Good morning, Chicago. ✶
🔎 Below: The “Broadview Six” defendants are thinking about tapping President Donald Trump’s new $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund” as details from the case are surfacing in other Trump administration prosecutions nationwide.
🗞️ Plus: What Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to discuss with Pope Leo XIV, why a Michelin-starred restaurant abruptly closed and more news you need to know.
📝 Keeping score: The Cubs bested the Pirates, 10-4; the White Sox beat the Twins, 15-2; the Sky fell to the Tempo, 111-104.
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⏱️: An 8-minute read
TODAY’S WEATHER ☀️
Sunny with a high near 71.
TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎
‘Broadview 6′ may tap Trump’s $1.8B ‘anti-weaponization fund’
By Sophie Sherry and Jon Seidel
‘Lawfare’ fund: When announcing President Donald Trump’s new $1.776 billion fund for people targeted through “lawfare” in the nation’s courts, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche insisted “the machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American.” Three days later, a federal judge in Chicago revealed an indictment against six Operation Midway Blitz protesters was the result of alleged misconduct by prosecutors that left her “incredibly shocked.”
Test case?: The defendants, known as the “Broadview Six,” are largely involved in Democratic politics in Chicago. Now, their attorneys say they might apply for relief under the “anti-weaponization fund” after the case was dismissed. It’s highly unlikely the protesters are the intended recipients of what critics are calling a “slush fund” for Trump’s allies. Their application could serve as a test of the fund’s purportedly nonpartisan nature.
Key context: The case against six fell apart days before trial after a judge discovered improprieties during grand jury proceedings. Prosecutors’ alleged misconduct came to light only after a lengthy push by defense attorneys to get the judge to review unredacted transcripts of what occurred.
AFTER ‘BROADVIEW 6′ ✶
- Case cited: Revelations from the “Broadview Six” case are now surfacing in other Trump administration prosecutions nationwide as defense attorneys, including those for indicted journalist Don Lemon in Minnesota, question if the feds have abused the secretive grand jury process.
- ‘Sweeping reforms’: Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros announced “sweeping reforms” to how his office handles grand juries. The new process “will be more transparent, effective and impactful while greatly reducing the likelihood of mistakes and errors.”
- Trump accuser: In other news, the Justice Department earlier this year referred an investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the columnist accusing Trump of sexual assault, to federal prosecutors in Chicago, a source told the Sun-Times, adding the investigation is active within Boutros’ office.
MAYOR IN ROME 🙏
- Today’s the day: Mayor Brandon Johnson arrived Thursday in Rome for his scheduled audience with Pope Leo XIV at 3:30 p.m. local time. He is traveling with a delegation of 45 city and business leaders. We’ve got the full roster here.
- What they’ll talk about: Johnson confirmed he planned to ask the homegrown pontiff to use his pulpit to support reparations for local descendants of African American slaves.
- Spiritual journey: Ahead of his Vatican visit, Johnson talked with the Sun-Times about his faith, his spirituality and how they shape his life as a father, husband and leader.
- Teen gathering take: Johnson on Wednesday addressed the large-scale teen gatherings over Memorial Day weekend that turned violent, saying stricter curfew and parental responsibility laws are not answers to the perennial problem.
ROME TRAVEL VLOG ✈️
MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️
- Family mourns student: Pedro Ramirez, 17, was fatally wounded by stray gunfire Tuesday while walking to Tilden High School, according to police, who said masked gunmen opened fire on a van at a red light. “They robbed my son of his future,” his mom said.
- Durbin’s farewell address: From legislation that banned smoking on domestic flights to his continued push for “dreamers” to live in the U.S. legally, retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin on Wednesday recalled highlights of his 44 years of public service while also issuing a warning about this fall’s midterm elections.
- Comic care: The newly formed Health Alliance for Chicago Comedians will help 10 people pay monthly insurance premiums through the ACA’s next open enrollment period later this year.
