits the US market.
Chicago Tribune’s editorial argues that the simmering feud between Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker over Bears stadium plans exposes a broader city-vs-state political rift that could hamper Chicago’s fiscal recovery and future deals, and suggests the next mayor will largely have to navigate a fragile relationship with Springfield regardless of who wins.
Australian-based Guzman y Gomez has permanently closed all U.S. locations in Lake and McHenry counties as it exits the Chicago area, six years after entering the market. The chain opened in Naperville in 2020 and expanded to Crystal Lake and other Chicagoland spots before announcing that all GYG USA restaurants would cease trading on May 22, 2026.
Federal prosecutors dropped all remaining charges against four Broadview Six protesters indicted in October for demonstrating outside a Chicago-area immigration detention center, after revelations of redacted grand jury transcripts that Judge April Perry called improper. The case, tied to Operation Midway Blitz, had seen conspiracy charges dropped earlier and the four now faced only misdemeanor counts of impeding a federal officer, which were dismissed with prejudice. The decision marks a setback for the government and underscores First Amendment protections for protest; sanctions discussions for the U.S. attorney’s office were also raised by the judge.
Prosecutors dropped the remaining charges against four activists who protested outside a Broadview federal facility during last year’s immigration crackdown after revelations of grand jury misconduct by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including a prosecutor meeting with a juror outside proceedings. The charges—including a felony conspiracy count and misdemeanor counts for impeding a federal agent—were dismissed with prejudice and won’t be refiled, with defense lawyers arguing the case violated First Amendment rights and highlighted prosecutorial overreach in politically charged crackdown cases.
The Chicago Bears say they have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago, with no viable site remaining in the city. The team is now focusing on two sites—Arlington Heights and Hammond—for a new stadium, and a decision is expected later this spring or early summer.
Federal prosecutors dropped all charges against four Broadview protesters after a judge found misconduct during the grand jury proceedings in the Operation Midway Blitz case, including alleged vouching by an attorney. The charges had stemmed from a September protest near the Broadview ICE facility, and the four defendants—Kat Abughazaleh, Michael Rabbitt, Andre Martin, and Brian Straw—had faced misdemeanor counts after the earlier felony conspiracy charge was dropped; two others (Cat Sharp and Jocelyn Walsh) had charges dropped in March. The trial was paused to address the misconduct, and while prosecutors said the errors were not intentional, defense attorneys called the behavior gross misconduct.
Chicago remains determined to keep the Bears, with the team narrowing its stadium options to Arlington Heights, IL and Hammond, IN amid political pushback in Illinois and a looming May 31 deadline; lawmakers debate a potential lakefront site while Chicago leadership and state officials negotiate the team’s future.
Illinois designated May 23 as Italian Beef Day after House Bill 4669 passed the House, spearheaded by Rep. Rick Ryan, honoring the sandwich as a symbol of the state’s culinary heritage and its cultural and economic contributions.
A 25-year-old Chicago woman, Tatiana Maxwell, is charged with first-degree murder after allegedly stabbing a baby girl to death in Gage Park and then leaping from an upper-floor window; the infant, Nyhnia Stovall, died at Comer Children’s Hospital. Maxwell survived injuries, was treated at the University of Chicago Medical Center, and then arrested. Police found a knife at the scene, and authorities have not disclosed any known relationship between Maxwell and the child.
Ford City Mall in Ashburn will shut down at noon on June 22 after a city emergency motion cited a defective fire-suppression system; 16 tenants remain, including the last JCPenney, which will close June 21, as Namdar Realty Group faces ongoing legal action and potential redevelopment plans for the property.