Good morning, Chicago.
As the delta variant spreads, stories of vaccinated people with mild cases of COVID-19 seem to be becoming more common in Illinois, my colleague Lisa Schencker reports. This doesn’t mean vaccines aren’t working — in fact, doctors say they’re likely the reason the breakthrough infections are mild.
Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci said yesterday that he’s hopeful that the COVID-19 vaccines will get full FDA approval by the end of this month. While Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines currently have emergency-use authorization, it’s expected that Pfizer will get fully approved soon.
And in other news, the divorce trial for Ben and Julianna Zobrist is set to begin today. The workings of those proceedings could be intertwined with those of the ex-Cubs player’s lawsuit against the couple’s former pastor. Here are five things to know.
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One Chicago police officer was killed and another was critically wounded during an exchange of gunfire with at least one suspect during a traffic stop Saturday night in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side.
Police, family and the Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the officer who died as Ella French, a 29-year-old who had worked as a Chicago cop since April 2018. She was the first Chicago police officer to be shot and killed in the line of duty since Mayor Lori Lightfoot took office in 2019.
At least 47 people shot in weekend violence, including at two mass shootings in separate Gresham nightclubs
A sex-abuse enterprise? Breaking down the unusual racketeering case against R. Kelly.
Unlike R. Kelly’s previous criminal trial in Cook County over a decade ago, which centered on a single sex tape and ended in acquittal, the expansive indictment in New York accuses him of being the head of a criminal enterprise that for decades used his celebrated musical talents to not only sell records, but also to abuse and enslave girls, produce child pornography and satisfy Kelly’s personal sexual urges.
From R. Kelly to Trump: Why lawyers exit, and what it could say about their clients
A growing number of companies are pushing their return to the office back to October and beyond, as the COVID-19 delta variant fuels a pandemic resurgence across the country. Some companies are also mandating unvaccinated employees either get jabbed before they come back or get a new job.
The Tokyo Olympics closed Sunday as they began — in an empty stadium with masked athletes celebrating an event many of them feared would never happen. Built amid uncertainty and sorrow, the Games will be remembered for its many pandemic-era protocols. Its legacy, however, will be so much more than that for the people who competed here.
For the more than 60 athletes with Illinois ties, these Olympics will be the one where they set personal records, fell short of their own expectations, made their debut, suffered a controversial disqualification, won a medal after beating cancer, fought for their sport’s survival, missed their families, advocated for mental health issues, helped a teammate achieve a dream and had historic gold medals hung around their necks. Here are their stories, in pictures and words.
The best Olympic images from baiduhai photographer Brian Cassella
Just opened: 8 new restaurants across Chicago, including a plant-based kitchen in Wicker Park
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Rodolfo Cuadros describes his newest restaurant as plant-based — not necessarily vegan — for a reason, Tribune food critic Louisa Chu writes. The chef opened Bloom Plant Based Kitchen at the former Links Taproom space in Wicker Park. It’s one of a handful of new notable restaurants in Chicago — here’s the full list.