Good afternoon! Today is Thursday, and it marks the birthday of the beloved baby pygmy hippo, Moo Deng. Here are the significant updates from Chicago and beyond that you need to know.
In a significant development, Chicago has joined a collective lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration regarding funding for sanctuary cities. The lawsuit involves 66 cities challenging initiatives that threaten to cut federal funding for those cities that restrict their police officers and staff from enforcing federal immigration laws.
The lawsuit includes cities such as San Francisco, San Diego, Oakland, San Jose, Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Boston, and Denver.
David Axelrod, a former Democratic strategist, expressed to the Chicago Sun-Times his expectation that confrontations similar to those currently taking place in Los Angeles could soon unfold in Chicago. This speculation aligns with the increasing activity of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducting raids aimed at apprehending immigrants lacking legal status.
Further underlining these tensions, earlier this week, local officials described the presence of 15 Department of Homeland Security vehicles at the Humboldt Park’s National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture as a scare tactic. Meanwhile, Trump officials maintained that this incident was part of a narcotics investigation.
In other news, the new owners of Lincoln Yards are revising their plans for the North Side development. Developer Jim Letchinger announced that he will be acquiring the northern section of the former Lincoln Yards site along with Kayne Anderson Real Estate. This area comprises 31 vacant acres, including the old Finkl Steel property located on Cortland Street by the Chicago River.
The completion of the sale is expected by the end of September. Letchinger, CEO of JDL Development, has indicated that the new plan will interconnect the Lincoln Park and Bucktown communities through almost exclusively residential construction, providing fewer than 3,000 housing units. This new approach stands in contrast to the plans proposed by Sterling Bay, which had aimed to develop the riverfront area with towering office buildings and high-rise residences, some reaching heights of up to 60 stories.
Letchinger’s plans include promises of a walkable neighborhood characterized by tree-lined, low-traffic streets and new parks which will enhance green space and recreational opportunities by the river. The buyers emphasized that Foundry Park would serve as a community gathering point for various activities.
As the tick season progresses, Chicago healthcare professionals are urging residents to remain vigilant in light of a recent uptick in tick-borne diseases observed on the East Coast. Although staff at one of Chicago’s largest hospital systems report an increase in cases of tick bites, they lack sufficient data to confirm a local surge in incidents.
Sindhu Aderson, the central region medical director at Northwestern Immediate Care, noted a slight rise in tick-related concerns but cautioned that the overall risk of tick-borne diseases in Chicago remains moderate.
A spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Public Health, Jacob Martin, stated that this year’s Lyme disease case numbers have not shown an increase compared to last year’s data. The health department relies on tracking cases reported through patients’ health care providers, usually after a positive laboratory test, suggesting that the true number of cases might be underreported.
In cultural news, the Art Institute of Chicago is set to unveil its redesigned European design galleries after undergoing refurbishment since January 2024. The enhanced galleries will reopen tomorrow, revealing a new configuration that allows for the display of 40% more artwork.
Visitors can expect to see 310 items, including over 80 pieces that have never been publicly exhibited before. This display will highlight a variety of historical objects, from a newly acquired German Rococo punch bowl showcased at the 1893 Columbian Exposition to an English neo-Gothic sideboard, along with exquisite Chinese porcelain vases from the mid-1700s.
Additionally,
image source from：wbez
