Hey there! I was really bummed to learn this morning that today is not Friday. So that’s how my day has been going. Here’s what you need to know.

1. The Chicago Police Department got grilled over far-right extremism within its ranks

Members of the City Council are growing increasingly frustrated with the department’s conflicting and sometimes puzzling reasons for why it has “not moved more aggressively against officers tied to far-right groups implicated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot,” reports my colleague Tom Schuba at the Chicago Sun-Times.

Police officials have long struggled to explain why one officer, Robert Bakker, was only given a 120-day suspension after an investigation into his ties to the neofascist Proud Boys.

That decision contradicts Police Supt. David Brown’s vow to show “zero tolerance” for officers involved in “hate groups,” critics say.

“It is a joke that we’re spending this much time and money to have this conversation when everybody here … knows that officer should not be on the force,” Ald. Andre Vazquez said yesterday during a meeting of the council’s Public Safety Committee. “It’s a joke!” [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. Chicago police say they are on alert after a neo-Nazi group declared a ‘day of hate’ this weekend

The Chicago Police Department says there are no known threats to the Jewish and other religious communities in the city, but it will continue to stay alert, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

A small anti-Semitic group based in Iowa last month designated Feb. 25 as a “day of hate,” and other hate groups are planning to participate, said David Goldenberg, the Midwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.

According to a Police Department alert issued this week, the “anti-Semitic proposed event has instructed like-minded individuals to drop banners, place stickers and flyers, and vandalize by way of graffiti as forms of biased so-called activism. These organizers request that potential actions be recorded and/or photographed to submit online.”

Hate crimes in Chicago reached an 11-year high last year, according to police data. In 2022, 38 of the 202 total reported hate crimes were against Jewish people, ranking anti-Semitic hate crimes second behind anti-Black hate crimes. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. R. Kelly will serve an additional year in prison for child sex crimes

A federal judge in Chicago today sentenced the disgraced R&B singer to 20 years in prison, but 19 will be served simultaneously with a previous 30-year conviction for racketeering.

That means Kelly, who is now 56 and, could be locked up until his late 70s.

“No matter what I do, Mr. Kelly isn’t going out the door after today,” said U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber as he handed down today’s sentence. “He’s not going out the door in the next 10 years, he’s not going out the door in the next 20 years.”

“Bear in mind he’s 56 years old. And as [his attorney Jennifer] Bonjean points out, he has a life expectancy of not a hell of a lot more — 8, 10 years,” the judge added.

Kelly’s attorney said she intends to file an appeal. [Chicago Sun-Times]

4. Community groups and volunteers are stepping up to help new immigrants seeking refuge in the Chicago area

“When a Venezuelan family arrived in Chicago in December after a three-month journey from South America, they found a city with little shelter space,” reports my colleague Elvia Malagón.

She takes a look at how advocates are racing to help immigrants find housing, sometimes even in their own homes.

“And just out of my mouth came, ‘I’ll take them,’” said Evanston resident Kristin Huzar after learning about a family seeking a place to stay. “I hadn’t met them yet.”

Chicago’s social safety nets have been under strain as more than 5,140 immigrants have arrived in the city, including those bused from Texas and Colorado.

Shelters across the city have quickly filled up, creating an urgent need for housing as some immigrants have been sleeping in shelter hallways and floors of police stations. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Meanwhile, many teachers and advocates say Chicago Public Schools isn’t doing enough to help migrant children arriving in the city. [WBEZ]

5. Chicago students are serving up an African American legacy thanks to a donation of nearly 2,000 cookbooks

Sandra Rosalie McWorter Marsh, the great-great granddaughter of a man who bought 15 family members out of slavery, recently donated nearly 2,000 cookbooks to Kennedy-King College, reports WBEZ’s Lisa Philip.

McWorter Marsh’s extensive collection, dating back to the 1930s, includes many cookbooks focused on African American cuisine, which often gets overlooked by culinary schools.

“African American cooking, which has its origins under slavery, and therefore turning food that wasn’t valued into delicacies, is a tradition that can contribute to world culture,” said Abdul McWorter Alkalimat, McWorter Marsh’s brother. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• The crew on the train that derailed in Ohio did not receive a critical warning about an overheated axle, federal investigators said. [AP]
• Chicago mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson faces questions about his previous support to “defund” the police. [Chicago Tribune]
• Sorry, kids. Chicago Public Schools will once again begin its next academic year before Labor Day. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Dogs would be banned for hanging their heads out of car windows under a bill introduced in Florida. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

Tell me what you think and you’ll have a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.

Well, not me specifically, but WBEZ wants to know more about you, how you get your news and what issues are most pressing for you.

The station has an online survey that takes about 10 minutes to fill out. And after you’ve done that, you’ll have a chance to win that gift card. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

What’s something new that you want to try out?

Melanie Holmes writes:

“As the author of the upcoming bucket list for this great state (coming in May, part of Reedy’s nationwide line), I’ve newly added hot air balloon Ride to my bucket list!”

Feel free to email me, and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week.