Good morning, Chicago. \u2736<\/h3>\n
\ud83d\udd0e Below<\/b>: How one school official stepped in to help a family separated by President Donald Trump\u2019s deportation blitz.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\uddde\ufe0f Plus<\/b>: A man tied to Chicago\u2019s power brokers is convicted in a violent extortion scheme, a mural honoring a slain Ukrainian refugee appears and more news you need to know.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcdd Keeping score<\/b>: The Blackhawks fell to the Wild<\/a>, 4-3.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udce7 Subscribe<\/b>: Get this newsletter delivered to your inbox weekday mornings.<\/a><\/p>\n \u23f1\ufe0f: A 9-minute read<\/i><\/p>\n Mostly sunny with a high near 16 and wind chill values as low as -13.<\/p>\n Diego and Rosa\u2019s story<\/b>: At first, Edith Rivera Courington expected her work with a pair of late enrollees would be routine. Rivera Courington supports students new to this country as assistant superintendent for English learners in a suburban school district that covers Westmont. She met Diego, 14, and Rosa, 13, when they arrived in 2023 after their parents died in Central Mexico \u2014 their mother lost her fight with lung cancer; their father was fatally shot. The pair joined their brother Federico, 18, who had been living with their aunt in the Chicago area.<\/p>\n ICE trauma<\/b>: Federico got a job in a furniture factory and the three siblings moved to an apartment outside Rivera Courington\u2019s school district, though they stayed in contact. Then in October, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained Federico on his way to work, sending him to a detention center in Missouri, where he remains. The aunt agreed to take in the other two.<\/p>\n Community aid<\/b>: Rivera Courington jumped into action for her former students, reaching out to food pantries, providing toiletries, helping them get out of their lease, giving them rides, finding legal representation for Federico, and compelling her family and friends to raise $1,300 for the siblings at Christmastime. \u201cThis is what we should be doing for each other. If there\u2019s someone in need, we should just help,\u201d Rivera Courington told WBEZ.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Navy veteran Daniel Lakemacher leads a crowd in anti-ICE chants Tuesday outside the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Anthony Vazquez\/Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n From left, Patricia Rooney, Jawad Fakroune, Lisa Duarte and Phil Stefan.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Illinois Sports Facility Authority, U.S. attorney\u2019s office, Sun-Times file<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Fakroune convicted<\/b>: A former top aide to the governor. A member of a state board that oversees stadiums. A top-notch Chicago restaurateur. They\u2019re among the people with whom Jawad Fakroune, convicted Tuesday of a violent extortion scheme, managed to develop close relationships, according to court testimony. <\/p>\n Jury\u2019s decision<\/b>: On Tuesday, a jury convicted Fakroune \u2014 a past felon \u2014 on charges of using violence to try to collect $1.5 million from a Chicago restaurant owner. He\u2019s to be sentenced June 30.<\/p>\n The trial<\/b>: During the six-day trial, jurors learned Fakroune masqueraded as Angelino Escobar, a son of the late Colombian cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar \u2014 even though Fakroune doesn\u2019t speak Spanish and is a Moroccan national. He was a well-known patron at Chicago\u2019s top restaurants favored by wealthy diners, politically connected leaders and sports stars.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n This summer, a new state agency will oversee early childhood programs and services that used to be spread across three separate agencies.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Manuel Martinez\/WBEZ file<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Unified programs<\/b>: Come July, a new state agency, the Illinois Department of Early Childhood, will be fully responsible for state programs that offer home visiting, early intervention, subsidized day care and preschool. It will also license and provide quality ratings for early learning programs.<\/p>\n Key context<\/b>: Prior to the agency\u2019s creation, these programs and services, as well as the grants that pay for them, were handled by three different state agencies. Parents often had to navigate a complex, fragmented system to get day care, preschool, or services for babies and toddlers with developmental delays. Gov. J.B. Pritzker created the new state agency<\/a> in an attempt to untangle this mess, unifying the services under one umbrella.<\/p>\n Issues flagged<\/b>: A new report from The Civic Federation points to several issues with which the new agency will have to contend. Quality licensed day care and preschool programs are not equally distributed across the state, according to the report. There\u2019s also a high turnover of child care providers \u2014 and their staff are not well-paid, part of a larger issue of limited funds for these programs, the report says. <\/p>\n READ MORE<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n A mural of Iryna Zarutska has been painted in North Center.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Anthony Vazquez\/Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Today\u2019s clue<\/b>: 9A: Adjective associated with both Chicago weather and Chicago politicians<\/p>\n PLAY NOW<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Chunks of ice float around the tip of the North Avenue Beach Pier, as temperatures plummet last Friday.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere\/Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Most people retreat indoors when temperatures plummet below zero. Sun-Times photojournalist Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere heads toward the water. Whether on assignment or not, his passion for shooting outdoors compels him to chase conditions others avoid.<\/p>\n LaRiviere said these photographs \u2014 captured Jan. 22 and 23 \u2014 look more like abstract paintings to him, with the ice formations creating otherworldly shapes and patterns. But what draws LaRiviere back to the frozen lake is its rhythm as waves interact with pancake ice, the circular or pebble-shaped discs seen floating on the water.<\/p>\n \u201cThe lake looked like it was constantly rolling, like little humps coming into the shore. And as such, the ice almost looked like it was breathing. A rhythmic motion,\u201d LaRiviere said.<\/p>\n To get the photos, LaRiviere wore four layers of tops including his coat, two layers of pants, two layers of socks, insulated boots, goggles, a face wrap and gloves.<\/p>\n SEE MORE<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Some trend forecasters are predicting a \u201creturn to analog\u201d<\/a> this year, anticipating more people may break from screen-centered habits in favor of tactile hobbies. So we want to know:<\/p>\n What\u2019s the best way to disconnect from your phone and reconnect with your passions?<\/b><\/p>\n Email your answer here.<\/i><\/a> (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.<\/i><\/p>\n Thanks for reading the Sun-Times Morning Edition!<\/p>\n Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.<\/a><\/p>\n Written and curated by<\/b>: Matt Moore<\/p>\n Editor<\/b>: Eydie Cubarrubia<\/p>\n The Chicago Sun-Times is a nonprofit supported by readers like you. Become a member to make stories like these free and available to everyone. Learn more at <\/i>suntimes.com\/member<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\nTODAY\u2019S WEATHER \ud83c\udf24\ufe0f<\/h4>\n
TODAY\u2019S TOP STORY \ud83d\udd0e<\/h4>\n
After Trump\u2019s deportation blitz rips apart Chicago-area family, school official steps up<\/a><\/h3>\n
By Chip Mitchell<\/a><\/h5>\n
MORE IN IMMIGRATION \u2736<\/h4>\n
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THE WATCHDOGS \u2736<\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/picture>\nMan who posed as Pablo Escobar\u2019s son, mixed with Chicago power brokers is guilty of extortion<\/a><\/h3>\n
By Tim Novak<\/a> and Frank Main<\/a><\/h5>\n
CHILD CARE \ud83d\udc76<\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/picture>\nReport finds issues with state plan to unify early childhood programs<\/a><\/h3>\n
By Sarah Karp<\/a><\/h5>\n
MORE NEWS YOU NEED \ud83d\uddde\ufe0f<\/h4>\n
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FROM THE PRESS BOX \ud83c\udfc8\ud83c\udfd2\ud83c\udfc0<\/h4>\n
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CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD \ud83c\udf2d<\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/picture>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nBRIGHT ONE \ud83d\udd06<\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/picture>\nPhotojounralist captures stunning views of icy lake<\/a><\/h3>\n
By Vanessa Lopez<\/a><\/h5>\n
YOUR DAILY QUESTION \u2615\ufe0f<\/h4>\n