Good afternoon! It’s finally the weekend — having a day off on Wednesday somehow made the week feel twice as long — and I’m excited to go kayaking and get some matcha soft serve. Here’s what you need to know today.
1. Chicago’s once-powerful Ed Burke faces his sentencing on Monday
Nearly a decade has passed since an Illinois politician as significant as Burke faced sentencing at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. The need to send a message to others is sure to be on the judge’s mind when she makes her decision, my colleagues Jon Seidel and Mariah Woelfel write.
U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall has a chance to send the loudest message since Judge James Zagel gave 14 years to former-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Prosecutors want 10 years for Burke. Whatever Kendall does will add to a long-running courthouse debate about how to put a stop to corruption in Chicago — and whether that’s possible.
“It would be naive to think that there is anything stopping Burke, the consummate political insider with his coterie of misguided friends and well-wishers, from engaging in the same type of conduct in conjunction with public officials in the future,” prosecutors wrote in a memo to Kendall.
Burke’s attorneys hope to convince Kendall not to give him any prison time, saying that sending an 80-year-old to prison for 10 years raises the real possibility he will die there.
It’s unlikely Burke will walk away without any prison time at all, and a look at low-security facilities other politicians have been sent to give a glimpse of what the former alderman faces, such as strict rules and uniforms. [Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ]
2. The Cubs accuse a rooftop owner of selling tickets without a license
A federal lawsuit alleges Aidan Dunican and Wrigley View Rooftop have been selling tickets and using Cubs trademarks this year with an expired license, Kade Heather reports for the Chicago Sun-Times.
“There is no public right to a live Cubs game or its broadcast,” the lawsuit states. “At great expense, the Cubs control the Cubs team and Wrigley Field to create the live game Dunican and Wrigley View Rooftop seek to profit from.”
Situated down the left field line adjacent to the Engine 78 fire station, Wrigley View Rooftop holds up to 200 guests, including space for 85 seats, a skydeck, mezzanine and clubhouse. The lawsuit states the business collects hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from tickets and other sales.
The team says it has warned Wrigley View Rooftop several times this year about selling tickets without a renewed agreement, but Dunican and the business have refused to stop selling tickets or agree to a new license. There was no immediate comment from Dunican or the company. [Chicago Sun-Times]
Advocates are pushing to require school districts to teach sex education and help LGBTQ+ youth and seniors find affordable housing, Tina Sfondeles reports for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Equality Illinois is leading a push for the state to require sex education in public schools. The state currently provides districts with a “medically accurate, evidence-informed, response and trauma-informed guide” for sex education — but it’s optional for districts to provide. Parents can also opt their children out of it. The group has concerns the lack of sex education has led to bullying of LGBTQ+ students and people of color.
An effort is also underway to waive or minimize filing fees for transgender people as they request a legal name change — and allow the petitioner to request that a court seal the name change if public disclosure may harm their health or safety.
The group says affordable housing for the LGBTQ+ community remains a concern — both for youth coming out of care from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and for seniors. [Chicago Sun-Times]
4. Highland Park parade shooting suspect expected to change plea, prosecutors say
The move comes just ahead of the second anniversary of the attack that killed seven people and wounded 48 others at a Fourth of July parade, David Struett reports for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Robert E. Crimo III is scheduled to be in court Wednesday at the Lake County courthouse in Waukegan, where “it is expected that a change of plea will be presented to Judge Victoria Rossetti,” according to an email the state’s attorney’s office sent Thursday evening to victims and witnesses of the attack.
The email, obtained by the Sun-Times, did not elaborate on Crimo’s plea or any response to the expected change from the state’s attorney’s office.
Crimo has been in custody since he was arrested hours after the attack at the Fourth of July parade in 2022. He pleaded not guilty in August of that year. [Chicago Sun-Times]
5. ‘The Bear’ Season 3: Our favorite TV chefs are back — and so is Chicago’s star turn
The Bear returns next week with the third season’s 10 episodes, and fans will finally get answers to the burning question: Where do they go from here?
The trailer, film permits and internet fan theories have provided some plot clues. Sugar (Abby Elliott) is still pregnant, Sydney may become a partner in the restaurant, and Fak (Matty Matheson) and Cousin Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are still providing ample comedic relief.
The new episodes feature Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and his crew chasing the food world’s most exclusive honor, a spot on the Michelin Guide.
“We’re gonna get a star,” Carmy says in a trailer.
Several Chicago neighborhoods look like they’ll get the star treatment, including River North, Lincoln Park, West Loop, Ukrainian Village and Armour Square/Bridgeport. [WBEZ]
Here’s what else is happening
- The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal ban on guns for domestic abusers. [NPR]
- Robert Winnett has withdrawn from the lead editing job at The Washington Post after concerns about the ethics of his past work. [Washington Post]
- Hawaiʻi will create a roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its transportation sector in a landmark settlement to a lawsuit led by youth. [Hawaiʻi Public Radio]
- Nintendo dropped a surprise trailer for “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom,” which stars Princess Zelda. [NPR]
Oh, and one more thing …
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, directed by Rob Ashford and set in sultry queer Savannah subcultures, promises to be a summer theatrical blockbuster. But the approach is far from traditional, my colleague Mike Davis writes for WBEZ.
It took Ashford 10 years to bring Midnight to the stage. When the production opens at the Goodman Theatre in previews on June 25, the musical aims to recreate the culturally rich and eccentric world of historic Savannah, Ga., where the true crime novel unfolds.
“It just feels like a melange of a lot of different people and things and histories all just kind of living together in a great sexy harmony somehow,” Ashford told WBEZ. “That’s what it felt like to me. So I thought about how exciting it would be to try to bring that to the stage.” [WBEZ]
Tell me something good …
What’s your favorite way to beat the heat in Chicago?
Mary writes:
“I am a landscaper so my team and I are outside in all kinds of weather. I shun the sun by wearing a big hat, jeans, and a long-sleeved tee every day. Hot! I beat the heat by putting a frozen bottle of water on the nape of my neck which is a cooling center for your body. I roll it in a very large bandana and tie it in place. It works! I also drink electrolyte-enhanced and regular water because staying hydrated is crucial.”
Gretchen writes:
“As a kid, pre-AC, I used to love grocery shopping with my mom and stick my head in the freezer section! I suspect you can still do that!”
And Deb writes:
“Cool showers morning, noon, afternoon and night with a bottle of Diet Coke in hand!”
Thanks for all the responses this week! I’m sorry I couldn’t include them all, but it was great hearing from everyone.
