Thursday, January 29, 2026

A former downstate cop has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for murdering an unarmed Black woman in her Springfield-area home. Sean Grayson, who is white, fatally shot Sonya Massey in 2024. The Chicago City Council recently passed an ordinance to ban the sale of some hemp-derived products. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced a campaign to address the dangers of some micromobility vehicles, such as electric bikes and scooters. Plus, the International Puppet Theater Festival descends upon Chicago every January. This year, the Chicago group Manual Cinema is putting on its production “The Fourth Witch,” which puts a twist on Macbeth.