Good morning, Chicago.
As Gary Ellis lay dying in August 2023, no one at the facility caring for him called his son.
Instead, staffers called Ellis’ court-appointed state guardian, who had recently taken charge of all decisions related to the 69-year-old man’s care. Not until it was too late did Gary Brown learn his father had been at death’s door, Brown told the Tribune.
“When I went there the nurse was like, ‘We’ve been trying to call someone all night but nobody answered the phone,’” Brown said. “All I got was ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘I’m sorry’ didn’t do nothing to help me or my dad.”
The scenario was exactly what Brown feared when he learned, to his surprise, that Northwestern Memorial Hospital had moved to appoint a guardian for his father. The family said Northwestern had been treating the retired CTA bus driver for months, except for a brief stint at a rehabilitation facility, after he suffered a fall in April 2023.
Putting someone under guardianship has profound consequences, often stripping the individual of the right to make personal, medical and financial decisions for the rest of their lives. Courts, government officials and advocates for adults with disabilities say it should be an option of last resort, used only when people cannot make their own decisions and no less restrictive solution is available.
Yet Chicago-area hospitals recently initiated hundreds of guardianship petitions in just 18 months, a Tribune investigation has found, sometimes to the dismay of family members or friends who did not want people they loved to be placed under someone else’s control.
Read the full investigation from the Tribune’s Emily Hoerner, Christy Gutowski and Lisa Schencker.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including what Chicago activists shared with community organizers in other cities for resisting Border Patrol, the latest after a 14-year-old was killed in a downtown shooting during a “teen takeover” and when Siskel met Ebert.
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‘Fracture’ in Chicago’s labor world complicates Mayor Brandon Johnson’s third budget fight
As Mayor Brandon Johnson has shaken hands in church pews and given booming speeches in school auditoriums while selling his 2026 budget plan directly to Chicagoans, one color has been notably muted among his supporters: purple. That’s the signature hue of the Service Employees International Union, whose local affiliates were Johnson’s second-biggest labor backer in his 2023 election.
Instead, the self-styled “most pro-worker mayor” in Chicago’s history has only seen one union vociferously cheer his $16.6 billion proposal, despite his hard line against layoffs: the red-shirted Chicago Teachers Union. It’s a sign of the times after a “fissure” between the once-close SEIU and CTU has grown into a full-blown “fracture,” said Ald. Desmon Yancy, a freshman progressive who previously served in SEIU leadership.
Chicago activists share blueprint for resisting Border Patrol: ‘Chicago clearly is front and center’
As President Donald Trump’s ramped-up Border Patrol action hits city after city, Chicago’s immigration-focused community organizers are following. They aim to pass on what they learned to foster pushback in Operation Midway Blitz.
- Her dad was taken by immigration agents. Now a 12-year-old girl fears she’s lost her only living parent.
- Illinois National Guard housed at state site as questions about Trump deployment costs grow
14-year-old killed in downtown shooting during Friday ‘teen takeover’ identified, his death ruled a homicide
A 14-year-old boy who was killed in downtown Chicago during one of two Friday night shootings that also injured eight others has been identified, and his death ruled a homicide.
Armani Floyd died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital at 10:59 p.m. Friday.
Imprisoned ex-Speaker Michael Madigan formally disbarred after nearly 60 years as a lawyer
Nearly 60 years after earning his law degree, imprisoned former House Speaker Michael Madigan was formally disbarred this week in a one-paragraph notice buried in a monthly list of attorney discipline from around the state.
International student enrollment declines at nearly two dozen Illinois universities
A Tribune analysis of 27 of the state’s largest universities found that foreign enrollment dipped at all but four institutions, including the University of Chicago and a handful of liberal arts colleges.
Former Chicago Bulls player Zach LaVine sells Chicago condo for $6.4M
Former Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, who played for the team for parts of eight seasons, took a loss on his three-bedroom, 4,500-square-foot condominium on the 28th floor of the building at 9 W. Walton St., selling it for $6.4 million.
Unlikely heroes keep arising for 1st-place Chicago Bears: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Week 12 win
A Bears defense missing five starters Sunday at Soldier Field was too good for a Pittsburgh Steelers team missing future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In a season in which unlikely heroes are arising on an almost weekly basis, it was some of the most recently promoted who delivered big plays in a 31-28 victory.
- Week 12 recap: Bears hang on for their 8th win in 9 games, beating Steelers 31-28
- Backup LBs D’Marco Jackson and Amen Ogbongbemiga help Bears defense keep rolling with the punches
IHSA state football playoffs: Complete championship pairings from Class 8A to 1A
The finals of the IHSA state football playoffs are set. The original field of 256 teams across eight classes is down to 16 after Saturday’s action.
Championship games will be held Thanksgiving weekend at Hancock Stadium in Normal, with Classes 1A-4A on Friday and Classes 5A-8A on Saturday.
Trinity Jones breaks Candace Parker’s single-game scoring record as Naperville Central stuns Kenwood
Just minutes after celebrating Naperville Central’s most memorable win in recent history, senior guard Trinity Jones got some unexpected news.
When Siskel met Ebert: Competing critics made TV history with show about the movies
People who turned to the television listings in the Nov. 26, 1975, edition of the Tribune bore witness to history being made. Among the evening programs, competing with the second half-hour of “Tony Orlando and Dawn” and a repeat of “Ironside,” appeared a new show airing on WTTW, Chicago’s public television station.
Those who went a step further and turned the dial at 7:30 p.m. to Channel 11 caught the opening of this new show with a long title, “Opening Soon … At a Theater Near You.” Billy Joel’s “Root Beer Rag” played under a series of stills from Hollywood classics, including “The Jazz Singer” and “Ben-Hur.”
