Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about an eight-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.
— Matt Moore (@MattKenMoore)
This afternoon will be sunny with a high near 43 degrees. Increasing clouds are expected tonight with a low near 32. Expect more sunny weather tomorrow with a high near 42.
Top story
Under pressure from city’s watchdog, CPD reopens probe of cop who wore extremist symbol during racial justice protest
Chicago police officials are reopening an investigation into an officer who has so far avoided any discipline for sporting an extremist symbol during a racial justice protest in 2020 — marking at least the third time the city’s watchdog has pressured the department to take a closer look at an officer’s far-right links.
Officer Kyle Mingari was on duty and assigned to the protest when he was photographed wearing a face mask bearing the logo of the Three Percenters, a group allied with the anti-government militia movement.
The term Three Percenters refers to the disproven claim that just 3% of Americans fought the British in the Revolutionary War, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Adherents believe a small, armed contingent can overthrow government forces they view as tyrannical.
As the police department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs was investigating Mingari, reputed Three Percenters were charged in both the riot at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021 and a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Investigators, however, mischaracterized some of the kidnapping suspects as “far left” and there’s no record that Mingari was interviewed about the mask or his possible connections to extremists, according to records obtained by the Sun-Times.
The investigation has already been closed twice, with no action taken against Mingari, but it was recently reopened at the request of Inspector General Deborah Witzburg, according to a police spokesperson, who declined to comment further. Rachel Goldwasser, who researches domestic extremism at the law center, said reopening the investigation is the right move.
The action comes weeks after City Council members grilled police officials about their handling of investigations targeting officers connected to the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, whose leaders have been accused of — and in some cases convicted of — seditious conspiracy in connection to the Capitol riot.
The inspector general’s office previously pushed internal affairs to reopen other investigations into Officer Robert Bakker, an associate of the Proud Boys, and Officer Phillip Singto, who claimed to have quit the Oath Keepers after being a member of the militia group for years. Bakker was suspended for 120 days following a lengthy investigation into his close ties to the Proud Boys, a neofascist group known for engaging in public violence. Amid calls for his dismissal, police leaders have publicly offered puzzling explanations for how his case was resolved and why he didn’t face stiffer discipline.
Internal Affairs Deputy Chief Traci Walker also conceded to alderpersons last month that investigators had failed to investigate most of the 13 Chicago cops identified by National Public Radio as Oath Keepers, an anti-government militia that aggressively recruits cops and armed service members. Records obtained by the Sun-Times show that Singto and two other officers were investigated and none of them were disciplined.
Tom Schuba has more on the city’s attempts to investigate extremism in CPD here.
More news you need
- A group of West Side religious leaders is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the death of beloved community member Tracey A. Showers. Showers, 55, was getting out of her car at her home on Feb. 28 when a stray bullet struck her in her face. Our Michael Loria has more on Showers’ life and legacy here.
- A 14-year-old boy has been arrested for a shooting in a South Side Walmart parking lot that killed a graduate student from India and seriously wounded his roommate earlier this year, a law enforcement source said. Charges were pending yesterday against the boy, according to Chicago police.
- A state appeals court has ordered new trials for a man convicted of the murders of two children in Chicago more than 30 years ago, ruling his claims of being tortured into confessing were credible given “the voluminous evidence of past police abuse.” The appellate court ordered that George Anderson’s statements to police admitting to the murders cannot be used during the new trials.
- Mayor Lori Lightfoot today attended possibly her last Chicago police graduation ceremony, an event that saw the outgoing mayor pay tribute to Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso, who was fatally shot during a chase last week. Noticeably absent today was outgoing Supt. David Brown, who resigned last week after Lightfoot’s defeat in the mayoral election. Our Stefano Esposito has more from the ceremony here.
- A new, free program from City Colleges of Chicago is aiming to focus on community members who help victims of trauma in the city. The Chicago Caregivers Program — launching at Malcolm X College this summer — will teach those enrolled how to take better care of themselves when handling emotionally-stressful situations. Students will also learn practical aspects of the job, such as moving patients, wound care and finding community help. We have more about the new program here.
- Tributes are pouring in following the death of Joe Zucchero, owner of the famed River North beef joint, Mr. Beef. In the decades since Mr. Zucchero, 70, opened the building, he grew a loyal base of customers that included everyday Chicagoans and Hollywood notables. Demand had spiked in recent months due to the popularity of “The Bear,” which is loosely based on the Zuccheros and Mr. Beef. Our Mitch Dudek has more on Mr. Zucchero here.
Elections 2023
Johnson and Vallas tout dueling endorsements: Dueling endorsements from veteran African American politicians have dominated the race for mayor of Chicago so far this week.
U.S. Rep. Danny Davis lined up behind his West Side neighbor, Cook County Commissioner and Chicago Teachers Union organizer Brandon Johnson, with County Board President Toni Preckwinkle doing the same today. Retiring Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) chose Paul Vallas, becoming the first of seven mayoral challengers to choose sides in the April 4 runoff.
Johnson and Vallas are in fierce competition to get votes from Black Chicagoans who may have voted for Mayor Lori Lightfoot or millionaire businessman Willie Wilson.
