It’s the last day of June. Cool down this Tuesday with these local stories from WTTW News.
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(Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)
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Omar Johnson has been in prison for his entire adult life. At 19, he shot and killed someone during a robbery. He then began his life sentence when he was 22 at Menard Correctional Center. In October, he’ll turn 50 inside of that same prison.
“I’m definitely not the person I was when I was 19 years old,” Omar Johnson said. “Life without parole is a sentence I was given; it’s an awful sentence, I believe, for anybody, because humans are capable of change.”
Now he’s trying to prove that to a judge. In 2016, he filed his second post-conviction petition, challenging his sentence, attaching articles with headlines like “The Teen Brain Still Under Construction” and “Neuroscience Is Changing the Debate Over What Role Age Should Play in the Courts.” Omar Johnson is waiting to move forward with his arguments regarding the effect his young age had on the development of his brain during the crime 30 years ago.
While he waits to hear if his petition will advance, a bill currently awaiting Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature might improve his chances. The bill, SB248, would remove a procedural hurdle for incarcerated people who were convicted of a crime when under the age of 21 to challenge their convictions.
A spokesperson for Pritzker would not say whether he’ll sign the bill into law. In a statement, the spokesperson said: “The Governor will carefully review everything that comes across his desk once received by the Illinois General Assembly and before signing.”
More context:
Every year, hundreds of people in Cook County alone file post-conviction petitions, a vital tool for those alleging injustice to get a new trial or be resentenced. This bill would expand on prior laws and court rulings that have increasingly required judges to take defendants’ youth into account.
“A lot of my friends are in the same situation as me,” Omar Johnson said. “It really gives them new life to be able to have the issue heard.”
Following a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2012, which found that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for young people are unconstitutional, a 2014 Illinois law requires judges to consider age, brain development and environmental circumstances when sentencing people under 18. The Illinois Supreme Court extended those protections in 2018 to people under 21. These decisions took into account developmental differences between juvenile and adult minds, such as a proclivity for risk and inability to assess consequences in youth.
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U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley on June 27, 2026, announces his bid for mayor of Chicago. (Provided)
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Northwest Side congressman Mike Quigley is officially running for Chicago mayor.
The nine-term U.S. representative from Illinois’ 5th District launched his campaign Saturday at the historic but crumbling Uptown Theatre, using the landmark as a symbol of what he said is needed to restore Chicago’s promise.
“It’s tough to see the city you love so much struggle in the way that we are in Chicago,” Quigley said. “The fact of the matter is, Chicago has everything it needs to succeed — its location, its people, its cultural institutions, its universities, its neighborhoods — but it’s all resting on a crumbling financial foundation.”
Quigley has made Chicago’s finances a central issue in his campaign. He said the city’s growing debt and pension obligations could leave Chicago facing insolvency by the time the next mayor takes office.
“The fact is, when those property tax bills were late, there was a real tough time making those monthly pension payments,” Quigley said. “So any blip in the economy and I’m very concerned that our pension funds, being so poor, aren’t going to be able to make the required payments. The city itself has a structural deficit that is only getting worse.”
Quigley said he wants to reduce spending, but will not make cuts to the Chicago Police Department, which, over the past five years, has overspent by hundreds of millions of dollars.
“I think the way to address public safety is to use programs like CRED, CeaseFire, the anti-violence programs that President Trump has cut,” Quigley said. “I do believe we need to spend more on those because they’re cost-effective.”
Some backstory:
Quigley joins a crowded field in the February 2027 mayoral election, becoming the fourth candidate to enter the race this month. Other candidates include Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Cook County Board of Review Commissioner George Cardenas and former Chicago Housing Authority Board Chair Matt Brewer.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas are also expected to enter the race.
Quigley was first elected to Congress in a 2009 special election to replace Rahm Emanuel. Before joining Congress, Quigley served 11 years on the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
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(Pixabay)
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The Chicago area is under an extreme heat warning through Thursday, bringing dangerously hot conditions that could feel like 100-110 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
City officials are asking residents to stay cool and check on neighbors, especially neighbors who are elderly, have disabilities or have pre-existing health conditions.
