Good morning, Chicago.
For the last three decades, a majestic arch above West 26th Street has served as a gateway to Little Village, the largest and most recognized Mexican immigrant community in Chicago.
“Bienvenidos A Little Village,” reads a banner right below a grand mechanical clock that, ironically, did not tell time for as long as most people can remember.
But yesterday, right after the clock marked 10 a.m., Mayor Brandon Johnson, city officials and the Little Village Chamber of Commerce celebrated its restoration and solidified the significance of the presence of Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans here.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Laura Rodríguez Presa.
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Francine weakens moving inland from the Gulf Coast after hurricane winds cause power outages
Francine slammed the Louisiana coast Wednesday evening with 100 mph (155 kph) winds in coastal Terrebonne Parish, battering a fragile coastal region that hasn’t fully recovered from a series of devastating hurricanes in 2020 and 2021. It then moved at a fast clip toward New Orleans, pounding the city with torrential rains.
Court finds Trump Tower violated environmental laws and endangered fish in the Chicago River
After several years of litigation, a Cook County judge has found operations at Trump Tower violated state and federal environmental laws to protect the fish in the Chicago River, the Illinois Attorney General’s office announced Wednesday.
A lawsuit filed in 2018 by then Attorney General Lisa Madigan alleged the cooling system intake structure at Trump Tower siphoned water from the river so powerfully that it sucked in fish and trapped them against its screens, resulting in the death of thousands of aquatic organisms.
Johnson exempts police, fire from citywide hiring freeze after backlash
Johnson’s budget team spokesperson, LaKesha Gage Woodard, told the Tribune in a phone call that public safety positions are in fact exempt from the hiring freeze enacted Monday but maintained that was always the plan.
Man convicted of killing Chicago police Officer Ella French, wounding her partner, sentenced to life in prison
A judge sentenced a man to life in prison for shooting and killing Chicago police Officer Ella French and injuring her partner, marking an emotional end to the case months after jurors viewed harrowing body camera footage throughout a weeklong trial.
Emonte Morgan, 23, was found guilty in March of killing French, seriously injuring Officer Carlos Yanez Jr. and shooting at Officer Joshua Blas during a traffic stop on Aug 7, 2021 on the South Side. Life was the statutory minimum in the case, prosecutors had told Judge Ursula Walowski, who added another 57 years on other counts.
Indiana judge rules against abortion providers fighting near-total ban
An Indiana county judge ruled Wednesday against abortion providers who are seeking to broaden access to the procedure under the near-total ban state lawmakers passed after the U.S. Supreme Court ended federal protections in 2022.
Indiana became the first state to enact tighter restrictions after the U.S. Supreme Court ended federal abortion protections by overturning Roe v. Wade.
Column: The Chicago Bears were just off at most everything on offense in the opener. Most notably? They showed no identity.
If the Bears can reach the kind of success they are aiming for this season, they will be able to look back on a 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans and chalk it up to a number of factors, most prominently an improved roster, writes Brad Biggs.
Column: WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert failed players by conflating rivalry and racism
It was a softball question, writes Julia Poe. During an extended interview on CNBC, anchor Tyler Mathisen asked Engelbert to address the “menacing turn” that WNBA fandom has taken while seeding racism and misogyny into everyday sports conversation.
Engelbert had an easy opportunity to address the racial abuse suffered by players such as Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese, who has been a consistent target since joining the league — mostly at the provocation of her long-standing perceived rivalry with Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark.
Instead, the commissioner shrugged the whole thing off.
‘Speak No Evil’ review: Invited to the countryside? Have some reservations
Director James Watkins’ pretty-good remake of “Speak No Evil,” a reminder to trust your suspicions about who’s inviting you for a weekend in the country, comes from the 2022 Danish thriller released in the U.S. (now streaming on Shudder) under the same title. It’s well-acted and carefully paced for simmering dread, and James McAvoy gets to go full-on “Split”ville with the frothing villainy one more time, writes Tribune film critic Michael Phillips.
‘How to Die Alone’ review: A 35-year-old airport worker pulls herself out of a rut
In the new Hulu comedy “How to Die Alone,” creator and star Natasha Rothwell plays a 35-year-old woman working a dead-end job at the airport. She’s in a rut, but when an accident lands her briefly in the hospital, she’s inspired to make some incremental changes to her life, both professionally and personally.
Rothwell might be best known for her supporting roles on “Insecure” and “The White Lotus.” She absolutely has the talent to carry a show and Tribune TV and film critic Nina Metz hopes she gets more opportunities going forward.
Review: Is this art for real? ‘Augmented Chicago’ joins new artwork in Millennium Park
To mark its 20th anniversary, Millennium Park has refreshed its public art offerings, writes Lori Waxman. The plaza surrounding Anish Kapoor’s iconic Cloud Gate has been renovated, Jaume Plensa’s beloved Crown Fountain got its seasonal cleaning, and works by artists local and international have been temporarily installed throughout.
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