Good morning, Chicago.

The 95th Academy Awards will be held this Sunday. Ahead of this annual event, film critic Michael Phillips offers some thoughts on the nominees, who he thinks will win and who should win. See his picks and compare them to your own.

In the mood for a movie marathon before the awards show? Here you can stream Oscar-nominated films.

As organizers prepare to roll out the red carpet, Christopher Borrelli has a bone to pick with coverage. Nothing is iconic longer. More about why he thinks the word is meaningless now.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.

Subscribe to more newsletters | COVID-19 Spores | Compare house values ​​by postcode | Puzzles and Games | Daily Horoscope | Ask Amy | Today’s eAvis edition

After reports of abuse, neglect and other mistreatment of residents at a downstate mental health facility, Gov. JB Pritzker released his plan to improve conditions at the facility while giving many residents an opportunity to relocate.

Two former Cook County prosecutors have been indicted by a grand jury on perjury and official misconduct charges in a complicated, decades-old case involving a man who alleged torture after he was accused of killing two police officers in 1982, according to a special prosecutor who was assigned to investigate the case.

Lawrence Oliver, a former federal prosecutor and lawyer for Boeing, announced Wednesday afternoon at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, another chapter in a 40-year saga involving slain Chicago police officers, allegations of torture by police who worked under the notorious ex-Chicago . chief of police. Jon Burge and allegations that a Cook County assistant state’s attorney had an affair with a witness and incriminated himself.

Volkswagen said it would make its Emergency Roadside Assistance program free for some vehicle owners for the next five years after a program representative recently declined to provide police with GPS information for a car stolen near Libertyville with a toddler inside.

“The family was fortunately reunited, but the crime and failure of process is heartbreaking to me,” said Rachael Zaluzec, senior vice president of Volkswagen.

Northwestern seniors Boo Buie, Chase Audige and Robbie Beran forged a friendship through ups and downs and lost seasons. Now they are reaping the rewards of their loyalty.

Chicago native and comedian Brittani Nichols is a writer on ABC’s “Abbott Elementary.” Quinta Brunson, the show’s creator and star, spent time in Chicago earlier in her career and took classes at Second City, but ironically, that’s not how they met between Chicago.

Although primarily a writer, Nichols has also appeared on camera. When asked about a worst moment in her career, she recalled her role in the Amazon series “Transparent.”