Today’s Headlines for Wednesday, December 24

• TikToker who hit and killed Darren Lucas, 59, while livestreaming on 11/3 in Zion, later solicited “mental leave” donations, charged with felonies (Guardian)

• “CTA Moves Forward with Promised Transit Oriented Development Plan As Agency Completes Historic Red and Purple Modernization Phase One Project”

• CPD releases images of 3 female suspects in knifepoint robbery of woman, 25, Monday around 3:30 PM on Red Line train at Chicago Station (WGN)

• “CTA facing pushback after several recent violent attacks on transit” (NBC)

• A gift from Brandon? “Mayor Won’t Veto Council-Backed Budget, Avoiding City Shutdown” (Block Club)

• “Vote On How To Spend $500,000 For Humboldt Park, Logan Square Improvements” including pedestrian and bike safety projects (Block Club)

• “Take CTA to Your Holiday Celebrations”

• “CTA, Metra and Pace Are Offering Free Rides on New Year’s Eve. Here’s What You Need to Know” (WTTW)

Streetsblog Chicago will be off on December 25 and January 1, and running on a light schedule, including Today’s Headlines and occasional posts, during holiday week, as we focus on fundraising efforts. We’ll resume full publication on Friday, January 2. Enjoy the season, and keep it real in 2026!

On November 12, SBC launched our 2026 fund drive to raise $50K through ad sales and donations. That will complete next year’s budget, at a time when it’s tough to find grant money. Big thanks to all the readers who have chipped in so far to help keep this site rolling all next year! Currently, we’re at $7,645, with $42,355 to go, ideally by the end of February.

If you value our livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-exempt end-of-year gift here. If you can afford a contribution of $100 or more, think of it as a subscription. That will help keep the site paywall-free for people on tighter budgets, as well as decision-makers. Thanks for your support!

– John Greenfield, editor