Here are some of the top stories of the week from Chicago and beyond (Sunday, May 7 through Friday, May 12).
Trump fires FBI Director Comey in middle of Russia investigation
President Donald Trump on Tuesday fired FBI Director James Comey while the FBI is in the middle of an investigation into whether Trump’s campaign had ties to Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Trump, in a letter to Comey, said the move was necessary to restore “public trust and confidence” in the FBI. In the letter, Trump said he appreciated Comey telling him “on three separate occasions” that he was not under investigation.
After multiple White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, said Trump acted after receiving a memo from the deputy attorney general criticizing Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, Trump on Thursday contradicted that account in an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt.
Trump made it clear in the interview it was his idea to fire Comey, who he called a “showboat” and a “grandstander” and was going to fire him “regardless of (the) recommendation.” He also noted this “Russia thing” was on his mind when he made the decision.
The Washington Post reported that Trump’s anger with Comey had been boiling over for weeks over Comey’s Russia testimony before Congress and his lack of action on leaks from within the government.
Illinois Democrats joined in their party’s condemnation of Comey’s firing and called for a special prosecutor in the Russia investigation, reports Katherine Skiba.
Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe on Thursday testified before a Senate committee and said that Comey had widespread support within the FBI “and still does to this day,” contradicting Trump’s assertion that Comey had lost the confidence of rank-and-rile members.
On Friday, Trump threatened Comey
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on Twitter, warning that he had better hope there are no recordings of their conversations.Also Friday, Trump’s lawyers, without releasing his tax returns or any other evidence, said the president’s taxes over the past 10 years do not reflect “any income of any type from Russian sources,” with some exceptions.
The Tribune Editorial Board writes that the firing looks like a politically motivated hatchet job, while Steve Chapman writes that Trump has continually acted like someone with a lot to hide. John Kass, meanwhile, lamented the Comey hysteria taking place in Congress and on TV.
Find complete coverage of the Comey firing and its aftermath here.
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Mass shooting in gang war claims siblings’ lives in Brighton Park
A mass shooting in Brighton Park at a memorial for a man slain earlier claimed the lives of a brother and sister and wounded eight others on Sunday, report Jeremy Gorner and Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas.
At a memorial for Daniel Cordova, two gunmen stepped from an alley and opened fire on mourners, killing Adriana Williams and her brother, Michael.
It was Chicago’s worst mass shooting in almost four years and came as four Hispanic gangs are battling over turf in Brighton Park and neighboring Back of the Yards, where two plainclothes Chicago police officers — apparently mistaken for rival gang members — were shot and wounded a week earlier.
Ald. Raymond Lopez, whose 15th Ward covers Back of the Yards and Brighton Park, said “no innocent lives were lost” in the shooting.
“If you are hanging out with people who are recruiting 12- and 13-year-olds to join gangs and sell drugs, then you are part of the problem in this community,” Lopez told a Tribune reporter. “We need to stop beating around the bush on this, and we need the people who live here to stand up and help us stop what’s going on.”
Lopez, who is under police protection after getting threats from gang members for his statement, stands by it, reports John Byrne.
“I’m just going to continue doing what I have done since I was elected, which is to stand up for my communities and fight back against the gang and gun violence that has been plaguing them for decades,” he said.
In other Chicago-area news:
Abortion bill advances: Illinois Senate Democrats sent a controversial bill that would expand access to taxpayer-funded abortions to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has pledged to veto the measure, which is becoming an early issue in the 2018 governor’s race, report Monique Garcia and Haley BeMiller.
Missing hiker found safe: A quick walk in the Montana wilderness with her dog, Mogi, turned into a six-day ordeal for River Forest native Madeline Connelly, who was rescued Wednesday after taking a wrong turn and getting lost, report Steve Schering and Alicia Fabbre of the Pioneer Press.
