It's Wednesday. Brace for storms later and catch up on the latest local headlines with these stories from WTTW News.
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Fasika Alem, programs director at United African Organization, speaks during a news conference on June 9, 2026. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)
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With the FIFA Men’s World Cup kicking off later this week, immigration rights groups in Chicago are demanding the Trump administration end what they describe as “discriminatory restrictions” that are preventing soccer teams and fans from fully participating in events.
“The World Cup should be a moment that brings people together across borders, cultures and continents,” Fasika Alem, programs director at United African Organization, said during a Tuesday news conference. “If the United States is going to host the world, it must welcome the world.”
The FIFA Men’s World Cup kicks off Thursday and runs through July 19. Matches are being held at stadiums in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
The news conference came after a photographer traveling with the Iraq national soccer team was denied entry to the U.S. at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Friday following additional screening from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Iraqi player Aymen Hussein, according to Reuters, also faced additional screening and was later admitted to the U.S.
The photographer was denied entry due to “classified information in accordance with U.S. law,” according to a CBP statement.
“All travelers seeking entry into the United States, including athletes, coaches, and staff, are subject to CBP inspection and vetting,” the statement continued. “Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection.”
Advocates also highlighted Somali referee Omar Artan being denied entry to the U.S., the Iranian national team experiencing U.S. visa denials of support staff, the South Africa national team facing U.S. visa delays and more.
“These restrictions are not merely administrative hurdles,” Alem said. “They are a reflection of discriminatory immigration policies that disproportionately target people based on nationality, race and country of origin.”
More context:
Chicago will not host any World Cup games. The city, led by then Mayor Rahm Emanuel, declined in 2018 to pursue a bid to host World Cup matches at Soldier Field due to disagreements and financial concerns with FIFA’s hosting agreement.
The news conference Tuesday was led by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and its coalition members Arab American Action Network and United African Organization.
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The Dirksen Courthouse is pictured in Chicago. (Capitol News Illinois)
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Newly unsealed transcripts detail federal prosecutors’ alleged misconduct as they repeatedly pushed for felony charges from a skeptical grand jury in the “Broadview Six” protester case, even as one juror dubbed the case a “crock of s--t.”
Those revelations were included in partially redacted transcripts from the normally secret grand jury proceedings that led to a felony indictment in the politically charged case. During the hearings, prosecutors engaged in “appalling misconduct,” defense attorneys said, that ultimately tanked the case.
“These transcripts prove that the grand jury in the Broadview 6 case repeatedly attempted to say ‘no’ to this sham political indictment,” Chris Parente, who represents Oak Park Village Board Trustee Brian Straw, said in a statement. “The Department of Justice attorneys involved in this case refused to accept that reality or their Constitutional obligations, committing appalling misconduct and putting their DOJ marching orders above justice.”
U.S. District Judge April Perry granted an order to unseal the transcripts Tuesday after federal prosecutors and defense attorneys finalized redactions.
The contents of those transcripts include details that led to the collapse of the high-profile case, defense attorneys alleging a cover-up, Perry herself saying her trust in the prosecutors handling the case had been “broken” and Chicago’s U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros issuing a public apology.
Straw, along with former 9th District congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, her campaign staffer Andre Martin, Democratic Committeeperson Michael Rabbitt, ex-Cook County Board candidate Catherine Sharp and musician Joselyn Walsh were charged following a confrontation just before 8 a.m. Sept. 26 between protesters and federal agents outside ICE’s west suburban processing facility.
But the published transcripts from three separate grand jury proceedings — on Oct. 9, Oct. 16 and Oct. 23, 2025 — showed grand jurors repeatedly pushed back against the government’s narrative of the case as presented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sheri Mecklenburg and Matthew Skiba.
Transcripts show grand jurors had questions about whether any of the damage to the vehicle could have occurred prior to the incident and asked why the agent driving never felt the need to call for backup if he felt he was in danger.
Read the transcripts here.
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(WTTW News)
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Cook County property owners will have until at least October to pay the second installment of their 2025 property taxes, officials announced Tuesday.
Second installment property tax bills are typically released in early July and due in early August, but those bills have been repeatedly delayed by an overhaul of the county’s property tax system plagued with problems.
Those bills will be two months late, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said without offering a firm date for bills to arrive in property owners’ mailboxes or a deadline for payments.
The first installment of 2025 property tax bills — which arrived in mailboxes at the height of the primary for Cook County Board president — was a month late, with payments due April 1, records show.
Preckwinkle, who overwhelmingly defeated Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward) in the March Democratic primary, said weeks before Election Day that the bulk of the problems with the county’s property tax system had been solved.
But issues remain, Preckwinkle said in a statement.
“The long-term answer is a property tax system with clearer responsibility, fewer handoffs and greater accountability,” said Preckwinkle, who will face Libertarian Michael Murphy in November’s general election. “Structural reform is how we prevent this from becoming normal.”
Some backstory:
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is unopposed in her bid for reelection, and is weighing a bid for Chicago mayor in 2027.
Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi was ousted by challenger Pat Hynes in the Democratic primary.
The second installment of 2024 property tax bills was four months late, creating a cash crunch across the county that forced cities, school districts and other agencies to scramble to pay their bills.
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More From WTTW News:
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Via AP: Social Security’s retirement trust fund is projected to face a funding shortfall in 2032, a year earlier than last year’s projections, according to an annual report released Tuesday, while Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund will be unable to pay full benefits in
2033.
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Back in the Day: June 10, 2001 - First Daughter Sasha Obama Born in Chicago
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On this day 25 years ago, Natasha "Sasha" Marian Obama was born at the University of Chicago Medical Center to Michelle and Barack Obama. Her father was serving as a state senator and also taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School. Her mother also worked at the University of Chicago, serving as associate dean of student services. When Sasha turned 3 years old, her father was elected to serve as a U.S. senator. By the time she was 7, her dad was president of the United States, and she would spend much of her adolescence in the White House. Now 25, she lives in Los Angeles with a degree in sociology from the University of Southern California.
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Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for June 10-16
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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 10:
Wendy Eisenberg, More Eaze at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
The Brooklyn folk artist’s eighth album, “Wendy Eisenberg,” is one of 2026’s most acclaimed releases.
Thursday, June 11:
Jimmy Eat World, the Get Up Kids, Sunny Day Real Estate at Northerly Island. Tickets. Arizona’s foremost pop punk act celebrates 25 years of their breakthrough LP, “Bleed American.”
The Hold Steady at Thalia Hall. Sold out.
Brooklyn’s bar band poets try a “Storytellers Set” in the round at Thalia Hall. Their first of three shows at three different venues this week.
Lupe Fiasco at Salt Shed. Sold out.
The first of two shows celebrating 20 years of “Food & Liquor” with the Chicago rapper.
Friday, June 12:
Jane Remover, Dazegxd at Metro. Tickets.
The genre-fusing, energetic artist is a smash hit with the younger generations.
The Hoyle Brothers at Empty Bottle. Free.
Want a matinee show? This honky tonk residency is always on Fridays at 5:30 p.m. and always free.
Saturday, June 13:
The Hold Steady, Titus Andronicus, Built to Spill at Salt Shed. Tickets.
Likely the most stacked indie rock bill this month.
Jane Remover, Dazegxd at Metro. Tickets.
The genre-fusing, energetic artist is a smash hit with the younger generations.
Sunday, June 14:
Rostam, Henry Soloman at Thalia Hall. Tickets.
The former Vampire Weekend multi-instrumentalist has stayed stellar as a solo artist.
Monday, June 15:
Arrested Development, Linda Sol at Millennium Park. Free.
The Millennium Park Summer Music Series returns for its 2026 season.
Tuesday, June 16:
Deer Tick, Jobi Riccio at Thalia Hall. Tickets.
This Rhode Island rock quartet has been a can’t-miss live act for almost 20 years.
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If you could time-travel to any moment in Chicago's history, what would it be?
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM
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Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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