Temperatures cooled down in Chicago this week, but there was plenty of heat at City Hall. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s granny flat ordinance was stalled by opponents, efforts to override the mayor’s veto of a teen curfew rule failed and City Council members began jockeying to be the next Zoning Committee chair as Ald. Walter Burnett vacates the position at the end of the month.
The midterm election may seem far away, but many races are well underway. U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for Sen. Dick Durbin’s soon-to-be-empty seat, is already airing ads. The Cook County Democratic Party began issuing endorsements (or in some cases, no endorsements) this week. Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza appears to be eyeing a second mayoral bid after announcing her decision to not to run for reelection as the state’s top fiscal officer. And in the very crowded primary for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss earned the support of fellow progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
On Thursday, hundreds of people took to the streets in Chicago and in cities across the nation to protest President Donald Trump and his policies. Meanwhile, the president — still facing criticism over his handling of records in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case — asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to unseal grand jury transcripts, and the House scrambled to put forward a resolution calling for transparency regarding the Epstein files.
It wasn’t a great week for national media. Congress approved $1.1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which will affect NPR, PBS and hundreds of other locally operated television and radio stations across the country. “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” was also canceled by CBS, with the host announcing Thursday that the final episode will air in May 2026.
Plus, it was a week full of All-Stars. The MLB’s Midsummer Classic was Tuesday, and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong made his All-Star debut alongside a slew of other youngsters and rookies on the winning National League team. And in the midst of collective bargaining negotiations with players, the WNBA is hosting their All-Star festivities.
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, take your crew out for a slice of the city’s newest delicacy: the Chicago Dog Deep Dish pizza, a collaboration between Lou Malnati’s and Portillo’s.
Well that’s it for this week! Now for the fun stuff. Here’s the Tribune’s Quotes of the Week quiz for July 13 to 19. Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.
