Get over the middle of the week hump with these stories from WTTW News.
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Emanuel “Chris” Welch appears on “Chicago Tonight” on June 2, 2026. (WTTW News)
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It was well past 4 a.m. Monday when the Illinois House of Representatives adjourned for the summer. The budget had been balanced, and a flurry of bills were sent to the governor’s desk.
But a busy finish to the spring session left some of the biggest decisions — in some cases, the decision to wait — until the very end.
AI regulations, a school cell phone ban, social media regulations for youth and more made it across the finish line. Meanwhile, legislative action on zoning reform, data center expansion and, perhaps most notably, incentives for a new Bears stadium were kicked down the road.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch joined “Chicago Tonight” to share his perspective on the spring session. Excerpts from the conversation are below.
On a Bears stadium deal:
“My first thought (when the state Senate passed an updated incentives bill) was we don’t have time to consider that in the House. We have processes in place that we’ve been very consistent with since I’ve become speaker, and that involves getting a lot of stakeholder input. … We get a lot of input from our members, and we had no time to look at the bill, read the bill, let alone go into caucus and talk about it at 3:30 in the morning. And so we just ran out of time.”
On the potential for a special summer session:
“There’s no plans to call a special session. We are back in November, and then again in January for a lame-duck session. What I think is really important is to keep the conversations going. People know that you’re working earnestly. If we can reach an agreement between the House, the Senate, all of the stakeholders that are involved, that’s what’s really important right now.”
On AI regulation:
“You have to have (OpenAI and Anthropic) at the table. They’re stakeholders, they know their industries, but they also know that they needed regulation. Our regulation is tougher than New York and California. They fought against some of the things that we put in our bill. … But we got it done. It was very important that we lead the way on that. (OpenAI and Anthropic) knew it was going to happen, and so they decided to participate in the process rather than not participate in the process. And that was welcomed.”
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The Dirksen Courthouse is pictured in Chicago. (Capitol News Illinois)
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Attorneys for the former “Broadview Six” defendants are taking the first step toward potential sanctions against the federal prosecutors accused of misconduct before the grand jury that indicted their clients last fall.
Defense attorneys on Tuesday filed claims under the Hyde Amendment, through which they'll seek to recoup attorneys' fees for the now-former defendants, days after Chicago’s U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros announced his office had dismissed all charges in the controversial case.
“We will use every available tool to ensure that the public knows exactly what happened in this case, who within the Department of Justice knew about the prosecutorial misconduct that led to this sham political indictment, and when they knew it," Chris Parente, a defense attorney representing Oak Park Village Board Trustee Brian Straw, said in a statement.
Boutros appeared before U.S. District Judge April Perry last month to apologize for his prosecutors’ conduct and announce that his office would be dismissing all charges against the remaining Broadview defendants — Straw, former 9th District congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, her campaign staffer Andre Martin and Democratic Committeeperson Michael Rabbitt.
What else happened:
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros has acknowledged he did speak to grand jurors the day they returned an indictment in the “Broadview Six” case, but claimed he only did so to provide “general comments” about the need for grand jurors to be fair and impartial.
The embattled U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois on Tuesday issued a “rare Special Report” that includes transcripts of a 3 minute, 39 second speech Boutros gave to grand jurors on Oct. 23, 2025 — the day they indicted the “Broadview Six” on felony conspiracy charges — in which he asked any jurors who were “struggling” with a “certain type” of case to identify themselves.
He did so, according to the report, due to “prior grand jury disturbances and potential tension” and only sought to “remind the grand jurors of their obligations under the law and the role they play in our constitutional form of government.”
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U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Boutros speaks in the Dirksen Federal Building on Nov. 19, 2025. (WTTW News)
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Even before the latest news from Boutros and the Broadview Six defense, Illinois’ two U.S. senators called on Chicago’s U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros to resign his position, citing “chaos” and “deep internal dysfunction” after accusations of prosecutorial misconduct by his office tanked the “Broadview Six” protester case.
U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin issued a joint statement on Tuesday morning, joining the growing calls for Boutros — a Trump administration appointee — to step down.
“Andrew Boutros’s time as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois has been riddled with chaos, deep internal dysfunction, and alleged misconduct,” the senators said. “He must resign, and there must be an open, transparent, and nonpartisan search to nominate the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.”
Already, Illinois Lt. Gov and U.S. Senate candidate Juliana Stratton, Congressional candidate Daniel Biss and attorneys for the former Broadview defendants have called on Boutros to resign his position.
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Back in the Day: June 3, 1916 - Hundreds of Thousands Attend “Military Preparedness” Parade in Chicago
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In the mid-1910s, the Preparedness Movement was started by former President Teddy Roosevelt and Leonard Wood, former chief of staff of the U.S. Army, as a popular effort to build up the U.S. military. The campaign was in response to World War I, which was plaguing Europe. Following a similar parade in New York City, on this day 110 years ago, Chicago hosted its own “Military Preparedness” parade, which drew well over 100,000 people. According to the New York Times, which called it
“the greatest parade ever held in Chicago,” it drew 130,214 attendees. The procession led from the Loop to Grant Park.
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Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for June 3-9
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Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.
Wednesday, June 3:
G’Nite, Elijah Berlow, Midamerican Elevator at Schubas. Tickets.
The project of prolific drummer and musical collaborator Fiona Palensky, a Mississippi native who is now a great addition to Chicago’s music scene.
Thursday, June 4:
Bursting, Temps, BirdHands, Utility at Sleeping Village. Tickets.
The headliners are a local punk supergroup featuring members of Stress Positions, Thou, C.H.E.W. and more.
Friday, June 5:
Widemouth, Free Range, Sleeper’s Bell at Schubas. Tickets.
This local folk outfit just dropped a gorgeous new album called “No Gasoline.”
Cabeza de Chivo, Vatos Tristes at Thalia Hall. Tickets.
See what this “Psychotropical” band from Chicago is all about.
Orillia, Max and the Fellow Travelers, Glass Beagle at Gman Tavern. Tickets.
Want to see the future of Chicago’s twangy indie rock? Head to Wrigleyville.
Saturday, June 6:
John Moreland, Joe Pug at Old Town School of Folk. Tickets.
Two singer-songwriter staples team up in Lincoln Square.
Sunday, June 7:
Sports Boyfriend, Living Thing, Airport 77 at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
“Nothing Assumed” is this Ukrainian Village venue’s concert series catered to sober people with nonalcoholic drinks, like-minded talent and community.
Goran Ivanovic at SPACE. Tickets.
This Croatia-born, Chicago-based guitarist is a virtuosic instrumental talent.
Monday, June 8:
Prathloons, Hannah Frey, Able Baker at Empty Bottle. Free.
Every Monday, the Ukrainian Village dive hosts a free show of excellent talent.
James Blake, Swavay at Salt Shed. Tickets.
The U.K. electronic music crooner makes another stop in the city.
Tuesday, June 9:
Nora O’Connor at Hideout. Tickets.
The veteran local songwriter continues her Tuesday residency throughout June.
Willi Carslile, Futuretime String Band at SPACE. Tickets.
Cerebral folk music in Evanston.
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Who is your favorite actor or actress from Chicago? Tell us
why
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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