Don’s Recent Stories
Nation Dec 02
Second brother testifies Jussie Smollett paid for staged attackA second man has testified that Jussie Smollett plotted a racist and anti-gay attack on himself and paid him and his brother to carry it out.
Nation Nov 30
Prosecutors begin case against Jussie Smollett in ChicagoTaking the stand as prosecutors began their case against Smollett, former Chicago police detective Michael Theis said he initially viewed Smollett as a victim.
Arts Nov 29
At Jussie Smollett trial begins, focus on Osundairo brothers at center stageThe trial of actor Jussie Smollett will boil down to the question of whether the jury believes the actor's version of what he says was a racist and homophobic attack or that told by two brothers who say they helped…
Nation Oct 15
Chicago mayor takes police union head to court over vaccinesChicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has taken her fight with the head of the city’s police officers union to court, arguing that his call for officers to ignore an order to report their COVID-19 vaccination status by Friday was illegal.
Nation Sep 28
Here are this year’s MacArthur fellows and ‘genius grant’ recipientsThe Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation on Tuesday announced the 25 recipients, who will each receive $625,000.
Nation Aug 24
Chicago watchdog harshly criticizes ShotSpotter systemChicago's watchdog agency has concluded in a scathing report that the gunshot detection system the police department uses rarely produces evidence of gun-related crime in the city.
Arts Jul 28
Lollapalooza to require vaccination card or negative testThe four-day festival starts Thursday and is expected to be back at full capacity, with roughly 100,000 daily attendees. After missing last summer because of the coronavirus, it will be easily Chicago's largest gathering since the pandemic started.
Nation May 03
Groups say gunshot detection systems unreliable, seek reviewThe gunshot detection system that set in motion the recent fatal police shooting of a 13-year-old boy in Chicago routinely reports gunshots where there are none, sending officers into predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods for “unnecessary and hostile” encounters, community…
Nation Apr 15
Video shows Chicago teen wasn’t holding a gun when shot by copDisturbing bodycam video shows a 13-year-old boy appearing to drop a handgun and begin raising his hands less than a second before an officer shoots and kills him.
Politics Apr 15
Chicago mayor calls for calm before police shooting video’s releaseDuring a news conference before the promised release of investigation materials, including body camera footage of an officer fatally shooting Adam Toledo on March 29, Lightfoot called on people to keep calm.