Good morning, Chicago.
As the battle between Bally’s and the city heats up over the advent of video gaming terminals, the casino company has enlisted an unlikely ally — former Mayor Lori Lightfoot — whose administration chose the Rhode Island-based company to build Chicago’s first casino.
Bally’s has hired Lightfoot’s law firm, RKF Global, to navigate the VGT dispute, which the casino company says would violate its contract with the city and potentially void an annual $4 million payment requirement to Chicago as part of that host agreement.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Robert Channick and Alice Yin.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: what to know about minimum wage increasing July 1, how Portillo’s and McDonald’s are joining the fast-food promotion of America 250 and the world’s largest Hello Kitty Cafe opens in Chicago.
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Chicago weather: Officials urge residents to take precautions as unusual stretch of heat grips Illinois
Across Chicago and the suburbs, preparations were underway for dangerously high temperatures this week as officials urged residents to take extra precautions. The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning, effective from noon yesterday through 10 p.m. tomorrow.
- Chicago History Museum will be free today as an escape from the heat
- A heat dome will engulf World Cup games in the eastern US this week — here’s what to expect
Three in custody after CBS news crew attacked near Adler Planetarium
Three people are in custody after a local news crew was attacked by suspects yelling racial slurs yesterday afternoon near the Adler Planetarium, according to a law enforcement source. A short time later, a police pursuit ensued miles away on the city’s Southwest Side.
US Supreme Court upholds laws allowing Illinois and other states to count mail-in ballots after Election Day
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Illinois and other states can continue to count mail-in ballots cast by Election Day that arrive afterward, rejecting a challenge by President Donald Trump and Republicans to require that ballots be delivered to election authorities by the date of the November general election.
In a 5-4 ruling authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee, the court’s majority found that “while federal law dictates when ballots must be cast, state law dictates when they must be received.”
2 independents fight to stay on the Illinois 4th District ballot amid machine politics claims
Two independent candidates aiming to give voters more choices in the Illinois 4th Congressional District race are still fighting to keep their names on the November ballot — casualties, they say, of the same hardball political maneuvering that delivered the Democratic nomination to outgoing U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García’s hand-picked successor.
Mayor Brandon Johnson pushes City Council to adopt tenants’ rights package
Mayor Brandon Johnson added pressure to aldermen yesterday as they began to vet his plan to overhaul Chicago renters’ rights with changes like capped move-in fees and a rental registry.
Johnson pitched the plan as a way to strike back at corporate landlords who he blamed for soaring housing costs. His proposal won support from allies who argued it will empower renters and bolster stability, but opponents said it cracks down too hard on landlords and will ultimately force rents to rise.
Minimum wage in Chicago and Cook County set to increase July 1
Chicago’s minimum wage will increase July 1, when it will hit $17.05 for most workers across the city.
The new minimum wage applies to most people who work for employers with at least four total employees. It does not apply to tipped workers like restaurant servers or bartenders, who can be paid less than the full minimum wage so long as their tips make up the difference.
From giardiniera dogs to fried apple pie, Portillo’s and McDonald’s join fast-food promotion of America 250
As America’s 250th birthday approaches, what could be more fitting than a giardiniera-infused hot dog, fried apple pie or a fireworks-topped mini Bundt cake? There’s no shortage of unusual patriotic-themed menu offerings as fast-food giants gear up to celebrate a special Fourth of July in the land of the Big Gulp and the home of the Whopper.
Chicago Bears rookie outlook: Can speedy WR Zavion Thomas make an immediate impact?
Ben Johnson wanted speed.Zavion Thomas can provide it. It’s not hard to see what the Bears coach likes in the rookie wide receiver, selected in the third round of the NFL draft.
Column: New Chicago book shows us the beginnings of our city’s luxury in the sky
Tribune columnist Rick Kogan has never lived in a house. Been in many, of course, spent nights in a few, but never lived in one. He’s an apartment guy, proudly, and can remember the 14 places he’s lived in Chicago, from the time his parents brought him from being born to where he lives now.So, he was intrigued when he came across a new book, “Chicago’s Luxury Apartment Buildings,” one of the latest from Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” series.
World’s largest Hello Kitty Cafe opens in Chicago with afternoon tea and Italian beef croissants
The Hello Kitty Cafe Chicago just opened in the Loop on June 26. It’s the world’s largest restaurant location dedicated to the small white cat character who wears a pink signature bow. Her newest speakeasy-inspired Bow Room offers afternoon tea featuring an Italian beef croissant with mild giardiniera.There’s no alcohol available, unlike other locations, but the set tea menu also includes a Chicago layered cake with chocolate, strawberry and banana flavors, similar to the South Side favorite Atomic Cake.
