Chicago
- UChicago Blocks Seniors From Graduating Over Pro-Palestine Protestsblockclubchicago.org UChicago Blocks Seniors From Graduating Over Pro-Palestine Protests
Four seniors will not receive their diplomas until complaints of "disruptive conduct" are resolved, but officials won’t say what violations the students committed. Commencement is Saturday.
- CTA Boss Fiercely Defends Tenure In Front Of City Council: 'I Have Been Turned Into A Caricature'blockclubchicago.org CTA Boss Fiercely Defends Tenure In Front Of City Council: 'I Have Been Turned Into A Caricature'
CTA President Dorval Carter pushed back Thursday against what he called "personal" threats against him in his first City Council appearance since 29 alderpeople signed onto a measure calling for his ouster.
- Good "just-in-case" lawyer if things go wrong at a protest?
"Many people are saying" that you should memorize or note down a lawyer's phone number if you attend a protest and think things might go wrong. I feel like this could maybe happen at the Chicago DNC this year.
Do you have any recommendations for lawyers or groups in the Chicago area that would be good at this sort of thing and who would take a cold call?
I can afford it so I probably wouldn't qualify for legal aid. But I'm not really sure how it works. I'd also be interested in legal aid groups in case other want advice.
- This Week In Photos: Migrant Children Struggle In Schools, ShotSpotter Drama Continues, And Moreblockclubchicago.org This Week In Photos: Migrant Children Struggle In Schools, ShotSpotter Drama Continues, And More
PHOTOS: Take a peek at life in the city through the eyes and lenses of the Block Club Chicago staff.
- CPD ShotSpotter “Lives Saved” List Includes at Least One Dead Man, Other Misleading Winswww.peoplesfabric.com CPD ShotSpotter “Lives Saved” List Includes at Least One Dead Man, Other Misleading Wins — People's Fabric
Records show the Chicago Police Department has misrepresented the extent of the technology’s role in providing aid to gunshot victims.
- Lost In Translation: Migrant Kids Struggle In Segregated Chicago Schoolsblockclubchicago.org Lost In Translation: Migrant Kids Struggle In Segregated Chicago Schools
Two years after busloads of migrant children began arriving in Chicago, many have landed in schools where most don’t speak Spanish. Custodians and kindergarten teachers are taking on the role of translator, but students are still falling behind.
- UChicago Pro-Palestine Demonstrators Take Over Campus Building, Drawing Police Responseblockclubchicago.org UChicago Pro-Palestine Demonstrators Take Over Campus Building, Drawing Police Response
The group took over the Institute of Politics building on Woodlawn Avenue and set up a small encampment outside. A days-long encampment on the university quad was cleared out earlier this month after administrators said it was disruptive.
- CPD Stats on ShotSpotter Full of Holes, Experts Saysouthsideweekly.com CPD Stats on ShotSpotter Full of Holes, Experts Say
A report the police department provided to City Council about ShotSpotter alerts and 911 calls failed to include key information, according to data scientists.
- DePaul University warns of possible "escalated confrontations" at pro-Palestinian encampmentwww.cbsnews.com DePaul University warns of possible "escalated confrontations" at pro-Palestinian encampment
The encampment, termed the DePaul Liberation Zone, began on Tuesday of last week.
- Report from May Day in Chicagoitsgoingdown.org Report from May Day in Chicago
Report on May Day march and action in so-called Chicago, IL. Originally posted to Chicago Anti-Report. On May 1, 2024, a group of rabble rousers and freaks took part in an anarchist May Day parade that stormed through the Fulton Market neighborhood of Chicago. Before leaving Union Park, people dance...
- Former CPD Deputy Chief on the ShotSpotter Sales Team Shilling Lies About The Faulty Techjinxpress.org Former CPD Deputy Chief on the ShotSpotter Sales Team Shilling Lies About The Faulty Tech | Jinx Press
Kevin Johnson, like other former police officers on the customer success team, is entitled to a police pension in addition to any salary he collects from SoundThinking.
- Cop Who Fired 50 Times at Dexter Reed Among Youngest Tactical Officers in the Citywww.peoplesfabric.com Cop Who Fired 50 Times at Dexter Reed Among Youngest Tactical Officers in the City — People's Fabric
23 year-old Thomas Spanos is just one of two tactical officers citywide from his class—and neither meet the official requirements for the job.
- Traffic into O'Hare airport resumes after pro-Palestinian protest blocks roadwayabc7chicago.com Traffic into O'Hare airport resumes after pro-Palestinian protest blocks roadway
Protesters blocked the roadway entering into Terminal 1 at O'Hare airport Monday morning.
