Good morning, Chicago. ✶
🔎 Below: Our journalists are at the Vatican to cover Mayor Brandon Johnson’s upcoming meeting with the world’s most famous Chicagoan, Pope Leo XIV. We’ll give you the itinerary — and want you to give us your Rome recommendations.
🗞️ Plus: A local teen is home after immigration detention, fallout from the tainted “Broadview Six” case, a look behind the scenes of the new Second City show and more.
📝 Keeping score: The Cubs lost to the Pirates, 12-1; the White Sox fell to the Twins, 5-3.
📧 Subscribe: Get this newsletter delivered to your inbox weekday mornings.
⏱️: An 8-minute read
TODAY’S WEATHER 🔆
Sunny with a high near 83. The Chicago Metro area and Northwest Indiana are under an air quality alert through Wednesday night.
TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎
On Vatican trip, Mayor Johnson will laud Pope Leo for pushback against Trump
By Mariah Woelfel
Mayor in Rome: Mayor Brandon Johnson has a meeting Thursday with the world’s most famous Chicagoan: Pope Leo XIV. He will be the latest Illinoisan to meet the pope, who has given locals from his hometown, including Gov. JB Pritzker, private audiences since starting his papal ministry a year ago.
Papal plan: Johnson plans to thank Pope Leo for his advocacy, which includes pushing back against the U.S. war in Iran, calling for peace in Gaza and criticizing President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. The meeting comes as Johnson attempts to shore up his political base before what’s sure to be a tough reelection battle, though the mayor hasn’t announced a bid yet.
The itinerary: On Wednesday, a 50-member delegation will tour the town with members of Rome’s City Council. Johnson is set to arrive Thursday and meet the pope at 3:30 p.m., when he plans to present the pontiff with a jar of giardiniera. Then Johnson will hold press conference at American University, and later has scheduled a fireside chat and dinner. On Friday, Johnson plans to tour a new Metro station and an affordable housing project with Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri.
WATCH: JOHNSON TO VISIT ROME ▶️
IMMIGRATION ✶
Mather High senior heads home to Chicago after release from immigration detention
By Emmanuel Camarillo
Teen freed: Ricardo Navarrete, a Mather High School senior detained by federal agents with his mother in March, is heading back to Chicago. Navarrete appeared for a bond hearing in immigration court Tuesday morning and was later released from custody, according to the family’s attorney.
Key context: Immigration agents detained the 18-year-old and his mom during a routine court appearance for their asylum case in March. Last week, a federal judge in Kentucky released Liliana Navarrete. The pair, who arrived in Chicago in 2022 from Colombia, had an active asylum application when they were detained, and neither has a criminal record, according to their lawyers.
In their corner: Friends, family and other supporters held rallies and spoke with numerous news outlets hoping the attention would help bring the mother and son home to Chicago. Ricardo missed Mather’s senior prom last week, but there is a chance he could make it back in time to walk across the stage at the graduation ceremony Thursday.
COURTS ⚖️
- Tainted case: U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros may have had personal contact with grand jurors in the now-tainted prosecution against the Operation Midway Blitz protesters known as the “Broadview Six,” a defense attorney told a judge Tuesday. The case fell apart after U.S. District Judge April Perry discovered improprieties during grand jury proceedings.
- The fallout: Damage from the Broadview Six case officially began to spread Tuesday. Defense attorneys in the high-profile case against an ex-Loretto Hospital executive and others now claim that misconduct allegations against a prosecutor common to both cases were known for months.
- More in courts: In an unrelated case, Robert Held, an activist and attorney, pushed Cook County prosecutors on Tuesday to file a felony charge against the federal immigration agent he says attacked him at a gas station late last year in Broadview.
MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️
- Calls to reopen West Suburban Medical Center: Faith leaders and healthcare workers gathered outside the Oak Park hospital Tuesday to demand its reopening, calling for state leaders to intervene and for the release of all audits on the hospital.
- Man charged in toddler’s death: Johnny Hughes, 31, was charged after his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son fatally shot himself Sunday. The toddler’s death was one of two fatal shootings during a holiday weekend that also left 38 people wounded.
- Hate crime strategy criticized: Mayor Johnson unveiled a strategy to combat all manner of hate crimes, but Jewish leaders condemned it as an insensitive and inadequate response to anti-Jewish crimes.
- Artist’s works on block: Nearly 70 works from Tony Fitzpatrick are set to be auctioned in a sale of the late artist’s “inherently Chicago” originals.
EDUCATION 🍎
Here are the candidates for Chicago’s first-ever elected school board president
By Sarah Karp and Emmanuel Camarillo
In the running: Tuesday was the petition filing deadline to enter the race for a seat on Chicago’s first fully elected school board. Fifty-one candidates are officially in the running. All 20 district seats and the citywide president position will be up for grabs in the Nov. 3 election. Voters will get to cast a ballot for a school board member in their community and for the president.
Race for prez: Five people are running for board president, a powerful position that holds sway over what the board debates and votes on. Four of them — Jessica Biggs, Jennifer Custer, former board member Sendhil Revuluri and attorney Victor Henderson — submitted petitions the first day and will face off in a lottery to get the top spot on the ballot. Hilario Dominguez, deputy political director for the Chicago Teachers Union and the CTU’s preferred candidate, submitted his petition Tuesday.
Key context: November’s election and the transition from a partially elected, partially appointed board marks the culmination of years of work by advocates. They pushed for a fully elected board, arguing it would inject democracy and community voices into a governing body that for decades was under mayor control.
ON WBEZ 91.5 FM 📻
In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.
- ‘Stone Soup Chicago’: A children’s book is part of a campaign by the Greater Chicago Food Depository to combat hunger across the city. Jill Rahman of the GCFD, artist and illustrator Sam Kirk, and comics creator and publisher John Jennings explain.
- Vocalo Hotline: Vocalo’s Nudia Hernandez and Morgan Ciocca will talk about their new music request show premiering Friday on WBEZ 91.5 FM and Vocalo 91.1 FM.
Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.
- Housing after prison: Legislators in Springfield are weighing a bill that would help provide housing for people leaving prison. Ahmadou Dramé of the Illinois Justice Project and Marlon Chamberlain of the Illinois Coalition to End Permanent Punishments discuss. Callers are asked: When have you secured housing for yourself, or opened up your home to others?
FROM THE PRESS BOX ⚾🏀⚽
- Jameson Taillon’s milestone: The Cubs’ Taillon, a cancer survivor and a pitcher who had multiple Tommy John surgeries, reached 10 years of service time as a majorleaguer Monday.
- Cardoso’s quest: Flashes of dominance defined Kamilla Cardoso’s first two seasons with the Sky. Now she has to prove she can sustain that approach.
- World Cup roster: The Fire’s Chris Brady was named to the U.S. World Cup roster, among the eight players taken from Major League Soccer.
CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭
Today’s clue: 6A: Transitional housing center in the former Diplomat Motel with a peaceful name
BRIGHT ONE 🔆
Inside the making of a Second City show
By Mike Davis
It’s a typical afternoon in April. Onstage at Second City, just after lunchtime, six actors are rehearsing a sketch for its newest show, “Pandemonium, Please Hold.”
Being in the room for a Second City rehearsal is a stark contrast to traditional theater, whose rehearsals include a lot of dead air with actors standing around doing nothing as crew members problem-solve lighting, sound and technical issues.
But here, rehearsal is exciting. When director Carisa Barreca pauses a scene to give notes, the performers immediately start riffing. Ideas and jokes are flying in every direction. At one point, cast member Zoe McKee breaks out into song. It’s beautiful, but Barreca eventually reigns them in.
How do you problem-solve funny? How does Second City, a company known for being the training ground for sketch comedy legends, create skits that work? It all starts in the rehearsal room.
WBEZ got a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the now open show. You can read about it here, or listen to the audio story here.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
WBEZ reporter Mariah Woelfel and Sun-Times photojournalist Zubaer Khan are in Rome to cover Mayor Johnson’s meeting with Pope Leo XIV. We’re looking for your Rome recommendations to send them for their off-hours. Where should they go? What should they eat?
We want to know: What would you do in Rome? Tell us why.
Email your answer here (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story. Tell us your name and neighborhood so we can shout you out.
PICTURE CHICAGO 📸
Thanks for reading the Sun-Times Morning Edition!
Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.
Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia
The Chicago Sun-Times is a nonprofit supported by readers like you. Become a member to make stories like these free and available to everyone. Learn more at suntimes.com/member.