Afternoon Briefing: About those air quality readings yesterday
Good afternoon, Chicago.
Readings from several popular weather apps had people across the Chicago area spending much of yesterday wondering whether their air was safe to breathe — until the dangerously unhealthy levels were revealed to be a glitch.
Early in the morning, Google's air quality map showed that Chicago had the worst air in the country. Apple's weather app, too, showed that the Air Quality Index had climbed into the 400s, a reading so hazardous that people are encouraged to stay indoors. (The Air Quality Index, which ranges from 0 to 500, is a measure of the density of five pollutants in the air: ground-level ozone, particulates, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide.)
To put that in perspective, that's as high as the levels reached in 2023 when smoke from wildfires in Canada blanketed much of the East Coast and turned the sky in New York City orange.
Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
Highland Park parade shooter sentenced to life in prison without parole
Robert Crimo III will spend the rest of his life in prison for opening fire on spectators at the 2022 Highland Park Independence Day Parade. Read more here.
Chicago Housing Authority board member reprimanded for 'sexually graphic conversation,' report says
A Chicago Housing Authority board member had a 'sexually graphic conversation' in front of agency employees and has been reprimanded by the interim board chair, a housing authority Office of the Inspector General report reveals. Read more here.
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Column: Nikola Jokić or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP? How the Tribune's Bulls writer voted for NBA awards.
It's finally time for the most controversial stretch of the NBA season — the waiting period between submitting end-of-year ballots and announcing the final award winners. Read more here.
'Étoile' review: A dance of egos, hookups and ballet backstage drama — and it's funny!
In the Amazon dramedy 'Étoile,' a ballet company in New York and another in Paris swap some of their talent for a season, hoping the gimmick will sell more tickets and fix some financial struggles. Read more here.
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Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton first major Democrat to declare bid for retiring Dick Durbin's Senate seat
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton today became the first of what is expected to be many candidates to launch bids for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Dick Durbin.
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