Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
In today’s newsletter, we’re looking into new rules from the Chicago Police Department that bar officers from joining groups on its registry of “criminal and biased organizations.”
The list includes 675 gang factions that department members are forbidden from joining — but no hate or extremist groups, my colleagues Tom Schuba and Dan Mihalopoulos report. We look into why below.
Plus, we’ve got a look back on the 1996 Democratic National Convention, a list of things to do this weekend and more community news you need to know. 👇
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
No extremist groups on list barring Chicago police officer membership, only street gangs
Reporting by Tom Schuba and Dan Mihalopoulos | WBEZ
CPD’s new rules: Facing sharp criticism for tolerating officers with ties to extremist groups, the Chicago Police Department implemented new rules this year aimed at barring officers from joining such organizations.
A glaring omission: The department’s registry of “criminal and biased organizations” does not list any of the far-right groups that officers have associated with, such as the Ku Klux Klan, Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. The document includes 675 gang factions that department members are forbidden from joining — but no hate or extremist groups. A police spokesperson indicated such groups will be identified on a case-by-case basis.
Inspector general sounds alarm: City Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said the omission of specific groups could allow officers to dodge accountability. “We do not want to be in a situation where a CPD member could point to this list and say, ‘Well, the KKK does not appear among the enumerated groups, and therefore there’s no problem with my affiliating with that group,’” Witzburg said.
Key context: The revised policy was finalized after a series of reports by WBEZ, the Sun-Times and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Projects revealed the misconduct records of cops with ties to the Oath Keepers and detailed the police department’s history of extremism. The series prompted the department to reopen an internal investigation into the influence of the Oath Keepers in the department. But in April, officials cleared eight current cops of wrongdoing, six of whom acknowledged that they had signed up for the militia group. Only one officer has faced discipline after being linked to an extremist group.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- Looking back on the 1996 Democratic convention: For the 1996 Democratic National Convention, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley was determined to showcase a new and different Chicago and erase the memory of clashes between protesters and police that marred the 1968 convention during his father’s tenure. Fran Spielman looks back on 1996 with members of the former mayor’s camp.
- Council members talk Burke sentencing: Federal prosecutors want former 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke sentenced to a decade in prison for corruption. In interviews with WBEZ, several City Council members decried that length, while a handful of others said he deserves significant time behind bars.
- High temps mean high risk: Summers in Chicago have warmed, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses among older adults. We share how to spot the signs and where to find a cooling center.
- Ascension cyberattack update: Cybercriminals stole data about Ascension patients in a ransomware attack last month, the hospital system said, noting the attacker infiltrated the hospital network after an employee accidentally downloaded a malicious file.
- Unfair real estate listing agreements targeted: Legislation banning long-term and costly real estate listing agreements has been passed in the state House and Senate and now needs only Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature to become law.
- 3 stars for ‘Brats’: Andrew McCarthy, a member of the “Brat Pack,” unpacks the label with Demi Moore, Rob Lowe and other former co-stars in this poignant documentary, writes Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper.
WEEKEND PLANS 🎉
🎥 African Diaspora International Film Festival
Friday-Sunday
📍Facets, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave.
This fest highlights 13 films that explore Black and Indigenous experiences across the world.
Admission: $10+; festival pass $65
🥳 Fiesta Back of the Yards
Friday-Sunday, noon-10 p.m.
📍Ashland from 45th to 47th
Enjoy three full days of live entertainment, carnival rides, food and more.
Admission: Free
🐖 Ribfest Chicago
Friday, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon-10 p.m.
📍Lincoln Avenue from Irving Park Road to Berteau
Local barbecue pros vie for the title of best ribs — and you get to taste their work. Plus, there will be live music, children’s activities and more.
Admission: $10
🍽️ Taste of Randolph
Friday, 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon
📍Randolph from Peoria to Racine
Enjoy food from neighborhood restaurants and catch performances from Local H, the Beaches, Friko and more.
Admission: $10 suggested donation
❤️ Juneteenth Parade
Saturday, 11 a.m.
📍 Madison and Sacramento
Back for its 10 iteration, this parade honors Juneteenth and celebrates community.
Admission: Free
🎶 Juneteenth Village Fest
Saturday, noon-8 p.m.
📍Douglass Park, California and Roosevelt Road
This community fest features performances from hip-hop greats Common, Dead Prez and more. Plus, food vendors, a Ferris wheel, the Jesse White Tumblers and more.
Admission: Free
🍹Pride Crawl
Saturday, 4 p.m.
📍Charlie’s Chicago, 3726 N. Broadway
Starting at Charlie’s, party at five venues. This year, organizers say 20% of the event’s proceeds will be donated to Center on Halsted.
Admission: Free
👟 Boystown Walking Tour
Sunday, 11 a.m.
📍Belmont Red/Brown/Purple Line Station, 945 W. Belmont Ave.
Explore the history of the neighborhood now known as Northalested on this educational tour.
Admission: Pay what you can
😎 Sundays on State
Sunday, 11 a.m.
📍State Street from Lake to Adams
The block party returns, as State Street closes to cars and opens to pedestrians, performances, shopping, food and more.
Admission: Free
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Glitz gala brings dancing for seniors to Ellis Park
Reporting by Sun-Times staff
Fancied up in red and silver dresses, suits and dancing shoes, seniors mingled last week at the glamorous Glitz Gala at Ellis Park .
The third annual event, hosted by the Chicago Park District, included a full-course meal, a live DJ and other entertainment.
“This is a wonderful place for the seniors to come. They make us feel so welcome,” said Jo Credit, 69. “We feel so comfortable. It’s a wonderful place to be.”
The line dancing “keeps them moving, it keeps them energetic, it keeps them young,” said Mikayla Bryant, an activities instructor at Ellis Park in the Oakland neighborhood.
Ald. Monique Scott (24th) used to be a supervisor at Ellis Park and helped to open the field house in 2016, she said. She also helped to start the annual Glitz Gala.
“We thought about a prom and was like, the seniors need to dress up and relax and dance, and just feel beautiful and unwind,” Scott said.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
If you lived in Chicago during the 1996 Democratic National Convention, what is your defining memory from that time?
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!
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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers
