City briefings: Legislator's daughter charged in assault on opposing candidate

Jessica Soto, the daughter of state Rep. Cynthia Soto of Chicago, is one of two suspects charged Friday, Cook County prosecutors said, for an assault on Soto's political opponent that left him with a black eye, broken nose and six stitches to his forehead.

Jessica Soto and Bradley Fichter, both 26, each face three felony counts of aggravated battery in connection with a March 6 assault on Robert Zwolinski in the 800 block of North Ashland.

Fichter, a campaign volunteer, also was charged with filing a false police report, another felony.

Assistant State's Attorney Erin Antonietti said the 30-year-old Zwolinski was driving up to his campaign office that night when he saw the two putting up Soto's mother's campaign signs outside his office.

When Zwolinski got out of the car, approached the pair and pulled his opponent's sign down, an argument ensued that prompted Fichter to punch him in the left eye and Jessica Soto to punch him in the rib, Antonietti said.

Zwolinksi

Cynthia Soto easily won Tuesday's primary race against Zwolinski by a margin of 80 percentage points to 20.

Duncan hopes jobs can cut murder rate

When Arne Duncan got back to Chicago after stepping down as head of the U.S. Department of Education, he couldn't believe how bad the murder rate had become during his seven-year absence.

So he's taking a private-sector job with a venture fund founded by billionaire Steve Jobs' widow. In a new Chicago-based office, he underprivileged neighborhoods and also connect young men who are out of school and out of work with those jobs, Duncan announced.

"I felt like I owed it to the city to try," Duncan said. "I couldn't look away, I couldn't ignore this."

Duncan and a small staff will open a Chicago office for the Silicon Valley-based Emerson Collective LLC, formed in 2011 by Laurene Powell Jobs, who inherited her husband's $14 billion fortune.

City declares war on teen smoking

Big Tobacco took it on the chin Wednesday when Chicago raised its smoking age to 21, outlawed discounts, slapped a $6 million tax on cigars, roll-your-own tobacco and smokeless tobacco and banned chaw altogether at sports stadiums.

With a few minor tweaks, Mayor Rahm Emanuel strengthened a sweeping anti-smoking agenda that has driven the teen smoking rate down to 10.7 percent. The mayor has now set his sights on what he called the "attainable goal" of creating a "tobacco-free generation."

Big Uber debt spurs

futile licensing bid

Uber and Lyft drivers owe Chicago taxpayers $15 million - for unpaid parking tickets, red-light and speed camera fines and overdue water bills - fueling demands to require them to get chauffeur's licenses.

When Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Maria Guerra Lapacek revealed the level of outstanding debt to the City Council's License Committee, Alderman John Arena moved immediately to hold Uber and Lyft drivers to the same licensing standards as cabdrivers.

But Arena's motion was rejected by a closer than normal, 6-to-5 vote. The License Committee then forged ahead with Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to appease struggling cabdrivers by reducing fines and relaxing licensing requirements. Cabbies have likened those tweaks to "shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic."

Arbitrator rules in favor of cop tattoos

Fired Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy violated the police contract when he "unilaterally" required rank-and-file police officers to cover up their tattoos, an independent arbitrator has ruled.

Five months after a federal judge ruled that the no visible tattoo edict does not violate the officers' First Amendment rights, arbitrator Jacalyn Zimmerman upheld a grievance filed by the Fraternal Order of Police.

"The appropriate remedy is for the department to rescind the revisions and restore the prior policy, rescind and make employees whole for any discipline issued pursuant to these revisions and to make employees whole for any discipline issued pursuant to these revision and to make employees whole for their demonstrable losses resulting from compliance with the revisions," Zimmerman wrote.

Hyde Park office set for Obama library

The Obama Foundation moved to Hyde Park from downtown Chicago on Friday, putting its first footprint on the South Side.

About seven employees made the move to 5235 S. Harper Court, in a building owned by the University of Chicago.

The Foundation is in charge of the creation of the Obama Center, the presidential library and museum to be located either in Jackson or Washington parks

• This week's City Briefing was collected in partnership with the Chicago Sun-Times. For complete versions of the items, check chicago.suntimes.com.