Stories by Marc Vitali

The recent Broadway smash “Six” is perhaps their most notable success. Now, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater is bringing aliens to center stage with a musical-comedy adaptation of the 1950s sci-fi film “It Came From Outer Space.”

In this week’s edition of Spotlight Politics: our team on Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Highland Park and whether gun laws will tighten.

The alleged Highland Park shooter left a digital trail, and it’s indicative of a pattern specialists often see among mass shooters.

The man charged with killing seven people at Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade allegedly confessed his involvement to investigators, telling them he “looked down his sights, aimed and opened fire” at parade-goers, while stopping twice to reload his high-powered rifle with 30-round magazines.

Seven people were killed and more than 30 were injured in a mass shooting at Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade on Monday. In the day since, numerous campaigns are being set up to help the victims and provide resources to affected families.

Highland Park’s Fourth of July Parade turned into a tragedy Monday. That sudden shift from a celebratory mood to one of imminent danger can make it difficult for people to process in the aftermath, according to clinicians. 

Bite-sized dishes, music fests, neighborhood gardens and art fairs usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

“We are heartbroken by the act of violence in Highland Park on Monday,” a spokesperson for the garden said. “In times of crisis, nature can be healing.”

Felicia Fields, the Chicago-based actress who won a Tony Award for her work in the Broadway production of “The Color Purple,” radiates joy and a good bit of mischief in this stellar production at Writers Theatre in Glencoe.  

In the chaos of a July 4 parade massacre a woman, stunned and speechless, walked up to Greg Ring and handed him a 2-year-old boy, covered in blood. Ring had fled the scene in Highland Park with his family. He returned to find the boy’s parents, but realized it was still too dangerous. He and his family got to their car and took the boy to a Highland Park fire station. 

Daley Thompson, 53, was convicted on seven charges in February, forcing his removal from the Chicago City Council. U.S. District Court Judge Franklin Valderrama also imposed a 12-month term of supervised release.

Concerts and events at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park have been canceled through Sunday “out of a deep respect” for the community, according to a statement on Ravinia’s website.

The latest in Highland Park after a mass shooting kills seven and leaves dozens injured. How the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling could affect infertility treatments. And the future of the EPA.

The gun law enforcement officials said was used to kill at least seven people and wound more than three dozen more during the Independence Day parade in Highland Park was purchased legally, officials said. In all, the man charged in the attack purchased five weapons, including a shotgun and a pistol, legally over the course of the past year, police said. 

The Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has had an immediate impact on women with unwanted pregnancies. But people who desperately want to have children are also being impacted.

A special session of the Illinois General Assembly called by Gov. J.B. Pritzker after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending constitutional protections for abortion, will be delayed, officials announced Tuesday.

The agency charged with investigating misconduct by Chicago Police officers is probing the actions of an off-duty police sergeant who was captured on video pinning a 14-year-old boy to a Park Ridge sidewalk with his knee Friday evening.

If convicted of those charges, Robert Crimo III faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, said Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart. Crimo will also face “dozens” of more charges to account for each of the 38 victims who were wounded, as well as those who were “psychologically harmed,” Rinehart said.

The 6-3 ruling declared that the Clean Air Act does not give the Environmental Protection Agency broad authority to regulate emissions from plants that contribute to global warming. The decision also could have a broader effect on other agencies’ regulatory efforts, from education to transportation and food.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 68 people were shot in 51 separate shootings between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Monday night during the holiday weekend.

Based on the iconic 1953 Universal Pictures film that was inspired by the writings of sci-fi master Ray Bradbury (who grew up in Waukegan, Illinois), “It Came From Outer Space,” the zany new musical now in its world premiere at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, is so crazily “in and out” of this world that it is irresistible.

Three candidates have already joined the 2023 race for the 46th Ward seat on the Chicago City Council. Ald. James Cappleman was first elected in 2011. 

Zoe Kolpack, a pre-kindergarten teacher at William Dever Elementary, and her husband were among those wounded during Monday's mass shooting. A GoFundMe has already collected more than $130,000 for their medical bills.

Authorities said a 22-year-old man named as a person of interest in the shooting was taken into police custody Monday evening after an hours-long manhunt. At least six people were killed and 30 others were wounded. 

My heart aches. It aches for those who were lost, their families and for the devastating days ahead. I also thought about next weekend, and the weekend after.

The deaths of 53 migrants in San Antonio, Texas, this week is renewing concerns about border policies and immigration reform. The migrants died in sweltering heat after being left in a tractor-trailer without air conditioning or water.