Afternoon Briefing: The Disney show that lives up to all the expectations
One of the sons of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman could spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty today in federal court in Chicago to helping his father and brothers run the notoriously violent Sinaloa cartel, importing thousands of tons of narcotics into the U.S., bribing public officials and using murder and kidnapping to amass and maintain power.
By pleading guilty, however, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, 35, has agreed to cooperate with U.S. authorities in any ongoing investigations and testify against his associates in the hopes that prosecutors will recommend a sentence of less than life in prison.
Those details were revealed in a dramatic, 90-minute hearing under tight security at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, where Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to two counts each of supervising an ongoing criminal enterprise and drug trafficking conspiracy.
Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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When activist Jean Kaczmarek was elected DuPage County clerk seven years ago, she became the first Democrat elected to countywide office in 84 years and her subsequent work as clerk to make voting easier and more available was lauded by the party faithful.
But the appointment of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office as special prosecutor to investigate Kaczmarek's office over allegations of official misconduct has prompted concern among Democrats that the gains they have made in wresting significant control of the once strongly Republican suburban county could be at risk. Read more here.
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The Lake Forest College Board of Trustees has tapped West Chicago native Michael 'Mike' Sosulski to be its next president, the school announced. Read more here.
More top business stories:
Young High School in Chicago never has produced a first-round pick in the MLB draft. That could change Sunday if outfielder Brendan Summerhill is picked, as projected, after three seasons at Arizona. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
Disney's new North American tour, now playing at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, delivers just about everything I could hope for in 'Beauty and the Beast' — lovely music, dazzling costumes and standout choreography that made me fall in love with new moments in the show, writes critic Emily McClanathan. Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
President Donald Trump has sent letters this week outlining higher tariffs countries will face if they don't make trade deals with the U.S. by Aug. 1. Read more here.
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USA Today
44 minutes ago
- USA Today
Attorney General Pam Bondi appoints DEA chief as DC's 'emergency police commissioner'
WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a directive on Aug. 14 naming Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole as the "emergency police commissioner" of Washington's Metropolitan Police Department. "Commissioner Cole shall assume all of the powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police," Bondi's directive said, adding Cole will have the authority to issue orders that apply to MPD members. MPD's existing leadership, including the current police chief and bureau heads, "must receive approval from Commissioner Cole before issuing any further directives to the MPD," Bondi's order said. President Donald Trump said earlier this week he was deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington and temporarily taking over the city's police department to curb what he has depicted as a crime emergency in the U.S. capital, though statistics show incidents of violent crime have dropped. Trump, a Republican, said on Aug. 13 that he will seek long-term federal control of Washington's police force to crack down on crime, engaging in an escalating campaign to exert presidential power over the nation's capital, a Democratic stronghold. Muriel Bowser, Washington's mayor and a Democrat, has pushed back on Trump's claims that crime is rising, noting that violent crime hit its lowest level in more than three decades last year. Both federal and city crime statistics show that violent crime in Washington has declined sharply since a peak in 2023. Trump called the statistics "fraud." Trump has previously threatened to expand his efforts to other Democratic-run cities, such as Chicago, that he also claims have failed to address crime. Trump's extraordinary moves in Washington are reflective of how he has approached his second term in office, shattering legal concerns to test the limits of his office's power. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Attorney General Pam Bondi appoints DEA administrator as 'emergency' D.C. police chief
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New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Anchorage prepares for Trump-Putin summit as some pro-Ukraine protesters hit the streets
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