David Struett

A judge vacated the convictions of James Soto, 62, and David Ayala, 60, who were serving life sentences in the 1981 shooting deaths of a Marine and a teen girl in McKinley Park. They were both released Thursday night.

Brushing aside criticism that he has remained silent since the crash, CTA President Dorval Carter said National Transportation Safety Board rules prohibit him from commenting on the investigation. But he tried to allay speculation about a potential design flaw.

The National Transportation Safety Board is focusing on CTA rail signals, railcar brakes and track conditions as it tries to determine why the train couldn’t avoid hitting the snowplow near the Howard Street station.

Attorneys for two families say they were not notified that elementary teacher Andrew Castro had been removed from teaching in May 2021 over abuse allegations and that he continued abusing three boys outside school.

Robert Crimo III, accused of killing seven and wounding dozens more at a Fourth of July parade in 2022, asked a Lake County judge to allow him to proceed without the aid of his assistant public defenders and invoked his right to a speedy trial.

On the first day of the electric hot tub boat rides, cruisers enjoyed a leisurely float down the Chicago River under the gaze of curious passersby.

Lawmakers must consider new taxes, combining four regional transit agencies under one board and changing fee structures. The report recommends the state prop up public transit with $1.5 billion.

The federal grant allotted is less than the $873 million the railroad sought and won’t address Amtrak’s wish list of track improvements outside the station.

The owner planned to renovate the top two floors to create space to house migrants, according to a lawsuit. But a blaze broke out in a back stairwell before the work could begin, tenants and owners say.