Good morning, Chicago. ✶
🔎 Below: A Chicago police officer faces federal charges of using his department credentials to buy an assault weapon and another firearm for someone who later smuggled them into Mexico.
🗞️ Plus: What’s next for the former Cabrini-Green site, the Leo Catholic High School choir’s “America’s Got Talent” journey and more news you need to know.
📝 Keeping score: The Cubs beat the Mets, 10-3; the White Sox fell to the Yankees, 8-1, reaching another 100-loss season.
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⏱️: An 8-minute read
TODAY’S WEATHER 🌤️
Mostly sunny with a high near 73.
TODAY’S TOP STORIES
Chicago police officer is accused of buying guns for man who smuggled them to Mexico
Reporting by Jon Seidel and Tom Schuba
Alleged conspiracy: Kevin Rodriguez, a Chicago police officer, is accused in federal court of using his law enforcement credentials to buy an assault weapon, and a second firearm, for a man who then allegedly smuggled the guns into Mexico for sale.
Federal charges: Rodriguez, 27, faces conspiracy and other charges in a nine-page indictment made public Wednesday. A Chicago Police Department spokesperson said Rodriguez was relieved of his police powers in July and is on “no-pay status.”
Key context: In recent years, as the police department has struggled to get out from under a federal order requiring sweeping changes, scandals involving the mishandling of guns have affected two other South Side police districts.
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Trump administration pulls $8 million from CPS
Reporting by Mary Norkol
Grant gone: The Trump administration told Chicago Public Schools on Tuesday that it will cancel a grant after the school district failed to abolish the Black Student Success Plan, as the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights demanded. CPS also refused to comply with another government demand: To issue a statement barring transgender students from using bathrooms or competing in sports that coincide with their gender identity.
The damage: CPS said it expected $8 million from the Magnet Schools Assistance Program and planned to use it to develop personalized learning programs and STEAM instruction in particular schools. CPS officials said they were reviewing whether they would be able to maintain these initiatives.
Key context: In relation to the district’s roughly $10 billion budget, the grant is relatively small. But pulling it could signal the Trump administration’s willingness to come after more of CPS’ federal funding, which is projected to make up about $1 billion of its 2026 budget.
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Former Cabrini-Green site gets new developer and plans that include apartments, condos, townhomes
Reporting by Abby Miller
New developer: The Chicago Housing Authority has chosen a new development team to transform seven acres near the old Cabrini-Green public housing complex, several months after financial pressures forced the original developers to back out. The CHA approved plans for Cabrini New Vision, a joint venture between Evergreen Real Estate Group and KLEO Enterprises, to redevelop vacant property at Clybourn Avenue and Larrabee Street.
The plans: Evergreen and KLEO plan to build about 450 apartments across four buildings, with at least 180 units subsidized by the CHA. There are also plans to build an even mix of condos and townhomes — about 75 additional units.
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MORE NEWS YOU NEED
Choir falls short on ‘AGT’: Among the top four in the “America’s Got Talent” finale, the Leo Catholic High School boys choir fell short of the votes needed to win Wednesday. The teens had endeared themselves to the show’s judges and fans — and shone a light on Auburn Gresham.
Man sues city: Kevin Jackson, whose 2003 murder conviction was overturned last year, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Tuesday against Chicago police detectives, the City of Chicago, Cook County and multiple prosecutors, alleging misconduct.
Guard charged in shooting: A Jewel Osco security guard is under arrest after she allegedly shot a 17-year-old girl during a fight Tuesday night at the South Loop grocery, according to a police report.
Mpox surge: Chicago health officials and care providers are urging residents to get vaccinated against mpox, as nearly 70 cases in Chicago have been reported in the past three months, the city said.
High mold count: The Chicago area experienced its highest level of airborne mold on record Tuesday, creating a hazard for people with allergies and other health conditions, according to a Loyola Medicine analysis.
Illinois wins suit: A coalition of 21 attorneys general, including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, won their lawsuit over the Trump administration’s attempts to withhold nearly $2 billion in disaster relief funds from states with sanctuary cities, according to court documents.
For ‘vulnerable’ neighbors: A plan long in the works to protect residents from rising rents and displacement caused by the Obama Presidential Center is on its way to City Council for a vote. It would earmark 184 vacant lots for affordable housing, offer property tax relief and require more notice to tenants whose landlords aren’t renewing their leases.
PICTURE CHICAGO 📸
EXPLORING CHICAGO ✶
Young Lords’ impact is on display in new DePaul art exhibition
Reporting by Courtney Kueppers
Looking back: In DePaul Art Museum’s new exhibit, “Tengo Lincoln Park en mi Corazón: Young Lords in Chicago,” curator Jacqueline Lazú looks back at the civil rights organization that got its start in the same neighborhood that the museum and university call home. The free exhibition runs through Feb. 8 at 935 W. Fullerton Ave.
Chicago history: Originally a street gang, the Young Lords grew into an advocacy group focused on the rights of Puerto Ricans who had settled in Lincoln Park in the 1950s and 1960s. These communities were facing displacement under Mayor Richard J. Daley’s plan for “urban renewal.” Despite their activism, inspired in part by the Black Panther Party, the Young Lords’ legacy has been underrecognized in Chicago.
Key context: Years in the making, the exhibit comes as museums face federal scrutiny about “woke” content. That language, along with the Trump administration’s attacks on diversity and cuts to arts funding, has led some institutions to play it safe in hopes of keeping a low profile. But the DePaul Art Museum isn’t backing down from its social justice-oriented mission, according to director Laura-Caroline de Lara.
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MUST-READ COMMENTARY 🗣️
President Trump prescribes lethal advice to American parents
By Neil Steinberg
The federal government will put warning labels on Tylenol. And Trump calls the routine, life-saving hepatitis B vaccination given at birth unnecessary. Deaths will follow.
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Supreme Court’s double standard on race
By Marc H. Morial
The message is clear: Race cannot be used to help you, but it can be used to target you.
FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏈⚾
QB analysis: If Bears QB Caleb Williams is rising, he should capitalize on the struggling Raiders defense, writes Jason Lieser.
Tucker’s return: After a strained left calf sidelined him for most of the month, the Cubs have circled Friday as Kyle Tucker’s hopeful return date.
‘I like the direction’: Mike Tauchman, done for season, says he wants to stick with the rebuilding White Sox.
BRIGHT ONE 🔆
John Mulaney will headline first-ever comedy show at Wrigley Field
Reporting by Cindy Hernandez
Chicago native John Mulaney will make history as the first comedian to headline a show at Wrigley Field.
Mulaney announced the July 11 show during a Cubs game Tuesday, where he sang the seventh-inning stretch.
“I’ll be the first comedian to ever play Wrigley Field,” Mulaney said during the game against the New York Mets. “It’s really cool.”
The show is anticipated to attract tens of thousands of fans. In 2022, Mulaney sold out the United Center three times.
While Mulaney’s show marks the first time Wrigley Field has booked a comedian, the ballpark is no stranger to welcoming major stars. The Friendly Confines have hosted live music performances for two decades.
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YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
If you know someone who hates Chicago pizza and you want to change their mind, to which restaurant would you take them? And what kind of pizza would you suggest? Tell us why.
Email us (please include your first and last name). We may run your answers in Friday’s Morning Edition newsletter.
Yesterday, we asked you: Which is more important to Chicago, historically and today: Lake Michigan or the Chicago River?
Here’s some of what you said…
“Lake Michigan. In the early days of the city, the river had to be of great importance for travel and water. Industry eventually overwhelmed it. The lake connects Chicago to the world and will keep Chicago one of the richest cities in the world by giving the city clean freshwater if we keep it that way.”— Billy R. Mobley
“The city made history by reversing the flow of the Chicago River. That amazing feat of engineering was recognized by the entire world.”— Terrence Camodeca
“Lake Michigan. It’s the drinking water source.”— Eric Has
“I find Lake Michigan more interesting than the Chicago River … I have very few photos of the Chicago River, but many many beautiful photos of Lake Michigan … It has only been through the recent development of the Chicago River Walk that the Chicago River is now accessible and enjoyable.”— Jan Crawford
“Neither. It’s the interchange between the two that is the reason Chicago exists, linking the Mississippi River system to the Great Lakes. The transportation network layered on top of this interchange is why Chicago continues to thrive today.”— Benjamin Ross
Thanks for reading the Sun-Times Morning Edition!
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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia