Good morning, Chicago.
As the scope of the consent decree that governs Chicago’s public safety reforms has grown, so, too, has the city’s legal tab.
From 2019 through 2023 — the first five years of the consent decree — the independent monitoring team responsible for assessing compliance billed the city 35% more than was initially quoted. The nearly $5 million in extra bills came while the Chicago Police Department continued its slow pace toward compliance, a Tribune data analysis found.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Sam Charles.
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Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure on Christmas Day
Russia launched a massive missile and drone barrage targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure yesterday, striking a thermal power plant and prompting Ukrainians to take shelter in metro stations on Christmas.
The strikes on Ukrainian fuel and energy sources included 78 air, ground, and sea-launched missiles as well as 106 Shaheds and other types of drones, Ukraine’s air force said. It claimed to have intercepted 59 missiles and 54 drones, with 52 more drones being jammed.
President Joe Biden signs a bill officially making the bald eagle the national bird of the US
The bald eagle, a symbol of the power and strength of the United States for more than 240 years, earned an overdue honor this week: It officially became the country’s national bird.
PsiQuantum plans to build one of the world’s first commercially useful quantum computers in Chicago — despite huge obstacles
Google recently announced a major breakthrough in quantum computing when its Willow processor solved an equation that would take a conventional computer practically forever. But PsiQuantum, the company planning to build in Chicago one of the world’s first commercially viable quantum computers, is taking a different path.
Electric school buses take off in Illinois, with over 200 on the road: A ‘phenomenal climb’
Illinois is third in the country for electric school buses, behind California and New York, with the state’s school districts committing to about 700 school buses, more than 200 of which are already on the road, according to Electric School Bus Initiative Director Sue Gander.
Supporters say that electric buses protect kids and communities from exposure to diesel exhaust, which can lead to asthma and respiratory illnesses and worsen existing heart and lung disease, especially in children and the elderly, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Relatives of kids in DCFS care would have better access to state assistance under proposed legislation
Legislation that would make it easier for relatives to get licensed as foster parents and receive assistance is expected to be considered in early January by the state House, having already passed through the Senate. Gov. JB Pritzker has said he will sign the measure if it gets to his desk.
About 60% of family members caring for children under the auspices of DCFS could gain access to additional financial help through provisions in the bill, according to the Illinois ACLU, which has helped shepherd the bill through the General Assembly. That could bring additional resources to thousands of families statewide.
Caleb Williams is eager to finish his rookie season strong and 3 other things we learned from the Chicago Bears at Halas Hall
The Chicago Bears are working through another quick turnaround this week, preparing to face the Seattle Seahawks tonight. Coming off three consecutive blowout losses, the Bears will need to be much sharper in their home finale to prevent their losing streak from reaching 10. That would match the franchise record for the longest skid within a single season.
The Bears held a walkthrough and meetings on Christmas Eve at Halas Hall. Here are four things we’ve learned since Sunday’s 34-17 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Chicago basketball report: Tyler Marsh hires his first Sky assistant in Courtney Paris — and Alex Caruso gets paid
Alex Caruso cashed in this week on a trade that has aged more poorly with each passing month for the Chicago Bulls.
Six months after the Bulls traded their best defensive player — and arguably one of the best defensive players in the NBA — to Oklahoma City in a rare one-to-one trade for point guard Josh Giddey, the Thunder made a long-term commitment. Caruso signed a four-year, $81 million extension that solidly etched him into the competitive future the Thunder are building around their young core of Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Review: From Buddhas to busses, icons to iPods, Wrightwood 659 shows Himalayan artworks then and now
“Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now” is an exhibition that pairs art by 28 living artists of the Himalayas and its diaspora with traditional religious objects from Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and surrounding areas, writes Lori Waxman. The historical objects belong to the collection of New York’s Rubin Museum, which curated the show as the final one in its physical space before its doors closed last fall. It’ll be on view in Chicago at Wrightwood 659 through mid-February.
Centuries-old angels uncovered at Boston church made famous by Paul Revere
Straddling the scaffolding high up in a historic Boston church, murals conservator Gianfranco Pocobene is working to uncover eight angels that were hidden under layers of paint for more than a century.
The painted angels — with round childlike faces and wings — once were among the defining features of Old North Church when they were painted around 1730. But officials at the church, a seminal location of the Revolutionary War, painted over the angels in 1912 with thick coats of white paint, part of an austere renovation that restorationists are trying to reverse.
‘Babygirl’ review: Secrets, lies and one road to a fulfilling sex life, starring Nicole Kidman
As a table-turning riff on sexual thrillers with a male gaze, and as a portrait of one woman’s sensual fulfillment, “Babygirl” is pretty compelling, writes Tribune film critic Michael Phillips.
New Year’s Eve 2024: 71 Chicagoland restaurants and bars with specials and parties to ring in the new year
The final countdown to the end of 2024 is here, which means it’s time to figure out how you’re going to welcome 2025. However you want to celebrate, these 70 restaurants and bars will make this New Year’s Eve a night to remember.
