President Donald Trump has commuted the federal life sentence for infamous Chicago-born Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover, abruptly ending Hoover’s yearslong quest to win early release under the First Step Act passed during Trump’s first term.

The two-page order said Hoover’s sentence was considered served “with no further fines, restitution, probation or other conditions,” and directed the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to release him “immediately,” according to a copy of the document provided by Hoover’s legal team.

The controversial move — part of a slew of clemency actions announced by the White House this week — appeared to have already sparked Hoover’s transfer out of the supermax prison compound in Florence, Colorado, that he’d called home for the past two decades.

But Hoover isn’t going free — he’s still serving a 200-year sentence for his state court conviction for murder. Officials with the Illinois Department of Corrections have previously said they would push for Hoover to finish his state sentence in federal prison due to security concerns.

On Wednesday afternoon, Hoover was listed in online state prison records as an inmate at Dixon Correctional Center in western Illinois, though it was unclear if he’d already made it there. The records show a parole date of October 2062.

In a statement to the Tribune, Hoover’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, called Trump’s decision “a historic development” after years of fighting in federal court.

“The courts have demonstrated a complete unwillingness to consider Mr. Hoover’s rehabilitation,” Bonjean wrote. “Sometimes the courts do not do the right thing. But thanks to the work of so many advocates and supporters keeping Mr. Hoover’s voice alive and ultimately the president taking action to deliver justice, we are thrilled to see Mr. Hoover released. Now it’s time for the IDOC to do the right thing.”

An IDOC spokesperson could not immediately be reached.

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Once one of the nation’s largest street gangs, the Gangster Disciples became a major criminal force under Hoover’s leadership, with operations that spread to dozens of U.S. cities and were as sophisticated as many legitimate corporations, including a strict code of conduct for members and a franchise-style system for drug sales.

“They had armies of lawyers and accountants. They had their own clothing line, music promotion company, political action committee. They had a structure that helped them insulate the leaders from the drugs and the guns,” Ron Safer, a former assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted Hoover in the 1990s, told the Tribune in 2012.

For years, Hoover has been housed in solitary confinement at the supermax prison in Colorado, which counts a number of high-profile and notorious detainees, including Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Sept. 11 terrorist attack plotter Zacarias Moussaoui, and Jeff Fort, the Chicago gang leader who founded the El Rukns.

The Illinois Prisoner Review Board last year heard arguments for Hoover’s release, but ultimately denied the request, records show. The review board won’t hear his case for another four years, records show.

Addressing board members last year, Hoover said he is a 73-year-old man who views the world much differently than when he went into prison, records show. A summary of his statements to the board said, “He regrets the wrong choices that he has made and the harm he has caused.”

“He argues that he is not a threat to the community, and that he will not do what he once did,” the summary of Hoover’s statement continued. “He would not make the same mistakes, and he admits today that he did make those choices in the past.”

Trump’s order was first reported by the news site NOTUS.

Reached by phone Wednesday afternoon, Hoover’s sister, Diane Cooper, said, “I’m just happy. (Trump) did a very good thing.”

“They can say what they want,” Cooper, 70, said. “I’m behind him 100%. He needs to be home. Right is right and wrong is wrong.”

Cooper said she didn’t know “anything” about a state sentence that might keep her brother behind bars. Representatives of Gov. JB Pritzker’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, Hoover’s son, Larry Hoover Jr., posted a photo to his Instagram account Wednesday afternoon of someone holding up Trump’s signed order with the words “Almost home!!” and two praying-hands emojis.

Federal prosecutors have vehemently opposed any breaks for Hoover, now 74, arguing he did untold damage to communities across Chicago during his reign on the streets. They argued he has continued to hold sway over the gang’s hierarchy while imprisoned, even promoting an underling he’d secretly communicated with through coded messages hidden in a dictionary.

Hoover’s attorneys, meanwhile, have claimed that decades behind bars have left him a changed man and that prosecutors have unfairly painted him as a puppet master to try to keep him locked up.

At a hearing last year, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey asked Hoover’s defense attorney point-blank: “How many other murders is he responsible for?”

“I don’t know what the methodology is for determining that,” attorney Bonjean replied, somewhat taken aback by the unusually blunt query.

“So many we can’t count?” Blakey shot back.

After Bonjean said she couldn’t “put a number on it,” Blakey went a step further and asked if Hoover himself would like to weigh in.

“He probably has the most knowledge of all,” the judge said.

At that hearing, which Hoover attended via a live link from prison, he told the judge he’s “had a chance to reflect on my life and the trouble that my existence has caused in the community.”

