Record rainfall floods homes
Good morning, Chicago. ✶
???? Below: Record rainfall has swamped hundreds of homes — and meteorologists say more flooding could be on the way.
????️ Plus: More cops are accused of Paycheck Protection Program fraud, the ex-CEO of Urban Prep Academies is charged with stealing $100K and more news you need to know.
???? Keeping score: The Blackhawks ended their season with a feel-good win against the Sharks, 5-2; the Cubs bested the Phillies, 11-2; the White Sox fell to the Rays, 8-3.
☎️ Ask the mayor: Mayor Brandon Johnson will stop by WBEZ's In the Loop with Sasha Ann Simons at 9 a.m. today to answer listeners' questions live on air. Call in 866-915-WBEZ (866-915-9239).
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⏱️: An 8-minute read
TODAY’S WEATHER ????️
Cloudy with a chance of scattered showers and a high near 70.
TODAY’S TOP STORY ????
Flooding from record-breaking rainfall invades homes, flash flood possibility continues
By Zoe Singer
Record rainfall: Hundreds of residents reported flooding in their homes this week after record-breaking rainfall levels hit Chicagoland on Tuesday. O’Hare Airport set a record for April 14 rainfall with 2.43 inches, shattering the previous record for the date set in 1949, when 1.21 inches fell. Tuesday was the rainiest April day at O’Hare since it saw 3.54 inches in 2013.
Northwest deluge: The Norwood Park area on the city’s Northwest Side accounted for 114 of the more than 600 flooding complaints logged by the city’s 311 service request hotline from midnight Tuesday through late Wednesday morning.
Flood watch: A flood watch that includes areas around the Des Plaines River in Riverside and River Forest will remain in effect through Friday evening. All of Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana are also under a flood watch, the National Weather Service said.
SUN-TIMES SERIES ????️
Flooding has been getting worse in Chicago in recent decades, according to a Sun-Times investigation.
Stronger, climate change-fueled thunderstorms are overwhelming the city’s sewers, and rain is falling harder and faster, backing up systems designed to allow water to flow.
Catch up on our flooding series:
- Flooding in Chicago is getting worse. Here’s why.
- After a flood, mold sticks around and can make people sick
- What can homeowners do to reduce flooding?
LET’S HEAR FROM YOU ????️
If your home was affected by flooding this year, how have you addressed it? Be sure to tell us the neighborhood or suburb where you live.
Reply with your answer (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.
PPP PROBLEMS ????
17 more Chicago cops bilked PPP loan program, inspector general says
By Frank Main and Kade Heather
New report: Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said Wednesday her office sustained allegations against 17 Chicago cops in the first four months of the year for allegedly scamming COVID-era relief funds, and that the police department agreed to move to fire them. The claims appeared in Witzburg’s recent first quarter 2026 report.
Eight face firing: Investigators dug into officers' Paycheck Protection Program loan applications — cash meant to keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Fraud claims were sustained against eight officers, but the Chicago Police Department hasn’t decided whether to fire them. Another cop quit while under investigation. The alleged ripoffs involving those nine cops totaled $284,000, according to Witzburg.
Other accusations: Witzburg’s report also alleged a high-ranking official of a previous mayoral administration used their city title to get a job for their child with a city contractor, then tried to secure nearly $10 million in payments to the contractor. A top aide for Mayor Brandon Johnson said the official referred to in the report worked for ex-Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration.
CITY COUNCIL RECAP ✶
- Zoning chair: The Zoning Committee chair stalemate that has stalled 85 development projects ended at Wednesday's City Council meeting with the elections of Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) to the post and Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th) to replace Villegas as Economic Development Committee chair.
- Subminimum wage: The hourly pay of tipped workers will rise again to match the cost of living after City Council failed to override Mayor Johnson’s third veto. One month after freezing the phaseout of the subminimum wage at 76%, the Illinois Restaurant Association and its Council allies did not pick up a single convert. The vote to override Johnson’s veto was 30-19, four votes short.
- ShotSpotter search: Opposition alderpersons demanded hearings to determine why Chicago is headed into yet another summer without the gunshot detection system known as ShotSpotter. Shortly after taking office, Johnson got rid of the controversial tool.
- Cab fare increase: Alderpersons raised taxicab fares by 20%, the first increase in a decade, in an attempt to help cabdrivers struggling to compete with Uber and Lyft amid skyrocketing gasoline prices and growing insurance, maintenance and vehicle replacement costs.
MORE NEWS YOU NEED ????️
- Ex-school exec charged: Federal prosecutors allege Tim King — who won national acclaim for founding and serving as CEO of Urban Prep Academies — stole more than $100,000 from the privately run, publicly funded charter school network.
- Blitz guilty plea: Federal prosecutors in Chicago on Wednesday secured their first guilty plea tied to Operation Midway Blitz, though not for the assault charge originally leveled against Anthony Gonzalez Alvarez. Instead, he pleaded guilty to concealing information about a crime.