- Scientology Church Opens In South Loop, Raising Concerns Of Columbia College Students Living Next Doorblockclubchicago.org Scientology Church Opens In South Loop, Raising Concerns Of Columbia College Students Living Next Door
The controversial church held a grand opening Sunday of its public information center, which students said caused major disruptions.
- More Ethics Failures in Court Clerk Iris Martinez’s Officewww.peoplesfabric.com More Ethics Failures in Court Clerk Iris Martinez’s Office — People's Fabric
Top advisors in the Court Clerk’s office failed to disclose outside income and lobbyist relationships.
- “No, it’s just fireworks!” Chicago cop opens fire on child with fireworks after ShotSpotter gunshot alertjinxpress.org “No, it’s just fireworks!” Chicago cop opens fire on child with fireworks after ShotSpotter gunshot alert | Jinx Press
Body-worn camera footage of the January 25 incident in Gresham was released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability today.
- Metra project underway to increase speeds on Electric Districtwww.trains.com Metra project underway to increase speeds on Electric District - Trains
CHICAGO — Jim Derwinski hates the phrase “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” At a Wednesday presentation for Northwestern University’s Sandhouse Rail Group, Derwinski, Metra’s CEO/Executive Director, illustrated why that’s the case, and the potential that comes from putting that approach in the ...
- Chicago sues five giant oil companies, accusing them of climate change destruction, fraudchicago.suntimes.com Chicago sues five giant oil companies, accusing them of climate change destruction, fraud
The suit says BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Shell have hurt the city by discrediting science even as their products lead to “catastrophic consequences,” including strong storms, flooding, severe heat and shoreline erosion.
- Chicago scraps gunshot detection system accused of racial biaswww.theguardian.com Chicago scraps gunshot detection system accused of racial bias
Community groups say ShotSpotter system sends police to Black and Latino neighborhoods for unnecessary and hostile encounters
- It’s spring in the Midwest. The only problem? It’s midwinterwww.cnn.com It’s spring in the Midwest. The only problem? It’s midwinter | CNN
Winter has gone missing across the Midwest and Great Lakes, and time is running out to find it. Dozens of cities are on track for one of the warmest winters on record, making snow and ice rare commodities.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/11868967 Definitely feeling it here. It was warm enough to comfortably go ride my motorcycle on Friday.
> Winter has gone missing across the Midwest and Great Lakes, and time is running out to find it. Dozens of cities are on track for one of the warmest winters on record, making snow and ice rare commodities. > > Several cities are missing feet of snow compared to a typical winter, ice on the Great Lakes is near record-low levels and the springlike temperatures have even spawned rare wintertime severe thunderstorms. > > A classic El Niño pattern coupled with the effects of a warming climate are to blame for this “non-winter” winter, said Pete Boulay, a climatologist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. > > Winter has become the fastest-warming season for nearly 75% of the US and snowfall is declining around the globe as temperatures rise because of human-caused climate change.
- Breaking Borders: Report on Anarchist Organizing in Solidarity with Migrants in Chicagoitsgoingdown.org Breaking Borders: Report on Anarchist Organizing in Solidarity with Migrants in Chicago
A critical report, reflection, and analysis on anarchist organizing in Chicago, IL in solidarity with migrants, largely from Venezuela. A deepening economic crisis resulting from U.S. sanctions, colonial extractivism, and inter-imperial disputes has been fueling forced migration north from Venezuela...
- ‘Chicago rat hole’ mysteriously filled in, then restored by neighbors — ‘Chicago takes care of its own’chicago.suntimes.com ‘Chicago rat hole’ mysteriously filled in, then restored by neighbors — ‘Chicago takes care of its own’
Reports that the viral landmark had been filled with a plasterlike substance circulated on social media Friday morning, as well as stories of those working to return the creature’s imprint to its original glory.
‘Chicago rat hole’ mysteriously filled in, then restored by neighbors — ‘Chicago takes care of its own’
Reports that the viral landmark had been filled with a plasterlike substance circulated on social media Friday morning, as well as stories of those working to return the creature’s imprint to its original glory. By Violet Miller
A woman who didn’t want to be identified due to possible “ratribution” removes debris from the iconic Chicago rat hole in Roscoe Village Friday.
About a week after going viral, the Chicago “rat hole” brought Chicagoans together once again, this time to restore it.
Reports that the longtime neighborhood fixture and landmark in the 1900 block of West Roscoe Street had been filled, perhaps with a plasterlike substance, circulated on social media Friday morning, followed by stories of those working to bring the creature’s imprint back to its original glory.
Residents of the building next to the rat hole — who asked not to be identified for fear of “ratribution” from those who filled the hole — worked Friday afternoon to scrub away at what was left after some dedicated fans had scraped out most of what had briefly filled the hole.
