Daywatch: High school graduation ceremony held at Lurie Children's
Good morning, Chicago.
It had all the makings of a typical graduation party. Blue and yellow streamers lined the room. Signs were posted on the walls that said 'Congrats Grad 2025,' 'You did it' and 'Made the grade.' In the back, there was a table full of Chips Ahoy and Oreos and even a cake that read 'Congratulations Taevion' in blue frosting.
Except, the party was held on the 22nd floor of Lurie Children's Hospital in honor of one of the hospital's patients: 18-year-old Taevion Norris. He had been attending West Leyden High School in Northlake when his senior year was suddenly interrupted in March due to heart failure, forcing him to spend the tail end of his final year of high school in the hospital.
But Norris refused to let his condition stop him from graduating on time — and succeeded. Yesterday, Norris — wearing a blue cap and gown — was handed his diploma. Graduation music played in the background as he traversed from one end of the hospital hallway into the room of the ceremony.
Read the full story and see photos from the ceremony.
And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including an effort in Dolton to force the purchase of Pope Leo XIV's childhood home, a look into the archives at a passenger who lit dynamite on a plane that departed from O'Hare and a review of Disney's latest live-action remake.
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Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot and killed Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum, and the suspect yelled, 'Free, free Palestine' after he was arrested, police said.
The suspect, identified as Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, was observed pacing outside the museum before the shooting, walked into the museum after the shooting and was detained by event security, Smith said.
House Republicans stayed up all night to pass their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package, with Speaker Mike Johnson defying the skeptics and unifying his ranks to muscle President Donald Trump's priority bill to approval.
With last-minute concessions and stark warnings from Trump, the Republican holdouts largely dropped their opposition to salvage the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' that's central to the GOP agenda. It next goes to the Senate.
The effort to give Chicago's police superintendent the power to declare 'snap curfews' to curb large teen gatherings stalled yesterday in the City Council.
While Dolton is moving ahead with negotiations to buy Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in the village, it's unclear how trustees were consulted about the decision, which hasn't been discussed at an open meeting.
As Mayor Jason House seeks to come to terms with the home's owner, at the same time the village attorney is threatening court action to acquire the property via eminent domain.
In a lawsuit brought by Calumet City alleging she illegally destroyed records, city clerk Nyota Figgs testified that she was given proper authorization.
Though Figgs' supporters claim the records lawsuit represents a targeted political attack from Mayor Thaddeus Jones, its trial has continued, with closing arguments scheduled for June 18.
Jim Irsay, the Indianapolis Colts owner who leveraged the popularity of Peyton Manning into a new stadium and a Super Bowl title, died yesterday at age 65.
Irsay, a Lincolnwood native who attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette, had a profound impact on the Colts franchise.
First-year coach Ben Johnson doesn't have a lot of bandwidth for dissecting what has kept the Bears in their current quandary, without a playoff victory since January 2011, writes Brad Biggs.
So whatever happened in 2024 and during the lead-up to last year's draft — when No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and his father, Carl, explored ways to avoid landing at Halas Hall, according to an excerpt from Seth Wickersham's upcoming book 'American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback' — it is what it is.
Joe Thuney extension a sign of his faith in Bears: 'This is something I want to be a part of'
Photos: What we saw at Chicago Bears OTAs
On this day in 1962: Continental Airlines Flight 11, en route from Chicago to Kansas City, Missouri, crashed in Centerville, Iowa, after a bomb apparently brought onboard by a passenger exploded, killing all 45 occupants of the Boeing 707.
Federal authorities determined passenger Thomas G. Doty, of Merriam, Kansas, had lit sticks of dynamite that he purchased at a hardware store inside a trash bin within the plane's lavatory, then returned to his seat.
Tribune TV and film critic Nina Metz can't remember the last time a TV series started off with so much promise, only to fall apart in its final act. Metz suspects that won't deter audiences from 'Sirens,' which premieres on Netflix less than a year after the arrival of 'The Perfect Couple,' with which it shares many similarities.
Stitch and Lilo are now in a live-action movie, writes Tribune film critic Michael Phillips. The new 'Lilo & Stitch' constitutes adequate if wearying fan service at best, and at worst, a new reason to check in with your dentist about a mouth guard for apparent teeth-grinding.
Police have found a bust of Jim Morrison that was stolen nearly four decades ago from the Paris grave that has long been a place of pilgrimage for fans of the legendary Doors singer and poet.
