Afternoon Briefing: Chicago's frigid temps are just right for competitive ice swimmer
Good afternoon, Chicago.
With little business to act on, the Chicago Police Board gathered last night for its monthly meeting at CPD headquarters, its first since the head of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability said she would step down.
Andrea Kersten, COPA's chief administrator since 2021, announced her resignation last week amid other high-level city agency departures, including that of COPA's second-in-command, Deputy Chief Administrator Ephraim Eaddy.
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.
Chicago's frigid temps this week make Lake Michigan just right for competitive ice swimmer Qing Li
Qing Li, who lives in downtown Chicago, is one of nearly a hundred American athletes competing in the growing sport of ice swimming, where people traverse frigid waters of 41 degrees or lower with nothing but a swimsuit, goggles and a swimming cap.
Hundreds of vacant lots in Chicago to be sold after landlords' bankruptcy, opening up opportunities for redevelopment
Buyers could ride the wave of new investment pouring into other South and West Side neighborhoods, said Steve Madura, senior vice president of Hilco Real Estate Sales, the company handling the sale. Read more here.
Coby White is now the centerpiece of the Chicago Bulls offense. Is he ready for the spotlight?
Bulls guard Coby White is no longer in a position where his teammates can absorb an off night — or an off week. After years as the second or third option, he will be fully in the spotlight for the rest of this season. Read more here.
Will Chicago Bears, flush with salary-cap space, be 'aggressive' in free agency? 7 thoughts entering NFL combine.
A fear-mongering autocrat rigs elections to maintain power as a rising resistance fights to bring back kindness. I'm talking, of course, about 'Princess and the Pea,' the main event of the Joffrey Ballet's mixed-repertory bill on now at the Lyric Opera. Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper decided he could not grant a motion from unions representing the workers to temporarily block the layoffs. He found that their complaint amounted to an employment dispute and must follow a different process outlined in federal employment law. Read more here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Upturn
3 hours ago
- Business Upturn
Love Island UK Season 12: 10 surprising facts you didn't know about host Maya Jama
Love Island UK Season 12 is set to heat up screens with its premiere on ITV2 and ITVX on June 9, 2025, and streaming on Hulu in the U.S. starting June 12. At the heart of the drama is the charismatic host, Maya Jama, who's been steering the villa's romantic chaos since 2023. Known for her vibrant energy and stunning looks, Maya has become a fan favorite. But there's more to her than meets the eye! Here are 10 surprising facts about Maya Jama that will make you love her even more. 1. Maya Jama Was Named After a Legendary Poet Maya's unique name comes from the iconic American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. Her mother, Sadie, who was just 18 when she gave birth, was inspired by Angelou's work, particularly I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , during her pregnancy. This meaningful namesake reflects Maya's vibrant and expressive personality. 2. She's of Somali and Swedish Descent Born in Bristol, England, on August 14, 1994, Maya is of mixed heritage. Her father is Somali, and her mother is of Swedish and Scottish descent, making her a trailblazer as the first non-white host of Love Island UK . She's spoken about the significance of this milestone, hoping it opens doors for others from similar backgrounds. 3. A Tough Childhood Shaped Her Resilience Maya's early life wasn't easy. Her father was in and out of prison for violent offenses, leading her to cut ties with him at age 12. She explored this challenging upbringing in a 2017 TV documentary, reflecting on how a supportive environment helped her thrive despite the hardships. 4. She Started Her Career as a Teen Maya kicked off her media journey as a teenager, hosting a weekly music video countdown on After moving to London at 16 to pursue her dreams, she hustled her way through the industry, often surviving on £1 chicken-shop meals. Her grit paid off as she landed roles with MTV and Sky UK. 5. Acting Was Her First Ambition Before becoming a TV presenter, Maya dreamed of being an actress. She auditioned for the teen drama Skins at 15, confidently telling friends she'd be famous—only to miss out on the role. Recently, she's revisiting this passion, landing a role in Netflix's The Gentlemen Season 2, playing a glamorous wife in Guy Ritchie's gritty drama. 6. She's a Fashion and Beauty Icon Maya's style is a major draw for fans. She's modeled for brands like Adidas, Maybelline, and Dolce & Gabbana, and even replaced Kate Moss in a multi-million-pound Rimmel deal. On Instagram, with over 3.2 million followers, she shares skincare and haircare tips, including how to keep hair healthy while wearing wigs. 7. High-Profile Romances Kept Her in the Headlines Maya's love life has sparked plenty of tabloid buzz. She dated British rapper Stormzy from 2014 to 2019, briefly rekindled their romance in 2023, and split again in 2024. She was also engaged to NBA star Ben Simmons in 2021, but the couple parted ways due to busy schedules. Despite rumors linking her to Leonardo DiCaprio, she denied any romance. 8. She's a Football Fanatic A passionate football supporter, Maya cheers for both Bristol Rovers and West Ham United. In 2024, she was announced as a manager for one of the 12 teams in the Baller League UK, a six-a-side football league, showcasing her love for the sport. 9. Maya Hosted the BRIT Awards and Joined The Masked Singer Beyond Love Island , Maya's hosting gigs are impressive. She co-hosted the 2024 BRIT Awards with Clara Amfo and Roman Kemp and joined The Masked Singer UK panel in 2025, replacing Rita Ora. Her bubbly personality and sharp wit make her a natural fit for these high-profile roles. 10. She's Promised 'More Twists Than Ever' for Season 12 Maya is hyping up Love Island UK Season 12 as a game-changer. In the trailer, she demands 'more drama, more bombshells, more break-ups, more make-ups,' and teases the first-ever American bombshell entering the villa. With the show celebrating its 10th anniversary, expect a summer of surprises under her watch.
6 hours ago
A debut novel explores family relationships and cultural displacement
In her debut novel, Misophonia, Dana Vowinckel explores the cultural diaspora through one teenager's summer across Berlin, Jerusalem, and Chicago. It's a coming of age story that balances the narratives of a daughter and her father as well as the fifteen-year-old protagonist's abrupt (and reluctant) reunion with her mother. The book is also a semi-autobiographical trek through parts of Vowinckel's own life. Born in Berlin into an American-Jewish-German family, the author grew up between Chicago and Berlin and her novel manages to capture the sometimes awkward, oftentimes tender, dynamics of a family pulled across continents and histories. Though it explores the travails of teenage girlhood, the book also delves into the nuances of being Jewish and German and the challenges of reconciliation when your goals and feelings collide with world events. 'Language is at the core of the book, not identity,' Vowinckel explained in a recent interview in New York. 'It would be a mistake to read it as purely an identity novel,' she says. Critics have praised the novel for its rich, contrasting ingredients and Vowinckel's ability to narrate the emotions of its teenage protagonist with warmth and clarity. The book won the Mara Cassens Prize, a German literary award given annually for the best German debut novel, and earned Vowinckel the literature prize of the Association of Arts and Culture of the German Economy. It was also shortlisted for the Leipzig Book Fair Prize which celebrates outstanding new publications written in German. The 27-year old Vowinckel, who studied linguistics and literature in Berlin, Toulouse and Cambridge, was in New York to promote the recently published English translation of Misophonia by HarperVia. (The book was translated from its original German by Adrian Nathan West.) Vowinckel's visit included events at Germany's Consulate General of New York - which promotes cultural, intellectual, and artistic exchanges with Germany - and Deutsches Haus at New York University. Misophonia opens in Chicago, with parts set in Berlin and Israel. It follows a teenage protagonist, Margarita, as she travels to her father's birthplace in Israel with the mother who left her when she was a toddler. Margarita shares a special bond with her father, Avi - a doting Israeli who is a cantor at their local synagogue - ever since her mother, Marsha, abandoned the family. Eventually, arrangements are made - without Margarita's knowledge - for her to meet Marsha in Israel before returning to Germany. Blindsided, she wants no part of this overdue reconciliation with a mother she hardly knows. Meanwhile, in Germany, Avi tries to fill the hole left by Margarita's absence with a trip of his own, embarking on a personal journey, both hope-inducing and despairing. Writing the book through the prism of dueling narratives - switching between a teenage girl, and her father - allowed Vowinckel to engage readers in an unusual point-of-view combination, she says. Accounts of Jewish congregational life in Berlin are mixed with detailed descriptions of the awkwardness and lust that go along with living inside a female teenage body. 'Both perspectives were very interesting to me,' Vowinckel told the Chicago Review of Books in May. 'With a 15-year-old, there's early sexuality and kind of being lost in the world, contrasted with the very lonely, quiet life of Avi,' she said. Straddling the two narratives also helped balance the exploration of imperfect family relationships and larger cultural displacement, the author says. 'I think it was very helpful for me to have a protagonist with a very specific job description because that gives you rhythm to the text,' Vowinckel says. 'It made it very easy for me to start this big novel project with this very calm, laconic voice, and then mix it with Margarita.'
Hypebeast
10 hours ago
- Hypebeast
Rowing Blazers and Tracksmith Reunite for Preppy Athletic Capsule
Rowing Blazers, the Jack Carlson-founded American fashion label known for its colorful blazers and rugby shirts, has reunited with Boston running brandTracksmithfor a second capsule collection. This time around, the duo has crafted a limited-edition line of tops, bottoms, and accessories inspired by the 'rhythm of running and rowing.' Standout pieces include color-blocked rugby shirts decorated with Tracksmith's hare motif, as well as racing singlets signed with Rowing Blazers' signature house croquet stripe. Down the line, cotton crewneck sweaters boast big letters reading 'Jogger;' canvas duffel bags feature chenille embroidery with dual iconography, and Tracksmith's Eliot Runner is reimagined with Rowing Blazers' house croquet stripe and a material composition inspired by New England's 'natural surfaces.' The Rowing Blazers x Tracksmith collection is now available to shoponlineand in stores, with prices ranging from $48 USD to $228 USD. Notably, in addition to the collaboration, Tracksmith will now also carry additional Rowing Blazers products in select stores. Take a look at the capsule in the gallery above.
