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Chicago mayor election: Lori Lightfoot officially begins reelection campaign

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Chicago mayor election: Lori Lightfoot officially begins reelection campaign
CHICAGO (WLS) — Mayor Lori Lightfoot has formally introduced her re-election marketing campaign.

Tuesday evening, she hosted a kickoff fundraiser, and is predicted to be hitting the marketing campaign path with a collection of stops scheduled on the South and West Facet Wednesday.

Lightfoot is raring to tackle a second time period whereas taking up her critics.

“Simply because some won’t all the time like my supply, does not imply we’re not delivering,” she mentioned.

In a highly-produced marketing campaign video , Lightfoot mentioned she’s a fighter who’s able to combat for Chicago for one more 4 years.

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“The actual fact is due to you, Chicago is coming again. Once we acquired knocked down by COVID, we got here collectively as a metropolis and we acquired proper again up as a result of that is who we’re and that is how we have been capable of make a lot progress regardless of all that is been thrown at us,” she mentioned.

Along with the pandemic, her largest problem could be the notion by many who crime is uncontrolled.

In simply the previous week, two Chicago law enforcement officials and a U.S. Marshall have been shot within the metropolis.

“Crime problem is her Achilles heel. That is one factor that she goes to must reply for in any respect prices. That’s the largest concern that I am listening to from voters,” mentioned ABC political analyst Laura Washington. “That is a problem that touches each voter within the metropolis, and he or she’s going to have to deal with that one head on.”

Earlier this week, she riled many within the legal justice system with a remark.

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“Given the exacting requirements that the state’s legal professional has for charging a case – which is proof past an inexpensive doubt – when these costs are introduced, these individuals are responsible,” Lightfoot mentioned Monday.

Cook dinner County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell Jr. famous Chicago’s historical past of wrongful convictions and false confessions mentioned the mayor was simply fallacious to equate costs to guilt earlier than somebody even goes to trial.

“The Cook dinner County Public Defender’s Workplace, within the final calendar yr, have represented people in over 10,000 circumstances the place there was a discovering of not responsible or costs have been dismissed,” she mentioned.

With out naming Lightfoot, the county’s chief choose issued a press release saying, “a current declare that each one these accused of violent crimes are ‘responsible’ and must be in jail previous to trial is fallacious on each the legislation and the details.”

However with six challengers already within the race, the ACLU mentioned the mayor was doing a little political posturing in an election yr.

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“It is actually unhappy to see somebody who, you recognize, as effectively skilled as a lawyer and a former prosecutor, elevate politics over constitutional rights in the best way that the mayor did,” mentioned ACLU of Illinois Communications Director Ed Yohnka.
A former prime prosecutor defended the mayor’s underlying message and believes she let her feelings get the perfect of her.

“I do know as a truth she labored on wrongful convictions is aware of the presumption of innocence. I do not suppose the general public ought to beat her up an excessive amount of on this she let the feelings get the perfect and he or she is aware of,” Former 1st Assistant Cook dinner County State’s Lawyer Bob Milan.

The mayor is already going through half a dozen challengers, together with candidate Willie Wilson.

“Her tenure has been marked by a failure to curtail the violence in our metropolis,” Wilson mentioned.

“As an alternative of a public security plan, she’s raised bridges, put up barricades and demanded curfews,” added State Consultant Kam Buckner.

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WATCH: Political Analyst Weights In On Lightfoot Reelection Bid

Some 250 supporters of Lightfoot attended a non-public marketing campaign fundraiser in River North.

“Principally, she’s acquired extra work to do,” mentioned Alderman Jason Ervin, twenty eighth Ward. “However I believed the temper was nice kicking it off, and I feel it is a good factor.”

The Republican Nationwide Committee launched a press release in response to Lightfoot’s announcement.

“A whole lot lifeless, out-of-control violent crime, and $6.00 per gallon fuel is the truth Chicagoans stay with every day. Lori Lightfoot resides in an alternate actuality if she thinks her observe report will rise up in a bid for one more time period as mayor,” mentioned RNC Spokesperson Preya Samsundar.

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Six different candidates have introduced their mayoral run.

