Good afternoon, Chicago ✶
Late last year, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart announced that his office would begin phasing out its electronic monitoring program for people awaiting trial.
Starting today, the program is being handed over to Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans.
But there are still several key questions about who will arrest violators and how extra staff will be funded.
In today's newsletter: Reporter Sophie Sherry breaks down the challenges ahead — and how we got here.
Plus: Another investigation into Northwestern University, a closer look at the tentative Chicago Teachers Union-Chicago Public Schools deal and more community news you need to know. 👇
⏱️: A 7-minute read
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Chief judge takes over electronic monitoring for Cook County, but questions remain about staffing
Reporting by Sophie Sherry
Major change: Months after Cook County sheriff's office announced a plan to end its electronic monitoring program over safety concerns, the move was made official this week with the Cook County court taking over.
The Adult Probation Department: Beginning Tuesday, anyone placed on electronic monitoring will be overseen by the Adult Probation Department, administered by Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans. The sheriff’s office will continue handling its current caseload of people on monitors.
Argument for shift: The Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts argues that the restrictive conditions placed on people in the sheriff’s program "amounted to a human rights crisis." It recommended the consolidation of the two programs, finding the chief judge’s department "provides a better model for a pretrial release monitoring program."
How will this work? Unions for both offices are wary of the change. Questions remain about how the Adult Probation Department will scale up its operation, with about 900 new cases expected over the next six months.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
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The small-business struggle: Many business owners pivoted during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, and five years later, three companies highlight their ongoing difficulties.
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Teen charged in shooting: A 15-year-old boy is facing charges in connection with the shooting of a tourist near the AMC River East 21 theater in Streeterville March 9.
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Wicked Town gang case: Federal prosecutors say any effort to seek the death penalty if two convicted Wicked Town street-gang members get a new trial amounts not to "vindictive prosecution," but a policy change reflecting the longtime campaign promises of President Donald Trump.
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Northwestern investigated: A congressional committee is investigating the legal clinics at Northwestern University’s law school, prompting warnings that the inquiry could damage legal advocacy work nationwide.
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Tony’s workers won’t unionize: A large majority of workers at Tony’s Fresh Market voted against unionizing last week, dealing a major blow to organizers and Local 881 United Food and Commercial Workers, the union that sought to represent them.
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NASCAR closures: NASCAR says it will trim Grant Park closures compared to last year for the July 5-6 Chicago Street Race, with setup and teardown happening over 25 days, starting June 19.
- Allergy season tips: Allergy season is starting earlier this year, thanks to an unseasonably warm March, says a Loyola Medicine allergist, who has some tips for managing the springtime sniffles.
CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS-CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION DEAL
What to know about the tentative CTU-CPS deal
Reporting by Sarah Karp and Nader Issa
A key Chicago Teachers Union committee finally approved a tentative agreement with Chicago Public Schools, a significant step toward finalizing a deal on a new four-year contract.
CTU’s House of Delegates meets Wednesday, with a ratification vote by all members expected in the next week or two. The school board will then have to decide whether to approve the contract.
Here are some key parts of the deal.
Experience pay bumps: Extra raises for veteran educators, guaranteeing annual increases through 25 years with the district.
Music and sports funding: CPS agreed to commit $10 million for uniforms, buses to games and sports supplies, as well as the hiring of a cadre of art and music teachers who will be available to elementary schools that don't have arts programming or have limited programming.
Smaller class sizes: The teachers union said at least 400 teaching assistants will be hired under this contract, most to make class sizes more manageable and give all preschool classes an assistant. CPS agreed to take action on class size early in the year.
More librarians and more prep time: The tentative agreement guarantees 90 new librarian positions over the next three years — 30 each year. Elementary school teachers will also get 10 extra minutes of planning time per day.
Trump-era protections: The contract cements sanctuary protections for immigrant students and families. Additionally, CPS agreed to hire "gender support coordinators" and require that preferred names and pronouns be used. The contract also guarantees abortion coverage for school workers.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Evanston artist brings prehistoric creatures to life while keeping a childhood love of drawing alive
Reporting by Stefano Esposito
Like a watchmaker, Jamie Gustafson hunches over the desk in his Evanston home studio, his face inches from his work.
To almost anyone else, the drawing he’s working on would look complete, but Gustafson isn’t satisfied with the dark-brown scales on the prehistoric creature’s forelegs; they don’t jump off the page the way he’d like.
On another sheet of paper: a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth fossil, a drawing so lifelike, it looks like you could pluck the fossil off the paper and — carefully — tap its pointy tip.
Gustafson, 45, is a professional artist, drawing dinosaurs, whales, sharks, eagles and pretty much anything else from the natural world. His clients have included National Geographic, DK Smithsonian and scientists at the Field Museum. He says he makes artistic choices based on science.
Take a look at one of his T. rex drawings and you might notice something peculiar. Gustafson has the creature’s mouth closed, almost as if it were smiling.
"They were animals. We see all these snarling, drooling (dinosaurs). That’s what we think of, but that’s probably not what they were like," he said. "I want to make them the living, breathing animals that they were and not monsters or mythological creatures."
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Editor: Satchel Price
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