- Two fatally shot at home: Barbara Deer and her son, Kaleb, were found shot to death in their East Garfield Park home. An autopsy found Kaleb killed his mother, then turned the gun on himself. The Deers were known as community advocates, carrying on the legacy of the late Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer.
- Mayor’s CHA chief pick eschewed: Retired Ald. Walter Burnett, Mayor Johnson’s pick to lead the Chicago Housing Authority, is no longer eligible to be its CEO. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development denied the CHA's request for conflict waivers, citing as one factor Burnett's history as a CHA voucher landlord.
- Closed clinics reopen: West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park started resuming its hospital-based clinics and testing services in a "graduated manner" Wednesday, according to the hospital’s owner.
- Ex-mayor’s message: Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday floated a 10% federal tax on online sports betting and prediction markets to boost revenue for science and technology, as he continues to explore a 2028 presidential bid while pressing Democrats to make big changes.
THINGS TO DO ????
Immersive VR experience coming to Chicago lets visitors explore the Titanic
By Stefano Esposito
VR sailing: One hundred and forty-one years ago this week, the Titanic sank, taking thousands of passengers with it. A new virtual reality experience lets Chicagoans to strap on a headset and explore a digital recreation of that fateful voyage. Sun-Times reporter Stefano Esposito gave it a go.
What it's like: "Titanic: A Voyage Through Time" is an immersive experience that gives you the sensation of being in a three-dimensional world while wearing a virtual reality headset as you traipse through a giant gallery space in Old Town. Guests start out exploring the wreck, and then they're led — by members of the crew — to different parts of the ship, above and below deck, as it makes its way toward disaster.
If you go: You'll find the "Titanic" experience at 108 W. Germania Place, where creators hope to welcome "passengers" later this month. A ticket for the 45-minute adventure starts at $24.99 for adults and $19.99 for students, seniors and children ages 10 and older. It is presented in English and Spanish.
WATCH: ABOARD THE VR TITANIC ▶️
ON WBEZ 91.5 FM ????
In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.
- Ask the mayor: Mayor Johnson stops by for his monthly sit-down with the show to answer listener questions, this time before a live studio audience.
Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.
- Pope vs. President: Guest Steven Millies of the Catholic Theological Union joins the show to discuss Pope Leo XIV’s response to a criticism by President Donald Trump. Callers are encouraged to weigh in.
FROM THE PRESS BOX ⚾????
- Sox performer returns to singing: Gerald Chaney, a longtime national anthem performer and beloved ballpark presence, collapsed Wednesday while singing "Lift Every Voice and Sing." The Sox said he was hospitalized and doing well by the end of the game.
- Why Skylar Diggins moved: The 35-year-old South Bend native said she wanted to be closer to family, and was sold on a more competitive Sky roster and a return to the Midwest.
- Will he stay?: It's gut-check time for coach Billy Donovan as the Bulls await his decision, writes Joe Cowley.
CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD ????
Today's clue: 4A: One of the most common non-English languages spoken in Chicago
BRIGHT ONE ????
Chicago Latino Film Fest takes movie fans to Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba and beyond
By Ambar Colón
The Chicago Latino Film Festival is back this year with an abundance of titles. Organizers say they are using the festival as a cultural bridge between Latin American countries and the U.S. by showcasing international cinema alongside local independent works for two weeks at the Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema in Lake View, starting Thursday and running through April 27.
After more than 40 years under founder Pepe Vargas’ leadership, the event is the largest and longest-running festival dedicated to showcasing work by Latino filmmakers in the U.S.
The first-ever feature-length animated movie made entirely in Mexico, "Soy Frankelda," and the opening night feature, "Aún Es De Noche En Caracas" from Venezuela, are two highlights among the 51 feature-length and 31 short films in this year’s festival.
Several local filmmakers are premiering shorts — written, filmed and produced in the city — at this year’s festival. Learn more about these local titles here.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
Yesterday, we asked you: Should Chicago continue to have delivery robots on the city’s streets?
Here’s some of what you said…
"I think delivery robots are part of our future. I support them. There have been very few glitches so far, and as far as I know, no one has been injured. The technology will continue to improve. Within a year or two, I doubt anyone will think twice about them." — David Shiner
"Chicago should not have delivery robots. These food delivery jobs are typically the types of jobs that our youth would have as they were finishing high school or during the summer. Our kids, and adults for that matter, could benefit from these jobs. It doesn't seem very smart to allow bots to take over the workforce, no matter how small it starts. Additionally, the property damage will only increase, and soon, more people will be injured too." — Dee Crawford
"Delivery robots and autonomous vehicles are just a way for tech companies to drain money out of Chicago and lay off workers. There is no benefit to the local economy." — Mike McMains
"I would take more delivery robots on our sidewalks over the current situation ... our streets are routinely choked with double-parked delivery drivers. A drive along Lincoln Avenue between Webster and Fullerton any evening of the week is chaos!" — Tom Stroud
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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia
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