- Rock Island line adds: Metra is adding four late-day train trips on weekdays and 18 more trips on weekends.
- Obama Center schedule: The center has a full slate of mostly free and family friendly activities for its June 19-21 opening weekend.
RESTAURANTS 🍽️
Why Michelin-starred Atelier closed
By Erica Thompson
Kitchen shut: The Michelin-starred Atelier abruptly closed its doors last week despite its owner’s efforts to make the restaurant more visible and appeal to more casual diners. “We weren’t able to get enough people through the door,” said owner Tim Lacey, who opened it in 2023.
Sustained struggle: The eatery had just relocated in October to a larger space at 4544 N. Western Ave. and added a bar menu with small plates for customers seeking a more casual dining experience. But the restaurant struggled to sustain operations. The closure comes amid industrywide economic challenges brought on by inflation.
ON WBEZ 91.5 FM 📻
In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.
- Grads face job market: Bazil Frueh, a Northwestern University graduate, and Anita Jenke, of Career Transitions Center of Chicago, discuss college graduates entering an unforgiving job market.
- Intersectional solidarity: Nubia Bautista Willman of Latino Progresando, Rev. Jaime Fluker of Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, and Danae Kovac of HANA Center unpack how marginalized communities can show up for Asian Americans — and vice versa.
Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.
- What would you ask Pope Leo XIV?: Steven Millies of the Catholic Theological Union joins the show and callers weigh in.
FROM THE PRESS BOX ⚾🏀
- Cubs analysis: Take a few deep breaths, maybe count to 10 — just don’t count all the ways the season could keep going horribly wrong, writes Steve Greenberg.
- Mabrey reflects: Now the face of Toronto’s new franchise, Marina Mabrey opens up on her time with the Sky.
- Boys basketball rankings: A final look at the Class of 2026 in Illinois as they head off to join their respective college programs.
CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭
Today’s clue: 2D: Singer/civil-rights activist/Chicagoan ___ Staples
BRIGHT ONE 🔆
Roseland mural honors history of Chicago footwork
By Genevieve Bookwalter
Antoine “Twan Twan” Humphries got his start dancing as a kid in 1985 to the jukebox in his great-grandmother’s Bronzeville restaurant.
He went on to become a member of the Chicago footwork scene’s first generation of dancers. Now, he hopes to create a hub in Roseland at the home of his nonprofit, The Urban Ark, to preserve that history. He also seeks to raise money to keep the dance going.
The beginnings of that place are easily identifiable by a two-story mural at 111th Street and Wentworth Avenue that details the history of footwork in Chicago. Humphries acts as a historian, describing the individuals and groups as well as the buildings and addresses where some of what he calls culture’s “best memories” were made in the 1990s. He designed the mural and painted it with help from a friend.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
What would you bring the Pope? Tell us why.
Respond with your answer please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.
Yesterday, we asked you: What would you do in Rome?
Here’s some of what you said, edited for clarity and length.
“Walk into any small restaurant at random, ask the waiter for a recommendation, and enjoy. The food will be wonderful, the wine or drinks will be wonderful, and you will have a great time. This is the same thing I would say about Chicago restaurants.” — Steven West
“Visit St. Peter’s [Basilica] in the evening just before closing time. Very few people, and in the quietness and the light of the setting sun, St. Peter’s takes on a peaceful and mystical glow. Chiesa (Church) di San Clemente, a Roman archeological trip through time, not on many itineraries … is a breathtaking walk through the centuries.” — Terry Sullivan
“My favorite place in Rome besides the Vatican is the Spanish Steps. Ruins are interesting, but I prefer pretty. There are a lot of great gelato places there, not that you can go wrong with any Italian food in Italy.” — Carol Kane
PICTURE CHICAGO 📸
Students attend All-Star Fest, an event hosted by the Chicago Park District for people with cognitive disabilities, at Maggie Daley Park and Butler Field on Wednesday.
Giacomo Cain/Sun-Times
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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia
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