1. Chicago continues to struggle with gun violence, and the impact of that gun violence on its young residents. Over the weekend two
Chicago Public School students were shot and killed, and on Friday night, Chicago 18-year-old Janay McFarlane was shot and killed in North Chicago, just hours after her younger sister attended President Barack Obama’s speech in Hyde Park decrying gun violence.
2. State Sen. Toi Hutchinson dropped out of the race to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. in congress, and threw her support behind ex-State Rep. Robin Kelly. Jackson resigned from his position in the U.S. House of Representatives last November amid a federal corruption investigation, on Friday he and his wife, Sandi Jackson, agreed to plead guilty to charges of unlawful use of campaign funds stemming from that investigation.
3. As it considers closing up to 129 public schools around the city, Chicago Public Schools officials say they are listening to community concerns about the closings. Meanwhile, a WBEZ report looks at a cautionary tale in Philadelphia, where the city is dealing with the issue of dozens of abandoned school buildings. Once CPS closes the schools, the city will become part of a growing trend. According to Pew Charitable Trusts, 12 urban school districts throughout the country have 327 unused schools.
4. Last week hundreds of women gathered in Daley Plaza as part of the worldwide “One Billion Strong” movement to protest violence against women and raise awareness of the issue. The gathering was followed by an hours-long dance party.
5. In sports, the Chicago Blackhawks extended their point streak to 15 games, tying them with the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers for second longest point streak to start a season, with a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. And Joakim Noah and Luol Deng represented the Chicago Bulls in the NBA All Star Game in Houston last night.
