Chicago’s U.S. prosecutor looks back on volatile year

Usa today news

2 weeks ago

Good morning, Chicago. ✶

🔎 Below: Since taking office, U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros has brought dozens of cases tied to the deportation blitz in Chicago — without securing any convictions. But he insists he isn’t taking orders from Washington.

🗞️ Plus: An appeals panel calls for a new trial in the fatal police shooting of Harith Augustus, a messy day in sports, Jackson Park cherry blossoms arrive early and more news you need to know.

📝 Keeping score: The Cubs lost to the Rays, 6-4; the White Sox fell to the Orioles, 2-1; the Blackhawks were bested by the Sharks, 3-2.

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⏱️: An 8-minute read

TODAY’S WEATHER☀️

Sunny with a high near 40.

TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎

Chicago’s top federal prosecutor says he isn’t taking orders from Washington

By Jon Seidel

Volatile first year: U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros has reached the end of a volatile first year in office, one in which President Donald Trump has been accused of weaponizing the Department of Justice. Boutros’ first year also featured an “unprecedented exodus” of prosecutors, critics note. Most section chiefs left. And convictions have yet to emerge from the flurry of charges the office filed during Operation Midway Blitz.

Key quote: When Chicago’s top federal prosecutor is asked if his office takes marching orders from Washington, he doesn’t mince words. “[There is] not a single case, OK, involving politics in our decision making. Full stop. Period. Zero,” Boutros said. “And anyone who says otherwise is misstating reality. And anyone who says otherwise is an armchair expert who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Period.”

‘Stay tuned’: Boutros told the Sun-Times in a lengthy interview that he isn’t done with Midway Blitz. Nor with public corruption — he said people should “stay tuned.”

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POLICE REFORM ✶

Demonstrators in South Shore protest the fatal police shooting of 37-year-old Harith Augustus on July 16, 2018.

New trial ordered in lawsuit over deadly Chicago police shooting of Harith Augustus

By Sophie Sherry

Appeals panel: A state appellate court panel has ordered a new trial to determine if a Chicago police officer acted with “utter indifference” when he fatally shot barber Harith Augustus in South Shore nearly eight years ago. The three judges concluded last week that Cook County Judge Bridget Hughes erroneously allowed city lawyers to dismiss two Black potential jurors during the initial trial, which stemmed from a lawsuit by Augustus’ family.

Key context: Augustus was fatally shot by Dillan Halley, a probationary police officer, on July 14, 2018. The city was still grappling with fallout from the fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald at the time, and Augustus’ death prompted a fresh wave of protests. Augustus’ family sued the city and the officers connected to the shooting a few months later, but the case took five years to get to trial. In July 2023, a jury ruled in favor of the officers.

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MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️

Teen mourned after hit and run: The family of 18-year-old Damian Gomez, killed in a hit-and-run early Sunday, is reeling as Chicago police continue to look for the driver. Gomez’s death is at least the second fatal bicycle fatality of the year so far, officials said.
Public transit gun ban: The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear a challenge to Illinois’ ban on concealed carry permit holders bringing loaded guns on public transit, leaving intact the state’s prohibition of firearms on buses and trains.
Remembering Sam Harris: A Holocaust survivor, Mr. Harris was a driving force behind the creation of the Illinois Holocaust Museum. He died April 1 at age 90.
Effort to uplift dance: The nonprofit Chicago Dancemakers Forum has started a grants program aiming to power 10 live dance events from independent artists in the next year. These range from a weeklong footwork series to a performance featuring puppets and projections.
Obama Center tickets: Starting May 6, the general public can purchase tickets for the Obama Presidential Center museum. Admission for anyone 12 years and older is $30, and $23 for children ages 3-11.

CHICAGO LIFE 👞

Steve Fullerton, a fixture at the Cook County Building for 20 years, waits for customers at Steve’s Shoe-shine Parlor.

Last man at the shoeshine stand

By Stefano Esposito

Foot work: Forty-dollar shoes. Thousand-dollar shoes. And everything in between. Steve Fullerton has cared for them all, the snap of his buffing rags echoing beneath the Cook County Building’s marble ceiling for the past 20 years.

Last man’s stand: Standalone shoeshine guys like Fullerton are an endangered species. Still, he shows up each morning at 8:30 a.m. sharp, with a pack of Newport smokes, a can of ginger ale and a White Sox or Bears cap on his head. He keeps his gear locked up in a tall wooden box that looks like something a magician might use. R&B oldies crackle from a dusty radio.

Key quote: You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat their shoes, says the 57-year-old West Sider. “If you don’t care for your shoes, what other parts of your life aren’t you taking care of?” Fullerton says. “You only live once. God gave you two feet. Be good to them. They take you all over. They walk for you. They help you dance.”

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WATCH: MEET STEVE FULLERTON ▶️

ON WBEZ 91.5 FM 📻

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.

New national Census data show a near doubling of same-sex couple households. What does that look like in Chicago? Christine Percheski of Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research, Allison Bethel of University of Illinois Chicago’s Fair Housing Legal Clinic and Mony Ruiz-Velasco of the Illinois Human Rights Commission discuss.
Chicago Park District’s Monument Response Project will debut two new art installations Wednesday at lakefront parks. Sculptor Sonja Henderson, artist Hector Gonzalez and Michael Dimitroff of the Chicago Park District share details.

Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.

U.S. tariffs are driving up some apparel prices. What’s your thrift store strategy for finding hidden gems and deals? How has thrifting changed over time? Guest Mireya Fouché of Monarch Thrift Shop — and callers — weigh in.

ART SCENE 🎨

Expo Chicago will showcase 130 galleries from some two dozen countries.

Expo Chicago art fair returns with refined floor plan

By Ambar Colón

Expo returns: Chicago’s largest art event, Expo Chicago, is returning to Navy Pier from Thursday through Sunday. In the mix are 130 galleries from at least two dozen countries, down from last year’s nearly 200 featured galleries. As in previous years, the art show will set up inside Navy Pier’s Festival Hall.

Fair fare: Admission for opening night is ticketed at $165 per person. Single-day admission tickets start at $40, and three-day admission tickets begin at $68. Guided tours can be booked for $30, and seniors and students may receive discounts. Children under 12 get in for free.

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FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏀⚾

Michigan beats UConn: With a 69-63 final score, the win is Michigan mens’ first basketball championship since 1989 and Big Ten’s first since 2000.
Sky trade Angel Reese: The team dealt Reese in exchange for the Dream’s first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028.
Bulls execs out: The Bulls fired Arturas Karnisovas, the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations, and general manager Marc Eversley in response to another disappointing season.
Boyd on IL: The Cubs put Opening Day starter Matthew Boyd on the injured list with strained left biceps.
Meltdown analysis: With Reese shipped out of town, Karnisovas and Eversley fired into the sun, and Boyd sent to the injured list, Monday marked the start of a sports meltdown in our city, writes Steve Greenberg.

CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭

Today’s clue: 4A: “Curse of the Billy ___” (legendary Chicago sports hex)

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BRIGHT ONE 🔆

Cherry blossom tress bloom early outside the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry on the South Side, Monday, April 6, 2026. | Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times.