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Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: As Thornton Township supervisor, Napoleon Harris III is getting paid like he's Tiffany Henyard
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Tiffany Henyard's messy run as Dolton mayor and Thornton Township supervisor thankfully is at an end. So you would be forgiven for thinking that outlandish policies like the $200,000-plus salary she was paid as township head would have departed with her. Alas, life in this ethics-challenged corner of the south suburbs never seems that simple. It turns out Napoleon Harris III, state senator for the district including Dolton and now Henyard's successor as Thornton Township supervisor after he helped prevent her from running for reelection as Democratic nominee, is making $202,000 in his township role, a fact made public thanks to an investigative report by WGN-TV's Ben Bradley. Bradley reported that, between Harris' township pay (plus expenses) and his state Senate compensation, Harris is set to collect nearly $380,000 annually. All courtesy of taxpayers. That wildly inflated salary — supervisors of Illinois townships in Thornton's size range typically earn no more than $50,000 a year and most less than that — is a relic of the long tenure of south suburban power broker Frank Zuccarelli, Thornton supervisor from 1993 until his death in 2022. Henyard inherited Zuccarelli's $200,000-plus salary when she was appointed to the post following his death, and the exorbitant pay became a central part of the narrative around her scandalous term, which also featured liberal use of taxpayer-funded credit cards for expensive hotels and restaurants during business travel. When Bradley recently confronted Harris about the salary, Harris said the matter was settled by state law. He said he had nothing to do with the 2024 statute that prevented Thornton Township from lowering it. But the pertinent provisions in that law — a broader measure originally aimed at setting aside a week to recognize victims of Crohn's disease, but which morphed into a vehicle for expanding voting access — were identical to language in a separate bill Harris had introduced earlier in 2024. The amendment tying the hands of Thornton Township taxpayers was offered by Senate President Don Harmon. Harris is a member of Democratic leadership in the state Senate. The assertion that he had nothing to do with his self-serving bill's insertion into an unrelated measure — all while it was becoming clear that Henyard was highly unlikely to win reelection in 2025 either as Dolton mayor or as Thornton Township supervisor — simply is extremely hard to believe. Whatever the story behind Harris' inability to reverse this Henyardian excess that now is conveniently enriching him, there's no excuse for failing to take action now and lower the supervisor's salary to a reasonable level. Harmon, who himself is under fire for questionable political fundraising practices, ought to make it a priority in the upcoming legislative veto session in October to repeal that provision and prevent Harris from continuing to defend his outlandish salary as something out of his control.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Woman injured in hit-and-run crash as ICE protestors moved through downtown
CHICAGO — A woman was injured Tuesday afternoon after she was struck by a car as a group of anti-ICE protestors moved through downtown Chicago. According to Chicago police, the crash unfolded around 6:30 p.m. in the 100 block of East Monroe Street amid a large anti-ICE protest. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Officers said the victim, a 66-year-old woman, was standing in the roadway when she was struck by an unknown vehicle. The woman suffered a broken arm and was taken to the hospital, where she was treated and released. While police have not specifically confirmed that the crash unfolded during the protest, WGN-TV's cameras were rolling on the scene when a car narrowly missed protesters gathered in the area. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines A WGN-TV employee said he saw the car parked first on State and Monroe, adding that the driver appeared to be taunting officers with a can of spray paint before she got in the car and drove through the protest. No other injuries were reported and no arrests have been made. An investigation into the crash is now underway. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protesters rally against ICE in downtown Chicago
*Editor's note: The video above is from a previous report. A new video will be added during WGN Evening News at 6. CHICAGO – ICE protests are underway in downtown Chicago Demonstrators were protesting ICE and other federal agents engaged in the mass deportations happening nationwide. Images of people in Chicago being lured to immigration appointments before being detained are fresh in the minds of many. Comm'r. Jessica Vasquez saw what happened last Wednesday in the South Loop. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ICE arrests at immigration supervision building in Chicago's South Loop spark protest, advocates speak out 'I have never seen anything like, and I know I have a resident who was detained. She has a daughter at one of our elementary schools. She was the only parent in the city. What's going to happen to what child?' Vasquez said. Those protesting on Tuesday said solidarity is key. 'I feel like ICE is treating the immigrants wrong and they're not giving them the freedom that everybody else should, so I feel like we should stand up and protest it, because that's the right thing to do,' demonstrator Dezirre Harris said. ICE raids: What are your rights when approached by an immigration officer? It wasn't long before this group was on the move, flanked by officers on foot, in SUV and on bicycles. This protest was held ahead of another protest also planned for Tuesday at Federal Plaza. That one is anticipated to be much bigger. Some people who spoke with WGN-TV are hopeful things will remain peaceful. Tensions in Los Angeles also remain high after President Trump sent the National Guard and Marines to the city of angels to assist with immigration raids. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) spoke Tuesday reflecting on the deployment of National Guardsmen to Los Angeles. Broadview ICE facility faces scrutiny over alleged poor conditions, treatment 'Addressing it effectively means not grandstanding, but giving law enforcement the resources they need to control the situation,' Durbin said. Durbin added on Tuesday what we're seeing in Los Angeles is the first time the National Guard has been deployed for a domestic operation without the request of a governor since the 1960s, when the National Guard was sent to Alabama to protect Civil Rights demonstrations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
