Good morning, Chicago.
As a domestic confrontation spilled out onto a Southwest Side sidewalk on March 1, 2023, emergency dispatchers did what they do every day and assigned officers to hustle to the scene.
Among those who responded was 32-year-old Chicago police Officer Andres Vásquez Lasso.
But in a reminder of how dangerous domestic calls can be for officers, the situation escalated into more violence and Vásquez Lasso was shot and killed, prosecutors said, while children at a nearby playground took cover under a slide.
More than two years later, the officer’s accused killer is scheduled to stand trial, with jury selection set to begin today at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. Barring any last-minute delays, Steven Montano, 21, will face a jury on charges of murder and other felonies in the attack in the 5200 block of South Spaulding Avenue.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Madeline Buckley.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including Chicago seeing a drop in 311 rodent calls, Chicago’s safety net hospitals face potential service cuts and a look at artificial reefs in Lake Michigan.
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Chicago-area officials are bracing as summer storms roll in following Texas tragedy and weather service budget cuts
Weather-related anxiety is high across the country following flash floods in central Texas that killed at least 120 people over the Fourth of July weekend. One of the central concerns is whether Trump administration cuts to the National Weather Service — the backbone of the country’s weather warning system — will hamper local governments and residents from staving off disaster when severe weather strikes.
So far, the Chicago area has felt less of an impact from those staffing reductions than other regions, particularly less-populated areas served by weather service offices in the Quad Cities and downstate Lincoln, 30 miles northeast of Springfield. But Trump’s budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts in October, calls for further cuts at other agencies within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including the elimination of research centers that study climate.
Upcoming Chicago budget ‘grimmest picture of all’ for Mayor Brandon Johnson, aldermen
On a warm, late June morning at Truman College in Uptown, Mayor Brandon Johnson welcomed attendees to the first of several budget roundtables.
He hit on a familiar litany of positive developments, touting a drop in crime, expanded mental and behavioral health services, and youth employment opportunities.
“Let’s continue to expand and find innovative ways that we can bring true collaboration into the budgeting process to ensure that all of our residents are heard and that their needs are met,” Johnson said. “I’m truly honored that you are all here to help guide this budget process. It will not be easy, but nothing ever worth fighting for ever is.”
It was the only allusion Johnson made to the disorder in Chicago’s fiscal house that threatens the improvements and investments he’s fought for: a more than $1 billion anticipated deficit for 2026, a major pending union contract, a fractious City Council resistant to both new revenues and cuts, federal threats to cancel grants to local governments and a school district long overdue on a promised pension payback.
Country’s rattiest city? Chicago sees 311 rodent calls drop as some seek more ecologically friendly forms of rat control
Chicago has developed a reputation as one of America’s rattiest cities, with one pest control company ranking it first for the last nine years. But recent 311 call data suggests Chicago might be making headway in reducing the city’s rodent problems. While the number of rodent complaints to Chicago’s 311 call center spiked in 2021 at almost 66,000, that number has decreased in the last three years, to less than 46,000 in 2024.
Chicago’s safety net hospitals face potential service cuts, layoffs after signing of ‘big, beautiful’ tax bill
The new law will slash an estimated $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next 10 years to help pay for tax cuts and enhanced border and national security, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
More health news:
Sidewalk near Financial Plaza in Loop collapses under service lift
Part of a sidewalk near West Jackson Boulevard and South Financial Plaza in the Loop collapsed Saturday morning, with a service lift standing on top of it falling into the parking garage below. The worker standing in its elevated compartment was taken onto an ambulance, according to spectators.
Can artificial reefs in Lake Michigan slow erosion and boost fish population? Researchers aim to find out.
Man-made reefs have become a popular way to provide a habitat for fish in coastal communities. The rubble ridges are also designed as a cost-effective tool to prevent erosion. Each ridge sits about 3 to 5 feet beneath the lake’s surface, which allows them to block some of the energy and sediments carried by waves during intense winter storms. When these waves reach the coast, they don’t hit the shoreline as hard, which slows the process of erosion. And the gaps between each ridge help to retain some sediment without fully stopping the natural flow of sand.
Chicago Cubs choose college outfielder Ethan Conrad at No. 17 in the 2025 MLB draft
For the fifth consecutive year, the Chicago Cubs opted to go the college route with their top draft pick.
More Cubs news:
- Chicago Cubs win series against the New York Yankees to head into All-Star break with the NL’s 2nd-best record
- How the Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, a 1st-time All-Star at 23, has become elite in every facet
Chicago White Sox select high school shortstop Billy Carlson with the No. 10 pick in the MLB draft
The Chicago White Sox went up the middle with their first-round pick, selecting high school shortstop Billy Carlson with the No. 10 pick in the 2025 MLB draft yesterday.
More Sox news:
- Chicago White Sox head into the All-Star break a season-high 33 games under .500 with a 6-5 loss to Cleveland
- Column: Reunion weekend offers relief to die-hard Chicago White Sox fans tired of rebuilds
Chelsea beats Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 for the FIFA Club World Cup title
Cole Palmer scored twice and fed João Pedro for a goal as Chelsea overwhelmed Paris Saint-Germain in the first half and beat the European champions 3-0 yesterday in the final of the first expanded Club World Cup.
Review: CSO’s season opens at Ravinia, egging on hopes for the Pavilion renovation
The Chicago Symphony’s return to Ravinia? Make it double.
On Friday and Saturday, the orchestra and chief festival conductor Marin Alsop opened its season with two twinned programs.
Scopes monkey trial, broadcast by WGN radio, held nation in thrall 100 years ago
On July 11, 1925, Mother Nature almost robbed WGN of its place of honor at the intersection of radio and legal history.
More history news:
Find a better use for that tiny lawn
Do you find yourself out in the hot sun on Saturday mornings, mowing a patch of grass that’s too small to spread out a picnic blanket?
More home and garden news: