It’s a new week. Get to the end of June with these Monday stories from WTTW News.
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The case and crew of the short film “Mataron A Pedro” at a screening in Chicago. (Carmona Rivera / National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture)
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Members of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community recently took part in a special screening of a new short film based on the life of Pedro Albizu Campos.
In collaboration with the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, the short film “Mataron A Pedro” was shown at CineCity Studios in Chicago earlier this month. The film follows a brief period in the life of the historic activist and leader in the labor and Puerto Rican independence movements.
Starring Ismael Cruz Córdova as the titular Don Pedro and Juana Burga as his wife Laura Meneses del Carpio, the film contrasts Campos’ personal life at home with his work in various movements in Puerto Rico.
While only 15 minutes in length, the short film brings Puerto Rican history to the big screen, shining a light on the often-untold history of Campos, who was the first Puerto Rican to ever graduate from Harvard University and a staunch critic of the colonial relationship between the archipelago and the United States.
The film depicts iconic scenes from his life, including a march he led in Viejo San Juan where he fought for an independent Puerto Rico.
It does not shy away from the brutality that Campos endured while imprisoned after the 1950 rally, depicting radiation experiments conducted on him, causing burns across his body.
While the film is just a drop in the deep, rich history of this beloved and sometimes controversial figure, the crew hopes this could lead to something bigger.
Cruz Córdova, who played Campus, said much of the film remains relevant today due in large part due to Puerto Rico’s position as a modern colony of the United States.
“I want them to direct them to curiosity, you know, because we cannot, like, go over everything in 16 minutes, but at least to start that curiosity for people to understand the greatness of who we are, and the equally great, immense sacrifice that Pedro, but a lot before him, a lot with him, and a lot after him, are still willing to take,” he said.
Cruz Córdova added in Spanish, “la lucha continua,” which means the fight continues.
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State Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) appears on “Chicago Tonight” on June 24, 2026. (WTTW News)
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It’s been just over two months since the Illinois House of Representatives passed a so-called megaprojects bill, intended to incentivize the Chicago Bears to build a new stadium in Illinois.
The events since then have been replayed and reviewed, with fans waiting to hear which calls, if any, might be overturned.
There was the last-minute debate over a different incentives package that passed the state Senate, but did not reach a vote in the House. Then, the Bears announced the team would move forward with plans for a stadium in Hammond, Indiana.
Now — despite the team’s stated plans — Illinois lawmakers are still working to keep the team in the Prairie State.
State Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) said he has a plan to get a new megaprojects bill across the finish line. And although any Republican-led initiative faces an uphill battle in the General Assembly, where Democrats hold a supermajority, he still thinks there’s time to push talks forward.
“(The Bears) haven’t said, ‘OK, we’re done. We don’t want to talk anymore, we don’t want to hear from you, we are moving to Indiana,’” Ugaste said. “There’s at least one site we know they’re very interested in, in Illinois, and that’s Arlington Heights. … A couple other sites within Cook County have been proposed as well.”
More context:
A challenge facing all proposals is how to give the Bears the property tax certainty they desire without burdening individual taxpayers. Ugaste said his plan would extend statewide relief to homeowners and businesses.
Ugaste said he has intentionally not met with the Bears about his plan, but he would be willing to change the bill based on feedback from team representatives when they see it. While he has not yet filed the bill, he said it will be coming soon.
Regardless of how his plan might change, Ugaste hopes it serves as a starting point for bipartisan negotiations.
“You have to work across the aisle, because I don’t know that the votes are there on the Democrat side of the aisle alone,” Ugaste said. “Because it appears they’re not.”
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Visitors enjoy lunch in Tafari’s Kitchen at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago on May 12, 2026. (The Obama Foundation)
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For recording artist Andre “Add-2” Daniels, president of the Grammy Chicago Chapter, being at the Obama Presidential Center on the day of its grand opening ranks as “one of the most beautiful things (he’s) been able to witness.” The event was marked with star-studded performances, including Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson, and speeches by both former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. But for Daniels, seeing his work and young mentees center stage was the highlight of the experience.
Daniels is the regional director of the music mentoring program Guitars Over Guns. He and members of the program worked alongside Chicago-area native and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder to create and perform a new song on the opening day.
There are a host of locals who acted as the behind-the-scenes cast to prepare the Obama Presidential Center for its opening ceremony. One such Chicagoan is chef Cliff Rome, a partner at BAMJoy, which provides food services and catering operations across the campus.
The South Side native started his culinary career as a dishwasher and moved up the ranks to eventually own his restaurant, Peach’s, and collaborate with the National Museum of African American History and Culture. And now, the Obama Presidential Center.
“It’s a cultural institution,” Rome said, “and he (Obama) did not want people whipping out their phone trying to read or define what was on the menu. I want it very approachable and so I think that we got really close to that by creating those offerings the way that he would want them.”
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Back in the Day: June 29, 2003 - Lincoln Park Porch Collapse Kills 13, Injures Dozens
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On this day 23 years ago, more than 100 young adults attended a house party in Lincoln Park at 713 W. Wrightwood Ave. The gathering extended across multiple floors in the building, where more than 60 people were celebrating on two levels of its porches. Around 12:30 a.m., the overcrowded third-floor deck collapsed onto the also-packed second-floor deck, pummeling several dozen partygoers to the ground. Thirteen people died, and more than 50 others were injured. The incident was one of the deadliest porch-related disasters in history, forcing Chicago to conduct sweeping inspections of its many wooden porches and resulted in a $16.6 million settlement to the victims.
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This Week’s Civic Events and Meetings
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Every Monday, WTTW News highlights the best ways to get involved with local government.
City Council's Committee on Police and Fire
On Tuesday at 1 p.m. the City Council's Committee on Police and Fire will hold a regular meeting. They'll discuss and review COPA's quarterly report among other items on the agenda. For more details, click here.
City Council's Committee on Transportation and the Public Way
On Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., the City Council's Committee on Transportation and the Public Way will hold a regular meeting. While an agenda has yet to be published, the subcommittee will hold its quarterly CTA hearing. For more details, check the city clerk's website.
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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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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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