The race for City Council: Freshman Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) picked up a slim majority in his reelection bid yesterday, potentially allowing him to avoid an April runoff against a man whose last name was once a household word in Chicago.
La Spata had 50.1% of the vote after the latest batch of mail-in ballots was tallied, putting him just 12 votes over the minimum needed to avoid a runoff against challenger Sam Royko— the son of famed newspaper columnist Mike Royko. Any mail-in ballots postmarked by Feb. 28 will be counted as long as they are received by March 14, meaning La Spata must hold his new victory margin over the next eight days.
No matter what ultimately happens in the 1st Ward, runoffs are expected in at least 13 other wards — the South Side’s 4th, 5th, 6th, 10th, 11th and 21st; the West Side’s 24th; the Northwest Side’s 30th, 36th and 45th; and the North Side’s 43rd, 46th and 48th wards.
In the West Side’s 29th Ward, Ald. Chris Taliaferro was holding his slim majority, escaping a runoff against challenger CB Johnson by a mere 35 votes after yesterday’s mail votes were counted.
A bright one
Rescue dogs take center stage in ‘Annie’ role
It was 2017 when a mixed-breed terrier by the name of Addison found herself sitting at the Harnett County Animal Shelter in North Carolina, waiting for a hero to rescue her from an unthinkable fate. The dog’s hero was over 500 miles away.
“[Rescue advocates Chris and Bruce Leone] reached out to me and told me they had found a dog that looked like a ‘Sandy,’ ” remembers legendary animal trainer William Berloni, who throughout his career has rescued over 100 dogs that would go on to play the role of Sandy in the Broadway musical “Annie.”
“They met her and she gave them kisses and they got her transferred to a no-kill shelter in South Carolina,” Berloni recalled during a recent chat.
Approximately a week later, Addison traveled with a bevy of devoted volunteers to the Humane Society of New York, where the lovable mutt ultimately met Berloni for the first time.
“She was a little firecracker,” said Berloni, a Tony Award honoree. “She was outgoing and gregarious, and she loved cookies.”
It’s this outgoing and gregarious cookie lover who will take the stage as Sandy in the all-new touring production of “Annie,” which will play at the Cadillac Palace Theatre March 7-19. (While in town, the production will be donating show tickets to PAWS Chicago volunteers.)
“Chicago is going to absolutely love her,” gushes Berloni of the now 7-year-old dog who will take its place alongside 12-year-old actress Ellie Pulsifer, making her tour debut in Chicago as the show’s title character.
Tricia Despres has more on Berloni and the animals he’s rescued throughout the years here.
From the press box
- White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger spoke for the first time today after MLB ruled he would not face discipline stemming from allegations of domestic abuse. “I was an open book to them,” Clevinger said. “I was like, ‘Anything you want to do,’ I let them clone my phone a couple of times. I’ll do any evaluation boards you want. I’ll do it all.”
- On MLB’s decision not to suspend Clevinger, our Rick Telander writes that “it’s hard not to wonder how Sox fans, women especially, will feel if Clevinger were to help pitch the team into the 2023 World Series.”
- The Illinois high school boys basketball playoffs are heating up. Downers Grove North is heading to state for the first time ever after shocking Kenwood last night in a Class 4A supersectional showdown. And they’ll be joined by New Trier, back at state for the first time since 2002.
Your daily question☕
Ahead of the downtown and South Side St. Patrick’s Day parades this weekend, what tips do you have for a first-time paradegoer?
Send us an email at newsletters@suntimes.com and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.
Yesterday we asked you: What’s the most underrated park in Chicago?
Here’s what some of you said...
“Berger Park. You can sit on the benches and look out at the lake. It’s very mellow and peaceful.” — Howard Moore
“Hamilton Park is glorious. However, the old field house needs updating.” — Alicia Hill
“Ping Tom Park in Chinatown. Quiet, almost bucolic grassy park by the river.” — Felisia Wesson
“Gompers Park. Foster and Pulaski. It’s got all the things a park has. But beyond the fences are the woods and river trails. We would pedal our bikes from Fullerton up to the park, go play in the woods all day and pedal back. Great fun.” — Danny Ziemann
“Jackson Park It’s on the water, has a Japanese garden with a koi pond and the Sky Landing sculpture donated by Yoko Ono!” — Marian Caldwell
“Washington Square Park — relaxing fountain, pretty views, lots of benches and all the cute dogs.” — Justine Radies
“Winnemac Park, they have returned it back to native prairie and it’s just a fantastic place to take your dogs or walk around and it’s nice and peaceful there.” — Erik B. Davis
“Foster Park, 83rd Morgan. It has all the amenities — basketball courts, tennis courts, an indoor swimming pool, baseball fields and an indoor basketball court. Parking lot in the park.” — Curt Notre
“Columbus Park. Spacious, cool boathouse, never too crowded, and even has a golf course and athletic fields.” — Darry McGreer
“Horner Park. It’s huge and full of softball and baseball diamonds.” — Cynthia Naas
“Humboldt Park is a joy to bike through.” — Miriam Solon
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