The Chicago region is under a severe thunderstorm watch Tuesday, with the potential for damaging 80 mile per hour winds. After you prepare, spend a few minutes with Daily Chicagoan reading the latest stories about your city from WTTW News.
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An attendee holds a sign during a press conference outside the Chicago Police Department’s 19th District Station on Aug. 10, 2026. (WTTW News)
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Marimar Martinez, the Chicago woman who was shot by a Border Patrol agent five times in Brighton Park, joined others in filing police reports about the alleged abuse they suffered from federal agents during “Operation Midway Blitz” last fall.
Martinez was joined by several others Monday at the Chicago Police Department’s 19th District Station to file police reports in hopes that local authorities can begin investigating unlawful conduct allegedly committed by federal immigration agents.
“The federal government has made clear there will be no investigation into these (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and Border Patrol shootings,” Martinez said. “If the federal government refuses to act, state and local authorities must do so.”
Nine people filed police reports Monday, according to Cook County Commissioner Jessica Vásquez, who said they chose to do this together in order to make their call for accountability “both public and impossible to ignore.”
Some backstory:
The filings come months after the Illinois Accountability Commission detailed a “public record of abuses” committed by Trump officials after federal immigration agents repeatedly used physical force and tear gas against Chicagoans throughout the city.
That report found federal immigration agents engaged in unconstitutional uses of force including “extreme physical force, indiscriminate use of chemical agents, shootings, beatings, and other violent acts” while White House officials routinely lied to conceal the motivations behind “Operation Midway Blitz.”
Community advocates for months have pushed for criminal charges to be filed against federal agents, including those who shot Martinez and killed Silverio Villegas González during a separate traffic stop in suburban Franklin Park last year.
In May, the Illinois State Police launched an investigation into the killing of Villegas González, and Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office said it would play a “supportive role.” That investigation remains ongoing and thus far, no charges stemming from a CPD investigation have been filed.
O’Neill Burke earlier this year released a new protocol she said was designed to guide law enforcement agencies as they investigate any alleged crimes stemming from “Midway Blitz.” Her office Monday reiterated it is “committed to supporting these investigations.”
“No one is above the law — including federal agents — and the (Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office) will not hesitate to prosecute any case when it is supported by the evidence and the law,” O’Neill Burke’s office said in a statement.
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(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
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The Chicago police sergeant who oversaw officers who detained the same teen four times in less than 30 minutes in what investigators ruled was a botched raid will not be fired, according to documents obtained by WTTW News.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability urged Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling to fire Sgt. Syed Quadri for his actions on Dec. 24, 2019, when he tackled and handcuffed 16-year-old Jaylin Stiger without justification and oversaw the nearly two dozen officers who repeatedly detained him and his 13-year-old brother, according to records published by the agency better known as COPA.
“Sgt. Quadri is the most culpable for the harm suffered by (Jaylin) ... and the other civilians involved in this case,” the agency’s investigators concluded in January 2024, redacting the teen's last name in keeping with its rules. “His lack of leadership and failure to properly supervise the officers on scene lead to unnecessary searches and prolonged detentions. He also engaged in numerous civil rights violations, used unnecessary force against a minor and failed to activate his body-worn camera while searching a residence.”
Jaylin’s name became a part of the public record after he sued the city in December 2021, along with his mother and brother, a case that is still pending as settlement negotiations take place, federal court records show. Al Holfeld, the family’s lawyer, did not respond to a request for comment from WTTW News.
Despite COPA’s findings, Snelling determined in April 2024 that Quadri should be suspended for just two days, calling him “a decorated supervisor who acted as a leader in the most difficult circumstances.”
More context:
Quadri was promoted to lieutenant two months after Snelling refused to fire him, records show.
Quadri, who earns $160,746 annually, is assigned to the Near North (18th) Police District, which includes Lincoln Park and the Gold Coast, according to a statement from a CPD spokesperson.
Between 2019 and 2021, Chicago taxpayers spent $160,000 to resolve three lawsuits that allege Quadri violated the rights of other Chicagoans, according to an analysis of city data by WTTW News.
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Bally’s casino and resort is being built on what was once the Chicago Tribune printing plant and newsroom near Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street. (Provided)
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Bally’s Corp. opened up a new front in the political battle over video gambling in Chicago by halting construction on the 34-story, 500-room hotel, concert venue and restaurants designed to make the city’s only casino into a destination for visitors and residents alike.
Officials with Bally’s Corp. have been warning the Chicago City Council for months that its move to green-light video gaming would kneecap the city’s permanent casino, scheduled to open in River West early next year.
After the City Council failed to even consider Mayor Brandon Johnson’s request that it reverse course, Bally’s upped the ante in the dispute by informing the firms doing the work that it was “resetting the pace of construction of elements” of the permanent casino.
“We do not take this lightly because of the potential impact on many of the 1,500 union trades people who have been working hard to build Bally’s Chicago,” according to a statement from the firm. “We will continue to assess our options, which we hope will include more productive discussions with the Mayor’s Office and City Council.”
Over Johnson’s objections, the City Council authorized video gambling in Chicago bars and restaurants as part of the city’s 2026 spending plan.
All 50 members of the City Council and the mayor face reelection in February, and many will rely on the financial support of labor organizations who could see hundreds of their members thrown out of work by the dispute.
A majority of the City Council voted in December to allow Chicago bars and restaurants to offer video gambling, hoping to boost the city’s sagging tax revenues while tossing a lifeline to businesses struggling in a tough economic climate.
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More From WTTW News:
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Lake County Audubon Society shared a “heartbreaking update” on Monday that three wild-born piping plover chicks were lost over the weekend. Though predation is one possibility, without witnessing what occurred, monitors can't confirm what happened to the chicks — Dune, Pebbles and
Drifter.
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Back in the Day: August 11, 1966 - Beatles Apologize for “More Popular Than Jesus” Comment in Chicago
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In 1966, the Beatles were both rising to the peak of pop culture and in hot water for comments singer/guitarist John Lennon made in March of that year. “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink, I needn’t argue with that,” he said. “I’m right and I will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus right now. I don’t know which will go first–rock and roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.” The statements set off a firestorm of controversy, especially in the southern parts of the United States, where Christian radio stations held events where they burned Beatles
records and the KKK picketed concerts. On this date 60 years ago, the Beatles traveled to Chicago to kick off their summer tour, where they held a press conference at the Astor Hotel. When asked if they felt sorry for the comment, Lennon replied, “I am. Even though I never meant what people think I meant by it. I’m still sorry I opened my mouth.”
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This Week’s Staff Recommendations
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Every Tuesday, WTTW News staffers highlight their favorite things in Chicago. This week, it’s editor Erica Demarest on patios worth trying in the city.
Erica Demarest: If you’re like me, you can’t believe it’s already August. While there might not be as much summer left as we’d like, there’s still plenty of time to enjoy patio season — and a few drink specials while you’re at it. Here are some of my favorite North Side spots for a refreshing beverage outside.
Eris Brewery & Cider House | 4240 W. Irving Park Road
The women-owned Old Irving Park cidery features a mix of classic and unique ciders, including the seasonal Strawbarbarella (strawberry rhubarb) and cider slushies. Swing by the spacious patio for happy hour 4-6 p.m Mon.-Thurs. or noon-6 p.m. Friday for $6 select ciders and beer.
Frasca | 3358 N. Paulina St.
The menu at the Roscoe Village pizzeria and wine bar features build-your-own charcuterie boards (the beet, blood orange and pistachio bruschetta is a current favorite). Stop by after 7 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. for $7 spritzes.
Uvae Kitchen & Wine Bar | 5553 N. Clark St.
The wine list at this cozy Andersonville spot has categories like “dynamic & velvety reds,” “clean & vibrant whites” and “fun & funky,” so you don’t have to be the most experienced wine drinker to find something you’ll like. Tuesdays bring half-price bottles, and you can build your own flight of three 3-oz. pours on Wednesdays ($15). If you’d prefer a cocktail, they’re half off on Thursdays.
Le Sud | 2301 W. Roscoe St.
The French-Mediterranean bistro in Roscoe Village includes four seasons of patio dining with a winter sunroom. You can still get a spot at the open-air patio through early fall and take advantage of several weekly specials, including half-price bottles of wine on Wednesdays. There’s also a happy hour menu from 4-6 p.m., Tues.-Sun.
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What’s your favorite Italian restaurant in 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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