“Here in (the supermax) you’re locked up at least 21 hours a day. You go away in your cell and reflect on every aspect of your life, and you see things differently,” Hoover said. “You see things you’re proud of and you see things that maybe you’re not so proud of, and you realize that life is too short.”

If he were released, Hoover said, he would counsel others how to avoid gangs, not join them.

“I just want to say that I would be a credible risk if you were to allow me to go back to the world,” Hoover said.

Blakey had not yet ruled on Hoover’s motion.

Hoover was convicted in state court in 1973 of the murder of William Young, one of Hoover’s gang underlings who was shot to death that same year after he and others had stolen from gang stash houses. He was sentenced to 200 years in prison.

In the early 1990s, before Hoover was charged in federal court, former Chicago Mayor Eugene Sawyer lobbied the IDOC parole board on his behalf, arguing that Hoover could help stem Chicago’s street violence if he were allowed to return home, the Tribune reported at the time.

Hoover was indicted in federal court in 1995 on charges he continued to oversee the murderous drug gang’s reign of terror from prison. He was convicted on 40 criminal counts in 1997, and then-U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber sentenced him to the mandatory term of life.

“I don’t always agree with the guidelines,” Leinenweber told Hoover during that hearing. “Sometimes I think they are too draconian. But in this case, I agree with them 100%.”

Before last year’s hearing, prosecutors alleged that during a prison visit with his common-law wife in August, Hoover asked her if his lawyers wanted him to bring a copy of the “Blueprint” to Thursday’s hearing, which the U.S. Bureau of Prisons considers “a blueprint for how to organize a prison gang,” including governing principles, methods of discipline and a membership application.

The motion also revealed that an email message was sent Aug. 26 by a known Gangster Disciples member to 123 fellow gang members in federal prison referring to Hoover as “Dad” and using “coded terminology, in the form of a basketball analogy, to instruct all incarcerated GDs to stay out of trouble and temporarily suspend gang activity” until Hoover gets a ruling in his case.

“IN SUPPORT OF THESE CHALLENGING TIMES, THERE WILL BE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR ANY INCIDENTS ON THE COURT,” the all-caps message read, according to the prosecution filing.

“This communication is deeply concerning,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz wrote at the time. “It demonstrates the continued power high-ranking GD leaders, and specifically Larry Hoover, hold over the GDs (and) underscores the extremely high risk of recidivism and the danger to the community if Hoover is released.”

Schwartz also said that Hoover’s life sentence was appropriate, given his place as one of the most dangerous criminals ever prosecuted in Chicago’s federal court.

But Hoover’s lawyers argued it’s the government that has proselytized the myth of Hoover as some arch-criminal who can still command the masses — because it suits their endgame of keeping him locked up.

“It is not in dispute that many people from all walks of life, including politicians, celebrities, community activists and people who self-identify as GDs, support Hoover,” Bonjean wrote in a 2022 court filing. “Indeed, the fact that Mr. Hoover is supported by individuals who are not gang members is what frightens the government the most. The government does not want to see a rehabilitated Hoover. It wants to hold on to its narrative of Hoover as the most notorious dangerous, and violent man on the planet.”

Bonjean argued in the September hearing that Hoover should be looked at as a human being, not a monster. He entered prison illiterate and has since earned his GED and taken classes on robotics, art history and the life of Abraham Lincoln, she said. A voracious reader, Hoover “would have a PhD by now if that type of programming was available to him,” according to Bonjean.

She also said it’s “rubbish” to think Hoover is still commanding gang members, some of whom weren’t even born when he entered prison. “If Mr. Hoover is held responsible for every criminal act by those who self-identify as a GD, well then I guess he’s toast,” she said.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

ckubzansky@chicagotribune.com

scharles@chicagotribune.com

The hype surrounding J.J. McCarthy was palpable on Wednesday afternoon at TCO Performance Center.

It marked the first time since suffering a torn meniscus last summer that the 22-year-old quarterback was on full display for the Vikings in the flow of the offense.

All eyes were on him.

So imagine what McCarthy must have been feeling when the first pass he threw during 7-on-7 drills was intercepted. After dropping back to pass and going through his progression, McCarthy uncorked a pass to Justin Jefferson over the middle. The ball was tipped in the air and picked off by Ivan Pace Jr.

The response from McCarthy was what proved he’s ready to take over as the starting quarterback of the Vikings. Though he easily could’ve let that mistake derail him for the rest of the practice, he took it in stride and put together a very impressive performance.

“Everyone wants to be perfect,” McCarthy said. “Especially at the quarterback position.”

In that same breath, McCarthy provided a peek into his psyche, displaying a level of maturity that helps explain how he was able to bounce back so quickly in real time.

