Attorney General Merrick Garland at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Washington on July, 22 2021. (JIM LO SCALZO/AP)
Attorney General Merrick Garland arrived in Chicago today to tout the launch of a multi-jurisdictional strike force — led by federal law enforcement — that aims to tamp down on violence here and in other major metropolitan areas by going after illegal gun trafficking networks.
The Chicago-born, Lincolnwood-raised attorney general’s public relations jaunt comes as the city saw another burst of violence: three mass shootings in the last 24 hours. President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice, run by Garland, is launching strike forces elsewhere: New York, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C.
Everyone from Biden to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her top cop are under pressure to address the surge in violence. Polling shows that Americans hold a dim view of Biden’s handling of crime. For Lightfoot it could become a front and center campaign issue if the rookie mayor runs for reelection in 2023. Chicago police Superintendent David Brown is also under pressure from aldermen and activists to turn things around.
Lightfoot and Brown met with Garland this afternoon.
There’s plenty of second-guessing going on about whether Lollapalooza, the four-day music fest that kicks off next Thursday in Grant Park, should go on with COVID-19 numbers rising.
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But Gov. J.B. Pritzker doesn’t seem to be among those questioning the decision. He told reporters today that he, first lady M.K. Pritzker and some pals are heading to the festival, which has historically drawn 100,000 people daily.
During a morning news conference, the governor, who acknowledged this week that his reelection bid will be a referendum on leading the state through the pandemic, had this to say to fans of the mosh pits: “I would recommend to people that if they’re going to be jammed together, please wear a mask.”
The wheels of justice traditionally move slowly here in Chicago, but today a federal judge set an Oct. 18 trial date for Chicago Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, who was indicted earlier this year on tax-related charges tied to the collapse of a clout-heavy bank in his family’s Bridgeport neighborhood.
That means the 11th Ward alderman, the grandson and nephew of two legendary Chicago mayors, would go to trial less than six months after his April indictment.
Welcome to The Spin.
Attorney General Merrick Garland at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Washington on July, 22 2021. (JIM LO SCALZO/AP)
Attorney General Merrick Garland in Chicago to launch federal gun strike force
“One of the key missions of the federal anti-violence effort is ... to be more aggressive in going after straw purchasers, people who make legal purchases of guns on behalf of criminals,” my Tribune colleague Jeremy Gorner writes. “Such rogue purchases can potentially be made under the noses of licensed firearms dealers, even in Illinois where the gun laws are considerably stricter than Indiana and Wisconsin.”
Gorner also has the details on Garland’s Chicago agenda. The attorney general will meet with U.S. Attorney John Lausch, who will oversee the local strike force, as well as police and community leaders, officials said.
Gorner notes that “Garland also is expected to go to the Harrison District police station on Chicago’s West Side to visit its ‘strategic decision support center,’ a nerve center that crunches crime data and helps police supervisors determine where to deploy cops.
“Later in the day, Garland is slated to participate in a group discussion with a community organization that mediates gang conflicts and provides support for people most at risk of being a party to violence, either as a victim or perpetrator,” Gorner writes. “President Joe Biden’s administration has proposed spending about $5 billion toward such groups that specialize in violence prevention efforts.” Full story here.
Find out the latest about Garland’s visit at chicagotribune.com.
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Crime stats: Homicides in Chicago so far this year were down 3% over 2020 at 410 — 11 fewer than last year, Gorner writes, adding: “But shootings — incidents where at least one person was shot fatally or nonfatally — were up 9% over last year and 60% over 2019, according to official CPD statistics through Tuesday.”
The last 24 hours have seen three mass shootings across the city, leaving a 14-year-old boy dead and more than a dozen others wounded.
Reminder: Chicago’s top cop announced earlier this week that a dedicated 50-person unit, which includes existing teams of cops, began focusing on going after illegal gun traffickers.
ALSO: Chicago police Superintendent David Brown’s choice on merit promotions just his latest reversal of predecessor’s policies. Gorner handled that story too.
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Adam Kinzinger speaks with reporters before going to a caucus meeting in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center on May 12, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images North America/TNS)
GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger raised as possible addition to congressional panel on Jan. 6 insurrection
The Tribune’s Rick Pearson writes: “Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an ardent foe of former President Donald Trump and his GOP allies in Congress, was being considered by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a late addition to a select committee examining the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the panel’s chair said Thursday.
“A day earlier, House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy pulled all five of his Republican members from what was supposed to be a 13-member panel after Pelosi vetoed two of them. She contended Republican Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana could not render independent judgment because of their past statements and support for Trump.
“Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis of Taylorville was one of three other members McCarthy tapped to serve on the select committee. Davis, who is considering a run for governor, has sought to carefully navigate his way among Republican Trump supporters. But he labeled Pelosi’s panel a “sham” in a fundraising email after she vetoed the two GOP members and McCarthy yanked the rest of the picks.” Full story here.
Democratic Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker and his wife M.K. Pritzker during an open house at the Old State Capitol on Jan. 13, 2019, in Springfiel. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Gov. Pritzker says he, first lady will attend Lollapalooza, amid questions about big gathers with COVID-19 cases on the rise
With Mayor Lori Lightfoot and city officials facing questions about Lollapalooza being held in Grant Park as coronavirus cases rise once again, Gov. J.B. Pritzker told reporters Thursday that he and first lady M.K. Pritzker plan to attend the massive music festival.
