Good morning, Chicago. ✶
🔎 Below: Mayor Brandon Johnson has a plan to help renters confront the city’s affordability crisis — and landlords lined up Monday in protest.
🗞️ Plus: Bally’s hires ex-Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s law firm, The Onion is set to take over right-wing website InfoWars and more news you need to know.
📝 Keeping score: The Cubs beat the Padres, 3-2; the White Sox beat the Orioles, 8-2.
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⏱️: An 8-minute read
TODAY’S WEATHER 🌤️
Mostly sunny with a high near 95 and heat index values as high as 107. The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning that will remain in effect through Wednesday evening. The city has activated six community service cooling centers and 20 senior centers, all available until Thursday.
TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎
Priestly secrets and sexual misconduct at University of Notre Dame
By Robert Herguth
Accused pair: Two priests long affiliated with the University of Notre Dame allegedly groomed and sexually abused young men at the Catholic college, and elsewhere, over many years dating back to the 1980s. The clerics, who both have ties to the Chicago area, were allowed to stay in ministry long after church and school officials were said to have been aware of some of the potential misconduct.
New report: Those are the central takeaways from interviews conducted by the Sun-Times and a recently released report commissioned by Notre Dame detailing alleged sexual misconduct by Rev. Thomas King, who is now retired, and Rev. David Porterfield, who died in November. The report focused largely on the priests’ conduct while at Notre Dame and its sister school, Holy Cross College. Both are located near South Bend, Indiana, and overseen by their order of priests and religious brothers, the Congregation of Holy Cross.
Questions remain: As much as the report reveals, it also raises numerous questions that wouldn’t be answered by Notre Dame, by the Catholic religious order or by the attorney hired by the school to investigate the misconduct. That’s despite school officials issuing a public apology to victims as well as pledging greater accountability and transparency.
CITY HALL 🏛️
Mayor’s renter protection proposal faces fierce resistance from building owners
By Fran Spielman
First public hearing: If Mayor Brandon Johnson hopes to confront Chicago’s affordability crisis by leveling the playing field between renters and landlords, he’ll have to defeat the same real estate interests that shot down his Bring Chicago Home referendum. That was obvious Monday after Johnson introduced his “Protecting Renters Ordinance” and the Housing Committee held its first public hearing on it.
Opposition shows up: Landlords showed up in force to protest the ordinance, which would ban move-in fees and other “junk fees” without a documented cost, offer legal representation for income-eligible tenants, and require landlords to provide a $10,000 payment or 10 months’ rent — whichever is greater — to tenants who are evicted or not renewed without “just cause.”
MEDIA 📰
The Onion relaunches InfoWars, Alex Jones’ right-wing conspiracy website
By Stefano Esposito
The relaunch: Barring some last-minute legal roadblock, the Chicago-based satirical newspaper, The Onion, is set to launch InfoWars on July 2, a year and seven months after it won the initial auction to take over the website founded by Alex Jones, the right-wing conspiracy theorist. Jones claimed the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was a hoax, a lie that led relatives of the victims to sue and ultimately win $1.4 billion in defamation judgments.
The goal: After a protracted legal battle, InfoWars relaunches this week under the Onion, the nation’s unrivaled satirists. The underlying goal, the impetus for this entire venture, is in some small way to help the Sandy Hook families, Onion leadership said, noting it will direct a “significant share” of merchandise sales to the families in perpetuity.
MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️
- Bally’s hires Lightfoot’s law firm: The company will potentially engage help from ex-Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s firm to sue Chicago for violating the casino host agreement she negotiated as mayor — a suit based on the city’s decision to legalize video gambling terminals.
- CTA worker mourned: Kevin Barlow, 57, had a tight circle of friends from playing cards and spending time volunteering for children’s charities. He was fatally shot early Monday in Roseland. “This loss is not just ours, it is Chicago’s,” said Pennie McCoach of the CTA workers union.
- Payment boost for wrongfully convicted: A bill awaiting Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature could boost state payments to wrongfully incarcerated people and, for the first time, make children eligible for the compensation.
- Judge denies bid for new trial: A Lake County judge has denied Marni Yang’s bid for a new trial in the 2007 murder of a 42-year-old pregnant woman whom authorities say she saw as a rival for the affections of former Chicago Bears player Shaun Gayle, according to court documents.
- SCOTUS rejects GOP mail ballot challenge: Top Democrats in Illinois are applauding the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that will allow the state to continue to count mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day.
- Birthright citizenship ruling: As the high court nears the end of its term, its decision is expected Tuesday on the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship.
- Piping plover chicks’ names: Bird watchers voted to name four piping plover hatchlings after Chicago musicians Buddy Guy, Frankie Knuckles, Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy.
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN 📐
‘Up Top’ building to return to tip-top shape as an after-school center
By Lee Bey
Next phase: A $23.3 million effort to turn an architecturally significant 81-year-old former Altgeld Gardens commercial building into an after-school center has been approved by the Chicago Plan Commission. Last week it approved the By The Hand Club For Kids’ project to convert and expand the dilapidated one-story modernist building at 13100 S. Ellis Ave. into a facility with classrooms, a gymnasium and meeting space.
Key context: The renovation would revive an often overlooked building that was designed by noted architects, then became the birthplace of the environmental justice movement in the 1980s when the late Altgeld resident Hazel Johnson’s People for Community Recovery set up shop there.
FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏀⚾🏒
- Stacey King honored: The Bulls honored three-time NBA champion and TV analyst Stacey King with a celebration of life ceremony Monday at the Bulls’ practice facility. Speakers included Bulls CEO and president Michael Reinsdorf, King’s former broadcast teammates Neil Funk and Adam Amin, and his sons.
- Quake hits home for Guillen: After earthquakes ravaged his beloved Venezuela, White Sox great Ozzie Guillen has moved into action, gathering support for people affected.
- Expected decisions: The Blackhawks gave qualifying offers to four restricted free agents, including Connor Bedard.
- Sky Q&A: Sun-Times Sky beat reporter Alissa Hirsh answered readers’ questions. Among them: Will DiJonai Carrington’s return be able to turn this season around?
CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭
Today’s clue: 2D: Airport featured in “Sleepless in Seattle.”
BRIGHT ONE 🔆
‘Love Island USA’ watch parties have fans taking over Chicago bars, restaurants
By Mariah Rush
Screams, laughter and frequent groans could be heard on a recent visit to Parlay Lincoln Park.
The sports bar was packed with people, mostly millennials and younger, who were brought together by one thing: A particularly raunchy episode of “Love Island USA” — Peacock’s dating reality TV series that airs six days a week.
The show has created such a buzz that many Chicago bars and restaurants have started hosting watch parties, themed nights and trivia — an effort to capitalize on a loyal and young fan base at a time when bars are struggling to draw in younger crowds during the week.
More than a dozen spots have advertised weekly watch parties for “Love Island USA.” Some are selling tickets.
At Tacotlan in Hermosa, guests have been crowding into the back patio for watch parties twice a week. Owners of the BYOB restaurant say there are some requests to change the channel to World Cup games, but they’re loyal to the “Love Island” fans.
“They’ve been watching, and they’ve been consistent. So the priority is going to be given to ‘Love Island,'” owner Jessica Perjes said.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
How do you keep cool amid a heat wave in Chicago?
Reply to this question via email (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.
Yesterday, we asked you: What practical safety tips do you have for a first-time boater in the Chicago area?
Here’s some of what you said…
“Always be aware of your surroundings and only drink when you are at the dock at the end of the day.” — Rob Michael
“Take a boating safety class and always remember the water is in charge — not you. — Holli Anzalone
“Boats don’t have brakes. Take it easy until you have become familiar with the various factors that come into play in stopping and slowing down a boat.” — Mateo Alejandro García Vázquez
“Preserve a private area for sea sickness, and have Pepto-Bismol on stock.” — Terrence Camodeca
PICTURE CHICAGO 📸
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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia
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