Chicago murders continue to skyrocket as police brass admit 'it's just been a really challenging year'

A 41-year-old man was shot and killed early Friday morning in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, marking the city's first homicide of 2021 and following a year of spiking crime rates there and around the nation.  According to Chicago police data, the city recorded 769 homicides in 2020, a 55% increase over 2019.  The increase, reversing a three-year trend, is among the highest in city history, The Chicago Tribune reported Thursday.

Clayton Davis Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories.

A Chicago Teachers Union leader is under fire for pushing for Chicago public schools to remain remote because of coronavirus risks while vacationing in the Caribbean. Chicago Teachers Union area vice president Sarah Chambers opposes requiring teachers to return to the classroom and posted a photo that appears to show her poolside in Puerto Rico, WGN-TV reported.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot met with the Black woman who was handcuffed by police while naked when officers raided the wrong home, the pair said in a joint statement. The Democratic mayor and Anjanette Young met Thursday for what they described in the statement as "a very lengthy, very candid and productive conversation about the unacceptable raid on Ms.

Recently released emails show Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot first learned in November 2019 of a "pretty bad wrongful raid" at the home of a Black woman who said she was not allowed to put on clothes before police handcuffed her. Chicago city leaders on Wednesday released more than 150 emails, as well as other documents, photos and police body camera footage in connection with the botched February 2019 raid at Anjanette Young's home.

All was fairly quiet across broadcasters as NBC led the night with encores of Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago PD which delivered a 0.4 in the adults 18-49 demographic across the board.

A meeting scheduled between Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and a woman handcuffed naked during a botched police raid was canceled after the parties failed to agree on terms of the gathering, a spokesperson for the woman said. Anjanette Young, who is Black, invited Lightfoot, and other city officials and police for a closed-door meeting and public forum Wednesday to discuss "transparency, accountability and justice," a spokesperson for her attorney said in a press release.

The date of R. Kelly's federal trial in Chicago for child pornography and obstruction charges has been moved due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Associated Press.

Spider-Man, Mickey Mouse and other famous characters paid a special visit to a Chicago boy this Christmas season.   Clareon Williams, a 5-year-old who has been in medical care since November after being struck by a stray bullet that a mystery gunman fired into his home, was surprised Tuesday when superheroes and cartoon icons arrived at the Comer Children’s Hospital to drop off presents for him.  "This is what Christmas is about, bringing kids’ dreams to life," Early Walker, the president of I’m

R. Kelly‘s federal court trial for child pornography and obstruction charges in Chicago.The singer was initially set to stand trial on April 27, 2021, but due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the date has now been moved to September 13 next year, as The New York Times reports.The report adds that U.S.

coronavirus pandemic, postponing it to next yearThe 53-year-old R&B star has been behind bars since his arrest in July 2019 and two trial dates, for April and then October this year, were earlier struck. His new trial date is Sept.

Clayton Davis The Chicago Film Critics Association has named Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” as this year’s big winner, netting five prizes, including best picture, director, actress (Frances McDormand), adapted screenplay and cinematography. Leading the CFCA nominations with seven, the Searchlight Pictures drama has performed astoundingly with the half dozen critics awards that have been announced thus far.

The New York, Los Angeles and Boston critics have had their say and now we begin the long, tedious rollout of other critics groups who insist their honors are not meant to have any influence on guild or Oscar voters. The Chicago Film Critics Association and Florida Film Critics Circle have now made their selections and anointed, respectfully, “Nomadland” and “First Cow” as Best Picture.

Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx revealed an ambitious plan to wipe clean the records of convicted marijuana dealers and expressed a willingness to support expunging the records of those found guilty of more serious crimes such as heroin and cocaine possession.  Foxx, who oversees prosecutions in a county that includes Chicago, told the Chicago Sun-Times that her goal is to help people move on with their lives by automatically expunging some criminal records so they don't have to go through

Chicago police have arrested a second teen who they said was part of a carjacking crew that killed a retired fire lieutenant. Dwain Williams, 65, was fatally shot Dec.

An ex-con with a long rap sheet admitted decapitating the body of a Chicago woman in her apartment with a handsaw — but denied killing her, prosecutors said. Eric Bryant, 49, was ordered held without bail Thursday by a Cook County judge on a charge of dismembering 61-year-old Kimiko Armstrong.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday that her staff informed her in November 2019 about a botched police raid that happened nine months earlier – thus revising her office’s Tuesday claim that she hadn’t learned about the February 2019 raid until this week.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged in connection with the murder of a retired Chicago firefighter during a brazenly attempted carjacking in broad daylight, authorities said Thursday.  The unidentified teen was arrested Wednesday in Chicago Heights, Ill., and faces charges of first-degree murder and attempted armed robbery with a firearm in the death of Dwain Williams, the Chicago Police Department said.  The boy was a participant in the slaying but was unarmed at the time of the shooting, Cook

The Law Department of the city of Chicago this week tried to block a local TV station from airing video of a botched police raid in February 2019, in which city officers allegedly stormed the wrong house and handcuffed an innocent woman while she was naked – and while a group of male officers looked on, according to reports.

A Chicago-area man has died after being crushed by airplane equipment on Sunday afternoon at O’Hare International Airport, according to reports.  The Cook County medical examiner's office on Monday said Jijo George, 35, of Des Plaines, suffered multiple injuries after he was crushed by an “aircraft drivable pushback apparatus” at the airport's hanger 764.