Good morning, Chicago.
Attorneys for the prosecutor at the center of the “Broadview Six” scandal said yesterday that U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros personally instructed her to get an expedited transcript of grand jury proceedings after she failed to get an indictment in the controversial case — a transcript that Boutros says he is “quite certain” he didn’t read for nearly six months.
The motion to intervene also revealed the 20-year veteran prosecutor, Sheri Mecklenburg, who allegedly committed a series of missteps in the grand jury proceedings last October, announced she was retiring yesterday after being told by bosses at the U.S. attorney’s office that she was not permitted to file anything on her behalf “and could be disciplined or terminated if she did so.”
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Jason Meisner.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including what’s next in the Chicago parking meter system sale, the Chicago Cubs and White Sox clinch playoff spots and the Loop’s weather bell is aglow once again.
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Tens of thousands gather for beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Famed evangelist and Emmy-winning TV host Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, “It does not require much time to make us saints. It requires only much love.”
The media pioneer from central Illinois who once captivated millions of American viewers with his faith-filled primetime programming is now one step closer to sainthood.
Aldermen advance Chicago parking meter system sale
Aldermen gave initial approval yesterday to the sale of Chicago’s infamously privatized parking meter system from one owner to another, but not before praise for new perks met concerns that the city is once again getting a subpar deal.
Gov. JB Pritzker turns to Illinois lawmakers to act on data center regulations
Gov. JB Pritzker said yesterday he isn’t pursuing a moratorium on new data centers in Illinois, arguing he can’t impose one on his own and that he would rather see lawmakers pass tough regulations on the facilities after the November election.
CPS enrollment falls by 11,500 students, continuing decades-long decline
Chicago Public Schools enrollment dropped 11,537 students this year, continuing a decades-long decline amid a shrinking number of school-age children.
CPS CEO Macquline King said yesterday that the district’s 20th-day enrollment — which represents the official count for the school year — was 304,687, a decline of 3.7% since last fall. Still, the district appears to have restored its position as the nation’s third-largest school district, behind New York City and Los Angeles.
Preckwinkle and Cook County board, most aldermen oppose Amtrak-Ishbia plan
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and all 17 members of the board yesterday signed on to a resolution opposing “in its current form and location” a proposed Amtrak maintenance facility in Bridgeport that has been tied to the White Sox potentially moving from that neighborhood to a new ballpark in the South Loop.
Chicago White Sox complete rare turnaround from 100-loss team to playoff team: ‘It’s been an amazing ride’
No team had ever made the postseason after losing 100-plus games in each of the previous two seasons, let alone three. Until the 2026 Chicago White Sox, that is.
The Sox completed a feat few saw coming, qualifying for the playoffs yesterday with a 9-1 victory against the Kansas City Royals in front of 15,592 at Kauffman Stadium.
- Column: In a splendid moment of Chicago baseball symmetry, White Sox and Cubs clinch 2 minutes apart
- Vintage baiduhai: How the Cubs and White Sox have fared in the postseason since 1906
Chicago Cubs clinch playoff spot for 2nd straight season and set sights on top NL wild-card seed
While the initial on-field reaction was subdued when the Cubs clinched a playoff spot yesterday with a 2-1 win over the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field, they savored the moment during their postgame clubhouse celebration.
The Cubs return to the postseason for a second consecutive year, finally getting in after being a win away since Sunday. They now set their sights on securing the National League’s first wild-card spot to host a best-of-three series.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong becomes the 1st Cub with a 40-40 season — and only the 7th in MLB history
- Taylor McGregor, Marquee’s Cubs sideline reporter, is leaving to join ESPN full time
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What might a Case Keenum offense look like for the Chicago Bears? Here’s what the numbers suggest.
Trying to predict what the Bears offense might look like with a third-string quarterback who hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game in three years is a nearly impossible task.
But let’s try anyway.
- Bears QBs Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent ‘did not participate’ in estimated injury report
- Tourism chief says Northwest Indiana is thankful for focus in Bears stadium search
Taraji P. Henson to star in movie based on Chicago baker reuniting with long-lost son
The story of a South Shore bakery owner reuniting with her long-lost son — which captured the hearts of Chicagoans and the nation back in 2024 — will be the focus of a new Netflix movie premiering in December, the company announced yesterday.
Once dormant, the Loop’s weather bell is aglow once again
Cities are ever-changing organisms, shedding elements of the past while retaining others. Striking the right balance is the challenge, and it’s easy to feel cynical about the moneyed interests driving so many changes that remove, bit by bit, the idiosyncrasies of our surroundings.
Which is why it’s a pleasant surprise to learn that the office-to-residential conversion underway at the Rector Building in the Loop includes the restoration and repair of the weather bell affixed to its second story at the southeast corner of Clark and Monroe streets.