Good morning, Chicago.
Four former U.S. presidents have called Illinois home: Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, Ulysses S. Grant, and Abraham Lincoln. If presumptive Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris is elected to the nation’s top office this November, her name would become the fifth on this list.
When Harris was just a toddler, her family moved to Champaign, where they lived for a year in the late 1960s. Her parents, fresh out of their Ph.D. programs, had both secured jobs at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It was in Champaign that Harris’ younger sister, Maya, was born.
Urbana resident Diane Gottheil, now 85, recalled fondly her friendship with Harris’ parents during their year in Illinois. Gottheil was finishing up her Ph.D. in political science when they joined the university’s community in 1966, bringing a 2-year-old Harris in tow.
Gottheil said that she viewed Harris’ mother Shyamala Gopalan as a major role model, admiring both her work as a medical researcher and her passion for civil rights.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Chicago migrants disheartened over presidential election results in Venezuela
For thousands of families who have settled in Chicago after fleeing economic ruin or political persecution in Venezuela, the possible reelection of authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro brought feelings of disbelief and disappointment.
Contractor accused of bribing county assessor employees with golf outings set to go on trial
Whether it was a bribe or not, one thing is clear: Former Cook County Assessor’s Office employee Lumni Likovski really loved playing golf on someone else’s dime.
“It was fun, it was a very nice course,” Likovski told a colleague in September 2017 after allegedly being gifted a round at the exclusive Lost Dunes club in Bridgman, Michigan, according to court records. “You know, I’m built for that country club life. I’m not going to lie to you. It (expletive) suits me nicely, you know what I’m saying? I’m made for that (expletive), bro…Somebody else is paying, so I got (to) love that (expletive).”
Cook County launches payment plan calculator to help with property tax budgeting
Expecting many south suburban homeowners to miss this year’s Aug. 1 property tax deadline in the face of historically high bills, Cook County announced a service to help manage late payments.
Valparaiso University’s Chapel of the Resurrection. (Amy Lavalley/Post-Tribune)
Valparaiso University announces program cuts
Valparaiso University President José Padilla announced in a campus message which of the university’s academic programs are being cut, which are being “reimagined,” and which ones will be re-evaluated in three years.
Several hundred U of I students trade in dorm contracts for incentives amid campus housing shortage
Approximately three weeks before University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students are scheduled to begin moving into their dorms, a housing shortage has prompted the public, four-year university to offer incentives to returning students to cancel their housing contracts.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker says it would be ‘near impossible’ to get Bears stadium deal done this fall
Pritzker on Monday said there is almost no chance that a deal will get done this year on a taxpayer-funded stadium for the Chicago Bears, especially since the team has yet to make a proposal that the governor thinks would be acceptable to lawmakers.
“I made it clear to the Bears leadership that it would be near impossible to get anything done — if there was a proposal put on the table that could get done, you couldn’t actually get it done, probably, during the veto session and would have to wait until next spring,” Pritzker said, referring to the year’s final legislative session in November, during an unrelated news conference in Chicago.
“But in reality, there isn’t a proposal on the table right now that would be acceptable to anyone that I know in the legislature,” he continued.
US women’s basketball beat Japan 102-76 to open campaign for 8th straight Olympic gold medal
A’ja Wilson scored 24 points and Breanna Stewart added 22 to help the U.S. beat Japan 102-76 on Monday night in the Olympic opener for both teams.
The Americans now have a 56-game Olympic winning streak that dates to the 1992 Barcelona Games.
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Chicago Cubs activate outfielder Cody Bellinger from the 10-day injured list
Bellinger went through a long hitting program Monday afternoon, played catch and then took on-field batting practice. A conversation among Bellinger, manager Craig Counsell and a team trainer followed with the roster move was announced shortly after.
Carm’s and Fontano’s sell Italian beef in Chicago with a side of family history. But they haven’t seen ‘The Bear.’
“Never heard of ‘The Bear,’” Mary Fontano said, the smell of giardiniera and salted meat in the air in Little Italy. She is a co-owner of the original Fontano’s Subs on Polk Street, alongside her brother, Neil Fontano. The family business has been a fixture of this otherwise residential block for nearly 100 years. She turned to the customers lined up to pay for their Italian beefs.
“You hear about ‘The Bear?’” she asked a man in a reflective construction vest holding a wrapped sandwich.
“‘The Bear?’” the customer asked. “What’s that?”
Food spaces all across Chicago seem to be buzzing about the show. But not here.
‘Gilded Agility’ at the International Museum of Surgical Science captures Black dancers’ bodies in 14K gold
Walking past long-term exhibits in the International Museum of Surgical Science into a top-floor space, one is greeted with a shirtless man, captured with his arms hugging his torso, showcasing his musculature in detailed splendor — a dancer with eyes closed, face lifted, as if only he can hear music that enraptures his limbs. His head is thrown back, centered in a circle similar to a halo. As if captured in mid-move, the canvas is captivating, resplendent in hues of indigo and shimmer created with 14K gold. This is “The Grace of His Self Embrace,” a work of artist and Lakeview resident D. Lammie-Hanson.
Korah Bass, from left, Bekah Lott, Mackenzie Newton, and Krystal Verdooren, all of Washington, D.C., fix their hydration packs in their backpacks after entering the main entrance on Ida B. Wells Drive at Lollapalooza in Chicago’s Grant Park on Aug. 3, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Our top 10 tips for attending Lollapalooza 2024
Gear up, music fans, Lollapalooza begins when the gates in Grant Park open at 11 a.m. Thursday (and daily), running through Sunday night. Here are our tips to help you be prepared.
