Here are some of the top stories of the week from Chicago and beyond (Sunday, May 28 through Friday, June 2).
Teen girl accused of slaying Uber driver with machete, knife
Eliza Wasni, 16, from Chicago, was charged with killing an Uber driver in a random attack with a knife and a machete that she stole from a Walmart, according to authorities, report Grace Wong, Susan Berger and Brian L. Cox.
Prosecutors said Grant Nelson, 34, of Wilmette picked the teen up in Skokie early on Tuesday who, minutes into the ride in Lincolnwood, began stabbing Nelson.
Nelson was able to pull over and flee the scene and described his attacker to police but died later at a hospital, authorities said.
A large crowd packed a Skokie chapel on Friday for Nelson’s funeral, where he was remembered as a “kind soul in a cruel world,” reports Susan Berger.
Pritzker sought treasurer job from Blagojevich, 2008 wiretaps show
Current Democratic candidate for governor J.B. Pritzker expressed interest in being appointed Illinois treasurer by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2008, according to recordings of phone calls secretly made by FBI agents, report Todd Lighty, Jeff Coen and David Heinzmann.
The two discussed the Senate seat Blagojevich was dealing — Pritzker wasn’t interested — along with politics, their futures and the financial woes of a bank owned by Pritzker’s sister in the never-before-publicly-revealed conversations.
Pritzker thought the treasurer job would be open, citing news reports that Alexi Giannoulias might get a White House job.
“Ooh, interesting,” Blagojevich said. “Let’s think about that. You interested in that?”
“Yeah,” Pritzker replied, “that’s the one I would want.”
Pritzker responded to the revelations Wednesday night.
“Look, there was nothing inappropriate about my conversation with the governor,” Pritzker said. “It should be unsurprising to people that after 25 years of doing public service in a variety of ways that when an opportunity might have arisen for me to do public service that I would be willing to do that. And that was what the conversation was all about.”
New accuser sues Dennis Hastert over alleged sex abuse
A new accuser filed a lawsuit against former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, alleging he was assaulted by Hastert in a bathroom in 1973 or 1974, reports Marwa Eltagouri.
The accusation comes less than three months before Hastert is scheduled to be released from prison for trying to withdraw money in a way to avoid detection in an effort to pay hush money to another man who accused him of molestation.
In the new lawsuit, the alleged victim also sued Yorkville Community Unit School District 115 and is seeking $50,000 in damages.
Chicago photos in the news
In other Chicago-area news:
DCFS chief resigns: State child welfare director George Sheldon is resigning and returning to Florida to run a nonprofit organization. The move comes as Sheldon is facing an ethics probe and his agency has seen a series of recent child deaths and bad headlines, report David Jackson, Gary Marx and Duaa Eldeib.
Still no budget: The General Assembly ended its spring session without a budget yet again, heading into its second-straight summer overtime session, but lawmakers did approve plans to crack down on gun offenders and advanced a bill to sell the Thompson Center, report Monique Garcia, Kim Geiger and Haley BeMiller.
Cop found dead: A Chicago police officer was found dead in her Northwest Side home Sunday in a possible suicide that came as the FBI was re-examining the September 2015 death of her husband, also a cop, who apparently shot himself in the home after an argument with his wife, according to police, report Jeremy Gorner, Annie Sweeney and Jason Meisner.
Memorial Day weekend violence: Seven people were killed and another 45 wounded in Chicago over the holiday weekend, a drop from last year, report Peter Nickeas and Elvia Malagon. Among the victims was a 20-year-old blind, disabled man killed after being caught in the crossfire at his local park, reports Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas.
Telemarketer shut down: Safety Publications Inc. agreed to stop operating in Illinois after Attorney General Lisa Madigan, in response to a Tribune investigation, accused it of misleading donors to raise millions on behalf of veterans and other charitable causes, reports David Jackson.
Shoreline eroding: Stretches of shoreline along Illinois’ northern lakefront are retreating at unprecedented rates, with the loss of 184 feet of beach in a little more than two years, report Tony Briscoe and Nausheen Husain.
NEIU job cuts: Northeastern Illinois University announced on Tuesday it was eliminating 180 full-time jobs this summer as a result of the state budget stalemate, reports Dawn Rhodes.
img{
padding-left: 38%;
padding-top: 32px;
}
Trump ditches global Paris climate agreement
President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is removing the United States from the global Paris climate agreement, fulfilling his campaign promise but drawing rebukes from world leaders, environmentalists and corporate leaders.
Trump said the agreement, negotiated under President Barack Obama in 2015, was unfair to U.S. workers and put the country at a competitive disadvantage with China, India and other growing powers.
The U.S. joins only Syria and Nicaragua in opposing the global accord.
“I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,” Trump said. (It’s worth noting that Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto did not agree with Trump’s decision.)
European leaders made clear they are committed to fighting climate change and said the agreement cannot be renegotiated, as Trump suggested.
“Wherever we live, whoever we are, we all share the same responsibility: Make our planet great again,” said France President Emmanuel Macron.
The Democratic governors of California, New York and Washington formed the U.S. Climate Alliance to uphold the Paris deal, and other states were considering joining.
Trump relied on dubious facts and unbalanced claims to make his argument, according to a fact check done by the Washington Post.
In other nation and world news:
Afghanistan attack: A massive truck bomb killed at least 90 people and wounded 400 in Kabul’s heavily guarded diplomatic quarter Wednesday.
Attacks in Iraq: Islamic State set off a bomb outside an ice cream shop in central Baghdad and a car bomb during rush hour in downtown, killing more than 30 people on Tuesday.
