Good morning, Chicago. ✶
🔎 Below: The University of Chicago rarely expels students found responsible for sexual assault, posing challenges for survivors forced to come face-to-face with their attackers on campus.
🗞️ Plus: Advocates’ ICE immigrant data concerns, why insiders think a woman could become Illinois’ next House speaker and more news you need to know below.
📝 Keeping score: The Bears beat the Buccaneers, 27-24. The Bulls fell to the 76ers, 127-121.
🌤️ Today’s weather: Mostly sunny with a high near 61.
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⏱️: An 8-minute read
TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎
UChicago rarely expels students found responsible for sexual assault: records
Reporting by Lisa Kurian Philip
UChicago consequences: The University of Chicago rarely expels students who commit sexual assault, a WBEZ analysis of nearly two decades of school records shows. That leaves the door open for most survivors to come face-to-face with their attackers on campus. Survivors who stay in college often battle mental health challenges and struggle to go to class and focus, according to survey data.
School records: Between 2007 and 2025, the university expelled just seven of 36 students that a disciplinary committee determined had committed sexual assault, according to UChicago reports detailing whether students were found responsible for sexual misconduct and, if so, how they were disciplined. Nineteen sexual assaults were punished with suspension, with some students allowed to return to campus in as little as nine weeks, reports show.
Key context: Scrutiny of how universities hold students accountable for sexual violence has intensified following an alleged gang rape at Cornell University. Following two recent reports of sexual assaults with ties to UChicago, students there want more stringent minimum sanctions for sexual violence.
IMMIGRATION ✶
Contract loophole lets ICE access immigrant data: advocates
Reporting by Alma Campos
The contract: A multimillion-dollar contract with Appriss Insights LLC, which runs the state’s crime victim notification system, contains a provision allowing the company to share jail data with third parties, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, immigrant advocates say.
Key context: Illinois’ sanctuary laws limit state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, including sharing information about anyone held at a local jail or prison, unless that person has a federal criminal warrant.
At issue: Advocates say even though the state isn’t sharing this information directly, the loophole in the state’s contract offers a back door around sanctuary laws.
SPRINGFIELD ✶
Will the Illinois House elect its first woman speaker?
Reporting by Mitchell Armentrout
Change incoming: After last week’s bombshell announcement that Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, the state’s first Black House speaker, wouldn’t seek a fourth term, Democratic state legislators could blaze another new trail with their selection for the next leader of their chamber.
What they say: Five women lawmakers were among the names floated most frequently as the Sun-Times spoke with more than a dozen lawmakers, lobbyists and other insiders sizing up potential candidates to replace Welch. Many said it was time for Illinois to select its first woman speaker to help uproot an entrenched culture of sexual harassment.
Potential candidates: Among the names to watch: Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights; Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, D-Chicago; Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria; Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero; and Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago.
MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️
- Dem supporters rally downtown: More than 100 Democratic supporters rallied at Federal Plaza Saturday before marching through the Loop on Saturday following the midterm election results.
- Neighbors mourn family killed in fire: Maria Jimenez de Garcia, 69, her daughter Mariza Garcia, 48, and grandchildren, Valentino Vallejo, 13, and Francisco Vallejo, 24, left behind a legacy of faith, generosity, and community involvement, Rogers Park community members said.
- Gov. undergoes procedure: Gov. JB Pritzker is again undergoing an outpatient urology procedure on Monday that will take him away from public events as he recovers, his office said.
- Man charged in busjacking: A gunman who hijacked a CTA bus with passengers and demanded the driver run four red lights while waving the gun remained behind bars on Friday.
- General Iron block stays: The city’s decision to deny a Southeast Side metal-shredding business an operating permit because of concerns over air pollution and public health was upheld by a state appellate court Friday.
- Parking attendants end 4-day strike: The attendants reached an agreement with the Chicago Parking Association after launching what was characterized as an unfair labor practice strike, the Teamsters Local 727 union announced.
- G Herbo review: The South Shore native’s first-ever headlining set at the United Center on Friday showed why he’s one of the best rappers from the city today, writes Mark Braboy.
MUST-READ COMMENTARY 🗣️
- Alden Loury: Remembering my teacher, Mrs. Dukes, who gave me a better sense of myself and the Black community.
- Neil Steinberg: Maybe 450,000 Lollapalooza fans trampling Grant Park every year isn’t such a good idea.
- Rich Miller: When it comes to finding the right fit for the next House speaker, the one thing some House Democrats do not want is interference from current speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.
CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭
Today’s clue: 7A: Cocktail bar that Chicago Magazine once called a “Destroyer of Careers”
FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏈⚾🏒🏀
- Grading the Bears: There were big plays and mistakes, and also more mistakes. Somehow, the Bears pulled out a 27-24 win in spite of it all.
- Looming lockout: What might baseball’s impending work stoppage mean for this month’s annual GM meeting?
- Blackhawks make adjustments: After a terrible start to the season, the Hawks will make some changes — but not to their coaching staff.
- The Bulls’ bully: LeBron James on Sunday became the player with the most career points against the Bulls. That’s 1,916 points in 70 career games.
- High school football: Wheaton North, Fenwick, Cary-Grove and Wheaton-Warrenville South join the rankings and St. Ignatius finally cracks the top 10 in Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 high school football rankings for Week 13.
BRIGHT ONE 🔆
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Families kick off holiday season with MSI tree lighting
Reporting by Cindy Hernandez
More than 40 years ago, Bernadette McGonagle brought her 4-year-old daughter to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry to see the Christmas trees and kick off the holiday season. It became an annual tradition, and on Saturday, McGonagle, her daughter and her grandson were there in their best holiday-themed attire for the museum’s Tree Lighting and Cultural Festival.
The tree lighting and festival mark the start of the museum’s annual Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light exhibit.
The tradition began in 1942 with a single tree decorated to represent a different country each day for 12 days, symbolizing unity among allied nations during World War II, according to Matt Porth, the museum’s deputy director of guest engagement.
Now the museum displays more than 50 holiday trees decorated to represent countries from around the globe. Each tree is decorated by volunteers who sign up to represent a country.
“They’re constantly stepping up their game,” Porth said.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
What marks the beginning of the holiday season in Chicago for you? 🎁
Reply to this question via email (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.
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Editor: Michael Lansu
Copy edited by: Satchel Price