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The state police said the same participants in diversion programming who may be eligible for a FOID may also acquire a CCL, though the qualifications are different. The state police said system improvements over the years have brought down processing times for new FOID applications to an average of about 12 days. During the pandemic, staffing ranged between 17 and 28 employees dedicated to FOID card application processing, in addition to temporary contractors, the state police said. In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, the state police processed 190,693 new FOID applications with an average processing time of 83 days, the state police said. The following year, 292,523 new FOID applications were processed. The final amendment of the diversion program legislation passed through the Senate by a 55-0 vote on May 31, the final scheduled day of session. The bill was approved in the House on May 23 by a vote of 97-11. When state Sen. Elgie Sims presented the final amendment on the Senate floor on May 31, he said there was a 'unique set of proponents to the bill.' In addition to the Cook County state's attorney's office, those proponents included the Cook County public defender's office, Illinois State's Attorneys Association, Illinois State Rifle Association and Gun Violence Prevention PAC. Sims, the bill's main Senate sponsor, said in an interview that the legislation is meant to help people caught up in the criminal justice system for nonviolent gun infractions so they don't get arrested again. 'We're trying to make sure that for somebody who might have a firearm in their possession, but they've gone through the process, they've taken the steps to atone for the mistake (so) that they are able to get their FOID card,' the Chicago Democrat said. 'It was to encourage people to be law-abiding gun owners.' Among other supporters of the bill was the Gun Violence Prevention PAC, which works to stem gun violence and illegal gun access. John Schmidt, an executive board member of the group, said there's room for a balanced approach within firearm policies to respect the rights of people wanting to own a gun legally. 'G-PAC works to keep illegal guns out of the hands of unqualified owners. But we have no trouble making common ground to support laws that enable people who successfully complete diversion programs to resume their right like other citizens to own lawful guns,' said Schmidt, a former U.S. associate attorney general. Republican legislators have long accused the Democratic majority of infringing on the Second Amendment right to bear arms through laws such as the 2023 assault weapons ban, which remains under court challenge. In the new gun bill, many GOP lawmakers supported the Democrats' legislative fix around diversion programming and FOID cards. Senate Republican leader John Curran, a former assistant Cook County state's attorney, agreed with Sims' rationale behind it. 'Ultimately, if someone's going to possess a gun again down the road, they should have a FOID in Illinois. It's the law of the land. So, we should encourage that behavior. This bill does,' said Curran, of Downers Grove. State Rep. John Cabello of Machesney Park was one of 11 House members to vote against the new legislation. A Republican who has worked as a police detective, he said he's been supportive of diversion programs but was skeptical of the Democrats' motivation for this legislation. 'What they're doing in Springfield, is they take baby steps to what their final goal is. What is their final goal? Is their final goal to make sure that we can't charge felons with possession of a (gun) any longer?' Cabello said. The legislation would apply to various diversion programs for people arrested on Class 4 felony gun charges, including Cook County prosecutors' first-time weapon offense program. People charged with such crimes are eligible for the diversion program only if they've gotten permission from a judge, with the consent of the state's attorney. O'Neill Burke's office said Cook County had roughly 2,800 Class 4 felony gun cases last year of which defendants in some 1,200 were put in gun diversion programs, most of them in the first-time weapon offense program. The program was initially established by the General Assembly in 2018 as a pilot and limited to defendants under 21, while also being part of a law allowing for penalty enhancements for certain people convicted of repeatedly carrying illegal firearms. But in the last several years, especially with the makeup of the General Assembly becoming more progressive, lawmakers let the penalty enhancement provisions expire, made the diversion program permanent and removed its age restriction. Participation in the program could last from six months to two years, according to the law, and to stay in the program, the defendant must not break any laws or use any guns or other weapons. The law doesn't allow someone in the program if they've been arrested for a felony gun crime that was committed during the commission of a violent offense; if they've been previously convicted or placed on probation or conditional discharge for any violent crime; if they've completed the program in the past; or if they have an existing order of protection issued against them. Cook County Public Defender Sharone R. Mitchell Jr. said the legislation's emphasis on obtaining FOID cards is an acknowledgement by the government that the people who often get in trouble for illegal gun possession are not dangerous criminals. But if they have a blemish on their record like a Class 4 felony, that could hurt their chances to get a job and potentially be deprived of other opportunities. But Mitchell says many people might not acquire FOID cards or CCLs for a host of reasons, including ignorance of the law or a criminal conviction from decades ago preventing them from owning a gun. 'People's baseline need is to keep themselves safe and some individuals have made the decision in our community that carrying a gun is their only path toward that safety,' he said. 'People are making really tough decisions based upon safety.' Mitchell couldn't say whether the new legislation would increase awareness for the public to obtain FOID cards but said his office is hopeful the law helps change how illegal gun possession offenses are treated in the criminal justice system. 'Our hope is that this law is a first step, but that we take a more informed and measured approach to all gun possession cases,' he said.
