Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by David Struett

Last bike messengers in Chicago tell how they survive

2025-07-15T05:30:00-05:00

Even in the heyday of the bike messenger business in the late 1980s — when an estimated 1,500 couriers zoomed around the streets of the Loop — there were fears the fax machine could end the need for fast, in-person deliveries.

Then the internet came roaring along in the 1990s and 2000s, destroying even more of the bike courier business. The industry shrank to a few hundred by 2007.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, shutting down most in-person office work downtown, it created the largest existential threat to bike couriers since the industry launched.

But the pandemic, while brutal, wasn't a death knell to the courier business as some had worried. Instead, it adapted to changing consumer habits, couriers told the Sun-Times. Food deliveries actually grew and the industry is still attractive to customers who need to maintain a chain of custody for documents as well as those looking to save money when compared to car deliveries.

And the anti-driving culture tied to the community — which had its own distinctive fashion and promoted a punk, do-it-yourself lifestyle — is still prevalent. Even as only three registered companies remain in Chicago and the number of messengers has dipped to about 50, some couriers say they have stayed in the business because of that tight-knit community, the flexible nature of the job and improving working conditions.

"There is a sense of camaraderie," says 40-year-old Chris Spillane, of Pilsen, who works for U.S Messenger in the Merchandise Mart. "Everyone knows everyone."

Dylan Jackowiak, also a courier at U.S. Messenger and a Pilsen resident, says the community extends to other states.

"There are messengers in cities all across the U.S.," says Jackowiak, 30. "If I wanted to go to New York for a bike race or something, I know who to hit up to get a place to stay."

‘We were formidable’

Decades ago, bike messengers were so ubiquitous that they wielded a level of political influence and were often vilified in the media.

Comet Messenger Service owner Jim Sailer, 81, said his company used to have so many messengers that he had a shed for them to park their bikes near 13th Street and Michigan Avenue.

Sailer purchased Comet in 1979, three years after the company was founded. He remembers the "halcyon days" of the business between the 1970s and early 2000s, when his company delivered papers for five of the 10 top law firms downtown and also made deliveries for the insurance, auto, industrial and pharmaceutical industries, among others.

"We were formidable," Sailer says.

Back then, the messenger business was collectively big enough that it had its own association to wield political influence in Springfield and the city.

"We lobbied with the city and the state over parking, loading zones and other things," Sailer said.

In the late 1980s, the first accounts of bike messengers in the Sun-Times often reflected sentiment from drivers and pedestrians as hundreds of couriers on any given day raced around and between cars on streets with far fewer bike lanes than now. City Council members and then-Mayor Richard M. Daley sought to regulate an industry they considered out of control.

"Too many pedestrians are being knocked down, pushed aside and seriously hurt," Daley, according to Sun-Times reporting then, said in 1991 — before he signed an ordinance regulating the industry one City Council member dubbed a "nuisance."

The ordinance mandated couriers wear helmets and vests that displayed a messenger’s company and registration number.

John Greenfield at 33 W. Monroe, circa 1997.

Andy Gregg, courtesy of Greenfield

John Greenfield, who worked as a bike courier for several companies from 1992 to 2001, remembers police occasionally cracking down on the helmet law.

"Back then, it was so old school that I didn't even have a walkie-talkie. The dispatcher gave me a bunch of quarters and I would call him from pay phones," said Greenfield, who is now editor of Streetsblog Chicago.

Greenfield was a paper messenger, delivering envelopes, mailing tubs, blueprints and the occasional bankers box of documents. Almost all of his work was in the central business district, between Roosevelt, Division, Halsted and the Lake.

Greenfield remembers the bar Rossi's, "which is still exactly the same as it was," and the now-closed Cal's Liquors at Van Buren and Wells as places couriers often met after work — as they still occasionally do.

Phyillis' Musical Inn on Division Street held a weekly Messenger Night, when bands featuring couriers would play. The punk band Alkaline Trio played some of its earliest gigs at Messenger Night, Greenfield says. Guitarist Mike Skiba and original drummer Glenn Porter were both couriers.

Messenger Night was also where, Greenfield says, Chicago Critical Mass co-founders Jim Redd and Michael Burton first considered their scheme for monthly rides from Daley Plaza — which still draw hundreds or thousands of riders today.

Alkaline Trio and former Blink 182 guitarist Matt Skiba on North Michigan Avenue in the late 1990s.

Courtesy of John Greenfield

Still, animosity toward bike messengers continued, especially after authorities accused one of shoving a Loop commuter to his death down the stairs of Union Station.

"Fatal incident bruises bike messengers' image," a Sun-Times headline read on Dec. 17, 1999.

The relationship with the public seemed to improve somewhat a few years later when Daley proclaimed Oct. 7, 2007, to be Bike Messenger Appreciation Day. A proclamation signed by Daley states there were 300 couriers working for 17 companies then.

When the pandemic hit

COVID-19 hit the courier industry hard.

"It was devastating," Sailer said.

His business relied on office workers downtown. With nearly everyone staying home, he laid off all of his nearly 20 bike messengers.

Jackowiak recalled sitting around the offices of U.S. Messenger waiting to be dispatched. Lounging around "was fun for about a week. And then it was like, 'Oh man, my paycheck, my poor paycheck,'" Jackowiak said.

He found work at a bike shop. And his co-worker, Spillane, started delivering for Cut Cats Courier — which already had a foothold in food delivery and actually saw business boom at the time.

Margot Considine, 38, bike messenger for Cut Cats Courier, stands in the street near her home in Brighton Park.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

"All the restaurants we worked with got busier and busier with deliveries," says Margot Considine, 38, a bike messenger for Cut Cats. "We picked up clients. Kind of the opposite experience of other courier companies."

More recently, competition from food-delivery apps such as GrubHub, DoorDash and Uber Eats has caused that market to shrink again.

