🌱 Air Quality 'Worst In The World' + Blackhawks Have No. 1 Draft Pick

Good morning, Chicago. Here's a quick guide to what's making headlines in the city today, including:

• A "massive" crowd of teenagers caused damage and delays on Lakeview streets Monday.
• Significant road closures are now in effect ahead of this weekend's downtown NASCAR race.
• A Chicago pharmacist was convicted of stealing and selling COVID-19 vaccine cards.

But first, today's weather: Times of clouds and sun. High: 80 Low: 66.

Here are the top 4 stories in Chicago today:

1. The Chicago area had the “worst air quality in the world” Tuesday due to “atmospheric inversion” of smoke from Canadian wildfires. The National Weather Service warned people to limit outdoor activities as “very unhealthy” air conditions persisted throughout the day. “If I look out my window right now, you’d swear that it was overcast,” Argonne National Laboratory atmospheric scientist Scott Collis told Block Club. “But there are actually no clouds above us right now. That’s all smoke.” (Block Club)

2. Two people were arrested Monday night as “hundreds” of young people blocked Belmont Avenue, “stomping and dancing on cars” and causing significant damage, ABC Chicago reports. Crowds of teens were joining the scene from the CTA Red Line station at Belmont. (ABC)

3. “Significant” road closures are in effect in the downtown area in preparation for this weekend’s NASCAR Chicago Street Race. Areas of DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue, Monroe, Columbus and more are blocked off. Most areas are expected to remain closed through mid-July. (WBEZ)

4. The Blackhawks have 11 picks in this year's NHL Draft, which begins tonight in Nashville. The franchise has the No. 1 pick for the first time since they selected Patrick Kane in 2007. Connor Bedard is expected to be the first overall choice. (NBC/Tribune)

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Today in Chicago:

• Join a bar crawl along the Riverwalk. (5:30 p.m.)
• The “House of Cheer” tour comes to Auditorium Theatre. (6 p.m.)
• Grant Park Music Festival hosts an outdoor violin concert. (6:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• About 300 people attended a residents and stakeholders forum with the Chicago Bears organization Monday in Arlington Heights. (Paid source: Tribune)
• A Chicago pharmacist was convicted of stealing and selling COVID-19 vaccination cards in 2021. (Patch)
• WTTW curated a guide to Chicago food events this summer. (PBS)

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You're up to speed on the news in Chicago! See you tomorrow for another digest.

— Georgi Presecky

About me: Georgi is a Chicago-based newsletter writer and partner content curator. She spent five years on the entertainment beat for FF2 Media covering film festivals across the U.S. Her writing has been recognized with awards from the Ernest Hemingway Foundation, Illinois Women's Press Association and National Federation of Press Women. As editor-in-chief of the Lewis University newspaper, she and her staff earned honors from the Associated Collegiate Press and American Scholastic Press Associations. She began working for Patch in 2019.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Chicago Patch newsletter? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.