| Good afternoon, Chicago. A judge has raised doubts about the appointment of a special prosecutor in two cases involving a former Chicago police detective who has been accused of misconduct, requesting a representative of Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill
Burke to come to court and explain the office’s position. The matter is among a number of special prosecutor appointments that have come under scrutiny as defense attorneys raise concerns about the potentially lucrative arrangements, including in a case that was reviewed by the Illinois Supreme Court last year. These appointments are made by judges when the state’s attorney
has a conflict of interest or appearance of impropriety. 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. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History news Jordonea Hongo, 28, receives a hug from a dancer while sitting with her brother, Jeremiah, 18, and her mother, Angela, as the family attends the annual Spring Bling dance
competition at Hammond Central High School in Hammond, Indiana, on April 11, 2026. A tribute to Angela’s son Boaz Flemister and two other young people who died recently, was held during the competition. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) After Boaz Flemister’s death in a Bishop Ford Freeway crash earlier this year, Angela Hongo started a foundation in her son’s name to support Chicago dance communities. More top news stories: business SWAY Adult-Use Recreational Cannabis Dispensary located in the Lakeview neighborhood, April 12, 2024.
SWAY was one of the dispensaries that applied for a portion of the $32 million loan. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Illinois officials plan to award almost $32 million to licensed cannabis companies, in what some business owners said was a significant move, while others questioned whether it was too little too late to save the start-ups. More top business stories: sports Bulls coach Billy Donovan exits after a 127-103 loss to the Magic on April 10, 2026, at the United Center. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) This isn’t the end of coaching for Billy Donovan, 60, who figures to be a top candidate for openings around the NBA. More top sports stories: eat. watch. do. Michael Potts, Esco Jouléy and Alana Arenas in “Windfall” at Steppenwolf Theatre. (Michael Brosilow) At Steppenwolf Theatre, the lyrical playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney has written a play arguing that police settlement checks are little more than blood money, a cash-obsessed society’s way of sweeping harm to Black bodies under a rug and avoiding societal change. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: nation & world The Pentagon is seen from an airplane, April 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) U.S. forces have boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia, the Pentagon said today, as it puts into place a global warning to track down vessels tied to Tehran. More top stories from around the world: | 