‘Not like Amazon tossing a package in a lobby’

The downtown office occupancy rate still hasn’t recovered — currently around 23% of Loop offices are vacant — but the messenger companies that survived over the last few years say cost is a big reason: It's cheaper to pay a biker for a Loop delivery than for a car. It's $20 for a biker to deliver something in less than 30 minutes, Spillane says, compared to in some cases triple that cost for a driver.

Some businesses also prefer couriers to preserve a "chain of custody," including getting a signature, for important documents, Spillane says.

"This is not like Amazon tossing a package in a lobby," he says.

Jackowiak says on any given day he might deliver freshly printed menus to a restaurant, a roll of historical construction blueprints, or carpet and tile samples sent from the Merchandise Mart to design firms.

Courier culture

Even as their number shrank, an international "courier culture" persisted, messengers say.

Messengers still hold "alleycat" bike races in which couriers from around the globe compete in unsanctioned street races that simulate the rigors of a typical workday. Couriers describe them as their version of a business conference, where couriers network and talk shop and race other competitors for prizes.

That was the case for Jackowiak, who traveled in April to race in the Milwaukee Messenger Invitational and slept on the floor of a fellow messenger's home.

Dylan Jackowiak, a bike messenger, outside the Ogilvie Transportation Center in the Loop.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

The courtesy goes both ways. Jackowiak says his apartment building hosted about 20 other couriers a few years back for the Chicago Cuttin Crew Classic race.

Those races are not held as often as they were during the heyday of the industry, couriers said. The underground events garnered public scrutiny in 2008 when a courier was killed in a Chicago race.

Still, the races are a sign of couriers' commitment to the job — and lifestyle.

"Someone would probably think you're nuts for [paying to] travel and re-create a day at work," Spillane says.

Future of work

One outcome of the declining business has been the rise of worker-owned courier companies, and the shift from working for commission as independent contractors to being on the payroll with benefits. That's the situation with Cut Cats, which is now the largest courier in the city with a staff of 40. Couriers for U.S. Messenger and Comet are also classified as workers.

"It's good to be an employee," Jackowiak says.

Cut Cats Courier is trying to diversify its business as it struggles to compete with food delivery apps. "We’ve talked to bookstores, T-shirt companies. But nothing has panned out."

Still, Jackowiak believes the courier business has been squeezed as far as it can.

"To be still doing this is kind of crazy. But I think we're down to the core business that can't be replaced," he says.

Man charged in July 4th weekend killing was on electronic monitoring over prosecutors' objections

2025-07-11T17:00:40.41-05:00

An avowed gang member who allegedly shot and killed a man over the Fourth of July weekend in Little Village had been released on electronic monitoring ahead of the attack over the objections of prosecutors.

Daniel Alvarado, 20, was ordered detained Friday by Judge James Costello in the July 5 slaying of 47-year-old Moises Juarez in the 2600 block of South Central Park Avenue.

Alvarado had previously been ordered held at Cook County Jail after he was allegedly caught tossing a gun as he ran from a crashed car on March 24, court records show. Prosecutors said the car was leaving an area where shots had reportedly been fired at police.

Alvarado was later placed on electronic home monitoring in that case on May 16, records show.

In a court filing Thursday, when Alvarado was charged with murder, officials in the office monitoring his pretrial release documented a series of violations dating back to June 8.

Alvarado is accused of violating his curfew eight times, the officials said. His monitoring device also stopped reporting his location or placed him in spots away from his home over the holiday weekend.

There was a notable gap in GPS reporting from 8:09 p.m. to 10:11 p.m. July 5, after which his device was then detected outside his approved zone, the officials said. Juarez was killed around 10:10 p.m. that night.

In that time period, Alvarado was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet as he drove around Little Village, looking for someone to shoot, a Cook County prosecutor said in court Friday.

Juarez and a friend were eating at a taco stand at 27th Street and Central Park Avenue when they noticed a black Nissan pass several times, making them feel "uneasy," Assistant State's Attorney Mike Pekara said.

As they started to walk north on Central Park, Alvarado pulled up in the car with two passengers and, from the driver's seat, said "Yo," according to Pekara.

Alvarado then allegedly pulled out a black gun and began firing, fatally striking Juarez. Pekara called the shooting "completely unprovoked."

Law enforcement used witness descriptions of the shooter and police surveillance video to identify Alvarado as the shooter, Pekara said. Police used that video to locate the car, which was registered to a parent of one of the passengers in the car at the time of the shooting.

That passenger initially confessed to detectives to being the shooter, Pekara said. But the man then recanted and said Alvarado had acted alone. The other passenger, a woman, also said Alvarado acted alone and did not expect him to shoot someone.

When police arrived at Alvarado's home to arrest him Tuesday, Alvarado ran to a neighboring vacant apartment building, Pekara said. Officers found him inside, stripped down to his underwear, pretending to be confused.

Police recovered shell casings in Alvarado's home that matched the ones found at the crime scene and on the windshield of the Nissan, Pekara said.

Alvarado's defense attorney said it was possible that one of the passengers in Alvarado's car had committed the shooting. She pointed out that no firearm had been recovered from Alvarado's home.

The judge noted that Alvarado was on electronic monitoring at the time of the shooting and that the GPS bracelet places him near the scene of the crime when Juarez was killed. Costello also noted that prosecutors allegedly recovered a video from the defendant's phone that shows him handling a gun in the Nissan's driver's seat less than two hours before Juarez's slaying.

Costello said the evidence allegedly shows Alvarado "killed a stranger on the streets of Chicago for no discernible reason."

Alvarado, an avowed Two-Six gang member, was previously charged with reckless conduct in August 2024 for allegedly trying to throw a rock at a rival’s car that had been stopped by police, court records show. The case was dropped in March.