“The more you try to be perfect is going to kill you more than your imperfections will,” McCarthy said. “It’s OK to go out there and take risks.”

That’s exactly how Kevin O’Connell wants the Vikings to approach organized team activities. He refers to it as the “learning phase” for a reason. He wants his players to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

What are some of the ways McCarthy has gone about doing that?

“Just anticipatory throws and trying to fit it into a tight spot,” McCarthy said. “Not being afraid to fail out here.”

That mindset has actually put McCarthy in a position to succeed. He attacked the recovery process with a sense of fearlessness as he worked his way back from a torn meniscus. That has allowed him to pick up right where he left off now that he’s back on the field with his teammates.

“There’s been a lot of lonely hours where it’s him and the training staff and the strength staff,” O’Connell said. “He looks great, and he’s feeling really good.”

The next step for McCarthy is continuing to progress. As much work as he was able to learn from afar last season, he still has a lot more to learn as he steps into the spotlight as the man under center this season.

“We can’t assume that he knows any particular thing just based upon the meeting room,” O’Connell said. “We’ve got to come out here and organically feel where he’s at.”

A big part of that has been seeing how McCarthy looks in 7-on-7 drills when he’s dropping back to pass and going through his progression.

“You can really get a feel for, ‘Is a guy reading with his feet? Is he taking the right drop? Is his base and body and balance positioned to the throws and sequence of the drop in the proper place?’” O’Connell said. “You can kind of coach backwards from the ending of the play.”

Sometimes that means getting together after an interception and discussing with him what needs to be better. Sometimes that means getting together after a completion and praising him for a job well done.

“Never satisfied on any particular outcome,” O’Connell said. “We’re building towards something much greater than just a single play here or there.”

As for McCarthy, he made it clear that he’s going to continue to carry himself with confidence, regardless of if he throws an interception or a touchdown pass.

“Not letting that carry over,” McCarthy said. “You learn from it, emotionally detach from that outcome, and keep just moving.”

Minnesota Vikings head coach talks with quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy (9) Max Brosmer (12), Brett Rypien (11) and Sam Howell (8) during an NFL football team practice Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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The Trump administration has canceled $766 million awarded to drugmaker Moderna Inc. to develop a vaccine against potential pandemic influenza viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu.

The company said it was notified Wednesday that the Health and Human Services Department had withdrawn funds awarded in July 2024 and in January to pay for development and purchase of its investigational vaccine.

The funds were awarded through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a program that focuses on medical treatments for potential pandemics.

The new vaccine, called mRNA-1018, used the same technology that allowed development and rollout of vaccines to fight Covid-19 in record time.

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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed deep skepticism regarding the safety of mRNA vaccines.

The cancelation came as Moderna announced positive interim results from an early-stage trial of the vaccine that targeted H5 bird flu virus, tested in 300 healthy adults.

“While the termination of funding from HHS adds uncertainty, we are pleased by the robust immune response and safety profile observed in this interim analysis,” the company said in a statement.

H5N1 bird flu viruses spilled from wild bird into cattle in the U.S. last year, infecting hundreds in several states. At least 70 people in the U.S. have been sickened by bird flu infections, mostly mild. One person died. Scientists fear that continued mutation of the virus could allow it to become more virulent or more easily spread in people, with the possibility that it could trigger a pandemic.

Moderna received $176 million in July 2024 and $590 million in January. The January award would have supported a late-stage clinical trial that could have determined the vaccine’s efficacy against pandemic viruses, including bird flu, a company spokesman said.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Remembering journalist and former City Limits editor Tom Robbins, who died this week after decades spent sharing the stories of New Yorkers who, as he put it, “were at work in the trenches…trying to do what government had refused to do” for their neighborhoods.

Tom Robbins and Annette Fuentes, City Limits’ editing team in the early 1980s, in the magazine’s offices. (Photo by Brian Patrick O’Donohue/City Limits’ Archives)

Tom Robbins first joined City Limits as an associate editor in 1980, having previously worked as a housing organizer on the Lower East Side, at a time when “landlords would step out the door and torch their buildings,” he recalled decades later.

That early community activism was a fitting gateway into a long and storied career in investigative and accountability journalism, including five years as an editor with City Limits and later roles with the New York Daily News, The Village Voice, and THE CITY. He most recently served as the Investigative Reporter in Residence at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, a position he held for years until his death this week at the age of 76.

“What makes reporting the greatest job in the world is that you get to talk to people and hear their stories,” Robbins said in a 2018 speech at City Limits’ 42nd anniversary gala, where he was honored with the newsroom’s Urban Journalist Award. “And there were no better stories to be recorded than those told by the folks who were at work in the trenches back then trying to do what government had refused to do—to stop abandonment, to rescue buildings from lousy landlords, to push banks and politicians to reinvest, to create new affordable homes.”

Tom Robbins, right, with former City Limits editor Jarrett Murphy
in 2018. (Photo by Larry Racioppo)

Robbins recorded countless such stories during his decades covering the city. He marched alongside housing organizers in spring of 1985 as they picketed on Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower, “battling programs that granted fat tax breaks to luxury development while shortchanging affordable housing.” He chronicled the long fight over Seward Park, five-acres of land along Manhattan’s Delancey Street that sat vacant for years after the city evicted thousands of residents, and razed their homes, in an act of “urban renewal.” He attended the housing court hearing of a single mother and her son in Queens facing eviction from their apartment, where the landlord had removed the doors in an attempt to get them out.

“Writing for City Limits allowed me to be a witness to the battles everyday New Yorkers were waging in neighborhoods throughout the city,” Robbins said in that earlier gala speech.

He continued:

“Being there changes you. It informs how you see the world. Icicles on a radiator in an East Flatbush apartment where kids are huddled under blankets. (I remember this one clearly because my pal Marc Jahr took a photo of it). Slick rat holes in a tenement on Norfolk Street where the landlord is trying to evict everyone. Roofs caved in by fires purposely set to empty a huge complex in Boro Park. A millionaire politician preening at the old Board of Estimate that low income housing only breeds crime. I’ve been out of City Limits for more than 30 years but those images stay with me, and shape how I see the world I write about.”

“But the bigger story from that time—and this is another takeaway—remains to be told: How New York City was really saved from what’s now considered the bad old days. Somehow the prevailing wisdom among those who claim to know what turned New York around in that era is that it was largely the work of a few farsighted politicians and financial leaders. That ultimately it took a mayor who promised to crack down wherever there were broken windows. That kind of talk always makes me grind my teeth. Because those of us who watched it happen know that neighborhood groups were the only ones fixing broken windows decades before that mayor took office. And they had to do it largely on their own.”

You can read Robbins’ full remarks from that 2018 event here.

Beyond his own reporting, Robbins taught and mentored many emerging journalists in the craft of covering New Yorkers’ stories, and always with an eye toward exposing injustice. City Limits was lucky to collaborate on and publish some of that work, including student-led investigations into a web of deteriorating properties owned by a notorious Bronx landlord, and another into how errors on court and law enforcement records threatened the livelihoods of millions across New York State.

–Jeanmarie Evelly, editor, City Limits

When I first came to New York in 1986 to help launch a not-for-profit dedicated to media criticism, I was fortunate enough to encounter Tom Robbins for the first time. Tom was 11 years older than me, and he had already accomplished much by then—first by being City Limits’ formative editor, and having made waves early in what would be a decades-long tenure of path breaking reportage at the Village Voice and Daily News.

When I met him, Tom already felt part of a larger than life historic cohort of New York journalists. He, and the cadre of civically engaged reporters and columnists then working at the Village Voice (and elsewhere), had a definitively New York sensibility. This was not only as a result of their beats, but in the brave, stubborn way they went about covering stories and uncovering graft, vanity and hubris.  No fear or favor. Corrupt political dealings, unions failing on their promise, the perversion of justice or the pernicious influence of organized crime in city life—all were targets for Tom.

He was an avatar of a tradition that stretched back to Jacob Riss and Nellie Bly and went through Breslin, Kempton, Hamill, Newfield and his comrade in arms, Wayne Barrett. Tom worked not only at breaking stories but seeking in his own way to investigate, interrogate and define the promise and peril of New York City. 

Tom Robbins, pictured at the podium, introducing former Village Voice colleague Wayne Barrett at City Limits’ gala in 2016. (Photo by Adi Talwar)

At the very first, he seemed a little larger than life to me, but swiftly we became friendly, sometimes combatively so when I moved on to become a press secretary in local government. When I later became the steward of City Limits for a time in the early 2000s, Tom was a source of reassurance, wisdom, guidance and realism—not to mention support and generosity. His time as City Limits editor set a template for its work of serious, policy-focused journalism. A journalism that seeks to uplift the afflicted and hold the powerful accountable. The true north he set is still etched on City Limits’ compass. 

Tom carried a wry, sometimes slightly world-weary air that was leavened by a gentle sardonic humor, a proverbial twinkle in his eye, a reservoir of deep kindness and a seriousness of moral purpose in his work. He was a good man. He was the best of New York. He will be missed.

—Andy Breslau, board member, City Limits

Share your memories of Tom Robbins: editor@citylimits.org

The post Remembering Tom Robbins, Who Bore Witness to New Yorkers’ Everyday Battles appeared first on City Limits.