8 slain in Mississippi: Police say a man argued with his estranged wife and her family over his children, then went on a house-to-house shooting spree that left eight people dead.
Officer who killed Tamir Rice fired: Timothy Loehmann, the officer who in 2014 shot and killed a 12-year-old boy holding a pellet gun, was fired by Cleveland police on Tuesday for inaccuracies on his job application.
img{
padding-left: 38%;
padding-top: 32px;
}
One more year for the Hawk
White Sox broadcaster Ken “Hawk” Harrelson will call his final 20 games as a play-by-play man for the team next year, capping a 34-year career with the club, reports Colleen Kane.
Harrelson will work a schedule of mostly Sunday home games and will stay on with the team as an ambassador during the 2019 season.
“This has been the greatest ride of my life, and it has been a lot of fun with these fans,” Harrelson, 75, said. “I’ll never forget anything that has to do with this, nothing. I’ll remember it forever.”
Jason Benetti will take over as the primary play-by-play alongside Steve Stone in 2019 as part of a multiyear deal, the team announced.
In other sports news:
Tiger Woods arrested: The golfer was found asleep behind the wheel of a car stopped on a road in Jupiter, Fla., early Monday, according to police. Woods passed a breath test and later issued a statement saying he had an “unexpected reaction” to medication. Police released dashcam video of the arrest on Wednesday.
French Open player banned: Maxime Hamou tried to forcibly kiss a female reporter after losing in the first round of the French Open on Monday. On Tuesday, tournament organizers banned him from the premises for the rest of the event. The reporter, Maly Thomas, said the transgression was “frankly unpleasant” and “If I hadn’t been live on air, I would have punched him.”
Sale returns home: Former White Sox ace Chris Sale got a standing ovation when he returned to Chicago as a member of the Red Sox, but an anticipated pitching duel with Jose Quintana ended up in a slugfest, with Boston winning 13-7, writes Colleen Kane.
Cubs swept out west: Joe Maddon’s bunch wore their wacky “Anchorman”-themed suits for a trip out West, but there was nothing funny about their performance against the Dodgers and Padres. The team went 0-6 to fall to two games under .500 for the first time since 2014 as they head home for a weekend series starting Friday with the Cardinals, writes Mark Gonzalez.
img{
padding-left: 38%;
padding-top: 32px;
}
Legislators send minium wage hike to Rauner’s desk
Illinois legislators passed a bill that would gradually raise Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next five years. The measure goes to Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has called it extreme, report Lauren Zumbach, Greg Trotter and Gail MarksJarvis.
The move raised hopes for low-wage workers and supporters who have long been pushing for a wage hike. But some business owners fear shrinking profit margins and say the hike would force higher prices on consumers.
Rauner said he was open to a compromise but that the current bill “would be crushing for our small businesses and crushing for job creation, and extreme.”
The bill gives businesses plenty of time to adjust to a higher minimum wage that is long overdue and Rauner should sign the bill, argues Tribune columnist Robert Reed.
In other business news:
Rosebud settles race suit: Chicago-based Rosebud Restaurants will pay $1.9 million and start a program to hire African-Americans to settle a lawsuit that accused the chain of discrimination, reports Corilyn Shropshire.
State Street project: A row of long-vacant buildings on the shopping corridor will be turned into over 400 apartments and retail space as part of a $141 million development, reports Ryan Ori.
Downgraded: Illinios’ bond rating was downgraded near junk status by Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings, the lowest ranking on record for a U.S. state, due to the ongoing budget impasse, reports Bloomberg.
Sculpture wars: An artist upset about the “Fearless Girl” sculpture that was placed in front the “Charging Bull” sculpture in New York decided to make his own artistic statement, creating a small sculpture of a urinating dog that he placed next to the statue of the girl.
Busted deadline: The sale of the Chicago Sun-Times to Tronc, parent company of the Chicago Tribune, is on hold until at least Monday to give other potential buyers more time to make a bid, reports Robert Channick.
img{
padding-left: 38%;
padding-top: 32px;
}
‘Pamplona’ premiere delayed when star falls ill
The world premiere of “Pamplona,” a one-character play about Ernest Hemingway, was halted on Tuesday night when star Stacy Keach appeared to fall ill onstage, reports Chris Jones.
The actor appeared confused at times and struggled to deliver his monologue before a stage manager cited technical difficulties and ended the show.
Goodman artistic director Robert Falls told the audience that Keach, 75, had been “ill all day,” but wanted to go ahead with the performance and that the theater had supported him in his decision.
Shows through Friday night were canceled as Keach was being medically evaluated, officials said.
In other entertainment, lifestyles and dining news:
Lollapalooza aftershows: Spoon at Metro and Tegan and Sara at Park West are among the 57 aftershows announced by Lollapalooza, reports Greg Kot.
“I went too far”: Comedian Kathy Griffin apologized Tuesday after a day of internet outrage set off when she posed for a picture holding a bloody, decapitated Donald Trump head. CNN on Wednesday fired Griffin from her longtime New Year’s Eve co-host gig with Anderson Cooper. Griffin held a news conference on Friday, where she maintained that she was wrong, but says that Trump is trying to ruin her career.
Wonderful response: A man upset about a women-only screening of “Wonder Woman” decided to email Austin, Texas, Mayor Steve Adler with his grievance. What followed was a savage, epic clap-back, writes Heidi Stevens. (Read Michael Phillips’ review of the movie.)
img{
padding-left: 38%;
padding-top: 32px;
}
Notable deaths
Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, award-winning sports writer Frank Deford. Also from late last week: Southern rock legend Gregg Allman, Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser for Jimmy Carter and former U.S. Sen. and Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning.
