? Below: The Chicago police are rarely executing search warrants to collect guns owned by suspects in domestic violence cases, despite a provision in a state law aimed at protecting survivors.
?️ Plus: The finalists for our city's next top cop, a $10 billion pitch for the old Michael Reese hospital site and more news you need to know below.
? Keeping score: The Blackhawks beat the Sabres, 3-2, ending a six-game skid.
?️ Today's weather: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers and a high near 41.
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⏱️: An 8-minute read
Watchdogs report: Under Karina’s Law, domestic violence victims in Illinois can get a search warrant for the police to go after their abusers' firearms. But Chicago police have served just three of the 91 warrants issued since the law took effect last year, the Sun-Times found.
In practice: Benna Crawford, managing director of Legal Aid Chicago, said that, since May, Chicago police have failed to execute any of the warrants issued in cases brought by more than 30 clients of her company. In almost every case, police officials returned to court and asked a judge to negate a warrant, Crawford said.
At issue: A police spokesperson says it's a safety issue for the police. But advocates for domestic violence victims say the department is flouting the law and placing survivors at risk.
Key context: The law was named in honor of Karina Gonzalez, who was fatally shot in July 2023, just weeks after she told police she had been threatened by her husband, Jose Alvarez. Her 15-year-old daughter, Daniela, was also killed. Gonzalez had been granted a protective order that barred Alvarez from possessing a gun, but his weapon was never taken away.
Insider track: Three high-ranking Chicago police officials were picked as finalists to replace former Supt. Larry Snelling. The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability voted Thursday to send the names to Mayor Brandon Johnson, starting a 30-day clock for him to make a selection or reject all three and request a new search.
The finalists: First Deputy Supt. Antoinette Ursitti, Chief of Community Policing Angel Novalez and Counterterrorism Chief Christopher Papaioannou were the choices from the commission's nationwide search. The city paid national search firm Ralph Andersen & Associates $200,000 to assist the commission. Ursitti would be the first woman to ever lead the department.
Key context: Johnson must select Snelling's successor while facing a reelection. A handful of alderpersons tried and failed to postpone the search for a new police superintendent until after the mayoral election, fearing political uncertainty would discourage the most qualified candidates from Chicago and beyond from applying.
About that reelection: On Thursday, more than half of the candidates vying to become the next mayor met for a forum at Temple Sholom in Lake View, sparring over crime, schools and Mayor Johnson's record. Here’s how that went.
The damage: Several local mechanics who spoke with the Sun-Times say that rats are finding their way into vehicles, nesting under hoods, chewing through wiring and foam — and even getting fried by engines. One driver even found a rotting rat at the bottom of her windshield wiper fluid reservoir, a mechanic said. Minor repairs can cost $500-1,000, while more significant repairs can cost as much as $6,000.
Slight uptick: One mechanic said he has seen an increase in the last three to five years, thanks in part to some components in newer vehicles being soy-based, which apparently is attractive to rats.
What you can do: Peppermint spray, mothballs and repellent bags are among the potential solutions mechanics suggested to route the rodents elsewhere.
Today's clue: 2D: Maggie ___ Skating Ribbon (winter attraction that re-opens this weekend)
The creation of Andrew Bird's 2005 album "The Mysterious Production of Eggs" developed over an arduous, yearslong journey with stops and starts that came during a time of "immense change and personal challenge," the Illinois-born musician told the Sun-Times.
In the beginning, Bird abandoned city life and built a studio in an 1890s barn his family owned in the northern Illinois village of Elizabeth. As he tinkered away at the lush jazz-folk-pop album, his audience was farm chickens, raccoons and a peacock.
Back then, the classically trained violinist lived in Uptown, taking gigs at the Green Mill and Hideout and teaching classes at the Old Town School of Folk Music. But Bird wasn't feeling totally fulfilled and desired to retool his career. Doing so took a process of "trying to rewire my brain," he said.
Eventually finished in L.A., "Eggs" became a hallmark of early millennium indie folk and set a precedent for Bird’s 17 whimsical albums and wide-leaping, award-winning compositional work that followed.
To mark the 20th anniversary of "Eggs," Bird reworked the songs into full orchestral arrangements and will perform the album in full symphonies nationwide. He's in Chicago on Friday and Saturday to perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a kind of full-circle moment for the 53-year-old.
"I was in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, and I studied with Blair Milton, who was in the orchestra and at Northwestern [Bird's alma mater]. So, this is kind of a big deal for me," he said.
Ten candidates who hope to become the next mayor of Chicago attend a forum on stage Thursday at Temple Sholom of Chicago in Lake View.
Anastasia Busby/For the Sun-Times
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Editor: Michael Lansu
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