Good morning, Chicago.
James Soto and his cousin, David Ayala, stood outside the doors of a Cook County courtroom yesterday at the end of a more than four-decade entanglement with the criminal court and prison system, nervously riding out a final 20-minute delay in their hearing to receive an official declaration of innocence.
“It doesn’t happen until it happens. I waited so long,” Soto said, listening for a call back into the room.
Family and supporters audibly exhaled when the decision came several minutes later: a certificate of innocence was granted for the two men, the longest-serving wrongfully convicted people in Illinois.
Ayala and Soto were released from prison more than a year and a half ago after a judge exonerated them. But the certificate of innocence means even the arrest records from the case will be erased. Soto said having the certificate will allow him to travel without restrictions, and both men said it would help them to move on with their lives.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Olivia Olander.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: everything you need to know for Day 1 of Lollapalooza, how the festival’s largest stage will be powered with a hybrid battery system and what moves the Cubs have made as the trade deadline approaches.
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US Rep. Danny Davis set to announce he won’t run for reelection to Congress
Danny Davis, the 83-year-old dean of Illinois’ U.S. House delegation and a voice for progressive politics for decades, is expected to announce today that he will not seek election to a 16th term representing the 7th Congressional District — the latest move in a generational change sweeping the state’s and nation’s political scene.
Davis is also expected to announce his endorsement of veteran state Rep. La Shawn Ford in a budding primary contest to succeed him for the Democratic nomination in March, a well-placed source close to the congressman’s decision-making said.
Canada will recognize a Palestinian state in September in latest push against Israel’s Gaza policies
Canada will recognize a Palestinian state in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced yesterday, the latest in a series of symbolic announcements that are part of a broader global shift against Israel’s policies in Gaza.
Carney convened a Cabinet meeting to discuss the situation in the battered Palestinian territory. He said it came after he discussed the crisis with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer who announced a similar move on Tuesday.
Lollapalooza 2025: What to know for Day 1
As Day 1 of Lollapalooza kicks off in Grant Park, here’s everything to know, from the musical lineup to the weather forecast and how to navigate crowds.
- Our top 10 tips for attending Lollapalooza 2025
- Lollapalooza 2025: Our picks for the best music by day and what not to miss
Hybrid battery system to power Lollapalooza main stage as more festivals embrace clean energy
For the second year in a row, Lollapalooza will power its largest stage with a hybrid battery system, marking a growing trend of big-name music festivals transitioning away from diesel-based generators.
When the Chicago staple introduced its hybrid battery-powered stage in 2024, it became the first major U.S. festival to power its main stage with a battery system, which supplements the stage’s generators with energy stored from the electric grid. This system reduced the stage’s fuel consumption by 67%, and avoided 26 metric tons of carbon emissions, according to data from festival organizers.
Legend of Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa endures 50 years after ex-Detroit union leader’s disappearance
Yesterday marked 50 years since the iron-fisted former Teamsters union boss Jimmy Hoffa disappeared from a restaurant about 10 miles north of Detroit. Presumed dead long before being legally declared deceased in 1982, Hoffa’s remains have not been found and the investigation into his disappearance remains active.
“Regardless of the age of the case, the FBI Detroit Field Office remains committed to following all credible leads and is seeking information to assist in moving this case forward,” the agency said in a release. “The Hoffa investigation remains active, and our office continues to urge anyone with information to come forward.”
Chicago pianist ‘grateful’ to make music again after life-changing brain surgery
A hospital bed in Florida isn’t Mark Burnell’s typical performance venue. But this spring, with an electric keyboard in his lap and 14 holes drilled into his skull, the longtime Chicago musician struck up a melody on the old ivories.
The tune was a time-honored, and fitting, classic from “The Wizard of Oz”: the Scarecrow’s seminal hit, “If I Only Had a Brain.”
Chicago Cubs acquire RHP Michael Soroka from Nationals; add bullpen help in Andrew Kittredge from Orioles
Improving the pitching staff has been a priority for the Cubs as the trade deadline approaches.
They made their first maneuver to address that part of the roster last night by acquiring right-hander Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals, the team announced. The Cubs sent two prospects in the deal, outfielder Christian Franklin and infielder Ronny Cruz.
Is sure-handed Kyle Monangai — who last fumbled 6 years ago — the right fit for Chicago Bears backfield?
Hands that measured 9 inches at the scouting combine — large for someone who’s 5-foot-8, 212 pounds — help. Kyle Monangai said he’s constantly working on grip strength too. But beyond good-sized mitts and a firm grip, he says something larger is at play.
“It’s more of a mentality of not letting go of the football no matter what,” he said.
- Bears training camp rundown: Starting CB job opposite Jaylon Johnson is ‘up for grabs’
- Today in Chicago History: Bears legend Walter Payton — ‘Sweetness’ — inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame
Column: A Chicago film curator reflects on her new job in London, where national arts funding is still a thing
Across two decades, the film programmer Rebecca Fons, soon departing the Siskel Film Center in Chicago for a big new job at London’s Barbican Centre, has worked at a novel variety of movie venues, including the single-screen Iowa Theater in her hometown of Winterset, Iowa, population a little more than 5,000.
Fons, 43, has been the Siskel Film Center’s director of programming since 2021. She will continue to program the Iowa when she becomes Head of Cinema at the sprawling Brutalist multidisciplinary Barbican arts complex this summer, writes Tribune film critic Michael Phillips.
‘Leanne’ review: From standup comedian to awkward sitcom star
The multi-camera sitcom has been on its last legs, which is too bad because it can be such an uproarious format when it prioritizes jokes over the kind of comedy that tends to predominate on streaming: Pleasant enough — fun, even — but straight-up laughs aren’t their reason for being. Television is cyclical, and maybe the fizzy possibilities inherent in sitcoms will eventually make their way back onto our screens. Alas, “Leanne” on Netflix will not be leading the charge, writes Tribune TV and film critic Nina Metz.