College Student Allegedly Created Undressed Images Of Classmates With AI, Then Sold Them
A Northern Illinois University student was arrested Tuesday after authorities said he admitted to using artificial intelligence to create deepfake child sexual abuse material of female students, most of whom he went to high school with. 'There was one from when I was 15. I'm almost 20 years old now,' one victim told Chicago station WGN-TV. The victim's adolescent photo was one of many images that 19-year-old Michael Erickson allegedly used to produce realistic-looking images with the help of AI, according to the outlet. Police say most of the victims had been Erickson's classmates and were between 13 and 17 years old at the time the photos were taken. Erickson was charged this week with 21 felony counts related to child sex abuse material, including 'production of child pornography, disseminating child pornography and possession of child pornography,'according to a press release shared with HuffPost. A lawyer listed in Erickson's records did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Erickson's arrest stemmed from a tip Batavia police received in April from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to a charging document obtained by HuffPost. A month later, DeKalb County Sheriff's Office deputies searched Erickson's dorm room at Northern Illinois University to find 20,000 images of suspected child sexual abuse material. A spokesperson for Northern Illinois University told ABC affiliate WLS-TV that 'the student no longer lives in campus housing.' Deputies noted that several photos of one victim on Erickson's devices had been uploaded to Telegram, a messaging platform, according to the document. Users in the Telegram chat paid Erickson to have that victim's clothing removed in the images. In total, Erickson 'disseminated more than 35 deep fake images' of that victim to others online, including on Snapchat, police said. That victim told police she was 17 years old at the time her photo was taken, and that she had graduated from high school with Erickson. Deputies went on to list several more victims who attended high school with Erickson, the youngest being 13 at the time her photo was taken. Erickson allegedly disseminated thousands of images of child sex abuse material —including both photos and videos — since at least the end of February to March. According to a Snapchat conversation from March 3 cited in the document, Erickson told a prospective buyer that he charged 'cheap' prices, which he listed as '10$ for 10 pics 5$ for 5 and 20$ for 20.' When asked by another user why he made so many images, Erickson responded, 'to sell them to boys.' Erickson was granted pretrial release Tuesday and ordered not to have any contact with minors or access to the internet, WGN-TV reports. He is due in court on July 17. MLK Jr.'s Daughter Slams 'Vile' Deepfake Video Of Civil Rights Leader Endorsing Trump Megan Thee Stallion Sues Blogger For Alleged Cyberstalking, Promotion Of Deepfake Porn Here's How To Spot AI-Generated Deepfake Images
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Jewish festival organizers boost security amid recent anti-Semitic attacks
MORTON GROVE, Ill. (WGN) – The largest Jewish cultural event in the area is set for this weekend, right on the heels of two violent anti-Semitic attacks. On Sunday, a forest preserve in Morton Grove will be hosting a Jewish festival, featuring three music stages, 50 artists' booths and numerous food options. 'It is in that regard the longest-running Jewish festival in America and the largest Jewish cultural event in the area,' Michael Lorge, founder and chair of the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival, said. 'The philosophy is to share Jewish culture, food, dance music with everyone.' Chicago officials raise concerns over federal immigration raids in Pilsen The Greater Chicago Jewish Festival started in 1980 and runs every two years. It will be held at St. Paul Woods in Morton Grove this Sunday, June 8. 'It draws from around the area, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan people come,' Steve Franklin, a member of the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival Steering Committee, said. 'We've had as many as 15,000 people or more come to the event.' This year's event comes on the heels of two violent anti-Semitic attacks. Two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. were shot and killed outside a D.C. museum last month. On Sunday, June 1, a man threw Molotov cocktails into a crowd of demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, taking part in a walk bringing attention to Israelis still being held hostage in Gaza. A total of 12 people were injured. Suspect in DC Jewish museum shooting faces murder, firearm charges in 'death penalty eligible case' 'It's terrible. People feel angry. At the same time, people feel resolved. We do not back down on this,' Lorge said. With incidents like these taking place throughout the country, there is concern people might not feel safe taking part in Jewish events. 'We are not going to be afraid. We are not going to cancel the festival or say to people, 'Be careful. Don't come.' We're saying come. It's a time of solidarity. This is a time to share our culture in the most positive way,' Lorge said. SEE ALSO: 4 more victims ID'd in Colorado fire attack, bringing number of injured to 12 Festival organizers said this year they are working with seven different law enforcement agencies and their own security staff to keep the event safe. 'We have the festival itself, our own officers, Chicago off-duty police with a bomb sniffing dog, all kinds of resources that are part of our planning,' Lorge said. 'The grounds will be fenced. There will only be one entrance in and out. We are telling people there will be metal detectors. We want people to get inside and feel comfortable and celebrate, because we're sharing this event, not just with the Jewish community, but the whole community.' Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Organizers told WGN-TV no vendors or musical acts have canceled. The event will be held Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
