Afternoon Edition: June 30, 2021

Aldermen in the Chicago City Council chambers for last Friday’s meeting. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be mostly cloudy with a high near 83 degrees and a 40% chance of thunderstorms. You can expect similar conditions to continue tonight with a low around 67. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high near 76.

Top story

19 aldermen call special City Council meeting for Friday on violent crime

Nineteen aldermen are calling a special virtual Chicago City Council meeting for 11 a.m. Friday — and threatening to take a vote of no-confidence in Chicago Police Supt. David Brown if he doesn’t show up to testify — about police response to gun violence in the city.

A quorum of 26 aldermen is needed to convene and meet as a committee of the whole to take testimony from Brown or take the vote of no-confidence if he fails to appear. That means that seven aldermen who did not sign the call for a special meeting would have to show up anyway.

Whether or not that will happen is anybody’s guess. Six aldermen have already peeled off in the last 24 hours under pressure from the mayor’s office.

“All we can do is hope for the best. … We’ve got 19 that signed on. There may be a few that show up. And of course, there may be a few that don’t,” said Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), one of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s most outspoken City Council critics.

Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) said aldermen had to call the special meeting after their efforts to try to “work with the administration to have a Public Safety Committee meeting failed.”

Lopez flatly predicted a quorum, though six aldermen have peeled off. He noted “a number” of aldermen who didn’t sign the letter “did express support for the meeting and intend to be there.”

Lopez said he hopes Brown shows up to answer questions and that it doesn’t come to a no-confidence vote that would mirror what the Fraternal Order of Police already has done.

Chicago Police Department spokesman Tom Ahern wouldn’t say if Brown would attend the special meeting. Brown has planned a news conference for tomorrow, presumably to unveil his plan to prevent a third straight weekend of mass shootings over the coming holiday weekend.

Fran Spielman has more on the special meeting here.

More news you need

1. The most infectious variant of the coronavirus yet is expected to dominate Chicago and the rest of Illinois within months. Mitchell Armentrout spoke with local experts about the Delta variant and what makes it so dangerous.
2. Federal prosecutors are considering the death penalty for two men they say shot and killed a security guard before robbing a bank in Gary on June 11. They robbed nearly $10,000 to pay off the bills of an amateur football team, prosecutors said.
3. Families at or below the federal poverty line can now pay $1 for child care as part of a move to expand access to services for Illinoisans as the state recovers from the pandemic. The permanent policy change could reduce monthly child care costs for 80% of the state’s families, Gov. Pritzker said yesterday.
4. Illinois GOP Reps. Rodney Davis and Adam Kinzinger joined with Democrats yesterday to approve a measure to remove statues of Confederate leaders from the U.S. Capitol. Both Kinzinger and Davis have been mentioned as potential candidates for governor in 2022.
5. A Gold Coast man has been charged with murder after police in Dwight noticed the body of his 81-year-old mother in the passenger seat of his car. The cause of death was strangulation, according to the Grundy County coroner.

A bright one

Philanthropic group to invest $10 million into Black and Brown community leaders, groups

In the past five years, Pastor Donovan Price has been evicted from six homes and lost four cars as a consequence of dedicating his life to being what’s called a “street pastor.”

Being a street pastor isn’t lucrative. But that path has led Price to over 1,000 homicide scenes and countless other shootings since he founded his organization, Solutions and Resources, in 2016.

Last Thursday, the philanthropic group Chicago Beyond announced Price’s organization will receive $1 million over several years to continue his work. He is among a number of groups receiving a large investment to help foster “holistic healing” in Black and Brown communities.

Brian Rich/Sun-Times

Pastor Donovan Price outside of New Progressive Missionary Baptist Church.

Chicago Beyond’s “Holistic Healing Fund” will ultimately provide $10 million to community leaders and organizations that prioritize healing in their work. The fund will support groups working to reverse the harm of systemic racism, disinvestment, gun violence and trauma.

Liz Dozier, founder and CEO of Chicago Beyond, said the Healing Fund is for people like Price who haven’t received much financial support in the past.

Another recipient, the Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.), focuses on making the community more self-sufficient. It will receive $500,000 from Chicago Beyond for a fund that’s led by residents and will invest in their ideas. Half of that money will also go to further building out the organization.

Manny Ramos has more on the major investments here.

From the press box

After dealing with several days of controversy, Blackhawks fans finally got some good news: Jonathan Toews intends to play next season. The Hawks captain revealed today that he missed the 2020-21 season while dealing with Chronic Immune Response Syndrome.

Columnist Rick Morrisey writes: “It was great to see Toews on that video Wednesday, sounding like Toews, skating like Toews, being serious like Toews. For 13 seasons, the Hawks — and us — were blessed with his presence, and when that presence went away, it was a massive physical and emotional void. How are you supposed to skate with one leg? That’s how it felt.”

With the Cubs at the halfway point of the season, columnist Steve Greenberg says panicking is the logical next step, but recent history says fans should relax and look for a rebound.

Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot and first-time All-Star Kahleah Copper will represent the Sky on the Team WNBA roster at this year’s All-Star game. The 12-player team will take on the USA Basketball Women’s National Team in Las Vegas on July 14.

Your daily question ☕

What would you like the city to do for your neighborhood? Tell us why. Reply to this email (please include your first name and where you live) and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: With the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 reportedly spreading in Illinois, do you plan to take more precautions again? Here’s what some of you said…

“I have completed both vaccines. The reason why I will remain cautious is because I have to think about the little people that aren’t able to get the vaccine, and the others that didn’t take it for whatever reason. I’m asking God to watch over us all during this troubling time.” — Dolores MzDee Wilson

“No. I’m a COVID survivor and still have the antibodies. The scientific data from CDC, WHO, and reputable organizations support that my risk of reinfection is very low, even for the variants, and I don’t need to mask.” — Rebecca Templeton

“I’m torn. I’m so enjoying not wearing my mask, but I think when I’m in larger venues with larger crowds, I’ll be wearing it again (airport, concert, outdoor markets). The variant feels scary even though I’m fully vaccinated.” — Nina Kavin

“No. I got vaccinated quite a while ago. If you’re eligible to get a vaccine and you haven’t and you get sick — well that’s too bad. But, we’re closer to reaching herd immunity.” — Stephen Mueller

“I’m a respiratory therapist, so I can’t even pretend that the pandemic is over since I see these sick patients daily! I never stopped wearing a mask, staying away from large crowds, or doing hand hygiene, so I will continue what I’ve been doing.” — LeNnierre Watkins

“I’m still masking up, taking precautions and staying in to reduce transmission. I’m immunocompromised and would end up in the hospital from regular colds and cases of the flu. I had already been wearing masks way before the pandemic. I also have an immunocompromised child that has additional risk factors so I NEED to keep him safe. So many lives could be saved if we kept our germs to ourselves but most people would rather see others DIE than slightly inconvenience themselves. It is truly saddening to me.” — Melissa Cintron

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