Good morning, Chicago. ✶
🔎 Below: Out-of-state arrests make up President Donald Trump’s Chicago immigration “blitz” claims.
🗞️ Plus: City Hall’s plan to pay $90M in corrupt cop settlements, a high school sports referee’s cancer fight and more news you need to know.
📝 Keeping score: The White Sox beat the Rays, 5-1; the Sky fell to the Liberty, 91-86.
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TODAY’S WEATHER 🌤️
Mostly sunny with a high near 85.
TODAY’S TOP STORIES
Feds tout ‘worst of the worst’ arrested in Chicago immigration blitz, but some were caught out of state
Reporting by Tom Schuba, Sophie Sherry, Tina Sfondeles and Lauren FitzPatrick
Feds’ claims: Days after announcing a long-promised immigration enforcement operation in Chicago, President Donald Trump’s administration highlighted “the worst of the worst offenders” who had been arrested. The feds said Illinois had harbored the 13 men swept up in “Operation Midway Blitz.”
What we found: But at least two, possibly three of the men were arrested outside of Illinois, the Sun-Times found. They were picked up by immigration agents this week at county jails in Indiana and Kentucky, which are among the states encompassed by the ICE Chicago field office.
Incomplete info: It’s unclear whether the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have reported all arrests linked to the campaign. ICE stopped sharing comprehensive data on arrests, detentions and deportations once Trump took office.
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City Hall is spending $90M to settle lawsuits tied to corrupt Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts
By Mitchell Armentrout, Mariah Woelfel and Chip Mitchell
Major settlement: The city of Chicago on Thursday announced a first-of-its-kind, $90 million “global settlement” to resolve 176 lawsuits tied to disgraced former Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts, who ran a corrupt public housing unit and went to federal prison for shaking down an FBI informant.
Possible payouts: The proposed payouts, which require City Council approval, would range from $150,000 to more than $3 million for a man who spent a decade in prison on a Watts case.
Key context: The 184 plaintiffs have collectively spent more than 180 years in custody and have long maintained they were wrongfully convicted based on bogus evidence. All their convictions have been vacated, and many of the plaintiffs have been granted certificates of innocence. The city — which doesn’t apologize or admit wrongdoing as part of the deal — says it has already spent some $36 million on other Watts settlements.
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Chicago-area college students call for end to political violence after Charlie Kirk’s killing
By Emmanuel Camarillo, Lisa Kurian Philip, Mawa Iqbal and Tina Sfondeles
Students react: A day after far-right activist and Arlington Heights native Charlie Kirk, 31, was fatally shot at a Utah campus event, students told the Sun-Times they want a climate where people can talk through their differences.
Key context: Along with his Christian advocacy, Kirk was known for his inflammatory statements about gender, race and politics that marginalized groups of Americans, particularly people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.
Security overview: Nearly half of Chicago’s City Council signed onto a letter requesting a review of City Hall security measures, citing Kirk’s shooting among other recent incidents of political violence.
GAMES AND CROSSWORDS 🧩
This week’s Chicago-style crossword theme is: Murals.
Here’s your clue:
19D: ___ 4 the City (annual Chicago graffiti competition)
MORE NEWS YOU NEED
- Community connection: Hundreds of volunteers gathered Thursday at Union Station to pack meals to be distributed to food pantries across Cook County, as part of a Sept. 11 commemoration.
- Robbery turns fatal: A man was killed and at least five people were injured in a traffic crash that followed a smash-and-grab burglary Thursday morning at Louis Vuitton on North Michigan Avenue.
- Air-pollution monitoring: The city completed installation of 277 pollution sensors and said it would make data publicly available early next year, allowing residents to get a detailed look at air quality in their own neighborhoods.
- Remembering Bruce DuMont: A broadcast giant, Mr. DuMont’s storied career saw him behind a microphone at local outlets including CBS, WGN, WTTW and WBEZ, though his affinity for on-air production made him a national star. He died Thursday at age 81.
- Mexican Independence Day: While large crowds are expected to gather for a celebratory parade in Little Village on Sunday, several residents are planning flag-waving car cruises downtown throughout the weekend.
- SpotHero saga: Days after more than 40 cars were towed from a lot for which drivers paid using SpotHero, some app users were reimbursed for the towing, parking and ride share costs. Others are still waiting to hear from the company.
- Taste of Chicago dates: The long-running food festival will move back to July in 2026 after being booted from the midsummer Downtown lineup for several years in favor of NASCAR.
- Things to do: The Ravenswood ArtWalk, “Tiffany Lamps: Beyond the Shade” and the Chicago Underground Film Festival are among the highlights in the days ahead.
CHICAGO STORIES 🗞️
High school referee Mike Outten isn’t letting cancer keep him from the field
Reporting by Mike Clark
Can’t keep him away: Mike Outten came to football officiating later than most, but now there’s nothing that can keep him from putting on a striped shirt Friday nights. Not even two bouts of cancer.
Sports journey: Outten, 51, is continuing a sports journey that began when he played high school football for legendary Julian coach J.W. Smith. Outten went on to play at Mississippi Valley State before a broken wrist he suffered while playing arena football ended his career.
Outten about: Outten works on a crew with Chris Head, Kenneth Davidson, Ivan Palamore and Larhone Miles that has officiated numerous big games, including three state championships. “We’re all the best of friends. I get to go hang out with my boys on Friday night,” Outten said.
‘Win each day’: As his fight continues, Outten says he will be at stadiums around the city and suburbs every weekend. “I’m going to continue to live my life,” he said. “My nurse told me to win each day.”
FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏀🏈⚾
- Stormy Sky: After another losing season, the rift between Angel Reese and the Sky clouds the future.
- Bears predictions: The Sun-Times’ sports reporters offer their picks for the Bears’ game Sunday in Detroit.
- Seeking Counsell: Is the Cubs’ Craig Counsell skipper enough to keep this boat afloat? Sun-Times columnist weighs in.
- High school football: A look at five of this weekend’s most anticipated games.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Local stories — and emerging filmmakers — dominate the must-see movie list this fall
Reporting by Erica Thompson
Chicago stories have the ability to capture the hearts and minds of people not only across the city, but throughout the U.S. and, in some cases, the world.
That influence shapes a slate of exciting films coming this fall. Some stories may sound vaguely familiar to Chicagoans — ranging from the highs and lows of the Jackie Robinson West Little League team, revisited in Kevin Shaw’s documentary “One Golden Summer,” to the power of house music, celebrated in Elegance Bratton’s documentary “Move Ya Body: The Birth of House.”
Others spotlight figures who deserve more attention, such as Rana Segal’s “The Light of Truth: Richard Hunt’s Monument to Ida B. Wells,” which explores the connection between two towering African American luminaries.
The Chicago fall film season is also a showcase of filmmakers with promising career trajectories, given the debut of narrative features by everyone from Oscar-nominated director Bing Liu to novelist Sam Hayes.
Cinephiles can discover it all through the city’s numerous, long-running film festivals or at special events in the coming months. And with some titles making their way to streaming, it would be wise to bookmark our list of 10 must-see movies — including short films — either directed by Chicagoans or focused on local people, culture or neighborhoods.
Find our list of must-see movies this season here.
NEW WBEZ SHOWS 🎙️
WBEZ’s new morning schedule
Our partners at WBEZ are launching two new talk shows Monday.
“In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons,” airing weekdays at 9 a.m., will dig into the stories shaping our city. Each day, Simons will kick off the show with a local news roundup, then bring in new local voices, experts and community perspectives. On Tuesday’s show, Mayor Brandon Johnson stops by the studio for another round of “Ask the Mayor.”
At 10 a.m., it’s your turn to talk with WBEZ’s new call-in show, “Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith,” also airing weekdays. Dixon and Smith will facilitate conversations on everything from city politics to pop culture to neighborhood stories — and beyond.
On Monday, the hosts will chat with Bruce Feiler, author of the book “Life Is In The Transitions: Mastering Change At Any Age,” and take listener calls about the various transitions they’ve gone through in their lives. Dial 866-915-WBEZ (866-915-9239) to be part of the conversation.
Tune your radio to 91.5 WBEZ FM on Monday or stream online here. Find more on the shows here.
Thanks for reading the Sun-Times Morning Edition!
Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.
Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia
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