Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
Like springtime snow or getting cursed out at a Crosstown Classic, enduring traffic is an inevitable part of life in Chicago.
Chicagoans are no strangers to hopping in the car for a daily commute and meeting bumper-to-bumper traffic at some point. What should feel like a quick drive often turns into a long slog.
And apparently, it’s costing us.
Chicago commuters lose more than $8,000 in wages each year to time spent in traffic, according to a new study analyzing expensive commutes nationwide. Of the 170 U.S. cities studied, Chicago ranks 19th for the most expensive commute for drivers and ninth for the longest round-trip commute.
Luckily, this rundown of today’s top stories is brief — and it won’t cost you a thing.
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Johnson OKs deal to raise tax on high-end home sales, use funds to combat homelessness
Reporting by Fran Spielman
Deal to raise some real estate taxes: Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed off on a compromise plan to raise the real estate transfer tax on high-end home sales to generate $100 million in annual revenue to combat homelessness, but in a way that will reduce the tax for homes sold for less than $1 million.
The deal explained: A compromise on Johnson’s initial proposal, the plan cuts the transfer tax rate for properties sold under $1 million and progressively raises it for sales above $1 million. A referendum could be introduced as soon as the Sept. 13 Council meeting and approved by the Council in October.
Who would be exempt: Affordable housing projects receiving city, county, state or Chicago Housing Authority subsidies would be exempt from the increase.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
CPS students will face extreme heat during their first week of school. All recess and outdoor activities are moving indoors.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
- Extreme heat moves CPS activities indoors: Recess and outdoor activities at Chicago’s public schools will be moved indoors this week, and outdoor sports games and practices will be postponed Wednesday and Thursday because of the extreme heat expectd to hit the city.
- Biden taps Siskel to be top White House lawyer: President Joe Biden tapped Ed Siskel to be the top White House attorney, picking a veteran of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s City Hall and the Obama administration to be in place for election year GOP investigations and obstructive moves.
- Northwestern reduces events held at Ryan Field: NU announced last week it will lower the number of concerts it seeks at the new proposed Ryan Field stadium, as residents continue to oppose the rebuild.
- Pickleball facility planned for Vernon Hills: A former Toys R Us store in suburban Vernon Hills could be converted to an indoor pickleball facility by the end of the year. PickleMall Inc., which recently opened a 24-court site in Arizona, plans to open 50 centers in two years.
- 3.5 stars for ‘BS High’: This solidly packaged HBO documentary tells the baffling story of Bishop Sycamore — a team attached to no actual school that lined up games against prep powerhouses, writes Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper.
- Chance the Rapper relives ‘Acid Rap’ era: The Chicago-born artist celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his star-making mixtape with a blow-out show at the United Center Saturday. The high-energy set at times felt like a 10-year high school reunion, writes Ayana Contreras in her review of his performance.
EXPLORING THE CITY 🏙️
With access to ‘the Bean’ limited, visit these spots instead
While access to “the Bean” is closed, get out there and explore some of the city’s other public art. Clockwise from top left: the Picasso, Miro’s Chicago, the Darius & Girenas Memorial and the Victory Monument.
Sun-Times file
Reporting by the Sun-Times Editorial Board
Getting close to Millennium Park’s famed Cloud Gate will be tough until next spring, thanks to repair work that began last week on Grainger Plaza.
But there’s more to Chicago public art than the popular Anish Kapoor sculpture. Here are some spots to visit until “the Bean” is, well, done.
- The Picasso and Miro’s Chicago: These two works face each other across Washington Street downtown. Though controversial when it was unveiled 56 years ago, Picasso’s 50-foot piece has since become a worldwide symbol of Chicago. Joan Miro’s 39-foot tall sculpture, erected in 1981, is beautiful and curious-looking, with its outstretched arms and forklike headdress.
- Victory Monument and the Darius & Girenas Memorial: The Victory Monument, at 35th Street and King Drive, was built in 1927 to honor Chicago’s all-Black 370th Infantry, whose soldiers were among those who liberated France in World War I. The Darius & Girenas Memorial, near 67th Street and California Avenue, was built in 1935, honoring Capt. Stephen Darius and Lt. Stanley Girenas, who were killed in 1933 trying to fly from New York to Lithuania.
- Riverview and Zellij Fountain: Jerry Peart’s Riverview was erected in 1980 outside a police station and courthouse at 2452 W. Belmont Ave. The aluminum sculpture remembers Riverview Amusement Park, which stood on the site until 1967. The Zellij Fountain, unveiled in 2003, brings a bit of Morocco to the Garfield Park Conservatory interior at 300 N. Central Park Ave.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Champion boxer Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Awinongya Jr. forges his own path as he starts college — at 16
Reporting by Anthony Vazquez
At 16 years old, accomplished boxer Joseph “Jo Jo” Awinongya Jr. has a lot on his plate.
Awinongya is stepping up into a new weight class where tougher opponents await — and he has started classes this week as a freshman at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, where he’s studying marketing, business and computer science on a full scholarship.
Juggling school and boxing hasn’t come without sacrifice. As Awinongya finished middle school with a high school diploma, which he accomplished through homeschooling at age 14, he took and passed the entrance exam for community college.
Awinongya started Joliet Junior College with a full course load. When the family drove to out-of-state boxing competitions, he would study and do homework until the fight.
Awinongya has also racked up the wins — four-time Junior National champion, three-time Silver Gloves National champion and three USA National championships — all while getting an associate degree at age 16.
His father, Joseph Sr., a former pro boxer, was hesitant to train his son, but after seeing his commitment to the sport and to his studies, the two hit the gym to train often. As Awinongya sets his sights on college and his ultimate goal of being the youngest world champion, Joseph Sr. sees a bright future for his son.
“His potential is unlimited, his IQ in boxing, his IQ in everything is higher now because I cut him loose,” Joseph Sr. said.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
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Editor: Ellery Jones
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers
