🌱 NASCAR Street Race Begins + Theater Halts Productions

Welcome back to the Chicago Patch newsletter, a daily guide to what's making headlines in the city. Today includes news on:

• The record-breaking travel weekend ahead.
• Why taxes increase today on groceries and gas.
• How the Supreme Court's student debt decision affects Illinois borrowers.

But first, today's weather: Not as warm with a t-shower. High: 79 Low: 66.

Here are the top 5 stories in Chicago today:

1. NASCAR is “taking over” Grant Park this weekend for the much-discussed Chicago Street Race. The first race is set for today at 4 p.m., with a second event on the schedule tomorrow. Gates open at 9 a.m. for a NASCAR festival with live entertainment. Click here for an updated guide to downtown street closures, many of which will remain in effect through next week. (ABC/NASCAR/City)

2. The U.S. Supreme Court this week struck down President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debt. “Millions of borrowers will now have to start paying back their federal student loans after the COVID-19 pandemic pause on student loans ends,” Patch reports. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the court’s decision “told millions of low- and middle-income people that higher education should return to being predominantly the province of the wealthiest Americans.” (Patch)

3. The Illinois grocery tax is back in effect today. Gov. J.B. Pritzker paused the one percent tax last year due to high inflation. The new state budget also calls for a gas tax increase, Patch reports, “meaning that the new tax rate will jump to 45.4 cents a gallon for unleaded gas” beginning today. (Patch)

4. Air pollution is “just going to continue to build up in Chicago” this holiday weekend, Northwestern University climate change researcher Anastasia Montgomery told Block Club. Though Canadian wildfire smoke has subsided somewhat, air quality will continue to be affected by holiday travel and traffic, along with July 4 fireworks displays. (Block Club)

5. The Lookingglass Theatre Company announced it will pause programming until next spring, in addition to letting go of several staff members. Artistic Director Heidi Stillman told the Tribune, “None of our recent shows have hit our box-office goals.” (Paid source: Tribune)

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Today in Chicago:

• The DuSable Black History Museum hosts the “Pride South Side” Festival. (Noon)
• LAKESKATE returns to the Lakefront Trail. (2 p.m.)
• See “The Best of the Second City” on the club’s main stage. (8 p.m.)
• Chicago celebrates July 4 weekend with a fireworks display at Navy Pier. (9 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Chicago Board of Education approved a new budget Wednesday. (Chalkbeat)
• Chicago Police Officer Joanna Tys was “hailed a hero” Thursday for jumping into Lake Michigan to save a swimmer in distress. (WGN)
• Close to 1.5 million passengers are expected to travel through O’Hare and Midway International Airports this weekend, WGN reports. More than two million drivers are planning to hit Illinois roads now through Monday, which AAA said is a July 4 weekend record for the state. (WGN/WBEZ)
• In case you miss tonight’s fireworks at Navy Pier, Patch has a complete guide to July 4 events across Chicagoland. (Patch)

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That's all for July 1, Chicago!

I’m sad to say this is my last day curating the Daily. It was a privilege to write your newsletter, and I hope to see you down the road.

Have a safe and healthy holiday weekend.

— 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.