His next hearing on the murder charge is set for July 29. He is also set to appear before Judge Charles Burns in the ongoing gun case on Monday.

Viajeros ya no tendrán que quitarse los zapatos en los aeropuertos de Estados Unidos

2025-07-09T15:57:28.19-05:00

Los viajeros ya no están obligados a quitarse los zapatos durante los controles de seguridad en los aeropuertos de Estados Unidos, poniendo fin a una medida de seguridad adicional que el público amaba odiar.

La secretaria del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, Kristi Noem, anunció el martes que el cambio de regla a nivel nacional es efectivo de inmediato.

“Creo que la mayoría de los estadounidenses estarán muy emocionados de poder mantener sus zapatos puestos, y será un proceso mucho más ágil de aquí en adelante”, dijo a los reporteros en el Aeropuerto Nacional Ronald Reagan de Washington, D.C.

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El cambio de regla pone fin a un mandato de control de seguridad que la Administración de Seguridad en el Transporte (TSA) implementó hace casi 20 años, en 2006, varios años después del fallido intento del “terrorista del zapato”, Richard Reid, de derribar un vuelo de París a Miami a finales de 2001.

Noem dijo que el proceso de control de seguridad seguirá siendo seguro gracias a la nueva tecnología y a un enfoque “en capas” de la seguridad. Indicó que la nueva política fue elaborada como parte de la solicitud del presidente Donald Trump para que todos los jefes de agencia reconsideraran las reglas existentes.

Sin embargo, a algunos viajeros aún se les puede pedir que se quiten los zapatos si son marcados para un control de seguridad adicional, dijo Noem.

Los viajeros han podido evitar la regla de no quitarse los zapatos al participar en el programa TSA PreCheck, que cuesta cerca de $80 por cinco años. Los viajeros también están exentos de la regla si tienen menos de 12 años de edad o más de 75.

Un cinturón y un par de zapatos están en una bandeja de la TSA en el aeropuerto. La política de quitarse los zapatos se instauró en 2006.

Ann Johansson/AP Photos

El cambio de la política fue bien recibido por algunos turistas que visitaban Navy Pier el martes.

Marcela Cáceres, residente de México, le dijo al Sun-Times que detesta quitarse los zapatos en los aeropuertos de Estados Unidos. Lleva un par de calcetas en su bolso para evitar caminar descalza durante el control y potencialmente contraer una infección fúngica.

“Es repugnante”, comentó Cáceres, de 54 años de edad.

Marcela Cáceres, a la izquierda, y su hija Cecilia Jaurec dicen que están encantadas de escuchar que la TSA dejará de exigir a los viajeros aéreos que se quiten los zapatos en los puntos de control de seguridad del aeropuerto.

Dave Struett/Sun-Times

Viajó a Chicago por el Aeropuerto O’Hare para celebrar el cumpleaños de su hija, Cecilia Jaurec.

“Es muy impresionante”, dijo Jaurec, de 25 años de edad, sobre el cambio de regla.

La seguridad en los aeropuertos de México es muy fácil, dijo Jaurec, porque no se requiere que los viajeros se quiten los zapatos.

“No estamos acostumbrados a quitarnos los zapatos”, dijo. “Es asqueroso”.

El cambio de regla es sorprendente, dado que aún existe una amenaza continua de terrorismo internacional, dice Joseph Schwieterman, director del Instituto Chaddick para el Desarrollo Metropolitano de la Universidad DePaul.

Destacó que la tecnología de control de seguridad en los aeropuertos ha mejorado desde que se implementó la regla en los años posteriores a los atentados terroristas del 11 de septiembre de 2001. Los escaneos corporales y otras medidas para detectar bombas son una mejora sobre la tecnología de rayos X y detectores de metales de esa época, aseguró.

“La tecnología ha aliviado la carga al permitir que una regla frustrante sea eliminada”, comentó Schwieterman.

El cambio de regla puede disminuir el valor del programa TSA PreCheck para algunos viajeros. Noem afirmó que la gente seguirá queriendo usar TSA PreCheck porque los viajeros no necesitan quitarse los cinturones, abrigos ni retirar líquidos de sus bolsas.

La TSA fue creada en 2001 cuando el presidente George W. Bush firmó legislación dos meses después del 11 de septiembre. La agencia incluyó a los examinadores federales de aeropuertos que reemplazaron a las empresas privadas que las aerolíneas habían utilizado para manejar la seguridad.

Con información de Associated Press

Traducido con una herramienta de inteligencia artificial (AI) y editado por La Voz Chicago

Travelers will no longer be required to take off shoes at U.S. airports

2025-07-08T17:05:36.803-05:00

Travelers are no longer required to take off their shoes for security screenings at U.S. airports, ending an additional security measure that the public loved to hate.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that the nationwide rule change is effective immediately.

"I think most Americans will be very excited to see that they get to keep their shoes on, and it will be a much more streamlined process going forward," she told reporters at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The rule change puts an end to a security screening mandate that the Transportation Security Administration put in place almost 20 years ago, in 2006, several years after “shoe bomber” Richard Reid’s failed attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001.

Noem said the security screening process will remain safe due to new technology and a "layered" approach to security. She said the new policy was drafted as part of President Donald Trump's request that all agency heads reconsider existing rules.

Still, some travelers may still be asked to remove their shoes if they are flagged for additional security screening, Noem said.

Travelers have been able to skirt the no-shoe rule by participating in the TSA PreCheck program, which costs around $80 for five years. Travelers are also exempted from the rule if they are younger than 12 years old or older than 75.

A belt and shoes sit in a TSA airport tray. The policy requiring removal of shoes was instituted in 2006.

Ann Johansson/AP Photos

The policy change was welcomed by some tourists visiting Navy Pier on Tuesday.

