Good morning, Chicago.
Indiana Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb said the state will resume executions for the first time in over a decade after acquiring a drug used for lethal injections.
Holcomb said yesterday that the state is seeking an execution date for Joseph Corcoran, a man convicted in the killings of four people in 1997. Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita filed a motion asking the state Supreme Court to set an execution date.
Indiana’s last execution was in 2009, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. The yearslong pause has been attributed to the unavailability of lethal injection drugs.
And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court seeks investigation after abortion draft order leaks
The chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court called for an investigation Wednesday after the leak of a draft order that showed the court would take a case brought by Planned Parenthood that seeks to declare that access to abortion is a right protected by the state constitution.
Alleged Highland Park parade shooter rejects plea deal as victims look on: ‘Absolute unadulterated evil’
The accused killer in the Highland Park 4th of July mass shooting made a surprise reversal Wednesday and refused to go along with the guilty plea his attorneys had worked out, disappointing victims and families who hope to see him locked away for life.
When Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti asked the defendant if he agreed with the deal, he turned his head to the side, apparently looking at the crowd in court behind him, and said nothing.
Few answers on potential new Chicago taxes at long-awaited City Council hearing
Chicago aldermen seemed primed Wednesday to finally put some meat on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s charge that they come up with new revenue for the city to avoid a property tax increase.
After bold ideas for new taxes, fees and other moneymakers — from a “video gaming” gambling levy to Riverwalk billboards, a 1% grocery tax and more — had trickled out for weeks, the City Council Subcommittee on Revenue met for the first time.
But by the end of the long-awaited hearing, aldermen left City Hall with few answers on how additional funds might be raised. Instead, the early discussions centered mostly around municipal finance basics.
Former Outcome Health CEO Rishi Shah sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison for role in fraud
The former CEO and co-founder of Outcome Health — once a star of Chicago’s tech scene — was sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison on Wednesday, more than a year after he was found guilty of fraud.
Before sentencing Rishi Shah, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Durkin told Shah the fraud was “not a single mistake or out-of-character impulsive moment.”
“A lot of this I believe was driven by greed … dreams of being a big shot,” Durkin said.
Inmate’s death during heat wave ramps up criticism of conditions at Stateville
The death of a 51-year-old man incarcerated at Stateville Correctional Center last week amplified concerns among prison rights advocates over the living conditions at the nearly century-old prison, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration plans to tear down and rebuild because it has been deemed decrepit beyond repair.
Pritzker signs bill creating new Department of Early Childhood as advocates eagerly anticipate improvements to the system
Angela Farwig, a longtime advocate for early childhood education who leads Illinois Action for Children, believes the creation of the new Department of Early Childhood – signed into law Tuesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker – will finally transform a system that has been historically undersupported.
The new agency represents a major step forward in the state’s mission to streamline childhood services into one place, making it easier for families and providers to access critical services and programs across the state.
Bulls select Matas Buzelis — a 6-9 forward with local ties — with the No. 11 pick in the NBA draft: ‘I was born for this’
A versatile 6-foot-9 forward, Matas Buzelis will bulk up the frontcourt alongside center Nikola Vučević. Buzelis averaged 14.3 points and 6.9 rebounds last year for G League Ignite, the NBA’s attempt at a pre-professional league that folded after four seasons.
Blackhawks acquire Ilya Mikheyev, Sam Lafferty and a 2027 draft pick in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks
The Blackhawks used their considerable salary-cap space to swing a deal with the Canucks late Wednesday, acquiring winger Ilya Mikheyev, forward Sam Lafferty and a 2027 second-round pick in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Mikheyev carries a $4.75 million cap hit. The Canucks will retain 15% of his salary. His agent, Dan Milstein, celebrated the trade via X: “Nobody comes to Chicago to get a tan. Ilya Mikheyev is #Blackhawks bound. #WeAreGoldStar!”
White Sox shut out for 12th time and fall to 40 games under .500 with 4-0 loss to Los Angeles Dodgers
The first sellout crowd of the season at Guaranteed Rate Field got to witness an ejection, a Shohei Ohtani home run — and another Chicago White Sox loss.
The Sox were shut out for the 12th time this season, falling 4-0 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in front of 36,225. The Sox hosted their first Mexican Heritage Night, resulting in the first weekday sellout for a game that wasn’t opening day or against the Cubs since 2012.
Education Couture literacy program brings ‘learning into fashion’ for underserved children
When she was a little girl, Ruckiya Ross would read the dictionary for fun. She and her brother would even compete with each other to learn new words. So it’s not surprising to see Ross leading a presentation on phonemic awareness to pre-K children at the Garfield Park Conservatory.
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, think about, and work with individual sounds, known as phonemes, the smallest parts of spoken language that combine to form words.
“I had an early understanding that sounds were the key, and from there, I was always an avid reader,” Ross said. “I think I was indoctrinated by (the show) ‘Reading Rainbow.’”
Ross is the founder of Education Couture, a nonprofit centered on making the reading journey fun and cool with music. The endeavor, which began in 2015, has an initiative called Reading Music, in which Ross sings jingles like “CVC” (consonant, vowel, consonant) and “Silent E” — ditties with a pop and hip-hop flare that set and reinforce a foundation of reading skills for primary school students.
‘The Bear’ Season 3 review: Carmy bears down on success, with uneven results
When it comes to “The Bear,” there will be blood. Heart and warmth, too. But also yelling. Lots and lots of yelling.
The sweaty, frenetic story of a humble Chicago sandwich shop slinging Italian beef before pivoting to fine dining, Season 3 of the FX series (streaming on Hulu) has reached the sink-or-swim portion of the narrative, of a restaurant start-up led by a chef whose ambitions may outweigh his reality.