Dangerous heat and humidity are expected this week, particularly Monday through Wednesday with high temperatures in the mid-90s and heat index values – what temperatures will feel like when also factoring in humidity — reaching between 100 and 110 degrees.
Thunderstorm chances will increase late in the week, which may bring slight relief to the heat, but conditions will remain warm and humid.
The extreme heat warning for the entire area will remain in effect through Thursday evening.
Public safety officials are reminding residents:
Stay hydrated
If you can, stay inside with air conditioning. If you do not have air conditioning, keep your blinds closed, but windows slightly open for ventilation — or visit a city cooling center
Check on neighbors
Don’t leave anyone or any pets in a parked car
Call 311 to report insufficient cooling in a building; wellness checks for seniors and unhoused people; and where to find your nearest cooling center
Cooling centers throughout the city include six community service centers and 20 senior service centers operated by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services. The six community service centers operate from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Residents can also cool off at Chicago Public Library locations, Chicago Park District locations, City Colleges and Chicago Police Department district locations. To view a map of cooling centers in the city, visit chi.gov/cooling.
“Let’s do what Chicagoans do best — let’s look out for one another,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said during a news conference.
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More From WTTW News:
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The Chicago Park District on Monday announced the winners of a naming contest for four piping plover chicks that hatched this month at Montrose Beach. They’ll now be known as Buddy, Frankie, Mavis and Tweedy, after Chicago’s celebrated musicians Buddy Guy, Frankie Knuckles, Mavis Staples
and Jeff Tweedy.
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Back in the Day: June 30, 1916 - Chicago’s Chick Evans Wins U.S. Open
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Chick Evans was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, but moved to Chicago with his family at 8 years old, where he discovered a deep passion for golf at the Edgewater Golf Club. As a child, he worked as a caddie but eventually honed his skills as a player. At 20 years old, he won the 1910 Western Open and would eventually become one of the most accomplished amateur golfers of his era. On this day 110 years ago, Evans made history by winning the U.S. Open, a title which made him the first ever person to win both the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Open in the same year. He retired in 1968 and died in 1979 at 87. Today, a golf course in Morton Grove, the Chick Evans Golf Course, is named in his
honor.
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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 Social Media Editor Katelyn Haas on some of her favorite patios in the city. If you have your own suggestions, be sure to submit them for Daily Chicagoan’s weekly question at DailyChicagoan@WTTW.com.
Katelyn Haas: It’s summer, and the city’s patios are officially open (unless you’re Best Intentions…can anyone give me an update on that, please). As a semi-fresh West sider who left the lakeshore for the 606, I’ve been plopping down on a patio for cards, a refreshing drink and good chats with friends.
Here’s just few of my favorites:
Spilt Milk: The small patio that hosts murals along the walls, with picnic and bar seating for a quick drink while the sun sets after work. It can be a quiet hang to relax or bop around and chat with people if it’s a busy day. Their “Family Meal Mondays” bring in local chefs and restaurateurs around Chicago. 2758 W Fullerton Ave.
Enoteca Roma: While the food is decent, I came for the trickling fountain in the back patio of this quiet, Italian wine bar and stayed for the Spritz flight. The backyard with twinkly lights and a flower garden is perfect for a date night or a girl dinner (Any martini, fries and Caesar salad for $20) 2146 W Division St.
Lonesome Rose: The Tex-Mex menu has delicious salsa, chips and guac combos and a great spicy margarita. The rooftop's overhanging tent blocks out any direct sun so you can still be outside without getting a sunburn. 2101 N California Ave.
Easy Does It: The giant concrete patio also has some overhanging tent action, and boasts an outdoor bar and popups during the summer. You can also bring in your own food, which is maybe my favorite part. A glass of wine and Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco I grabbed from down the street? Perfect pairing. 2354 N Milwaukee Ave.
Bungalow by Middle Brow: I swear by their Tavern Tuesdays. Pizza as thin as crackers, and kid-friendly (with a make your own pizza night!) I also love their wedge salad to cool down in the summer heat. 2840 W Armitage Ave.
Honorable mentions: The Hi-Lo, Handlebar, Pilot Project Brewing and Innjoy Logan Square.
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What's your favorite restaurant or bar patio in the Chicago area?
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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