Costly week for CTA: On Wednesday, the agency approved a $6 million settlement with a woman who was disabled when a CTA bus ran over her feet, reports Mary Wisniewski. Earlier in the week, a jury awarded more than $6 million to a woman who was seriously injured when a Blue Line train derailed at the O’Hare airport station in 2014, reports Wisniewski.
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DePaul basketball coup: Here there be Tyger
DePaul University secured its most significant commitment in 20 years when Tyger Campbell, one of America’s best high school point guards, chose to play at the school, writes David Haugh.
Campbell and DePaul coach Dave Leitao toured Wintrust Arena, the Blue Demons’ 10,000-seat home scheduled to open next season at McCormick Place, and the idea of filling it with DePaul fans excited Campbell, who turned down offers from Michigan State, Missouri, Memphis and Illinois.
The fact that DePaul’s newly hired assistant Shane Heirman, who coached Campbell the last two seasons at La Lumiere, also helped sway Campbell.
In other sports news:
Illinois football arrests: The University of Illinois suspended three football players after they were arrested on home invasion and armed robbery charges, report Shannon Ryan and Deanese Williams-Harris.
18 innings, 48 strikeouts and a sweep: The Cubs rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the ninth against former closer Aroldis Chapman, but then neither team did much of anything except strike out for the next nine innings before the Yankees eeked out a run to win 5-4, reports Paul Skrbina.
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Sears CEO ‘fighting like hell’ to turn retailer around
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Sears Holdings Chairman and CEO Edward Lampert said that, despite six straight years of losses and multiple store closings, he’s committed to turning the department store chain around, reports Lauren Zumbach.
Lampert acknowledged the chain’s turnaround is taking longer than expected, blaming some of it on negative media coverage.
Asked if Sears still has time to fix things, Lampert said “We have as much time as our vendors and our lenders and our shareholders are willing to give us.”
In other business news:
Building boom: The city unveiled proposed zoning and land use changes for a 3.7-mile stretch along the Chicago River that could bring billions of dollars in commercial real estate development and other infrastructure, reports Ryan Ori.
Tribune Media sale: Sinclair Broadcast Group has agreed to buy the owner of Chicago’s WGN in a deal valued at $3.9 billion. The deal would make Sinclair a media behemoth, with 233 TV stations in 108 markets, reports Robert Channick.
Peapod move: The online grocery service Peapod is moving its headquarters from Skokie to Chicago, reports Blue Sky Innovation’s Cheryl V. Jackson.
The rent is too darn high: More than half of renters in Cook County are paying more for housing than they can afford, a new study found. Although the city has had an apartment construction boom, almost all of those projects have been for luxury apartments, reports Gail MarksJarvis.
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Agonizing choices to make at Lollapalooza
The daily schedule for Lollapalooza was released on Tuesday and some of the choices fans will have to make are going to be hard, writes Greg Kot.
The four-day concert — Aug. 3-6 in Grant Park — features 170 bands performing on eight stages, and some fans may wish they could “tear themselves in three” to see the best acts.
Higher prices, shorter lines in store at Shedd Aquarium?
Shedd Aquarium is seeking its first admission fee increase in 17 years, but CEO Bridget Coughlin said the move is aimed at shortening long entry lines by simplifying its complicated pricing structure, writes Steve Johnson.
“In our first quarter, we had over 500 ticket prices,” Coughlin said, referring to the different pricing tiers, discounts and premiums available.
If the Park District approves the changes, there will be just one general admission fee, which the aquarium’s consultants predict will make entry smoother.
In other entertainment, lifestyles and dining news:
Leave Steve alone: Comedian and talk show host Steve Harvey defended himself after a memo to his Chicago staff was revealed, telling staffers to stop “ambushing” him in the hallway or his dressing room, reports Tracy Swartz.
‘Empire’ star in Chicago: Gabourey Sidibe, the Oscar-nominated actress, discusses her favorite Chicago spots, boy bands and more with Darcel Rockett.
Farmers market season: It’s that time of year, with several markets already open in the city and suburbs. Here’s your complete guide, courtesy of Elizabeth Owens-Schiele.