“I’m bringing my wife and a few friends to Lollapalooza, so I think it’s OK, but again, people need to be aware that we are not past this pandemic. It is with us,” Pritzker said at an unrelated event in Chicago.
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He encouraged other festivalgoers, who must show proof of vaccination or recent negative coronavirus test to be admitted, to wear masks and keep distance as much as possible.
There’s no word on whether the Foo Fighters, Journey or some other act is drawing the 56-year-old Democrat to the fest after its one-year hiatus. (Dan Petrella)
After raising concerns about an uptick in COVID-19 cases earlier this week, the mayor also said she had no regrets about greenlighting the festival, saying at the time of her decision this spring cases were — and remain — very low.
During an appearance on the podcast “Chicago Media Talks,”, music critic and investigative journalist Jim DeRogatis questioned the logic, particularly after several festivals, including one in the Netherlands, have been linked to COVID-19 outbreaks.
“We are 10 days away from Mayor Lightfoot inexplicably welcoming 100,000 people in for four days to Grant Park for Lollapalooza,” DeRogatis said, adding that it could turn into a superspreader event that could once again shut down the city’s economy.
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To mask or not? Cook County’s medical expert weighs in on Lollapalooza, school and travel amid conflicting health guidelines as COVID cases rise, the Tribune’s Angie Leventis Lourgos writes.
Wrigley Field in 2016. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Sports betting at Chicago arenas, ballparks and planned casino could become legal under proposal before City Council
The Tribune’s John Byrne writes: “Sports betting would be allowed at Chicago’s stadiums and at the casino that’s set to be built here under an ordinance proposed Wednesday by two aldermen.
“The ordinance, if approved by the City Council, would allow the city’s pro sports arenas and ballparks to purchase sports wagering licenses and allow visitors to place bets. The plan would lift the city’s current ban on sports gambling.
“The proposal, which is sure to be controversial, was submitted by Aldermen Walter Burnett Jr., 27th, and Brian Hopkins, 2nd. It covers Wrigley Field, Guaranteed Rate Field, Soldier Field, United Center and Wintrust Arena.
“The proposed measure was promptly shunted to the council Rules Committee by Far South Side Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, meaning it will be a couple of months at least before it can get a proper hearing.” Full story here.
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Aerial view of the former Michael Reese Hospital site in Chicago in 2013. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
‘Megadevelopment’ for the South Side: Plans for former Michael Reese Hospital land get nod from Chicago City Council
The Tribune’s Maggie Prosser and Ryan Ori write: “The Chicago City Council has approved the sale of the former Michael Reese Hospital site and zoning for a $4 billion mixed-use redevelopment, inching the proposed Bronzeville lakefront project closer to breaking ground.
“The $97 million sale of the medical campus will allow a coalition of development companies to move forward on nearly 8 million square feet of commercial, institutional and residential spaces, according to the city’s Department of Planning and Development.”
“The city selected GRIT Chicago, a team comprised of six development groups, to purchase and develop the property, which the city bought for roughly the same price in 2008.”
Ald. Sophia King, whose 4th Ward includes the hospital site, once the center of former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, said this week: “This is a megadevelopment that will truly impact the entire city. While it will bring billions in economic development to the city and the community, it will also bring other tangible investments.”
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At Wednesday’s City Council meeting Wednesday, aldermen earmarked $60 million for improvements to neighboring roads and a new, 2-acre public park that will stretch from 26th to 31st streets and from Cottage Grove to Lake Park avenues. Full story here.
More City Council news: Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly seeks crackdown on Chicago pedicabs, citing “illegal street curb parties” and “chaos and mayhem,” the Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart writes.
The suburbs: “The city of Evanston has proposed changes to the way it regulates planting on parkways, the city-owned strip of land between the curb and sidewalk, as it anticipates an increase in such landscaping by residents as a way to combat climate change,” Zach Harris writes for the Tribune.
More City Council news: Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly seeks crackdown on Chicago pedicabs, citing “illegal street curb parties” and “chaos and mayhem,” the Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart writes.
The suburbs: “The city of Evanston has proposed changes to the way it regulates planting on parkways, the city-owned strip of land between the curb and sidewalk, as it anticipates an increase in such landscaping by residents as a way to combat climate change,” Zach Harris writes for the Tribune.
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Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan
The Spin: Attorney General Merrick Garland arrives in Chicago as city grapples with three mass shootings | City Council mulls sports betting at Wrigley Field, Soldier Field, etc. | Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson gets trial date
48m
GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger raised as possible addition to congressional panel on Jan. 6 insurrection
1h
Business CBS 2 Chicago general manager out after six-month investigation into hostile culture at network-owned TV stations
47m
Breaking News At least 7 party bus riders, 1 bystander wounded in Old Town Triangle in 1 of 3 mass shootings. 15-year-old killed in another.
5h
Criminal Justice Chicago police Superintendent David Brown’s choice on merit promotions just his latest reversal of predecessor’s policies
3h