Roderick Sawyer grew to become the second metropolis council member to announce a mayoral run Thursday, becoming a member of fifteenth Ward Alderman Ray Lopez. He’s additionally the sixth candidate general to announce a run, becoming a member of businessman Willie Wilson, State Consultant Kam Buckner, former CPS CEO Paul Vallas and Frederick Collins, a veteran Chicago police officer.

Copyright © 2022 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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Chicago, IL

2 women found dead in Englewood home after fire, Chicago fire officials say

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2 women found dead in Englewood home after fire, Chicago fire officials say
ByABC7 Chicago Digital Crew by way of

Wednesday, November 23, 2022 3:26AM

FILE photograph: View of the Chicago Hearth Division, the third largest municipal hearth division in america of America, within the Chinatown neighborhood on Sept. 24, 2014.

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CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago hearth officers mentioned two ladies have been discovered lifeless in an Englewood house after a home hearth.

The fireplace broke out Tuesday night at a home within the 7200-block of South Wolcott, Chicago hearth officers mentioned.

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The fireplace was struck out at about 9:10 p.m., CFD mentioned.

After the fireplace was out, firefighters discovered two grownup feminine victims lifeless within the wreckage.

It was not instantly clear if the ladies died within the hearth or earlier than the fireplace. No additional particulars have been launched.

The Chicago Hearth Division has not but commented on any potential causes for the fireplace or mentioned in the event that they consider it was suspicious.

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3 women united by Highland Park shooting now lobby for assault weapon ban

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3 women united by Highland Park shooting now lobby for assault weapon ban

HIGHLAND PARK, Ailing. (WLS) — Three ladies and their households had been good strangers up till the second tragedy introduced them collectively within the aftermath of Highland Park’s July 4th parade.

As Thanksgiving approaches, they’re united in goal and in gratitude for probably the most primary of all issues: life.

“I believed I used to be going to die,” Highland Park capturing survivor Liz Turnipseed mentioned. “That I used to be going to put there and I used to be going to bleed out and I used to be going to die.”

WATCH | Highland Park capturing survivor tells her story

“I used to be on the parade with my three grownup kids, my son-in-law and my 2-year-old grand child,” mentioned Debra Baum, with the Highland Park Gun Violence Mission. “Our complete household may have been worn out.”

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“July third I had 70 folks at my home and the following day our life bought flipped the other way up,” capturing survivor Lindsay Hartman mentioned. “So I simply know for me, I am attempting to take pleasure in it and never spend an excessive amount of time previously.”

SEE ALSO | Highland Park parade capturing short-term memorial opens subsequent to metropolis corridor

For Lindsay, not spending an excessive amount of time previously means internet hosting Thanksgiving for 30. Liz, who was one of many almost 50 folks injured that day, nonetheless wants a cane to get round, so she’ll be catering the meal and having her complete household fly in. Debra shall be coming along with the identical household she was with on July 4.

“There are numerous households in Highland Park that do not have folks with them this Thanksgiving due to what occurred,” Baum mentioned. “It is a very weighty realization.”

However there’s additionally gratitude for random issues and other people, like for the proper strangers who took in Liz’s 3-year-old daughter for a few hours after she was shot. And the neighbor she’d by no means met earlier than who lent her a step stool for her mattress.

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Turning ache into goal is what unites these ladies now as they foyer for an assault weapons ban in Congress. As a result of whereas life for them won’t ever be the identical, it does transfer on.

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Biden to extend student loan repayment freeze as relief program is tied up in courts

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Biden to extend student loan repayment freeze as relief program is tied up in courts

Tuesday, November 22, 2022 8:52PM

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Biden administration is but once more extending the pause on federal scholar mortgage funds, a profit that started in March 2020 to assist individuals who have been struggling financially because of the Covid-19 pandemic, a supply conversant in the plan mentioned.

The Division of Training will announce it’s extending the freeze one other six months with the primary funds due two months after June 30, the supply mentioned, until a Supreme Courtroom resolution on the president’s scholar mortgage aid program comes first.

The administration had beforehand mentioned the latest extension could be the final, and funds have been scheduled to restart in January.

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However the administration had additionally meant for its scholar mortgage forgiveness program to start canceling as much as $20,000 in debt for low- and middle-income debtors earlier than January. This system has but to be carried out because it faces a number of authorized challenges.

This story is breaking and can be up to date.

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