Good morning, Chicago.
All the punk rage in the world couldn’t stop a deluge of rain that turned Riot Fest into a mud-pocalypse over the weekend — but organizers say they are already working to repair the damage done to Douglass Park.
The three-day music fest, known for its eclectic mix of punk, metal, rap and, this year, mariachi, was drenched with the most rain to fall on Chicago in a two-day period in September since 2019, weather officials said yesterday.
Douglass Park turned into a quagmire, as the grounds were slimed with a gooey layer of mud. Fifty thousand fans a day made the best of it, with some going barefoot and diving through the muck, while others complained about the slippery and swampy conditions. Attendees had to help wheelchair users whose wheels could no longer roll.
The 2 inches of rain forced organizers to cut short the festivities Saturday and Sunday. Riot Fest founder Mike Petryshyn pledged to restore the park to its previous state, which is required by contract.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Robert McCoppin and Finnegan Belleau.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including the Illinois universities that dropped in U.S. News college rankings, how Benito Juarez students are honoring loved ones in a Día de los Muertos celebration
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and our advice for ordering wine you can’t pronounce.Today’s eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History
Family of slain Cook County judge recalls loss ahead of sentencing
Nearly 10 years have passed since Cook County Judge Raymond Myles was gunned down in a botched robbery attempt outside his home on the South Side.
A West Side native and the oldest of 10 children, Myles was his family’s patriarch and a pillar of the Cook County judiciary.
During a hearing yesterday ahead of his convicted killer’s sentencing, Myles’ closest relatives remembered him as a loving, attentive father and a diligent jurist “with a servant’s heart” who sought to help whoever he could.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker discloses diabetes diagnosis, 80-pound weight loss on GLP-1 drug
Gov. JB Pritzker disclosed that he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes two years ago and has since lost 80 pounds using a GLP-1 drug.
Northwestern and University of Chicago drop in U.S. News college rankings
Some of Illinois’ most notable universities shifted slightly in national rankings while remaining among the nation’s top schools, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual best colleges list released today.
Chicago woman ‘felt relief’ as troubled South Side foster facility’s manager sentenced to 30 years in prison
One of the young women who was sexually assaulted by an overnight manager at a troubled South Side foster facility when she was a teenager said she “felt relief” after he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
A third beluga whale rescued from Canada has died at Shedd; a fourth died last week in Spain
A fourth whale out of 30 rescued from a troubled Canadian marine park has died. It is the third rescued whale to die at Shedd Aquarium after being transferred there this summer for rehabilitation. A longtime resident beluga also died at the aquarium in recent weeks.
‘It’s just very special to capture those moments’: Benito Juarez students honor loved ones in Día de los Muertos celebration
In Pilsen’s Benito Juarez Community Academy’s art room, students made white calaveras, small skeleton figurines used during the holiday Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, to honor deceased loved ones.
Come October, some calaveras will be in a new home, peering out from shop windows on 18th Street as part of the Pilsen Chamber of Commerce’s competition, which will select around 25 to 30 figurines to showcase in the storefronts of local businesses.
Column: After all the highs and lows, the Chicago White Sox have a clear path to the postseason
The end game has arrived for the White Sox, with six games to make history or go home for a long offseason, writes Paul Sullivan.
No team has made the postseason after losing 100 or more games the two previous seasons, and the Sox came into 2026 with three straight seasons of losing 100 or more.
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Chicago Cubs: Daniel Palencia could again be a postseason game-changer following his best outing since the IL
Daniel Palencia couldn’t stop smiling Sunday. After eight weeks on the injured list, the Cubs reliever had just come off his best outing in the past month Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. Palencia consistently hit triple digits on the radar gun again and showed the type of dominance out of the bullpen the team came to expect last year.
Palencia tossed two perfect innings and struck out three of the six batters he faced in Saturday’s victory. It was an emphatic — and timely — step in the right direction, one he had been building toward in his 10 appearances since he returned from the IL on Aug. 21.
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Column: What does the youngest Emanuel brother, Ari Emanuel, have to say in ‘Roll the Calls’?
If you think our former mayor Rahm Emanuel has an affection for (problem with?) profanity, wait until you meet his younger brother Ari Emanuel in the pages of his lengthy, if ultimately unsatisfying memoir “Roll the Calls,” writes Rick Kogan.
Can’t pronounce that wine? Order it anyway.
Learn a handful of less-familiar wine and grape names and yes, you’re likely to impress friends and family — maybe even the sommelier the next time you order at a restaurant. More importantly, you’re gaining the confidence to try bottles you might otherwise pass over, and an invitation to an even broader landscape of wines to explore.