Good morning, Chicago.
One day before announcing his own retirement, Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling promoted Antoinette Ursitti, chief of detectives for the Chicago Police Department, to first deputy superintendent.
“During her time as the Chief of the Bureau of Detectives, she has led efforts to strengthen investigations as CPD seeks justice for victims and families affected by violence and crime,” Snelling said in a statement Tuesday. “First Deputy Superintendent Ursitti is a purpose-driven leader who prioritizes the well-being of her fellow CPD members and the people of Chicago. She will oversee day-to-day operations across the department and step into her new role with more than two decades of experience across many areas of CPD.”
Snelling announced yesterday that he will retire later this month.
“During the past three years, I have had the privilege to lead this department through the 2024 Democratic National Convention and a record-low reduction in shootings, homicides and violent crime,” Snelling said in a statement released yesterday afternoon. “While this happened during my tenure as Superintendent, the hard and courageous work of the members of the Chicago Police Department should be given the credit. Though I am proud of what we have achieved, there is more to be done, and I am confident that we created a foundation for further progress.”
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Sam Charles and Caroline Kubzansky.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including why the Illinois House speaker is calling on a representative to resign, why Illinois Medicaid patients can wait more than a year for critical dental care and what to know as the Blackhawks sign a deal for the NHL’s highest-paid defenseman.
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‘Broadview Six’ blowback to heat up for US attorney in coming weeks
For weeks, Chicago’s U.S. attorney’s office has tried to tamp down a scandal over alleged misconduct in grand jury sessions by focusing on a single prosecutor who handled the now-defunct “Broadview Six” case against Operation Midway Blitz protesters.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros has ordered a top-to-bottom review of some 100 criminal investigations handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg dating back to 2007. His office already has proactively turned over transcripts and even audio recordings of Mecklenburg’s grand jury sessions in at least a half dozen cases, and outright dismissed charges against some 10 defendants — with more potentially to come.
Illinois Speaker Welch calls on Rep. Harry Benton to resign after investigation of his conduct
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch yesterday called on a Democratic lawmaker from Plainfield accused of improper conduct to resign from the General Assembly after an internal investigation revealed what Welch said were “clear patterns” of behavior that are “outrageous, unethical, and unbecoming of a member of the Illinois House of Representatives.”
Three men charged, one with hate crime, in attack on CBS news crew
Three men are facing felony charges in connection with the attack on the CBS news crew near Adler Planetarium earlier this week, officials confirmed late yesterday.
Illinois Medicaid patients can wait more than a year for critical dental care due to low reimbursements
More than 3 million people in Illinois — that’s almost 1 of 4 residents — are on Medicaid. Many patients have to wait long times for specialized dental care, primarily due to low pay for oral surgeons who perform such procedures.
While the problem has plagued Medicaid patients for years, dental care advocates say it could be addressed if the managed care organizations, or MCOs, that administer the plan would negotiate higher payments.
A worker in high demand in Chicago? The air-conditioning technician.
Moshe Pomerantz’s job is to keep people cool. Doing so, it turns out, requires ample time in the heat.
As Chicago endures sweat-through-your-shirt conditions this week, Pomerantz is going about his routine, traveling from home to home, making sure air conditioners are running well. Days like these are taxing in Pomerantz’s line of work, with emergency calls from homeowners who had no idea that their aging AC was careening toward its demise, along with all the usual maintenance appointments.
And so Pomerantz found himself atop a condo building in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village neighborhood Tuesday evening, nearly 10 hours into a sweltering shift.
- ComEd says power grid under ‘critical strain’ during Chicago’s extreme heat
- Extreme heat likely to persist through tonight
Ivy Hall co-founder sentenced to prison for role in drug smugglers’ money laundering scheme
The co-founder of the local cannabis dispensary chain Ivy Hall will serve a year and a day in prison for his role in a wide-ranging cocaine trafficking and money laundering scheme, a federal judge ruled yesterday.
One Chicago condo sells for $5.3M, less than half of what it was once under contract for
A full-floor condominium on the 73rd floor of the recently constructed One Chicago building in the Gold Coast area sold in June for $5.25 million — more than three years after it had gone under contract at a much higher, $13.95 million asking price.
Bowen Byram signs 6-year, $75M extension with Chicago Blackhawks that makes him NHL’s highest-paid defenseman
Bowen Byram signed a six-year, $75 million contract extension with the Blackhawks, the team announced yesterday. The contract will kick for the 2027-28 season and would make him the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL in terms of average annual value.
The $12.5 million AAV of the new deal doubles that of the $6.25 million of his contract with the Buffalo Sabres.
- Blackhawks in NHL free agency: Forward Ilya Mikheyev leaves for Tampa Bay Lightning
- Blackhawks’ 2nd-rounders Xavier Villeneuve and Ryan Roobroeck arrive for camp: ‘It’s a sick city’
World Cup: US beats Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 to advance to round of 16 and keep dreams alive
Folarin Balogun scored his third goal of the World Cup before being sent off with a red card in the second half, and Malik Tillman converted on a free kick to give the 10-man United States a 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina last night that advanced the Americans to the round of 16.
25 seasons in, with more to come, Christopher Bell has built the Grant Park Chorus into Chicago’s finest
Christopher Bell lives for double-takes.
The Grant Park Music Festival attracts vocal soloists who have sung on the world’s most prestigious stages. Dress rehearsals are usually their first introduction to the Grant Park Chorus, which Bell — Belfast-born and Edinburgh-trained — has directed for 25 years.