Since the viral post that started the rat hole obsession, residents of the building have become the unofficial “keepers” of “Lil Stucky” — the neighborhood name for the creature who once laid in the cement — sifting through any potentially dangerous tributes left and clearing the sidewalk of ice and snow.
The guardians of the hole were not sure who was behind the filling-in. They said they had shoveled about 9 a.m. Friday and didn’t notice the imprint had been filled in under a layer of ice. Another neighbor — whose Ring doorbell camera wasn’t recording overnight — said they had seen people taking pictures with it around 1 a.m.
Coins left in the hole were strewn about the sidewalk, though the shrine left to the side of the sidewalk seemed untouched. A clue might have been left behind by the culprits: a gray lid that could have been from the vessel holding the substance used to fill in the hole.
“Everyone has seemed really good-natured, but you always worry something bad could happen,” they said. A woman who didn’t want to be identified due to possible “ratribution” cleans the iconic Chicago Rat Hole of a plaster type substance in the 1900 block of W. Roscoe St. in the Roscoe Village neighborhood, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.
A woman who didn’t want to be identified due to possible “ratribution” cleans out the beloved rat hole Friday.
Jeff VanDam, an 11-year resident of the neighborhood, strolled a few houses down with a flathead screwdriver and hammer Friday afternoon to join in restoration efforts.
He said his 6- and 10-year-old daughters love the rat hole — though they know it’s a squirrel — and he “had to” set out to ensure it was preserved.
While most people have enjoyed the fuss over the landmark, he said he had heard some “annoyance” expressed by neighbors on the block, but that was mostly after someone installed a giant cross.
“I’ve heard mixed things,” VanDam said. “Overall, people just appreciate that our wonderful block is getting attention — even if it’s to look at a rat hole.”
The former New Yorker said the rat hole was a better representation of Chicago than other, more well-known landmarks, such as the Bean.
“I think Chicago isn’t the Bean, but is things like the rat hole,” VanDam said. “It’s a small, quirky feature of a neighborhood where we get used to it, we care about it, and we want to protect it. That’s what happened today.” Some of the offerings left out for Chicago’s iconic Rat Hole in the 1900 block of W. Roscoe St. in the Roscoe Village neighborhood, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. Included was Hot Topic Cash, a recreation of an official dedication plaque, flowers and toys.
Some of the offerings left outside Chicago’s rat hole include Hot Topic Cash, a recreation of an official dedication plaque, flowers and toys.
Three friends who came to leave a tribute to Lil Stucky — a bottle of Jeppson’s Malört — agreed.
Mo Flanagan, Olivia Grover and Perry Sadler met up to visit the landmark now that Chicago’s temperatures have become more tolerable after the deep freeze earlier this week.
Flanagan, who lives in the Avondale neighborhood, said it’s things like the rat hole that set Chicago apart from other big cities like New York, and likened it to the Cubs’ superstition around goats.
“Chicago’s a big city, but it has a lot of small-town gossip like this,” Flanagan said. Friends Olivia Grover, left, Mo Flanagan, center, and Perry Sadler take swigs of Malört next to Chicago’s iconic Rat Hole in the 1900 block of W. Roscoe St. in the Roscoe Village neighborhood, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. Earlier the Rat Hole was filled in with a plaster type substance but was cleaned out by neighbors.
Friends Olivia Grover (from left), Mo Flanagan and Perry Sadler take swigs of Malört Friday next to Chicago’s rate hole.
Sadler, a Wrigleyville resident, said he figured someone would interfere with the rat hole, and the trio discussed who it could be. Sadler put his bet on an angry neighbor.
Regardless of the culprit, the three agreed seeing people come together only “added to the lore” of the rat hole and showed unity among the city’s residents.
“I think it really speaks to the community aspect of this city,” said Grover, who lives in Ravenswood. “The Midwest is a caring place.”
“Chicago takes care of its own,” Flanagan said.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_rat_hole
- Chicago banned unannounced migrant drop-offs. Now this Texas charter bus company is suing over the restrictionswww.cnn.com Chicago banned unannounced migrant drop-offs. Now this Texas charter bus company is suing over the restrictions | CNN
The charter bus company hired by the state of Texas to transport migrants to Chicago is trying to flip the script on the border crisis in a federal lawsuit against the city. Wynne Transportation is fighting new restrictions in Chicago against buses dropping off one-way passengers without prior notic...
- Dead Teslas pack Chicago area Supercharger station due to frigid tempsyt.artemislena.eu Dead Teslas pack Chicago area Supercharger station due to frigid temps
A lot of EV owners were stuck in a parking lot due to charging woes. Subscribe to FOX 32 Chicago: https://www.youtube.com/fox32chicago?sub_confirmation=1 Watch FOX 32 Chicago Live: https://www.fox32chicago.com/live FOX 32 Chicago delivers breaking news, live events, investigations, politics, ente...
- Chicago has a new tourist destination: The ‘Rat Hole’www.washingtonpost.com Chicago has a new tourist destination: The ‘Rat Hole’
A little known attraction called the “Chicago Rat Hole” went viral after an artist posted on social media a photo of the rodent-shaped sidewalk imprint.
- CTA fails us again
Are we supposed to slip onto the tracks and just grab onto the train? Is it safe for us to ride to work clutching the windshield wipers? How much does salt cost? What’s Dorval Carter’s salary again? Will dignity ever return to the CTA? Should we use one of the hollowed-out insane screaming passengers as a sled? Who has salt? When does accountability happen?
- Chicago uses warming buses for migrants for winter stormwww.cbsnews.com Chicago uses warming buses for migrants for winter storm
They are warming buses for asylum seekers to stay while they wait for a temporary housing solution. The number of buses parked has increased in the past few days.
- Yellow Line Service to Resumewww.transitchicago.com Yellow Line Service to Resume
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today announced that following comprehensive analysis and testing, the Yellow Line will resume operations at the start of scheduled service on Friday, January 5, at approx. 4:45 a.m.
- Metra to close remaining ticket windowswww.trains.com Metra to close remaining ticket windows - Trains
CHICAGO —Metra will close its remaining ticket windows in conjunction with the upcoming revision of its fare structure, the commuter operator has announced. Ticket windows at outlying stations on the BNSF line will close next Monday, Jan. 8; all other ticket windows, including at downtown stations,...
- Bicycles Still Not 'Intended' On Roads, Illinois Supreme Court Findspatch.com Bicycles Still Not 'Intended' On Roads, Illinois Supreme Court Finds
The state's highest court reversed a ruling that found Chicago clearly intended people to ride bicycles near Divvy bike rental stations.
- Kam Buckner: South Shore and MED runs stop at the same stations, so why don't we let South Shore trains pick up MED riders?chi.streetsblog.org Kam Buckner: South Shore and MED runs stop at the same stations, so why don't we let South Shore trains pick up MED riders? - Streetsblog Chicago
Well hopefully Buckner and other cool heads at the railroads and local transportations agencies will prevail to find a solution.
- Amtrak reinstates monthly pass for Hiawathawww.trains.com Amtrak reinstates monthly pass for Hiawatha - Trains
MILWAUKEE — Amtrak is reinstating monthly passes on the Milwaukee-Chicago Hiawatha service as of January. The monthly pass option had been eliminated when variable pricing was introduced on the route in November, as part of Amtrak’s nationwide move to a two-tiered pricing system [see “Variable pric...
- Report Back from Noise Demo at Home of Manager of Bank Funding Israeli Arms Supplieritsgoingdown.org Report Back from Noise Demo at Home of Manager of Bank Funding Israeli Arms Supplier
Report back on recent noise demo in solidarity with struggle to end war in occupied Palestine. This report back consists of three elements. First, a description of the action, and the reasons it was taken. Second, a description of how this action was made to happen, to inspire comrades across the co...
- Chicago dad who told his ex ‘If I can’t have them neither can you’ pleads guilty to killing 3 kidswww.nbcnews.com Chicago dad who told his ex ‘If I can’t have them neither can you’ pleads guilty to killing 3 kids
Jason Karels will be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. The children he killed were 5, 3, and 2 years old.
- They can't drive 55: After NTSB preliminary report on the 11/16 Yellow Line crash comes out, CTA says it will lower train speed limit from 55 to 35chi.streetsblog.org They can't drive 55: After NTSB preliminary report on the 11/16 Yellow Line crash comes out, CTA says it will lower train speed limit from 55 to 35 - Streetsblog Chicago
But yesterday there was a light in the tunnel (although the line doesn't operate as a subway) for restoring service, with new statements from NTSB and CTA.
- Amtrak Hiawatha line forgoes monthly pass leaving riders with minimal options, doubling ride fareswww.tmj4.com Amtrak Hiawatha line forgoes monthly pass leaving riders with minimal options, doubling ride fares
For years, Amtrak has offered a monthly pass for riders, now they're moving to a 10-ride pass only. This change more than doubles the cost for commuters who go to and from Chicago daily.
- Why Does the Chicago Police Department Tolerate Abusive Racists in Its Ranks?theintercept.com Why Does the Chicago Police Department Tolerate Abusive Racists in Its Ranks?
Officer Raymond Piwnicki has 99 civilian complaints on his record, many of them involving racist invective and violence.