Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
Robert Crimo III surprised prosecutors Wednesday when he decided not to go along with a negotiated plea to charges stemming from the Highland Park parade shooting on July 4, 2022.
In today’s newsletter, we break down the rejected plea deal and what it means ahead of the trial set for next February.
Plus, we’ve got a look at how the city is prepping for its 53rd Pride Parade, how a Newberry Library exhibit hopes to introduce young Chicagoans to classic columnist Mike Royko and a three-star Richard Roeper review for 2024 Oscar nominee Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest film “Kinds of Kindness” below👇
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Katelyn Haas, audience engagement specialist (@khaas96)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Highland Park parade shooting suspect declines to change plea to guilty
What changed: The Highland Park parade shooting suspect on Wednesday abruptly decided to not go through with changing his not guilty plea. Prosecutors said Robert Crimo III had agreed to plead guilty to seven counts of first-degree murder in connection with the mass shooting nearly two years ago. In all, he was to plead guilty to a total of 55 counts, prosecutors said.
A shorter hearing: Victims and their families filled a section of the court gallery that held about 70 people. They had anticipated reading statements before the court on how the massacre affected their lives. The court clerk’s office expected the hearing to last most of the day and had scheduled the hearing in a larger court room to accommodate victims and their families.
Still waiting for closure: Leah Sundheim, whose mother, Jacquelyn Sundheim, died in the shooting, said she and others came to the hearing for closure and to “put [the massacre] out of our minds. For two years, all I wanted was to be able to fully grieve my mom … knowing he would spend the rest of his life in jail. Instead, we were yet again shown his complete and blatant disregard for humans or anyone.”
What’s next: The next hearing in the case is Aug. 28. His trial is scheduled for February 2025.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
City readies for Pride Parade crowds: Chicago’s 53rd Pride Parade will step off Sunday morning in Uptown, with thousands expected to gather along the route ending in Lincoln Park.
Share your views: Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday announced the dates and times for four public forums, including one specifically for youth, where everyday Chicagoans will be invited to share their views on city services, revenue and spending.
Supreme Court ruling could affect Madigan case: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a crucial federal bribery law aimed at state and local officials does not also criminalize after-the-fact rewards known as “gratuities” — prompting some local defense attorneys to predict that one of Chicago’s high-stakes public corruption cases will get a new trial.
Losing White Sox at halfway mark: At the midpoint of the season with a string of frustrating losses, the Sox want nothing to do with the history they’re making.
3 stars for ‘Kinds of Kindness’: Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe reunite with warped director Yorgos Lanthimos on a pitch-black anthology of aggressively weird and wickedly funny stories, writes Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper.
Biden nabs Kinzinger endorsement: Former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., endorsed President Joe Biden Wednesday, the day before the first presidential debate, warning that former President Donald Trump “poses a direct threat to every fundamental American value.”
EXPLORING THE CITY ✍️
New Mike Royko exhibit aimed at those who admired the columnist — and locals who’ve never heard of him
Reporting by Mitch Dudek
For a certain generation of Chicagoans, it’s unimaginable growing up not knowing the name Mike Royko.
But a lot of people in their 20s and younger who grew up as print media declined have never heard of the famed Chicago newspaper columnist.
Northwestern English professor Bill Savage and a group of curators at the Newberry Library hope to change that with an exhibition that opened last week entitled “Chicago Style: Mike Royko and Windy City Journalism.”
“When I have students read Royko for the first time, they’re blown away, and I tell them that once upon a time you would not be on your phone looking at daily influencers, you would be reading Chicago columnists,” Savage said.
The free exhibit, located just off the lobby of the library’s main entrance, includes Royko’s Rolodex, which is open to the late Studs Terkel’s contact info.
Hundreds of other notable numbers are in there, too, including the number for the late comedian John Belushi, whose famous “Saturday Night Live” sketch popularized Royko’s favorite watering hole, the Billy Goat Tavern, said co-curator Sarah Alvarez.
The exhibit also includes Royko’s tweed hat and jacket, an opened pack of Carlton 100s cigarettes that were actually his, and Royko’s silver ashtray with birds taking flight.
Exhibit signs tell Royko’s story: “He wrote as a Chicagoan about things Chicagoans loved or hated, cried over or laughed at. He wrote of the neighborhood taverns, especially his beloved Billy Goat.”
You can check out the exhibit now through Sept. 28.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
From boxing to pilates to yoga, Chicago chefs make physical, mental health a priority
Reporting by Lisa Shames | For the Sun-Times
If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant or even watched an episode of “The Bear,” you know the physical and mental demands of the hospitality industry are real, especially for those working in the kitchen. Add in easy access to food and alcohol, and it can be a recipe for disaster.
While many chefs know they need to take better care of themselves, finding the time and energy to do so after a long shift on their feet is challenging. But that’s slowly changing.
Spend time following your favorite chefs on Instagram and you’ll notice a shift, whether it’s posting about their sobriety, weight loss or exercise routines.
Here, a few chefs talk about the ways they are making their health a priority.
Tony Priolo, executive chef/co-owner of Piccolo Sogno: After a few years of morning workouts in his basement, he got bored. So when he saw a BFT studio was opening nearby, he was intrigued with its group classes led by a team of trainers. After one class, followed by four days of soreness, Priolo was hooked. Or as he puts it, “BFT changed my mental and physical well-being and my life.”
Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader, pastry chef/co-owner of Loaf Lounge: Dealing with loss can take many forms. For Mispagel-Lustbader, it meant lacing up her running shoes. “My mom passed in 2011, and she was a passionate runner,” says Mispagel-Lustbader. “I started running a little bit after as a way to still feel a connection with her.” Four marathons and three half-marathons later, including one recently in Chicago, she’s still going strong.
Cory Morris, executive chef, Meals on Wheels Chicago: Three days a week, you’ll find him at a 6 a.m. high-intensity boxing-oriented circuit class at Mayweather Boxing Gym. He sometimes takes a second class right after. “It actually gives me more energy for the day,” he says. Periodically, you’ll find him at Brooklyn Boulders doing indoor climbing, which he first began doing in 2015. Running is his newest endeavor and perhaps his most challenging.
Mindy Segal, owner, Mindy’s Bakery: After dealing with neck and lower back issues, Segal started walking, adding in private Pilates classes not too long after. “The Pilates has been helping me so much because it makes you very aware of your core,” she says. Having a roommate who’s a yoga instructor doesn’t hurt either. “Everything I do in conjunction with each other helps.”
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
What’s your favorite part of Chicago’s Pride Parade?
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Written by: Katelyn Haas and Matt Moore
Editor: Esther Bergdahl
Copy editor: Angie Myers