Good morning, Chicago.
State health officials confirmed the first measles case of the year yesterday, as outbreaks from the once-eliminated illness rage across several states.
Laboratory test results confirmed that the unidentified patient tested positive for measles yesterday after they sought medical treatment in a southern Illinois health clinic, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The health department said they’re working with local health officials to identify all potential exposure locations involving the patient. The clinic in southern Illinois where the patient sought care is working to identify any possible exposed patients and check the immune status of those people, officials said.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines and had been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000. Symptoms of measles include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes.
State public health officials recently unveiled an online dashboard tool that allows users to look up measles vaccination rates and data about the risk of outbreaks at individual schools across the state.
Last year, Chicago saw its first measles case since 2019, which resulted in 67 cases, according to health officials.
The U.S. was up to 800 cases of measles nationwide as of Friday, as officials identified active outbreaks in west Texas, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Mexico. The U.S. has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s William Lee.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including who may run for Senate after Dick Durbin announced his retirement, what survivors of the Highland Park parade shooting said at Robert Crimo III’s sentencing hearing and what to expect from the Bears in this week’s NFL draft.
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Vatican keeps St. Peter’s open all night for public viewing of Pope Francis due to strong turnout
So many mourners lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica that the Vatican kept the doors open all night due to higher-than-expected turnout, closing the basilica for just an hour this morning for cleaning.
At Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral, a memorial Mass for ‘the people’s pope’
Hundreds of people filled the pews inside Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral yesterday for a memorial Mass to Pope Francis, the 88-year-old pontiff remembered for a groundbreaking and unpretentious papacy.
Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, presided over the service. Elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2016, Cupich is scheduled to head to Rome this week for Francis’ funeral. Eventually, he and his fellow cardinals will convene to select Francis’ successor.
US Sen. Dick Durbin’s retirement opens the floodgates for a number of potential successors
With his announcement yesterday that he would not seek reelection next year, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin set into motion an upheaval of Democratic politics involving current officeholders looking at the potential risks and rewards of seeking a coveted U.S. Senate seat and its potential for long-term job security.
Related:
- Sen. Dick Durbin: Why I chose to retire
- Editorial: U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin left stage with no huffing or puffing
US Rep. Jan Schakowsky says she’ll make announcement on her future at May 5 lunch event
Longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky will announce whether she plans to seek reelection at an event in early May, she wrote yesterday in a social media post that indicated she hasn’t yet made up her mind.
Sentencing in Highland Park parade shooting: Plans, hopes and dreams destroyed by ‘violent tantrum’
Highland Park parade shooter Robert Crimo III skipped his sentencing hearing yesterday, opting to stay in the Lake County Jail instead of listening to the trauma he inflicted upon an entire community.
If he had attended the proceeding, he would have learned about the consequences of his violent actions, about the seven spectators he killed, the four dozen people he injured and the countless others he has scarred in a different way. He would know about the parents who are needed, the spouses who are missed, the people who made this world a happier place.
“You murdered my soulmate, my wife of 33 years, and the mother of my only child,” Bruce Sundheim wrote of his wife, Jacki Sundheim, in a statement read during the hearing. “All the plans, hopes and dreams we had together were destroyed by your violent tantrum.”
Related:
Jurors hint at impasse in bribery trial of state Sen. Emil Jones III
Jurors yesterday told the judge overseeing the federal corruption trial of state Sen. Emil Jones III that they may be approaching a deadlock in their deliberations.
In a note late in its second full day of talks, the panel wrote to U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood that it may not be able to agree on two counts, those alleging bribery and lying to the FBI, respectively.
“It doesn’t look like the jury can reach a unanimous agreement on counts one and three. Is there any assistance that can be provided,” the jury note read. In a separate note, the jury observed that count one states Jones agreed to accept a bribe and money for an associate and asked if it needs to find both of those things to be true along with other criteria to convict.
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s all-around play stars in Chicago Cubs’ 7-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers
Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong soaked in the moment while jogging to his position for the fifth inning yesterday.
Cubs fans in the bleachers greeted him with “PCA! PCA!” chants after Crow-Armstrong slugged a go-ahead three-run home run into the left-center basket in the bottom of the fourth against the Los Angeles Dodgers, prompting the 23-year-old to tip his cap to the crowd.
The home run was just one of the budding star’s electric moments in a 7-6 victory that gave the Cubs the season series win over the Dodgers.
Related:
‘With the 10th pick in the 2025 NFL draft …’: 12 prospects the Chicago Bears could consider in Round 1
The Chicago Bears feel positioned for success in this week’s NFL draft after a flurry of trades and free-agent signings in March solidified their roster.
General manager Ryan Poles believes the Bears now have the flexibility to adjust to however the top of the first round unfolds Thursday night. And equipped with the No. 10 pick, the Bears are determined to land a difference maker as the headliner of their 2025 draft class.
Related:
- 2025 NFL draft: Everything you need to know, including when the Chicago Bears pick and how to watch
- Sign up for our Bears Insider newsletter
Steve McMichael, the colorful Hall of Famer and a leader on the 1985 Chicago Bears, dies at 67
Steve McMichael, the Hall of Fame defensive tackle who was one of the beloved leaders and most colorful characters of the 1985 Chicago Bears, died yesterday after a lengthy battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was 67.
‘Accountant 2’ review: Ben Affleck’s back in a human trafficking sequel where guns beat spreadsheets
To get along like they mean it, the estranged brothers played by Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal in “The Accountant 2” learn by doing. What they learn is that most reassuring of all action movie lessons: Killing makes you a better, more human human.
A set of first editions of Shakespeare’s plays could fetch $6 million at auction
A set of the first four editions of William Shakespeare’s collected works is expected to sell for up to $6 million at auction next month.
Sotheby’s auction house announced the sale yesterday, Shakespeare’s 461st birthday. It said the May 23 sale will be the first time since 1989 that a set of the First, Second, Third and Fourth Folios has been offered at auction as a single lot.
