Chicagoans react to birthright citizenship case: The Rundown
Good afternoon! In honor of April Fools Day, my Curious City colleagues took a look at famous local pranks. Here’s what you need to know today.
1. Chicagoans reacted to birthright citizenship arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court
The court took up one of the term’s most consequential cases, President Donald Trump’s order on birthright citizenship declaring children born to parents in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens. Trump attended today’s arguments, a first for a sitting president.
As The Associated Press reports, the justices heard Trump’s appeal of a lower court ruling from New Hampshire that struck down the citizenship restrictions, which have not taken effect anywhere in the country.
Immigrant leaders in Chicago said they are anxious about the case and what the outcome could mean for families across the country.
“We feel like there’s this constant attack [on immigrants],” said Grace Chan McKibben, executive director of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community. She worries children of immigrants could risk losing benefits, including health care or access to schools and other resources.
The case frames another test of Trump’s assertions of executive power that defy long-standing precedent for a court that has largely ruled in the president’s favor — but with some notable exceptions that Trump has responded to with starkly personal criticisms of the justices. [WBEZ/AP]
Key conservative justices appeared skeptical, asking questions of both sides. The court’s decision is expected in June. [New York Times]
A staffing study released today calls on the Chicago Police Department to hire and promote hundreds of cops, Sophie Sherry reports for the Chicago Sun-Times. Meanwhile, about 600 officers would be reassigned from jobs that could be done by people without police powers, then backfilled with civilians who cost less.
Chicago police Supt. Larry Snelling and other officials said the proposed changes would allow for better supervision, greater opportunities for community policing and more consistent response times across neighborhoods. He added the study provides guidance “to help us become the most efficient department that we can possibly be.”
The study, commissioned by the City Council over two years ago and conducted by the Matrix Consulting Group, found major “work load inequality” that resulted in inconsistent services and inadequate supervision.
But the department’s collective bargaining agreements with police unions could limit its ability to make any sweeping changes, especially shifting sworn officers into civilian roles.
There’s also the city’s massive budget shortfall. As of last fall, the police department had already slowed hiring to 50 recruits per month and won’t move new classes through the police academy this summer. [Chicago Sun-Times]
3. Cook County said people may have been exposed to measles in the northwest suburbs
Affected locations include O’Hare Airport’s Terminal 5, Fresh Farms and Marshall’s in Niles, all on March 26.
The possible exposure was last week. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infectious person has left the area, though transmission requires just 15 minutes of exposure, the health agency said.
Those most at risk are babies, young children, pregnant people and those with compromised immune systems. Vaccinated individuals are typically not at risk since two doses provides 97% protection. The health agency advises those who may have been exposed to consult a health care provider.
People experiencing symptoms — rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes — should call a health care provider before going to a clinic to help control the spread of the virus, the agency said. Measles symptoms appear up to 21 days after exposure, as well as four days before and four days after the onset of the rash, which starts on the face and spreads to the body. [Chicago Sun-Times]
4. South Shore Line extended its service to Munster and Dyer
The $1.6 billion project is called the Monon Corridor, named after a rail line from decades ago no longer in service, my colleague Michael Puente reports for WBEZ. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District operates the South Shore Train Line from Millennium Station in Chicago to South Bend Airport.
“The Monon Corridor expands rail access, strengthens connectivity and positions our region for long-term growth and the impact is already being felt. This project, along with the double track expansion, is driving billions of dollars in investment, creating thousands of jobs and generating real economic momentum across our region, and here in Hammond, we’re seeing it firsthand,” said Michael Noland, retiring president of the South Shore Train Line.
Besides four new train stations, the new line includes elevated train tracks to bypass freight lines in downtown Hammond. The investment in the line, Noland added, is spurring new housing and retail development. [WBEZ]
Chicago food writer Maggie Hennessy’s new book, out tomorrow, traces the hamburger’s hotly debated origin story, including its Midwest contributions.
As Hennessy writes: “Though the humble hamburger has been widely popular in the United States for only the last century and a quarter, one could argue – without the tracest hint of theatrics – that it represents the delicious culmination of millennia of culinary history, amassed in fits and starts from across the globe.”
You can read a longer excerpt of “The Burger Bible” in the link. [WBEZ]
Here are Hennessy’s five favorite burgers in Chicago. [WBEZ]
One of her hot takes: Onion burgers are superior to locally embraced smash burgers, in part because the former has a surprising climate benefit. [WBEZ]
Here’s what else is happening
- Trump plans to address the nation about the Iran war at 8 p.m. tonight. [NPR]
- The U.S. Senate is stalled over the SAVE America Act, a sweeping election overhaul that would introduce new proof-of-citizenship requirements to register to vote. [NPR]
- A federal judge found Trump’s executive order defunding NPR and PBS violated the First Amendment. [NPR]
- Here’s a video of NASA’s Artemis II astronauts launching to the moon. [NPR]
Oh, and one more thing …
Charles Joseph Smith, a piano virtuoso with 600 original works and an opera about Mars, is finally getting his due, my colleague Courtney Kueppers reports for WBEZ.
Anyone who has spent time around Chicago’s DIY music scene likely recognizes Smith as a mainstay on the dancefloor of venues like The Hideout or Cafe Mustache, where he often sells his homemade cassettes and sometimes performs his own music. But as a Black artist with autism, Smith has struggled to have his work heard beyond that ephemeral world.
Now, his first widely available release, timed to align with World Autism Awareness Day, marks a major recognition of his talents. Chicago-based Sooper Records will drop Smith’s double album on Friday. It features 10 eclectic tracks on “Collected Works,” plus two iterations of his opera, “War of the Martian Ghosts.” [WBEZ]
Tell me something good …
Spring has arrived in Chicago, meaning many of us are itching to get outside as much as possible. So I’m wondering, what springtime traditions do you have for the first warm days of the year?
Remic writes:
“Spring cleaning, bicycle maintenance, picking up litter, gardening and wearing a T-shirt outside. It’s so so good.”
Kathy writes:
“I buy pansies to plant in my tricycle planter. They are so colorful and are cold resistant. It gives me just enough color to scratch the itch I need to wait until it is safe to plant everything else!”
Feel free to email me, and your response may be included in the newsletter this week.
Discussion in the ATmosphere