A win for endangered piping plovers like Monty and Rose – Chicago Tribune

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The Shakman consent decree is no more as it applies to the governor’s office. The agreement had its roots in the patronage hiring practices that have long plagued city, county and state government.

An appeals court has called for an end to federal court oversight of state hiring, freeing Gov. J.B. Pritzker and future governors from scrutiny that has endured through eight administrations over a half-century.

And the Indiana House passed a bill that would ban nearly all abortions in the state, sending the legislation back to the state Senate to confer on House changes.

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.

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The Great Lakes Piping Plover Conservation Team has announced a record-breaking 2022 breeding season, with 149 wild chicks reaching the fledgling — or flying — stage, the most since official counts began in 1984. Read more here.

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Company officials said they will preserve the building as affordable housing, and spend about $4 million on upgrades to its plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems. Read more here.

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The Cubs entered Friday with a 41-63 record and a five-game losing streak. But they’ve seen good pitching the last two weeks, with a 2.63 ERA in their last 15 games, the lowest in the majors in that span. Read more here.

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“Mount Chicago,” his new novel (592 pages), is yet another ambitious swing for the literary fences, or at the least, a rollicking yet mournful stab at returning the sprawling American novel to Chicago, home of Theodore Dreiser’s “Sister Carrie” and Saul Bellow’s “Augie March.” Read more here.

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James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, of Janesville, Wisconsin, died of their injuries after the lightning strike in Lafayette Park, located directly outside the White House complex. Read more here.

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