Good afternoon, Chicago.
Five years ago this month, decades of political dominance by a pair of old-school Chicago Democratic politicians began to unravel when FBI agents descended on City Hall on an otherwise quiet Thursday morning.
Even in a town accustomed to high-profile public corruption probes, the sight of brown butcher paper taped over the windows and glass doors of a storied seat of power such as Ald. Edward Burke’s office suite was stunning.
But it was also just the beginning. In the ensuing months, the dominoes continued to topple, first with Burke’s indictment, then raids on a host of politicians and lobbyists connected to then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, followed by the indictment in March 2022 of Madigan himself.
Now, with the corruption trial of Burke and two co-defendants set to begin Monday, the inner workings of one of Chicago’s last machine politicians will be laid bare in a federal courtroom.
Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/breaking and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
Subscribe to more newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Daily horoscope | Ask Amy
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/TSTRYS4CAZEWVJWMMDKX66M6OE.jpeg)
Make room in your cupboard: Christkindlmarket has added two new types of drinkware to its annual keepsake mug tradition. Read more here.
More top news stories:
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/XE2UN5SZGNAXFNYGW27XRLQMY4.JPG)
The closure of the roughly $300 million fund on Oct. 31 marked the end of major COVID-19-related aid for Illinois homeowners. Read more here.
Afternoon Briefing
Weekdays
Chicago Tribune editors’ top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon.
More top business stories:
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/F5E23ZSIXRGCRAAVFY7UILSSNM.jpeg)
Two more former Northwestern University football players have come forward to allege they experienced racist treatment during their playing days. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/2EQPRL7ZQJEVJI67ME53573EVQ.JPG)
The main event is a premiere of “Return to Patience” by Aszure Barton. The night opens with Darrell Grand Moultrie’s “Dichotomy of a Journey” and tucks Lar Lubovitch’s “Coltrane’s Favorite Things” in between. Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/UPIGKN7EWPHL4FQNOJ7I4OE42M.jpg)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel to do everything in its power to protect civilians caught in the fighting in Gaza and ensure they receive humanitarian aid, while underscoring the country’s right to defend itself. Read more here.
More top stories from around the world:
