? Below: After Monday's deadline to file nominating petitions, we look at the crowded field for Chicago's mayoral race — a herd that could be thinned by the cutthroat challenge process.
?️ Plus: More accusations of police misuse of license plate readers, weighing the need for permanent festival grounds and more.
? Keeping score: The Bulls lost to the Celtics, 134-99.
⛅ Today's weather: Mostly cloudy with a high near 70.
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Now on to the news you need to know below.?
⏱️: An 8-minute read
Fourteen for now: Thirteen candidates will vie for the right to deny Brandon Johnson a second term and become Chicago's 58th mayor, but only if they can survive cutthroat petition challenges that could narrow the field considerably by February.
Final filers: Joining the mayoral field on the final day of filing: retiring Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, cardiologist and political newcomer Lisa Nee, Cook County Board of Review Commissioner George Cardenas and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. Also joining the mayoral field on the final day of filing were attorney William Quinlan, businessman Joe Holberg, conservative Danielle Carter-Walters and former real estate developer Zoe Ma.
First filers: Five candidates filed their nominating petitions on the first day of filing: Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias; lobbyist John Kelly; former Chicago Housing Authority Chair Matthew Brewer; U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley and millionaire businessman and perennial political candidate Willie Wilson.
Petition pitfalls: Campaign managers and veteran political operatives said they expect the crowded mayoral field to shrink substantially as candidates closely scrutinize each other's nominating petitions to make certain they have the required 12,500 valid signatures to remain on the ballot. No one will be immune from those challenges, no matter how it looks or who it might knock off the ballot.
Investigating its own: The Chicago Police Department is conducting an audit to determine whether cops abused their access to other law enforcement agencies' license plate reader systems. The department said it has immediately reduced access to outside license plate reader systems to only those whose "position and job duties" require access.
Key context: This month, a former Joliet police lieutenant was hit with felony charges for alleged misuse of Flock technology. It's the third known case this year of a Will County law enforcement officer being accused of misusing the database that tracks millions of drivers' real-time locations. Officers from Itasca, West Chicago, Prairie Grove and Kenosha County, Wisconsin, also face felony charges after allegations of misuse.
Surprise diagnosis: Last month, Dean Schlabowske, of Chicago's Waco Brothers, received a surprising medical diagnosis: Acute Myeloid Leukemia, an aggressive cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Suddenly, his life turned upside down. For a musician whose income is built through touring and side jobs, both of which were no longer possible, the shift left him facing a dire outcome: "Put everything on credit cards and go bankrupt," he said.
Fans step up: A friend of Schlabowske's launched a GoFundMe to see if their peers could help. Within a week, donors, many fans, met the limit of $65,000, and it is now nearing $90,000. The show of support is the culmination of Schlabowske's nearly 40 years of building an audience by returning to towns, sharing meals and drinks after shows and connecting with people through a shared love of music.
On your ballot: A measure on this November’s ballot asks Chicago voters if they'd like the city to establish a designated, permanent spot for large-scale festivals and events — one of several non-binding questions this election cycle.
Key context: The measure, introduced by 11th Ward Ald. Nicole Lee, follows pushback from some Chicagoans who oppose privately run festivals in the city's public spaces, such as Lollapalooza in Grant Park and Riot Fest in Douglass Park.
Does Chicago need a permanent festival site? Tell us why or why not.
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In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.
Mag Mile revival?: The Sun-Times' Mariah Rush stops by to discuss a flurry of new store openings and plans for the mile-long stretch of Michigan Avenue.
Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.
Today's clue: 7A: Temple (church considered the greatest public building of Frank Lloyd Wright's Chicago years)
A "fearless" young Humboldt penguin has officially entered the habitat.
Robin, a female juvenile penguin, is the only Humboldt penguin to hatch at Brookfield Zoo this year. She hatched July 7 to first-time parents Sofi and Klaus.
"She's a tenacious little girl," said Amanda Mansfield, senior animal care specialist at the zoo.
Robin was moved as an egg and placed with foster parents Cara and Popero, penguins at the zoo who have successfully raised chicks in the past, Mansfield said. Robin spent her first three weeks under their care before zoo experts stepped in to help raise her.
Penguin chicks are born covered in down feathers that make swimming difficult for the first few months. But Robin showed an interest in getting into the water at a very young age.
During a recent visit, she still sported a few down feathers as she swam through the Humboldt penguin habitat.
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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Michael Lansu
Copy edited by: Satchel Price
