Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
From funding for new migrant students to after-school programs, education was a hot topic in Springfield during the just-ended legislative session, my colleague Nader Issa reports.
In today’s newsletter, we’re breaking down how Chicago Public Schools fared in Springfield.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on the Bears’ continued focus on their ambitious lakefront dome dreams, seven ways you can enjoy summertime in Chicago this weekend and more community news you need to know below. 👇
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
School cops, migrant students, funding shortfall: How CPS fared in Springfield
Reporting by Nader Issa
Mayor Brandon Johnson, Board of Education President Jianan Shi, Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez and Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates traveled downstate this week to lobby lawmakers and the governor during the recent legislative session about priorities for the district.
Did their efforts move the needle in their desired direction?
Here’s how CPS fared.
Overall funding: Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been at odds with Johnson, and in the end, the governor and Legislature didn’t agree to the district’s requests for $200 million more funding for CPS. The budget instead increases K-12 funding by $350 million, the minimum required by law, and did not allocate any additional funding for newly arriving migrant students.
After-school programs: In a major win for schools and community organizations around the state, the General Assembly approved a new $50 million program to fund after-school programs that were at risk of shutting down.
Student protection from sexual abuse: A late-developing bill that came in response to a sexual abuse lawsuit against CPS passed unanimously in the Illinois House and is expected to be taken up by the Senate in the fall veto session.
What didn’t pass: Bills related to school closures, the presence of police officers in schools and budgeting decisions at selective-enrollment schools did not pass this session. The most contentions of those — a bill that would’ve extended a ban on Chicago school closings and prevented the Board of Education from making significant admissions or budgetary decisions at selective-enrollment schools — had significant opposition from Johnson, his school board and the CTU.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- Remembering Elaine Pierce: Ms. Pierce, an Oak Park resident who opened her home to South American migrants last summer while coping with terminal cancer, died May 26. She was 69. “I only wish I could do more,” she previously told the Sun-Times.
- SWAT standoff ends: The subject of a nationwide manhunt — who allegedly shot three people earlier this month — shot himself, resulting in a “relatively minor injury,” police said Friday morning. The shooting ended a nearly 12-hour SWAT standoff in the South Side Roseland neighborhood.
- Analysis of Trump’s guilty verdict: A New York jury found ex-President Donald Trump guilty on 34 felony counts Thursday, sending the rematch with President Joe Biden into unprecedented territory as the Biden campaign has to figure out how to effectively exploit the verdict, writes Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief Lynn Sweet.
- Soldier Field braces for homophobia: During 2019 and 2022 matches, fans of Mexico’s national team chanted a homophobic slur. The team is back in town Friday to face Bolivia, and organizers of this year’s Soldier Field match say they’re working to avoid a repeat of past incidents.
- Mexico’s presidential election will see votes from Illinois: In Illinois alone, 10,560 Mexican nationals have already registered to vote in the country’s historic presidential election, with over half opting for electronic voting. Mexican voters will make history this Sunday, as they are likely to elect the first female president.
- Northern lights could be visible again: The sunspot cluster that illuminated the Chicago area’s sky with the aurora borealis three weeks ago will return this weekend, but the prospect of seeing the northern lights in the city this time remains hazy.
- *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys stars reunite: Boy band vets Joey Fatone and Alex “AJ” McLean spoke with the Sun-Times ahead of the duo’s “A Legendary Night” tour stop in Chicago Saturday.
WEEKEND PLANS 🎉
🇬🇷 Lincoln Park Greek Fest
Friday, 5-11 p.m.; Saturday, 12-11 p.m.; Sunday, 12-10 p.m.
📍St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 2701 N. Sheffield Ave.
Celebrate Greek culture with a weekend of delicious food, music and community.
Admission: $10 suggested donation
🎶 Do Division Street Fest
Friday, 5-10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 12-10 p.m.
📍Division Street between Damen and Leavitt
Three days of food, vendors and music on two stages from headliners Divino Niño, Horsegirl, Pink Siifu, Kacy Hill and more.
Admission: $10 suggested donation
🛍️ Jackson Park Highlands Community Garage Sale
Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
📍6700 -7000 blocks of South Cregier, South Constance, South Bennett, and South Euclid Avenues
Visit with neighbors, shop from eclectic collections and find a new item for your home.
Admission: Free
🎨 57th Street Art Fair
Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
📍57th Street, Between Kenwood and Woodlawn
Shop from hundreds of artists and craft-makers at this long-running Hyde Park staple.
Admission: Free
🎤 Chicago Gospel Music Festival
Saturday, 4-9 p.m.
📍Millennium Park
This year’s fest includes headlining performances from the Clark Sisters, Todd Dulaney, Chandler Moore, Anita Wilson and more.
Admission: Free
❤️ Queer Fam Pride Jam
Sunday, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
📍Millennium Park
Kicking off the Chicago House Music Festival is this celebration of LGBTQ+ families, kids and allies, with DJ sets, performances, all-ages activities — hosted by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Priyanka.
Admission: Free
🎶 Chicago House Music Festival
Sunday 1-9 p.m.
📍Millennium Park
Celebrate 40 years of House with a stacked lineup of pioneers and innovators, setting the party off on two stages. Lineup includes Wayne Williams and Alan King, Farley Jackmaster Funk, Lori Branch and more.
Admission: Free
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Chicagoans find confidence and adventure sailing on Lake Michigan
Reporting by Steve Heisler | For the Sun-Times
From the helm of his 38-foot catamaran on Lake Michigan, sails hoisted and billowing in the wind, Capt. Jim Miranda has spotted magnificent double rainbows, “roll clouds” that resemble Death Star lasers cutting across the sky and sunsets that leave him and fellow sailors speechless.
“There is no end to the tapestry that Mother Nature can paint over the city,” said Miranda. As owner of the sailing academy 3rd Coast Cruising, he has taught hundreds of Chicagoans, including many over the age of 50, to tackle the lake’s fickle and challenging conditions.
“A lot of our students are in [a phase of] metamorphic change,” Miranda said. “They’ve recently gone through a divorce or heartbreak, or death, or they moved to Chicago and didn’t know anybody. And they’re looking to figure out who they are again. … Sailing is that vehicle, and they develop confidence they never
Batavia resident Scott Marquardt, 63, trained under Miranda to reach the rank of “skipper” and take out boats on his own.
To get started sailing, Marquardt recommends purchasing a trial membership or introductory lesson with a local sailing club, like 3rd Coast or Columbia Sailing School (prices range from $50 to $300), and joining Facebook groups like “Chicago Sailors.”
The sailing community is a close-knit but welcoming, Miranda said. He points beginners to Monroe Harbor.
He also said that the right mindset can make all the difference. Prepare for rough seas and embrace the adventure, Marquardt advised.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
What’s a book on your summer reading list this year?
Email us (please include your first and last name). To see the answers to this question, check our Morning Edition newsletter. Not subscribed to Morning Edition? Sign up here so you won’t miss a thing!
ONE MORE THING 🤔
Send us your northern lights photos!
If you’re planning on staying up late tonight to see if the aurora borealis makes an appearance here again, we want to see any photos you snap.
You can reply to this email with your photos, or send them to audience@suntimes.com — and we might share your submissions in Monday’s newsletter. ✨
Thanks for reading the Sun-Times Afternoon Edition.
Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.
Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers
