Good morning, Chicago.
President Joe Biden used his farewell address to the nation last night to warn of an “oligarchy” of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the country and of a “tech-industrial complex” that is infringing on Americans’ rights and the future of democracy.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Biden sounded alarm over an oligarchy he said “is taking shape in America.” Invoking President Dwight Eisenhower’s warnings about the military-industrial complex when he left office, he added, “I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers to our country as well.”
And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Netanyahu says ‘last minute crisis’ with Hamas holding up approval of Gaza truce and hostage deal
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that a “last-minute crisis” with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory.
City Council sides with Mayor Brandon Johnson on Chicago’s sanctuary city dispute
An effort by opponents of Mayor Brandon Johnson to water down Chicago’s sanctuary city ordinance faltered in the City Council yesterday, a victory for the mayor as his administration prepares for the looming threat of deportations under incoming President Donald Trump.
Jury in Madigan trial hears stipulated testimony from Gov. Pritzker as defense case comes to a close
Jurors in the Michael Madigan corruption case have heard a lot of evidence about a 2018 meeting between the then-powerful House speaker and incoming Gov. JB Pritzker, where the two Democrats allegedly discussed the topic of state boards.
Yesterday, however, the jury learned that if he were called to testify, Pritzker would say he has no recollection of the meeting — or any discussion of Daniel Solis, the alderman-turned-FBI mole, getting a lucrative board seat.
New Chicago school board sworn in as CTU president pushes to reach deal over contentious contract
The new Chicago Board of Education was sworn in yesterday, marking a historic shift in oversight of the country’s fourth-largest school district after decades of mayoral control of the board.
The hybrid board — currently composed of 10 members who won their seats during the city’s first school board elections and 10 members appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson — will have a decisive hand in shaping the future of Chicago Public Schools amid immediate financial challenges at the district and contentious negotiations on a new four-year Chicago Teachers Union contract that has devolved into a prolonged power struggle.
CFD deputy chief driven to firehouse after being found asleep at the wheel: OIG
Several members of the Chicago Fire Department falsified reports and misled investigators after a high-ranking department member was found slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle in 2022, according to a new report from the city’s Office of Inspector General.
Lincoln Park Zoo says harbor seal and Chilean flamingo died of avian flu
Officials at Lincoln Park Zoo confirmed yesterday that a harbor seal and a Chilean flamingo each died of highly pathogenic avian flu earlier this month.
In a statement, zoo officials said the source of exposure to the Chilean flamingo named Teal and a harbor seal named Slater was unknown, though they believe it was the result of contact with infected waterfowl.
With the Polar Dome at Santa’s Village reopening, old memories are warming hearts
Friday’s reopening of the former Polar Dome indoor ice rink at Santa’s Village in East Dundee is being marketed as a “frosty” comeback.
The Polar Dome made its debut in February 1963, four years after Santa’s Village’s opened. It operated seasonally until 2005.
Chicago White Sox come to terms with 16 players — including 6 pitchers — as part of the international signing period
The White Sox announced agreements with players from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Cuba yesterday as part of the international signing period.
Review: ‘One of Them Days’ is a Los Angeles comedy with unexpected poignancy — and Keke Palmer
“One of Them Days” is a pretty good time, made better when its major point of distinction takes the wheel, writes Tribune film critic Michael Phillips.
The driver? Keke Palmer, at 31 a seasoned pro, born and raised in Harvey and Robbins, Illinois, with credits spanning “Barbershop 2” (at age 10), “Akeelah and the Bee,” dozens of TV and cable appearances and, recently on bigger screens, Jordan Peele’s “Nope.” She’s one of many alums of Issa Rae projects collaborating on this feature, including director Lawrence Lamont, first-time screenwriter Syreeta Singleton and R&B star and four-time Grammy winner SZA, taking her first co-lead.
‘Severance’ review: In Season 2, more of the same
Taking the idea of work-life balance to extremes, the sardonic and surrealist thriller “Severance” on Apple TV+ envisions a dystopian corporate world in which employees of a company called Lumon Industries have a chip implanted in their brains that severs their memory in two. At work, their “innie” version has no knowledge of their life or even personal history outside the office; they are simply “at work” all the time. Their “outie” is just as clueless about anything that transpires under the fluorescent lights of their cubicles. They might as well be two different people.
Though “Severance” has a concept that’s equal parts creepy and compelling, boosted by terrific performances and distinctive production design, the core idea is a movie idea, writes Tribune TV and film critic Nina Metz.
5 concerts for Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend in Chicago
Going out to a party or attending a concert isn’t a traditional activity during Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. In recent years, event producers have shifted focus from rowdy events to marking the national holiday as a day of service. However, there are still ways to celebrate the life and legacy of the civil rights activist at night.
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