Mexico resident Marcela Caceres told the Sun-Times she despises taking off her shoes at U.S. airports. She carries a pair of socks in her bag in order to avoid walking barefoot during the screening and potentially contracting a fungal infection.

"It's disgusting," Caceres, 54, said.

Marcela Caceres, left, and her daughter Cecilia Jaurec say they are delighted to hear the TSA will stop requiring air travelers to remove their shoes at airport security checkpoints.

Dave Struett/Sun-Times

She had traveled to Chicago by way of O'Hare to celebrate the birthday of her daughter, Cecilia Jaurec.

"It's pretty awesome," Jaurec, 25, said of the rule change.

Airport security in Mexico is a breeze, Juarec said, because travelers are not required to remove their shoes there.

"We are not used to taking off shoes," she said. "It's gross."

The rule change is surprising, given that there is still an ongoing threat of international terrorism, says Joseph Schwieterman, director of DePaul University's Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development.

He said airport security screening technology has improved since the rule was implemented in the years after the Sept.11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Full-body scans and other bomb-detecting measures are an enhancement from the X-ray and metal detector technology of that era, he said.

"Technology has lifted the burden by allowing a frustrating rule to be lifted," Schwieterman says.

The rule change may lessen the value of the TSA PreCheck program for some travelers. Noem said that people will still want to use TSA PreCheck because travelers don't need to remove their belts, coats or remove liquids from bags.

The TSA was created in 2001 when President George W. Bush signed legislation two months after 9/11. The agency included federal airport screeners that replaced the private companies airlines had used to handle security.

Contributing: Associated Press

Deal with Uber paves way for drivers union in Illinois

2025-06-16T14:14:11.981-05:00

Uber has agreed to support state legislation that paves the way for drivers to unionize in a deal that scraps a city ordinance to raise driver pay.

Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd) on Monday canceled a committee vote for a bill that would have boosted driver pay and added worker protections.

The City Council member had been pushing the legislation since 2023, but he called the deal with Uber a win for the state's estimated 100,000 drivers who use the ride-hailing app.

"This is a huge victory for rideshare drivers and the broader fight for economic justice in our city and state," Rodriguez, chair of the Workforce and Development Committee, said in a statement.

The Illinois Drivers Alliance said it will soon file a bill in Springfield to allow drivers in the state who use the ride-hailing app to unionize and bargain collectively, even while drivers remain independent contractors.

Ald. Michael Rodriguez scrapped a city ordinance to raise the pay of drivers who use the Uber ride-hailing app in a deal that could allow those drivers to unionize.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Uber has agreed to support the bill — and not to oppose a push to unionize the drivers by the Service Employees International Union Local 1 and IAM Local 701.

The deal was announced Monday morning, hours before Rodriguez was set to call a vote on an ordinance that would have required drivers to be paid anytime they were logged into the app, and not just when a passenger was in the car.

But the passage of Rodriguez's bill was not certain. He had delayed a vote on the ordinance last week to allow Council members to ask questions of representatives from Uber, Lyft and the unions.

Some alderpersons supported the ordinance they said would give drivers a living wage. Others opposed it out of fear that the price of trips would rise for hospitality workers downtown. Uber warned that the bill would have pushed the company to lay off 10,000 drivers.

Rodriguez had been negotiating for months with the unions and ride-hailing app companies over language in the ordinance. Those negotiations will now move to Springfield.

Uber said the deal is the "best path forward" to protect "the flexibility drivers consistently tell us they value most, while also creating a meaningful path to organizing."

"We are committed to working to advance thoughtful, balanced policy that reflects the needs of today’s workers and supports innovation in the economy," Josh Gold, an Uber spokesman, said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Lyft, which was not part of the deal, said the company wants to be part of the negotiations that will take place in Springfield.

"Our goal is to ensure that we can both improve working conditions for drivers while still balancing the needs of riders who rely on the service," company spokesperson CJ Macklin said in a statement.

The Springfield bill is still being drafted. The unions said it would draw some inspiration from reforms recently passed by ballot referendum in Massachusetts, where drivers won the right to a union in November.

Michael Madigan sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for corruption convictions

2025-06-13T20:35:57.309-05:00

Five months ago, the man long known to Illinois as “Mr. Speaker” made the stunning decision to climb onto the witness stand, swear an oath and tell his side of the story.

But along the way, Michael J. Madigan denied his famous friendship with the fixer known as Michael McClain. He denied a promise he made to the once-powerful Ald. Danny Solis. And he denied his role in a bribery scheme in which Illinois’ largest utility tried to buy his favor.

It turns out, U.S. District Judge John Blakey didn’t buy his tale.

Once a political giant, Madigan now a convicted felon and likely prison inmate — but not a racketeer

“To put it bluntly, it was a nauseating display,” the judge said during the former speaker’s long-anticipated sentencing hearing Friday.

Then, the judge locked eyes with Madigan, the man once regarded as the state’s most powerful politician. Blakey looked down at him from the bench and said, “you lied, sir. You lied.”

“You did not have to,” Blakey continued. “You had a right to sit there and exercise your right to silence. But you took that stand and you took the law into your own hands.”

Then, Blakey gave Madigan 7 ½ years in prison and a $2.5 million fine — one of the harshest public corruption sentences Chicago has seen in years. The Southwest Side Democrat who became the longest-serving state House leader in the country is due in prison Oct. 13.

The sentence is more than triple that given last year to former Chicago Ald. Edward M. Burke. It surpasses the 6 ½-year sentence handed in 2006 to ex-Gov. George Ryan. But it fell short of the 12 ½ years prosecutors sought, or the 14 years once given to ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Trump’s on a pardon spree, prison looms for Madigan, and Blago wouldn’t wish sentencing on his ‘worst enemy’

During Friday’s hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker explained to the judge, “governors, they came and went over the years.

