Good morning, Chicago.
As the Trump administration slashes funding for health, energy and climate research, there’s one science the administration is promoting: de-extinction.
Earlier this month, a biotechnology company announced it had genetically engineered three gray wolf pups to have white hair, more muscular jaws and a larger build — characteristics of the dire wolf, a species that hasn’t roamed the Earth for several millennia.
Now, the Trump administration is citing the case of the dire wolf as it moves to reduce federal protections under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Yesterday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Department of Interior proposed a rule to rescind the definition of “harm” under the act — which for decades has included actions like harassing, pursuing, hunting or killing endangered wildlife and plants, as well as habitat destruction.
However, critics say de-extinction sends a misleading message and is, overall, a flawed approach to conservation.
Read the full story and the potential impact on endangered species that call the Midwest home from the Tribune’s Adriana Pérez.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including possible tax increases on cigarettes, alcohol and gaming in Indiana, a Chicago homecoming for Bears assistant head coach and receivers coach Antwaan Randle El and where Chick-fil-A opened a new location in Chicago.
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Florida State gunman is the son of a sheriff’s deputy, used her former service weapon
The 20-year-old son of a sheriff’s deputy opened fire yesterday at Florida State University with his mother’s former service weapon, killing two people and wounding at least six others, investigators said.
Officers quickly arrived and shot and wounded the shooter after he refused to comply with commands, said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell.
More than 1,000 international students have had visas or legal status revoked
At least 1,024 students at 160 colleges, universities and university systems have had their visas revoked or their legal status terminated since late March, according to a review of university statements, correspondence with school officials and court records.
Many of the students losing their legal status are from India and China, which together account for more than half the international students at American colleges. But the terminations have not been limited to those from any one part of the world, lawyers said.
Mayor Brandon Johnson reports bigger fundraising numbers, but so do potential opponents
Mayor Brandon Johnson reported raising nearly $300,000 in the first three months of the year, a sizable chunk of which came from gambling interests that want Chicago to legalize sweepstakes machines, as well as some longtime friends and political allies.
While Johnson’s fundraising appeared relatively healthy, so too were the efforts of other Chicago politicians, including some potentially eyeing a bid to take on Johnson for mayor in 2027.
Woman’s family sues, alleging botched handling of electronic monitoring to blame in her killing
An alleged murder-suicide last year in west suburban Villa Park could have been prevented if not for oversights by law enforcement and the company that supplies and runs electronic monitoring in the area, according to a lawsuit.
The suit, filed Wednesday in DuPage County, alleges that the county, its emergency dispatch service, the village of Villa Park and the company that manages the county’s electronic monitoring were negligent in how they handled Winston Elguezabal’s repeated violations of his pretrial release in the days before he allegedly shot and killed his wife, Julie Elguezabal. He then turned the gun on himself, authorities have said.
‘Sin tax’ increases considered as Indiana faces $2 billion revenue forecast shortfall
Budget architects Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, and Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton, said “everything is on the table” when it comes to budget cuts, including increasing “sin taxes” on cigarettes, alcohol and gaming.
Will County Board OKs pay raises for countyside elected officials, board members
Will County Board members and countywide elected officials will see pay hikes after the 2026 and 2028 elections, after nearly two decades without a salary increase.
The board voted 13-9 to approve salary increases for countywide elected positions, with two Republicans joining Democrats in support of the raises.
Hailey Van Lith eager to grow as a point guard — and reunite with Angel Reese: ‘I wanted to come to the Sky’
In two conversations ahead of the draft, Hailey Van Lith felt that Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh and general manager Jeff Pagliocca saw through to her core identity — a player who is tough, who won’t back down from a scrap, who still has plenty of room to grow. And on draft night, Van Lith harbored a hope that she might be available when the Sky were on the clock with the 10th and 11th picks.
“Deep in my heart, I wanted to come to the Sky,” said Van Lith, who went to the Sky at No. 11. “I felt like they saw who I was as a player and I felt valued. I was hoping that I was available when Chicago’s picks came.”
Antwaan Randle El is ecstatic about his Chicago homecoming — plus 5 more observations about the Bears
With just a week remaining until the NFL draft, the Chicago Bears have become increasingly eager to attack their next opportunity at improvement. In the meantime, new coach Ben Johnson and his staff are continuing through Phase I of their offseason program at Halas Hall.
The Bears held availability with all their assistant coaches yesterday in Lake Forest, a lengthy session that provided valuable insight into the early stages of Johnson’s coaching tenure. New receivers coach and assistant head coach Antwaan Randle El was among the headliners, speaking glowingly of his homecoming, returning to Chicago to coach for the franchise he grew up rooting for.
Chick-fil-A opens Pullman restaurant, giving another boost to the Far South Side
Far South Side residents finally have an opportunity to taste the chicken sandwiches and salads at Chick-fil-A, a fast-food chain popular on the North Side and many suburbs, after the restaurant opened yesterday in Pullman. The restaurant is also creating new jobs, boosting the economy of a neighborhood that for decades suffered from job loss and disinvestment.
“I’ve hired around 100 team members,” Pullman franchise owner Elise Mills said. “And I’m really proud that 80% of our team members can walk to work or take local public transportation.”
Review: ‘Killer of Sheep,’ a poetic-realist masterwork, returns sharper than ever
Of all the memorable feature film debuts, Charles Burnett’s “Killer of Sheep” may be the freest from contrivance, disinterested to a lovely degree in conventional story machinery or in anything more than moments in time and the daily lives of people Burnett knew in his Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts. Like Burnett himself, whose family relocated from Mississippi to LA, many of these people feel the pull of the place they knew, in this place they have come to know. That neither here-nor-there feeling is everywhere in “Killer of Sheep,” writes Tribune film critic Michael Phillips.
Northlight Theatre looks locally for its final season in Skokie
Northlight Theatre has announced a four-play subscription season for 2025-26, the final slate of shows at the North Shore Center in Skokie before Northlight’s anticipated move into a new theater space that the 50-year-old Chicago-area company is building in Evanston.
Artistic director BJ Jones said in an interview that Northlight is emphasizing the work of local writers and actors in the coming season.
Musician Jeff Tweedy appears in Chicago on Oct. 1, 2020.
What to do in Chicago: Jeff Tweedy in concert, Mike Epps comedy tour and skating at Thalia Hall
You can’t live in this city and not know who Jeff Tweedy is. But just in case, the founding member of both Wilco and Uncle Tupelo, and producer, author and longtime Chicago fixture will perform his annual benefit shows this weekend.
