Gold Coast

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, from left, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., greet President Joe Biden as he arrives at the Soldier Field landing zone aboard Marine One before attending a campaign fundraiser on Monday.

Elections

Biden visits Chicago for fundraiser after pitching student loan relief in Wisconsin

Pro-Palestinian protesters greeted Biden outside the Drake Hotel on the Gold Coast, where the president had a campaign meeting before making remarks at the fundraiser.

By Emmanuel Camarillo and Cindy Hernandez

Sendy Soto wears a cream suit jacket and stands at a podium in front of a diagram of Lawson House, with Mayor Brandon Johnson at her side as he gestures.

City Hall

Chicago's first chief homelessness officer is named

Sendy Soto, a former official with the city’s Department of Housing and co-chair of the housing committee on Johnson’s transition team, will take on the job next week.

By Kaitlin Washburn

Total Solar Eclipse BusinessesFILE - Viewers use special glasses to watch from San Antonio, as the moon moves in front of the sun during an annular solar eclipse, or ring of fire, Oct. 14, 2023. The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 may be weeks away but businesses are ready for the celestial event with oodles of special eclipse glasses for sale, along with T-shirts and other souvenirs. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) ORG XMIT: NYPM508

Environment

Warby Parker offering free solar eclipse-viewing glasses

The glasses will be available at all Warby Parker locations while supplies last starting Monday until the day of the eclipse April 8.

By Emmanuel Camarillo

News

Former Signature Room workers awarded $1.5 million in back pay, benefits

Unite Here Local 1, representing the workers at the Signature Room and its lounge, said in a lawsuit in October the employer failed to give 60 days notice of a closing or mass layoff, violating state law.

By Kaitlin Washburn and Jessica Ma

Crime

Burglary suspect who ran into 2 CPD officers in Streeterville still at large

Two Chicago police officers were injured when a burglary suspect sped away after their car was stopped about 7:45 a.m. Saturday in the 800 block of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

By Sun-Times Wire

Food and Restaurants

Former Maple & Ash co-owner struggles in new restaurant venture after eviction, loan default, aims to emerge ‘stronger’

David Pisor — owner of Etta and Aya Pastry — defaulted on a $2.5 million loan on Jan. 17, according to a court filing from lender Wintrust Bank.

By David Struett

FBG Duck

Jury starts deliberating in Gold Coast slaying of rapper FBG Duck after being told by prosecutor, ‘He was murdered by O Block’

The lead prosecutor told the jury that FBG Duck was killed by ‘a violent criminal enterprise’ known as O Block.

By Tom Schuba

Chicago Police investigate the scene Monday morning at Prada, 30 E. Oak St.

Crime

Suspect charged in officer shooting after Prada crash-and-grab

Deshawn Lucas, 33, was charged with multiple felonies, including attempted murder. He also was wanted on a warrant.

By Mary Norkol

An SUV sits on the sidewalk in front of a Prada store with a collapsed broken window, with part of a Chicago Police vehicle shown at the left.

Crime

Man who allegedly shot cop during Prada crash-and-grab had long criminal record, federal warrant for his arrest

The suspect was found with two handguns with extended magazines, according to a police report. One firearm, discovered as cops tried to render aid, was equipped with a switch that turned it into a machine gun.

By Cindy Hernandez, Sophie Sherry, and 3 more

A man stands between a collapsed broken window in front of a Prada store in Chicago and an SUV on the sidewalk.

Crime

City, Gold Coast merchants should ‘expedite’ installing barriers to keep robbers’ cars off sidewalks, alderperson says

If nothing is done about robbers using cars to break into stores, “some of the retailers may give up on the area, and we can’t afford that,” Ald. Brian Hopkins said Monday.

By Fran Spielman

Irene Luna, a pastry chef who worked at the Signature Room for 29 years, speaks at an outdoor press conference as she and numerous other former restaurant workers hold protest signs or stand in support.

Food and Restaurants

Workers at shuttered Signature Room rally to get their jobs back from any future tenant in the space

Workers who were let go in September delivered a petition signed by 1,000 people who say they won’t patronize the space atop the former John Hancock tower unless the former restaurant’s workers are offered their jobs back.

By Emmanuel Camarillo

Two female former lifeguards have sued the Chicago Park District alleging they suffered sexual abuse from supervisors when they were minors working at city beaches.

The Watchdogs

Two former lifeguards sue Chicago Park District, allege they suffered sexual abuse while working as minors

The women allege “childhood sexual abuse” by male supervisors in the years before a scandal at the city’s beaches and pools.

By Dan Mihalopoulos

Courtroom sketch of six members and associates of the O Block faction of the Black Disciples street gang as they sit in the courtroom during the trial over the killing of rapper FBG Duck.

FBG Duck

In a twist, prosecutors in FBG Duck murder trial intend to bring up criminal records of their own witnesses

The trial has grown into a spectacle that’s spilled out of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse and onto YouTube accounts and rap blogs that draw millions of viewers worldwide.

By Tom Schuba

Cloudy outdoor photo of Walgreens at 933 N. State St. in Chicago, taken from across the street.

Crime

Walgreens workers bound, robbed at gunpoint in Gold Coast: ‘We just came for the money’

The two robbers got away with about $10,000 in cash just before closing time Sunday at 933 N. State St., police said.

By Rosemary Sobol

A man sought in multiple Loop bank holdups.

Crime

FBI offers $1,000 reward for information on Loop bank robbery attempts

The FBI is searching for a man wanted in multiple bank holdups in the Loop every three to four weeks since September. In one instance, he had a gun.

By Sun-Times Wire

LaSheena Weekly, mother of Carlton Weekly, widely known as FBG Duck, holds a sign with her son’s picture and song title at an outdoor news conference.

Entertainment or evidence of criminal enterprise? Drill rap takes center stage in FBG Duck murder trial

By Tom Schuba

People line up outside Bally’s Medinah Temple casino before a practice gaming session Sept. 6.

Fran Spielman Show

Bally’s Medinah Temple ‘temporary’ casino will be around awhile, City Council critic says

Ald. Brian Hopkins told the Sun-Times he fears Bally’s will run out of money to build a permanent casino in River West. He also offered an update on plans to revive Water Tower Place.

By Fran Spielman

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his wife, first lady M.K. Pritzker.

Crime

Rocks thrown at Gov. Pritzker’s Gold Coast home; suspect in custody

Authorities say someone threw rocks at Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Gold Coast home Monday morning when the governor and first lady were in the residence. No one was hurt.

By Violet Miller

Ald. Timmy Knudsen (left) and challenger Brian Comer participate in a 43rd Ward candidate forum at Lincoln Park High School last month.

Elections

Lightfoot put Knudsen in 43rd Ward seat — and into runoff against challenger Comer

Five months after a City Council appointment from Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Ald. Timmy Knudsen only got about a quarter of the vote in February. Now he’s lining up other Democratic support to survive a runoff with Brian Comer.

By Mitchell Armentrout

Carlton Weekly, the slain rapper known as FBG Duck.

$100K bounty was placed on killing Chicago rapper FBG Duck, informant told Chicago police

By Tom Schuba