“But Madigan stayed,” she said, “His power and his presence remained constant. He had every opportunity to set the standard for honest government. But instead … he fit right into the mold of yet another corrupt leader in Illinois.”

Madigan, 83, could be nearly 90 by the time he’s served his sentence. But his fight for freedom clearly isn’t over. His attorneys told the judge they hope to keep Madigan out of prison while he appeals his conviction.

Despite the hefty sentence, Madigan had a smile on his face as he walked to an elevator near Blakey’s 12th-floor courtroom at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. When he reached the lobby, he walked briskly past reporters, clutching an umbrella and briefcase as a daughter and lawyers walked by his side.

The slight smile remained.

Another of Madigan’s daughters, former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, was noticeably absent from the courthouse Friday afternoon.

John “Jack” Blakey speaks to reporters after being selected to lead corruption cases spearheaded by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009.

Sun-Times file

It’s not clear what kind of sentence Blakey would have handed down had he not concluded that Madigan lied on the witness stand. But it’s truly remarkable that Madigan’s own words may have been his undoing.

Despite holding the title of “Mr. Speaker,” Madigan was famously guarded and revealed few details of his personal life as he spent 36 years leading the Illinois House of Representatives.

That is, until he took the witness stand in January.

When he did so, Blakey said Madigan lied to the jury. Repeatedly.

For example, a prosecutor asked Madigan, “you trusted McClain with sensitive matters, didn’t you sir?” Madigan replied, “sometimes.”

A lie, Blakey said.

Friendship between Madigan and McClain became ‘a casualty’ of corruption case, lawyer says. ‘But it was real’

Madigan testified that, in 2018, he was “contemplating” whether to recommend Solis for a paid seat on a government board to JB Pritzker, Illinois’ future governor.

Another lie, the judge said. In exchange for that recommendation, Madigan asked Solis for help securing business for Madigan’s private law firm.

Perhaps most notably, Blakey said Madigan lied when he denied his role in ComEd’s scheme to pay $1.3 million to five of Madigan’s allies, so that Madigan would look more favorably at the utility’s legislation in Springfield.

“This case is really sad,” Blakey said, “because the defendant is a dedicated public servant — apart from the crimes proven in this case.”

The judge even invoked President Abraham Lincoln in his commentary Friday.

“It’s really hard to be Honest Abe, right?” Blakey said. “He was a unicorn in our American history. Being great is hard. But being honest is not … It’s hard to commit crimes. It actually takes effort.”

Blakey said he didn’t set out to hold Madigan responsible for all of the corruption in Illinois. He also said, “this sentence is not based on rhetoric or myth. It’s not based on the myth of the Velvet Hammer or some folklore characterization of the Wizard of Springfield, Mike Madigan.

“That’s not reality.”

Flanked by attorneys and supporters, Illinois’ former House Speaker Michael Madigan walks out of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Madigan grew up in the tight-knit 13th Ward. He testified that his father was a union man, involved in local politics, and an alcoholic. His father also knew the legendary Mayor Richard J. Daley, and Madigan crossed paths with Daley during an early job at City Hall.

The future speaker became a political disciple of Daley’s and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1970. He ruled the chamber from 1983 until 2021, with the exception of two years when Republicans took control. He also became leader of the state’s Democratic Party.

Madigan also maintained a longtime friendship with McClain, a former state lawmaker who went on to become a lobbyist for ComEd. Multiple juries have heard in recent years how McClain came to serve as Madigan’s messenger in Springfield.

It all came crashing down with an aggressive federal investigation into public corruption that dates back to 2014, became public late in 2018, slapped Madigan with the moniker of “Public Official A” in 2020, and led to his indictment in 2022.

The Chicago Sun-Times revealed Solis’ role as an undercover mole in January 2019. The former 25th Ward City Council member agreed to wear a wire for the FBI, testified against Madigan and walked away from the investigation without even a criminal conviction.

That’s despite allegations of wrongdoing involving Viagra, massage parlors and what he described as a suitcase full of “Chinese money.”

Danny Solis talks massage parlors, free Viagra, an affair — and the ‘dumb’ remark that still embarrasses him

Meanwhile, the feds charged Madigan and McClain with a broad racketeering conspiracy. They accused the two men, in separate indictments, of the long-running bribery scheme involving ComEd. They also said the men committed a series of crimes involving Solis.

After a four-month trial that featured more than 60 witnesses, a jury in February found Madigan guilty of the ComEd conspiracy, as well as the plot to install Solis on a state board.

McClain was convicted for his role in the ComEd conspiracy in a separate trial and faces sentencing July 24. Also set to be sentenced in the coming weeks are former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and onetime City Club President Jay Doherty.

The jury in February returned no verdict on the racketeering conspiracy, or the allegations involving McClain and Solis.

“Corruption at the highest level of the state legislature tears at the fabric of a vital governing body,” interim U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros said in a written statement after Madigan’s sentencing. “It was the grit and determination of our team of prosecutors and law enforcement agents … that allowed this case to reach a jury and send a clear message that the criminal conduct by former Speaker Madigan was unacceptable.”

Ald. Ed Burke (14th) attends a Chicago City Council meeting in 2022.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file

Taking the witness stand at trial is seen as risky for criminal defendants. They can be accused of perjury if convicted — a reality Madigan faced Friday.

But Madigan’s decision to take that risk may have been what distinguished his case the most from Burke’s. U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall, now the city’s chief federal judge, handed Burke a two-year prison sentence for racketeering one year ago.

Burke began serving his sentence in September and is due out in March.

Kendall relied heavily during Burke’s sentencing hearing on a pile of letters documenting Burke’s good works over the years.

Madigan delivered his own batch of nearly 250 letters of support to Blakey, along with a video plea from Madigan’s ailing wife. She told the judge, “I really don’t exist without him” and said she’d need to find someone to care for her if her husband went to prison.

