Faith leaders decry religious rhetoric on war: The Rundown
Good afternoon, and happy Friday! WBEZ’s “Prisoncast!” will air at 2 p.m. this Sunday. Tune in on 91.5 FM or WBEZ.org. Here’s what else you need to know today.
For the faith leaders, the issue is not just political — it is both deeply theological and deeply troubling, my colleague Michael Puente reports for WBEZ.
“Diplomacy and dialogue have to be the pathway forward for a genuine peace,” Cardinal Blase Cupich, who leads the Archdiocese of Chicago, said in an exclusive interview with WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. “Peace can’t be imposed by force. It never works.”
Cupich’s remarks come on the heels of Pope Leo XIV’s criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump’s increasingly belligerent social media posts. They include a profanity-laced Easter message demanding Iran open the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday “or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” followed by a threat to wipe out Iranian civilization. The American pope called Trump’s comments “truly unacceptable.”
And during a press briefing at the Pentagon this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised the last-minute ceasefire, declaring, “Our troops, our American warriors, deserve the credit for this day. But God deserves all the glory. Tens of thousands of sorties, refuelings, and strikes, carried out under the protection of divine providence. A massive effort with miraculous protection.”
But Cupich cautioned against relying on biblical references to advance war aims.
“It’s not the first time that political leaders have tried to compromise scripture and the Word of God for their own purposes, and I think most people see through that,” he said. [WBEZ]
2. Flooding in Chicago is getting worse partly because of climate change
In a little-noticed memo early last year, University of Illinois scientists made a dire prediction: Intense rain made worse by climate change was going to get a lot more severe in the next 25 years.
“What is considered safe and adequate today may not hold true in the future,” they wrote of the threat to homes, buildings and people.
The threat has been building for years, Brett Chase writes for the Chicago Sun-Times. Over the past century in Chicago, the likelihood of heavy rainstorms has increased sevenfold. These storms can drop more than 8.5 inches of rain in 24 hours. Designed decades ago, Chicago’s sewers can handle just 2 inches in that short period of time before flooding becomes likely.
A multibillion-dollar system of underground tunnels and massive reservoirs designed to capture floodwater has worked to help protect the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. But it hasn’t stopped neighborhood sewer systems, which carry both stormwater and everything flushed down toilets, from backing up into home basements through drains, destroying property and creating unhealthy conditions. [Chicago Sun-Times]
Mayor Brandon Johnson announced this week that 67 organizations across the city will each get $4,500 through the Greater Chicago Food Depository, my colleague Somer Van Benton reports for WBEZ.
The money is being doled out to help offset the strain Chicago’s small businesses and community groups feel after recent cuts to food assistance and this past fall’s federal deportation campaign.
“I have to admit, I do know that sometimes government — we can move a little slow,” Johnson said. “So the $4,500 grants that are issued, we are not just investing in services that you provide, but the leadership that you provide and the trust that you have built with residents. You embody the spirit of our collective responsibility.” [WBEZ]
As WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers reports, the lawsuit was filed last month in Cook County Circuit Court by Rosalyn Kimberly Grigsby, the cultural department’s former first deputy. It alleges that Grigsby’s February termination was retaliation for filing complaints about alleged wrongdoing within the department to the city’s inspector general and Department of Human Resources.
Earlier this week, lawyers for Grigsby announced they had amended the complaint, adding allegations that Merritt made false statements about Grigsby to City Council members ahead of the confirmation process.
Yesterday, many alderpersons and arts leaders praised Merritt’s long tenure with the city and her leadership of the department in recent months. But several Council members questioned whether the pending litigation was part of a larger pattern that has led to the ouster of other senior Johnson officials in recent months. [WBEZ]
5. Berlin Nightclub’s vacant building is set to transform into a new cocktail and dance bar
The space that was once home to the Lake View establishment is set to reopen this month as a new venue: cocktail bar The Belmont and late-night dance club Decibel.
Berlin, once filled with murals, drag performers and blaring music, closed in 2023 after pay negotiations between owners Jim Schuman and Jo Webster and employees came to a standstill. The storefront will now operate as The Belmont until 10 p.m. and later transform into Decibel (dB for short) on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Marcus Devin, one of the new managers at the bar, was a regular at Berlin as far back as the 1990s. He said he hopes Decibel and The Belmont bring back the same sense of acceptance Berlin provided for so many people.
“It used to be, ‘Everyone’s welcome here, from any background,’” he said. “You would come here and you would feel comfortable and everyone accepted you, and you got to be yourself. That is what we’re going for.” [Chicago Sun-Times]
Here’s what else is happening
- Inflation hit its highest level in nearly two years last month. [NPR]
- In a rare public statement, first lady Melania Trump denied close ties to Jeffrey Epstein. [NPR]
- The Artemis II astronauts will return to Earth this evening. [CNN]
- Know someone looking for a mentor in Chicago? My colleagues created an illustrated zine with tips for young people. [WBEZ]
Oh, and one more thing …
Inside Chicago’s grand Lyric Opera House, world-class singing is a given, my colleague Courtney Kueppers writes. Far more rare in that vaunted venue is an audience clapping and dancing along. But avery r. young has made that kind of enthusiasm the stated goal for his upcoming world premiere, “safronia.”
“This is unlike any opera you have ever seen in your life, and you don’t have to think it is improper to have a good time,” said young, who forgoes capital letters for both his own name and those of his characters. “Our job is to not be the only people in the theater clapping and rocking. We shouldn’t feel successful until that happens.”
Young’s mainstage debut, which will close Lyric’s season next weekend, follows the booker family, who have been banished from their land in Mississippi and forced to move north as part of the Great Migration. The tale is loosely based on young’s family history, though he said “it is not a documentary” but an attempt to tell a specific story about a time period often perceived as a monolith. [WBEZ]
Tell me something good …
My colleague just finished moving. What’s an essential item or area you need in your home?
Maxine writes:
“I also just finished moving, and advice a good friend gave me (which I wholeheartedly agree with — shoutout to Anna!) is immediately having a cozy place to sit, complete with a rug and a lamp. It makes all the difference in making the space feel warm and inviting!”
Thanks for the responses this week! It was great hearing from everyone.
Discussion in the ATmosphere