Undercover video played at Madigan trial
Former Chicago Alderman and cooperating witness Daniel Solis returned to testify at the bribery and racketeering trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Solis said he complied with Madigan’s requests to introduce him to real estate developers in order to curry political favor with Madigan. Prosecutors introduced a video, secretly recorded by Solis, of Madigan meeting with a Chinese developer about a land parcel in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood.
Fed: State’s economic growth decreased
An economic indicator shows that growth in Illinois decreased in October.
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index decreased to .40 in October from .27 in September. Three of the four broad categories of indicators used to construct the index decreased from September, and all four categories made negative contributions in October, including production-related indicators and employment-related indicators.
Chicago voter turnout down
Chicago voters turned out at a much lower rate in this month’s general election than in recent presidential contests.
According to the most recent data from the Chicago Board of Elections, the percentage of registered voters who participated in this year’s election is the second lowest in 80 years. The only presidential contest with a lower citywide turnout was in 1996 when then-incumbent President Bill Clinton easily defeated Republican Bob Dole.