Michael Madigan walks out of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Seeking a hefty 12 ½ year sentence for Madigan, Streicker told the judge that “good deeds do not erase or diminish defendant’s criminal conduct.” She said Madigan’s record as a public servant didn’t always cut in his favor, especially when it came to how he used his “immense political power.

“There were times when he used it for good,” the prosecutor acknowledged. “But it was a double-edged sword that the defendant also used to benefit himself and act in his own self-interest.”

Streicker told the judge that “the public is paying attention,” and “the message needs to be clear that corruption of public office will be met with a stiff sentence.”

Moments later, Madigan attorney Dan Collins asked Blakey for mercy. He told the judge that fellow attorneys had sent him “a lot of quotes” — including Bible verses and mission statements.

But, returning to a theme from Madigan’s trial, Collins told the judge that “today shouldn’t be about rhetoric.

“It should be about reality,” Collins said. “It should be about the reality of Mike.”

Michael Madigan’s wife makes video plea to judge: ‘He loves me … I’m a part of him’

The attorney insisted that Madigan “did not live his life to seek power. He tried to lead his party.”

“I’m proud to call him a friend,” Collins said. “I’m honored to be his friend.”

After Collins finished, Blakey asked Madigan whether he wanted to speak. Collins asked the judge for a short break, and Blakey left the bench. Then, when he returned, the judge again asked Madigan whether he had anything to say.

Madigan took a long sip of water, and he approached a courtroom podium — just as he has done for so many years when preparing to discuss a piece of legislation.

The former speaker told the judge, “I’m truly sorry for putting the people of the state of Illinois through this.

“I tried to do my best to serve the people of the state of Illinois,” he said. “I am not perfect.”

Madigan asked the judge to let him care for his wife. He also said, “I ask that you let me spend my final days with my family.”

But earlier in the hearing, Madigan’s attorneys told the judge he still insists upon his innocence.

And in the end, Madigan took no responsibility for his crimes.

Vote on pay ordinance for ride-hailing app drivers delayed

2025-06-12T14:59:33.705-05:00

A City Council committee delayed a vote on an ordinance to raise wages for ride-hailing app drivers, delivering a small victory for companies like Uber, which says the company could dump 10,000 drivers in Chicago if the ordinance is passed.

A vote scheduled in the Workforce and Development Committee was pushed until Monday, giving alderpersons more time to press ride-hailing app company representatives on a proposed ordinance that would pay drivers while they worked on the app, even when there isn't a passenger in their car.

If the committee passes the measure, City Council could call it for a vote as early as Wednesday.

Supporters of the ordinance filled the public gallery of City Council chambers as a panel of representatives from ride-hailing companies and drivers debated whether the ordinance could either drive up fares and force companies to cut drivers to maintain profitability, or help drivers earn a reasonable wage and additional security.

Several alders pointed to Uber's profit of $2.2 billion in 2024, and the CEO's compensation of over $30 million, as proof Uber could withstand an increase in driver pay.

"And you tell them that you cannot give them the minimum wage," Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) said.

Chairman Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd) told the committee the main issue during the months-long negotiations with ride-hailing companies and advocates remains the issue of either applying a minimum wage, which the companies prefer, or promising a portion of the fares for drivers, which advocates says could properly compensate drivers for car expenses.

The newly amended ordinance, first introduced in 2023, would ensure drivers receive a $7 minimum payment per trip. Drivers would be paid $1.50 per mile and 62 cents per minute, with those numbers being updated yearly with inflation.

Criminal penalties would also be created for people who assault drivers, similar to laws protecting emergency medical technicians.

The ordinance also clarifies why drivers can be deactivated from the apps. The rules require companies to give drivers seven-day notice for most deactivations and create an appeal process for drivers. The policy would also force companies to share a breakdown of a driver's earnings and the rider's fare.

Ride-hailing companies have been pushing back on the ordinance publicly.

Uber spokesman Josh Gold, in a letter sent this week to Rodriguez, said the company may have to cut 10,000 drivers in Chicago if the ordinance passes. Uber may also have to restrict Chicago-based drivers from doing trips outside of the city, curtail service in less busy areas and off-peak hours, and possibly have drivers buy their own commercial insurance.

Gold warned Chicago not to follow the path of New York City, which passed a similar policy for ride-hailing app drivers in 2019 and saw a 6% decease in the number of drivers. Gold said drivers in New York, who earn a minimum wage, must now apply to work in shifts. Chicago's ordinance needs a provision like that or Uber may need to cut thousands of part-time drivers, Gold said.

Beyond hurting business, Uber's tax contribution to Chicago could drop $20 million a year if the ordinance is passed, Gold said.

Andrew Greenblatt, policy director of Independent Drivers Guild, told the committee that the ordinance would fix driver issues with pay and safety. He warned that the ride-share companies were using scare tactics and would oppose any measure that cuts into their profit margins.

Uber refunds nearly $1.8 million in mistaken surcharges to Chicago riders

2025-06-11T13:22:29.128-05:00

Ride-hailing app giant Uber mistakenly overcharged Chicago riders nearly $1.8 million earlier this year.

An Uber spokesman told City Council members Wednesday morning that the company refunded all riders after realizing it misapplied a congestion tax outside of hours it was allowed to.

But, in a special committee hearing on the matter, the company said it is still waiting for its own refund from the City of Chicago — which has kept around $1.3 million of the overcharges.

It's unclear when the city may issue it's own refund to Uber.

The Department of Finance is waiting for Uber to provide "additional documentation" to verify the refund amount, Brian Carlson, deputy director of the department's tax enforcement division, told City Council members.

The special hearing was called by Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) to "demand answers" from Uber about the unauthorized surcharges.

