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Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot fired police Superintendent Eddie Johnson effective immediately for intentionally misleading her and the public about his conduct when he was found asleep in his running vehicle at a stop sign after a late weeknight out in October. The stunning announcement came just weeks after Lightfoot held what she referred as “a celebratory press conference” to announce Johnson’s retirement.
Sources told the Tribune that the city inspector general’s office obtained video footage showing Johnson drinking for a few hours on the evening of Oct. 16 with a woman who was not his wife at the Ceres Cafe. Later that night, when officers responded to a 911 call near Johnson’s Bridgeport home, Johnson rolled down the window on his police vehicle partway, flashed his superintendent’s badge and drove off, sources said.
Lightfoot’s bold decision to fire Eddie Johnson for lying represents two accomplishments in one, writes the Tribune Editorial Board.
Nearly 20,000 people with disabilities in Illinois are on a waiting list for adult programs. Many come from families who don’t have a way to pay for them. Most wait an average of seven years before they are selected, despite a court order in 2011 that Illinois shrink the list and do other things to improve how it serves developmentally disabled adults.
For a generation of Chicagoans, their opinion of what happened in 1969 when Chicago police raided the West Side apartment of Black Panther Party members depended greatly on what neighborhood they called home. For the public at large, it was as police officials described: a dramatic gunfight launched against police by violent black nationalists that left two dead and four wounded. But for others, the Dec. 4 raid was a cold-blooded execution of Black Panthers leaders Fred Hampton and Mark Clark.
Now, the Tribune’s Will Lee is taking a look back at Hampton’s death, the impact it had on the city and how it laid the political groundwork for modern movements.
How to avoid an awkward Christmas morning when giving weed-themed gifts
With recreational marijuana sales set to start Jan. 1, Chicago-area smoke shops and CBD retailers say those who once worried about the optics of giving marijuana-themed gifts are starting to feel emboldened. Since proper etiquette around weed-themed gifts hasn’t fully been established, venturing into the new territory could make Christmas morning awkward. Some experts are advising gift-givers to tread cautiously.
One month to go until recreational weed becomes legal in Illinois. Here’s what you need to know.
Cubs cut ties with Addison Russell. Theo Epstein says it’s simply a baseball decision.
Addison Russell, one of the final players added to the Cubs’ rebuilding program that resulted in a 2016 World Series title, was not tendered a contract in the first major roster move of the team’s offseason. The move comes as little surprise, since the decline of his offensive production coincided with his 40-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic-violence policy.
Don’t worry, Chicago, that Canada Goose jacket shouldn’t ruin your chance at finding love
The Daily Beast published an article Monday asking the question, “Is That Canada Goose Jacket Keeping You Single?” For many of the story’s subjects, the jacket seemed to be a turnoff. But a dating expert says she doesn’t think owning a Canada Goose coat should be a legitimate concern for Chicago singles.
If there was commonality among the best books of the year, it could be found in the ebb and flow of institutional erosion followed by fresh voices. Memory, and how it can mislead and sustain us, became the subject of the year. Here are Tribune writer Christopher Borrelli’s top picks for 2019.
Is music more of your thing? The Tribune’s Greg Kot spent quality time with a few hundred albums released this year. Here are his 10 favorite.
Why Pete Davidson may not actually be able to claim $1 million for NDA breaches
The news that comedian Pete Davidson is demanding that fans sign a $1 million non-disclosure agreement to attend his comedy shows — including his Nov. 30 show at Chicago’s Vic Theatre — has received widespread ridicule and attention. But even if attendees violate the rules of the agreement, the “Saturday Night Live” star might not legally be able to prove that they owe him such a large sum of amount. Here’s why.
