Good morning, Chicago.
With polls showing many voters are dissatisfied with both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, Democratic and Republican operatives acted Monday to try to remove third-party and independent presidential candidates from Illinois’ Nov. 5 ballot.
Democratic-backed challenges were made to petitions filed by the presidential campaigns of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, while Republicans filed challenges to Constitution Party candidate Randall Terry and a placeholder for the Libertarian Party.
Monday marked the end of the formal objection period to petitions from independent and third-party presidential candidates with the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Rick Pearson.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
Subscribe to more newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Today’s eNewspaper edition
What to know about the Supreme Court immunity ruling in Trump’s 2020 election interference case
The Supreme Court’s ruling Monday in former President Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case makes it all but certain that the Republican will not face trial in Washington ahead of the November election.
In a 6-3 ruling, the justices said that former presidents are shielded from prosecution for official acts but do not have immunity for unofficial acts. The Supreme Court sent the case back to the lower court to determine whether core aspects of the indictment are unofficial versus official, and therefore potentially shielded from prosecution.

Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune
Former Portage Mayor James Snyder and his family arrive to Federal Court in Hammond for his sentencing on Oct. 13, 2021. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
Supreme Court ruling in Snyder case could impact how officials interact with contractors, vendors
The impact of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning former Portage Mayor James Snyder’s conviction on a felony bribery charge last week likely won’t impact other cases where officials have already been charged under the same statute, according to an Indiana University Maurer School of Law professor.
But Steve Sanders, a law professor who has studied Supreme Court decisions over the last 11 years, said the ruling could impact how local officials interact with vendors or contractors.

Gov. Pritzker signs federal and state agreement to protect Lake Michigan from invasive carp
After several months of back and forth, officials announced Monday that Illinois had signed a partnership agreement that will allow construction of the $1.15 billion Brandon Road Interbasin Project to begin with significant federal funding.
The effort, decades in the making, will become the last, multi-pronged line of defense to stop invasive silver and bighead carp from making it into Lake Michigan, where they pose a threat to Great Lakes ecosystems and billion-dollar fishing and boating industries.

Family of Pearl Harbor veteran from Chicago retrieve Purple Heart medal from Illinois Treasurer’s Office
Jim Even thought his family had all of his father’s belongings and memorabilia after he died in 2014. His father was organized: As a U.S. Army Air Corps master sergeant and accountant, he had gotten his affairs in order before his death at the age of 92.
But unbeknownst to his loved ones, Jerome Even had put his Purple Heart medal — a heart-shaped medal given to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are wounded or killed in combat — in a safe-deposit box. The medal eventually found its way to the Illinois State treasurer’s office.

Black- and gay-owned cannabis businesses opening and expanding in Illinois
After years of struggling to get off the ground, several Black-owned cannabis businesses recently have opened or expanded in Illinois, bucking the trend of companies that haven’t been able to acquire financing to get going.
One of the recent openings is the self-described Black-, Latino-, veteran- and queer-owned SWAY dispensary in the Lakeview neighborhood. The retail store is a collaboration between cannabis equity advocate and Army veteran Edie Moore, and LGBTQ rights and local business leaders Art Johnston and José “Pepe” Peña — both now 80.

Lawsuit filed against manufacturer of rifle used in Highland Park parade shooting
The family of a Highland Park parade shooting victim has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the assault rifle used in the attack, saying Smith & Wesson irresponsibly marketed the military-style firearm to teenagers and young adults.

Youth academy products Brian Gutiérrez and Chris Brady give Chicago Fire a clear homegrown presence
Major League Soccer’s Homegrown Player Rule hasn’t been a guaranteed path to a long-term place in the first-team lineup.
Starting in the 2009 season, the rule allowed MLS teams to sign players from their youth academies to first-team contracts. In the 15 years since, only 52 homegrown players have reached 100 league appearances, including only one for the Chicago Fire entering this season.

Chicago White Sox host their first Mexican Heritage Night to a sold-out crowd, highlighting the love Mexicans have for the ‘team of the people’
Live banda music, mariachi, charros and traditional folklore dancers adorned a game that authentically and vividly celebrated its Mexican fan base. For the Sox, the night was not about attracting more fans but rather honoring the support of loyal fans, mostly from the Southwest Side of Chicago, who support their team regardless of the standings.

30 Fourth of July specials at Chicago restaurants and bars, from Bomb Pop slushies to barbecue
With the holiday falling on Thursday this year, many bars and restaurants are extending the holiday all weekend long with summery and patriotic specials and other fun such as music, beer sampling and dog-friendly parties.

Column: Class, social status in the kitchen and ‘The Bear’
“The Bear” is the story of a workaday Chicago sandwich joint switching gears to become a fine dining establishment. But restaurant kitchens of all types are an ecosystem where class issues play out. It’s a hierarchy that inevitably says something about social status. How well — or not — does “The Bear” tackle these themes?
Tribune TV critic Nina Metz talks with Louisa Kung Liu Chu and Ahmed Ali Akbar of the Tribune’s dining team; the following has been edited for length and clarity.