During the hearing, Uber spokesman Josh Gold confirmed that the company issued refunds totaling $1,782,193.50, a number reported hours earlier by Block Club Chicago.

The downtown congestion fee was first imposed on ride-hailing cars in 2020 to help cut down on traffic. The tax initially applied to rides between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays. But the tax was expanded to all days of the week starting Jan. 6, 2025, to help cover a budget gap.

But that's not what happened.

Gold said the surcharges were misapplied to some riders due to a "technical misstep" when updating the company's system in December to apply the new daily surcharges.

The tax revenue increased on Uber's end, but that didn't raise any alarm bells because "it was not unexpected," Gold said.

He said the company notified the city in May, a day after the company realized the charges were misapplied after a media inquiry. Gold said 99.9% of riders were refunded within two weeks. All riders had been refunded within five weeks, he said.

The overcharge spawned an investigation by the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection and Wednesday's hearing with the City Council's Committee on License and Consumer Protection.

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), the only alderperson besides Silvertein to ask a question in the five-minute hearing, said he wants to revisit the $1.50 downtown surcharge in general, since it affects many hospitality workers who use ride-hailing apps to commute from work.

Feds want new trial for state Sen. Emil Jones III

2025-06-10T11:59:07.722-05:00

Federal prosecutors want a new trial for state Sen. Emil Jones III, whose first trial on bribery charges ended in a hung jury earlier this year.

Jones, a South Side Democrat, was not present at the Tuesday court hearing at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, where federal prosecutors first disclosed they intend to retry Jones for allegedly soliciting a bribe from a red-light camera executive.

Attorneys and U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood are expected to set a new trial date later this month.

A new trial could last four weeks since prosecutors intend to call "a few additional witnesses," Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri said in court.

It’s been a little more than a month since Jones’ trial ended with a hung jury. Despite being a relatively straightforward case, the trial featured plenty of intrigue. Jurors heard from a former red-light camera executive who wore a wire for the FBI after being caught giving "benefits" to public officials across the suburbs, and they viewed undercover recordings he made in 2019.

Jones also became the latest corruption defendant to take the witness stand at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. He was the first sitting state lawmaker to face trial since former state Rep. Derrick Smith, who was found guilty of bribery by a jury in 2014.

Ultimately, Jones’ trial turned out to be the third of four federal corruption trials in Chicago to end without a conviction since August.

Prosecutors say Jones agreed to protect red-light camera executive Omar Maani in the Illinois Senate in exchange for $5,000 and a job for a former intern of Jones. The ex-intern wound up being paid $1,800 by Maani despite doing no work.

Jones had filed a bill in February 2019 that Maani saw as bad for business.

The alleged deal between Jones and Maani arose over two dinners in the summer of 2019 at the downtown steakhouse Steak 48.

During their first dinner together, on July 17, 2019, Maani asked how much he could raise for Jones "in an ideal world."

Jones eventually said, "If you can raise me five grand, that’d be good."

The senator also asked for a job for the ex-intern during that dinner. Then, during their later meeting on Aug. 8, 2019, Maani told Jones he’d help the ex-intern "100%."

“And like I said before,” Maani added, "if you could just help me out with the, ah, the study to make it to Chicago."

"You’re good," Jones told him.

But when he took the witness stand in April, Jones denied that he’d struck any deal with Maani. He said his response to the businessman was simply "how I speak."

Chicago police officer was 'unintentionally' shot and killed by partner during Chatham foot pursuit

2025-06-07T13:17:26.15-05:00

Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera was "unintentionally" shot and killed by her partner when they encountered an armed person during a foot pursuit Thursday night in Chatham, police officials said.

Police Supt. Larry Snelling previously said that Rivera was shot about 9:50 p.m. while chasing a person who she thought was armed into an apartment building in the 8200 block of South Drexel Avenue. Once inside, officers were confronted by another person who was armed with a rifle, and an officer opened fire.

Police now say the officer was the only person who fired a weapon, and that the "gunfire unintentionally struck Officer Rivera."

The person who aimed the rifle at officers is still being held in custody, police said, and the circumstances that led to the initial stop remain under investigation.

"We ask that the city continue to pray for fallen Officer Krystal Rivera's family during this heartbreaking time," the police statement said. "We also ask that the people of Chicago pray for Officer Rivera's partner as he faces the loss of his fellow CPD family member. Though her loss weighs heavy on our department, we will continue to do all we can to protect our city in memory of Officer Rivera and her sacrifice."

Rivera, a four-year police veteran assigned to the Gresham District tactical team, hugged her 10-year-old daughter a little tighter than usual when she left for work Thursday.

Her daughter, Bella Medina, is grateful she did.

"When she said bye, it's like she had a feeling," Bella said. "She gave me the biggest hug, biggest kiss and she said, 'If anything happens, I'm always right here,' in my heart."

Rivera's family described her as a witty and funny person who approached her job as a police officer with care, sensitivity and justice in mind. Bella, 10, was her "life," Jacqueline Rivera, Krystal's sister, said.

An apartment building in the 8200 block of South Drexel Avenue where Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera was fatally shot during a foot pursuit Thursday night.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Snelling said Rivera "was a hero, and she lost her life tragically" when he spoke to reporters early Friday outside University of Chicago Medical Center, where she died.

He acknowledged that the police vehicle that was being used to transport Rivera to the hospital had crashed and caught fire.

"There was some type of malfunction in that vehicle that caught fire," he said. "But assisting officers came in and she was transferred to another vehicle and then driven to the hospital."

Rivera was pronounced dead at 10:19 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office, which determined she died of a gunshot wound to the back. She was 36.

Another officer sustained a wrist injury and was taken to the hospital in fair condition.

Two people fled from the apartment where the shooting happened and were initially taken into custody, Snelling said. Three guns were found at the scene, according to police.

"We have several individuals in custody, but one in particular who we believe was on the scene when the officers were confronted with the armed individual," Snelling said.

Snelling told reporters Saturday that the investigation is ongoing and the department is "always" reviewing its practices, including training and supervision, but it's too soon to tell if any policy changes will stem from the incident.

"Until we've had the opportunity to really sit down and work these things out, gathering all the information, it will be at that time that we determine what needs to be done to move forward," he said.

Snelling said the officer who fired the shot that struck Rivera is "in a very, very tough place."

"Unimaginable what that officer has to be feeling right now," Snelling said.

On Friday morning, a few officers were walking in and out of the three-story courtyard apartment building where the shooting happened. One officer carried a paper bag from the building to a squad car on the street.

Chicago Police Department personnel gather early Friday as an ambulance carrying Officer Krystal Rivera’s body arrives at the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

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A dedicated mother and daughter

Rivera's mother, Yolanda Rivera, was sleeping when she got a call from Chicago police. She slept through the call, but woke up later to the alert. She sent four texts to her daughter.

"You called me."

"On police phone."

"Kris."

"Are you ok?"

The texts were never answered.

"As soon as she wasn't responding I knew something happened," Yolanda Rivera said.

Yolanda Rivera spoke with police and went with Bella to the hospital. Doctors met them in a private room and said they tried everything they could to save her.

Krystal Rivera was planning her daughter's 11th birthday party, which was scheduled for Saturday. A fashion enthusiast, she had just bought a new pair of boots at Ross. She won't see her daughter turn 11 or wear her new boots.

"She never got to wear those boots she wanted to wear," Bella said. "She was so happy that she found them. ... She loves fashion and work at the same time."

Chicago police Officer Krystal Rivera with her daughter, Bella Medina, on a recent vacation to Puerto Rico.

Provided

Krystal Rivera was a single mom, and Bella said she and her mom were very close. On rainy days, they would color, talk and watch movies. The two would drive around looking for unique license plates and giggle at them. She often found her mom eating cereal with bananas on the couch and woke up to her doing sit-ups while she was in training to become a police officer.

"I'm gonna miss her," Bella said. "I want to go home with her. I don't want my whole life to change."

Krystal Rivera looked up to her mom, calling her Wonder Woman and trying her best not to worry her mother. Looking through her daughter's Instagram account Friday morning, Yolanda Rivera choked back tears.

Krystal Rivera was always put together with her hair and nails done. "She's so pretty," her mother said, crying.

Krystal Rivera had failed one part of a police academy exam, but she persisted to become an officer in 2021, Jacqueline Rivera said. It had been a dream of hers to be a cop since she was a child, Yolanda Rivera said.

“For me, it’s a privilege,” Rivera told the Sun-Times when she graduated from the academy in 2021. “I come from a family of serving. To help people in need, that’s my calling.”

But Yolanda Rivera knew her daughter's job came with risks.

"I told her probably a couple weeks ago: Please get a different job or get a desk job, it's so dangerous out there," Yolanda Rivera said. "She kept on telling me 'Mom, I'm gonna be OK. Don't worry, Mom.'"

Krystal Rivera plays cards with her daughter. Her daughter said Rivera loved fashion and her job.

Provided

On the job and in her personal life, Krystal Rivera was "selfless" and never complained, even when work got hard, Jacqueline Rivera said.

"The cases were very heartfelt for her," Jacqueline Rivera said. "But she never wanted to bring that back home. I would see it in her expression, she had worries."

Rivera loved action and comedy movies, especially the Transformers and anything starring Jim Carrey, and she had just bought tickets for a country music concert in the fall, her family said. She cared about animals and dreamed of living on a farm in Wisconsin, her mom said.

"If you want to think of a good person, a great person, as an example you'll think of her," Bella said.

Seven other officers have been killed in line-of-duty shootings since 2018, according to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. Two other officers, Eduardo Marmolejo and Conrad Gary, were fatally struck by a commuter train while chasing a gunman on the Far South Side in December 2018.

Enrique Martinez was shot and killed during a traffic stop in November in the 8000 block of South Ingleside Avenue, just blocks from where Rivera was killed. Martinez was shot with a gun equipped with an extended magazine and modified to fire automatically.

Darion McMillian, a convicted felon from Harvey, is charged with murder and other felonies in Martinez's death.

The scene in the 8200 block of South Drexel Avenue on Friday, where Officer Krystal Rivera was fatally shot the night before.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

‘The entire city of Chicago is grieving’

Snelling said Rivera "was a working police officer trying to keep the streets safe," noting that she had “already processed two other guns working that day.

"I want everyone to keep this officer's family in your prayers," Snelling told reporters early Friday. "And understand the risk that she took every single day when she came out to do her job, with no regard and with a clear understanding that it's always possible when you're doing this type of work that you may not return home."

Speaking alongside Snelling, Mayor Brandon Johnson said Rivera's "young, energetic and bold approach towards keeping us safe is the memory that we will honor."

"The entire city of Chicago is grieving and mourning together over this tragic loss of one of Chicago's finest," the mayor said. "This young woman served honorably and courageously."

The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation will provide Rivera’s family with financial and emotional support in the coming days.

“Four years into a promising career and Officer Rivera had already earned the respect of her colleagues and superiors,” the memorial foundation said in a statement.

“Krystal was a hard-working, tough police officer who led by example and was a mentor to younger officers coming on the job.

“She represented everything we want our police officers to be: smart, assertive, tough, compassionate and professional. Krystal greeted each tour of duty with zeal and enthusiasm and worked every day to make Chatham, and our city, safer.”

Chicago police officers collect evidence and conduct their investigation Friday at an apartment building in the 8200 block of South Drexel Avenue in Chatham, where Officer Krystal Rivera was shot Thursday night.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times