Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
I hope you get a chance to step outside because it’s another beautiful sunny day in the city. ☀️
It’s also World Turtle Day. So if you happen to see Chonkosaurus out there, make sure you wish our hometown hero a good one. 🐢
Now on to the news you need to know this afternoon.
⏱️: A 5-minute read
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Catholic church in Illinois vastly underreported clergy sex abuse, Kwame Raoul finds
The Archdiocese of Chicago, covering Cook and Lake counties, and the rest of the Catholic church in Illinois, failed to acknowledge hundreds of allegedly abusive priests and other religious figures, according to the results of an investigation announced today by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
The report: Before the investigation, the dioceses publicly listed 103 substantiated child sex abusers, Raoul writes in a 696-page report detailing the findings. This investigation reveals the names and information of 451 Catholic clerics and religious brothers who allegedly abused at least 1,997 children across all of the dioceses of Illinois.
Key quote: Asked today whether church officials had lied in not making public that the extent of clergy sex abuse was more than what they reported, Raoul said, “I think the numbers sort of speak for themselves.”
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
Former 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke (bright blue tie) spars with former Mayor Lori Lightfoot during her first City Council meeting in May 2019. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
- Johnson’s first City Council meeting sure to be tamer than Lightfoot’s: Compared to that made-for-TV moment of political vengeance between former Mayor Lori Lightfoot and now-indicted and newly retired Ald. Edward Burke, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Council debut is almost certain to be downright tame.
- Mayor forges compromise to expand outdoor dining: Mayor Johnson is reviving a plan to make permanent an expanded outdoor dining program that helped restaurants and bars get through the pandemic. But he’s doing it in a way that preserves input from the local alderperson.
- Lake Bluff man drowns after getting stuck in Alaska mud flats: Zachary Porter, 20, was submerged Sunday evening, and his body was recovered Monday morning. A member of Porter’s group called 911 when they couldn’t get him out, but it was too late, AP reports
- ‘Peacekeepers’ to patrol streets Memorial Day weekend: Thirty members of a state-funded “crisis prevention and response unit” are set to help out at large street gatherings to try to help keep the peace.
- Convicted ComEd CEO’s attorney wants to try case again: But the judge denied the request from former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore’s attorney and won’t allow contact with jurors.
- Chicago’s top cop ends training deal with Texas firm tied to former top cop: Professional Law Enforcement Training has been paid more than $1.3 million and is owned by a colleague of former Chicago Police Supt. David Brown.
- 3,000 youths to sing at Millennium Park for Paint the Town Red: The annual event, scheduled for Thursday, is organized by the nonprofit organization Uniting Voices.
- ‘Windy City Rehab’ host happily back at work: Chicago designer Alison Victoria says her passion is back, and she’s ready to tackle everything that comes her way.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Millennium Park fox family is the latest Chicago wildlife to go viral
At least four small fox kits were seen loping around the park’s Lurie Garden Monday evening, jumping in and out of their den as surprised visitors stopped to sneak pictures of the furry family.
The small canids nipped at each other and chased their tails around the garden. They groomed one another and ran in and out of greenery in the park.
A Reddit user and photographer sparked curiosity about the animals after posting images of the young foxes in the Chicago subreddit.
Liza Lehrer, assistant director of the Urban Wildlife Institute, said her organization has been in contact with staff at the park about the foxes. Staff have observed the kits hunting and exhibiting natural behavior, which indicates that they haven’t become reliant on humans.
“There’s a lot of great things that they’re foraging,” Lehrer said. “They’re displaying a lot of really positive natural behaviors. They’re hunting birds and small mammals and things like that.” She said the kits have been spotted in the garden with their mom.
More fox news from our Emmanuel Camarillo.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
It’s yard sale season, so we want to know — what is one of the best things you’ve ever bought at a Chicago neighborhood yard sale?
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