Afternoon Edition: Why Burke played the Catholic card
Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
And happy Friday.
In today's newsletter, we're focusing on Ed Burke and his defense team's attempt to play up his Catholic ties in a bid to soften his sentence in his corruption case.
Plus, we've got reporting on a new North Lawndale facility that promises to create jobs, why a music school is scrapping its Lake View expansion plans, six things to do this weekend and more.
It's all reporting made possible through the generosity of our members and donors. You can give here to help us reach our goal by June 30, the end of our fiscal year. Because of your support, we get to continue serving the city of Chicago with community-powered journalism. Thank you for helping us keep the Sun-Times free and accessible for all. Now, on to the community news you need to know this afternoon.
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Ex-Ald. Edward M. Burke used Catholic card in bid to soften sentence in corruption case
Reporting by Robert Herguth
The Catholic card: For years, local Catholic groups relied on Edward M. Burke’s campaign money, with $100,000 given by his political funds in the three years before he was indicted in 2019 on corruption charges. More recently, Burke relied on them to try to persuade U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall to go easy on him when it came time to determine how long he should go to prison, if at all.
The letters: Of the more than 200 letters of support sent to Kendall’s courtroom before she sentenced Burke to two years in prison for corruption, 25 came from Catholic priests, nuns and lay church figures. They shared stories about Burke’s charitable deeds, commitment to Catholic schools and causes, or experience as a practicing Catholic and long-ago seminarian. Kendall could have sent Burke away for eight years or more.
Did it have an impact? If and how letters from Catholic figures affected Kendall’s decision on Burke’s sentence, which also included a $2 million fine, is unclear. Kendall wouldn’t comment. It’s also unclear whether Burke’s defense team pulled the Catholic card specifically to appeal to Kendall's religious sensibilities. She attended Catholic high school, and her husband is the president of a Catholic school in Waukegan.
The remaining money: Shortly after Burke's 2019 indictment, church officials said they would wait to see if he got convicted before deciding whether to return a $10,000 donation one of his campaign funds made to a Catholic charitable endeavor overseen by the Archdiocese of Chicago. Since then, Burke’s campaign committees have reported another $50,000 in expenditures to Catholic organizations. Officials won’t say whether they’ve given Burke back any money after his December conviction, or plan to.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- Fillmore Linen Service opens on West Side: The health care laundry company Fillmore Linen Service opened the doors of its North Lawndale facility Wednesday, part of a larger initiative to create jobs and revitalize the West Side neighborhood.
- Debate fact check: President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump faced off in a debate Thursday night — and there was no shortage of false and misleading statements made, according to an Associated Press fact check.
- Man sentenced for insurrection role: A federal judge handed a two-year prison sentence Thursday to Quinn Keen, a Manteno man who admitted shoving a police officer and throwing a metal travel mug at a police line during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
- Remembering Don De Grazia: His acclaimed novel, "American Skin," was published when he was 30, and he’d been guiding young writers ever since. He died June 13 at age 56.
- Music school scraps Lake View expansion: Access Contemporary Music is halting plans to open its fourth music school in Lake View, after reaching an impasse with its prospective landlord.
- Stones stay timeless: "[Mick] Jagger and [Keith] Richards are 80 years old, and [Ronnie] Wood is 77, and though their current tour is sponsored by AARP, all three are still vibrant and hellbent on sharing the gospel from their own rock bible," Selena Fragassi wrote in a review of the band's Thursday night show at Soldier Field. They'll be back Sunday for a second show.
- 3.5 stars for ‘Fancy Dance’: In this quietly powerful film, Lily Gladstone does quality work as a woman searching for her missing sister while bonding with her anxious niece, writes Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper.
WEEKEND PLANS ????
???? Millennium Art Festival
Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
????Michigan Avenue and Lake Street
Features 110 artists, along with live music, food trucks, children’s activities and art demonstrations
Admission: Free
???? Backlot Bash
Friday-Sun, 4 p.m.
????Cheetah Gym parking lot, 5238 N. Clark St.
Kicks off with a three-day outdoor event with Flannel Friday on Friday. Headliners include Leisha Hailey & Kate Moenning, G Flip and more.
Admission: $39.21
???? Logan Square Arts Festival
Friday, 5-10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday noon-10 p.m.
???? Logan Boulevard, Kedzie and Milwaukee Avenue
This festival features 30 music acts, including McKinley Dixon and MJ Lenderman, plus interactive art, vendors, food and more.
Admission: $10 suggested donation
✍️ Ida B. Wells Festival
Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
????Ida B. Wells National Monument, 3729 S. Langley; Northeastern Illinois University, 700 E. Oakwood Blvd.
A celebration of Bronzeville that includes walking tours, panel discussions, music and more
Admission: Free
????️???? Chicago Pride Parade
Sunday, 11 a.m.
????Beginning at Sheridan and Broadway
The 53rd annual parade will see thousands celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community. This year’s theme: "Pride is Power."
Admission: Free
???? Pedal Powered Picnic
Sunday, noon-7 p.m.
????3636 S. Iron St.
Presented by Cabinet of Curiosity, this outdoor benefit supports summer programs and includes food, interactive sculptures, bikes powering whimsical devices and more.
Admission: $50
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Navy Pier’s new Illuminarium aims to immerse you in safari, space
Reporting by Stefano Esposito
As a hippo's jaws eased open — so up close, you could see the creature’s tonsils — Alan Greenberg explained the experience with the unbridled enthusiasm of Dr. John Hammond welcoming guests before the opening of his Jurassic Park.
"Overall, we are fulfilling people’s dreams. … Most of the people who walk down Michigan Avenue have probably never been on safari, but they dream about going. It’s on their bucket list," said Greenberg, during a visit this week.
Greenberg is the co-founder of Illuminarium, a new "cinematic immersion" opening at Navy Pier Friday.
Visitors will get a 360-degree immersion into an African safari, as well as a tour through the Milky Way and far beyond — all of it projected onto the walls of an 8,000-square-foot warehouselike space that previously housed Crystal Gardens.
Visitors wander around the space at leisure as the projected images change.
The accompanying soundtrack ranges from the ethereal to the predictable, from the Police’s "Walking on the Moon" to Strauss’ "Blue Danube." The venue can hold about 300 people.
The Navy Pier location is Greenberg’s fifth Illuminarium, with others previously opening in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Toronto and Macau, China.
Tickets range from $24.99 to $34.99.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
Do you live in a neighborhood that hosts summer festivals? How do you feel about them? Tell us which festival and neighborhood.
Email us (please include your first and last name). To see the answers to this question, check our Morning Edition newsletter. Not subscribed to Morning Edition? Sign up here so you won’t miss a thing!
Thanks for reading the Sun-Times Afternoon Edition.
Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.
Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers