Last farewell to fallen firefighter

Good morning, Chicago. ✶

🔎 Below: Mourners said goodbye to firefighter Michael Altman, who died of injuries suffered while battling a blaze prosecutors say was set by a “suicidal” man.

🗞️ Plus: A 55-year-old underground musician finally gets his due, a food writer names her top 5 burgers in Chicago and more news you need to know.

📝 Keeping score: The Blackhawks lost to the Jets, 4-3; the Cubs fell to the Angels, 2-0; the White Sox were bested by the Marlins, 9-2.

📧 Subscribe: Get this newsletter delivered to your inbox weekday mornings.

⏱️: An 8-minute read

TODAY’S WEATHER ☁️

Cloudy with a chance of showers and a high near 44.

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TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎

Mourners say final goodbyes to fallen firefighter Michael Altman

By Cindy Hernandez

Final salute: Friends and loved ones of fallen Chicago firefighter Michael Altman said their final goodbyes during a funeral Tuesday morning in southwest suburban Oak Lawn. The private service was held at the Blake-Lamb funeral home after planned services Friday were canceled when Altman’s wife went into labor Thursday.

Key context: Altman, a firefighter and EMT, died March 17 from injuries he suffered the day before while fighting a fire in a four-story Rogers Park apartment building in the 1700 block of West North Shore Avenue. Altman fell after a floor collapsed, fire officials said.

Man charged: Sheaves Slate is charged with murder, residential arson and aggravated arson injuring a firefighter. Prosecutors allege Slate was feeling “suicidal” about his “poor relationship with friends” and used a lighter to set fire to a mattress inside a third-floor unit.

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THE WATCHDOGS ✶

IDOT clears suburban road builder to resume work after investigation

By Robert Herguth

The road ahead: Builders Paving LLC, a Hillside road contractor run by a daughter and son-in-law of felon Sebastian “Sam” Palumbo, is being cleared to once again work on Illinois Department of Transportation projects as part of an agreement that appears to end a dispute that threatened the company’s financial health and raised questions about potential fraud to taxpayers.

Key context: Launched in 2024, the IDOT inquiry centered on whether Palumbo was secretly involved in Builders. Palumbo is a felon barred from participating in state government projects, and Builders oversaw a number of them.

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MUSIC 🎶

A piano virtuoso with 600 original works, Charles Joseph Smith finally gets his due

By Courtney Kueppers

Prolific composer: Charles Joseph Smith, a 55-year-old Chicago native, is a virtuoso piano player and a prolific composer, with a catalog of 600 original works ranging from heartfelt classical solos to a sci-fi opera featuring aliens from Mars. Smith is a mainstay of the city’s DIY venues, where he sells his homemade cassettes and sometimes performs. But as a Black artist with autism, Smith has struggled to have his work largely heard.

New release: Now his first widely available release, timed to align with World Autism Awareness Day, marks a major recognition of his talents. Chicago-based Sooper Records will drop Smith’s double album Friday. It features 10 eclectic tracks, plus two iterations of his opera, “War of the Martian Ghosts.” Smith’s self-published autobiography, “The 88 Keys that Opened Doors,” will also be released.

Overdue honor: Together, the package aims to honor Smith, which many in the city’s scrappy, underground music world say is overdue. That scene has provided Smith refuge, he said, to be among “people doing strange things, performance art, strange music, strange vibe and free-form dancing.”

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MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️

• Theater awards controversy: Some local theater leaders say they will no longer invite the Joseph Jefferson Awards committee to performances after a director accused of abuse was honored and a judge was reported sleeping, in addition to other issues.
• Measles exposures: County health officials are warning of possible measles exposures in the northwest suburbs, including at O’Hare Airport’s Terminal 5 and in Niles and Mount Prospect.
• Trump at SCOTUS: President Donald Trump plans to sit in on Wednesday’s U.S. Supreme Court hearing on birthright citizenship, making him the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the nation’s highest court.
• Judge blocks funding cuts: A federal judge agreed Tuesday to permanently block the Trump administration from implementing a presidential directive to end federal funding for NPR and PBS.
• Lots of lots for sale: More than 600 empty lots across 25 wards will hit the market for private purchase Wednesday, including 55 for affordable housing, the city announced.
• South Shore Line extends: The $1.6 billion extension now stretches the rail line into Munster, Indiana, a route local officials hope will spell economic growth for the surrounding area.
• James Beard finalists: Three Chicago chefs are finalists for this year’s prestigious James Beard Awards — Bailey Sullivan of the West Loop’s Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio; Norman Fenton of Cariño in Uptown; and Jacob Potashnick of Feld in Ukrainian Village.

MUST-READ COMMENTARY ✍️

• Mike Matejka: Dolores Huerta and farmworkers overshadowed by Cesar Chavez are finally getting their due.
• Rich Miller: Primary voter turnout numbers — high for Democrats, low for Republicans — may guide future trends.
• Neil Steinberg: Remembering one difficult time in another difficult time as Passover arrives.

FOOD BEAT 🍔

‘The Burger Bible’ delves into a delicious handheld history

By Maggie Hennessy

New book: WBEZ contributor Maggie Hennessy’s new book, “The Burger Bible,” out Thursday, traces the origins, lore and most beloved styles of this friendly handheld, culminating in 80-plus profiles of iconic, mouthwatering, viral and unique hamburgers from around the U.S. and beyond.

Key context: The burger’s origins stretch back to the earliest days of cattle domestication in Stone Age Mesopotamia and the ancient Chinese creation of jiaozi, or dumplings made with minced or ground meat. As for who invented the hamburger sandwich, all we know for sure is that the beefy handheld we know and love was born somewhere in America during the late 19th century.

Best burgers: We asked Maggie to choose her top Chicago burgers and tell us what makes them so special. Her picks:

• Charly’s Burger at Charly’s Burgers, 2320 N. Cicero Ave.
• Double Cheezborger at Billy Goat Tavern & Grill, 430 N. Michigan Ave.
• Oklahoma Onion Burger at Ragadan, 4409 N. Broadway
• The OG Cheeseburger at The Loyalist, 177 N. Ada St.
• RHR Double Cheeseburger at Redhot Ranch, various locations

Head herefor more on Maggie’s top 5 burgers.

LET’S HEAR FROM YOU 🗣️

What’s the best burger you’ve had in Chicago? Be sure to tell us where it’s from — and what makes it the best. 🍔

Reply to this email (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.

FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏀🏒⚾

• Midwest March Madness: Fans and alumni have been packing the city’s sports bars amid the tournament. Venues with affiliations and partnerships with Big Ten schools fared even better, leveraging a deep roster of local alumni and other Midwest transplants.
• The bobbling Illini: A new bobblehead commemorates Illinois’ trip to the NCAA Tournament Final Four ahead of their big showdown against UConn on Saturday.
• Fake fights: Videos of former NHL enforcer Wade Brookbank teaching a group of young Blackhawks how to fight better went viral on social media. The players wanted to learn “how to protect ourselves,” they told the Sun-Times.
• Hunting Hunter: The Cubs targeted right-hander Hunter Harvey for their bullpen because of his velocity and experience. Here’s how they got him.

CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭

PLAY NOW

BRIGHT ONE 🔆

Brookfield Zoo debuts litter of 10 African painted dog puppies

By Araceli Gómez-Aldana

A litter of 10 African painted dog puppies now call Brookfield Zoo home.

The five females and five males were born Nov. 25 to first-time mom Roanne, who herself was born at the west suburban zoo six years ago.

Racquel Ardisana-Penney, associate director of carnivore and small mammal care and conservation at the zoo, helped the puppies reach milestones in nutrition and vaccinations before incorporating them with their extended family.

“We’re excited for our guests to finally see them,” Ardisana-Penney said. “It’s very exciting for us to get to see them explore the outside world. They are going to be seeing a whole bunch of new things and getting a whole bunch of new experiences.”

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YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️

Yesterday, we asked you: After seeing Major League Baseball’s Automated Ball-Strike System in action, what are your thoughts on the challenge system?

Here’s some of what you said…

“It’s as great as expected, doing exactly what it was designed to do: Provide an objective strike zone combined with a challenge system that adds further strategy to the game. It’s formally exposing which umpires are better and worse, and giving home crowds more excitement and another thing to cheer about when a call goes their way.” — Jordan Mainzer

“I’m a baseball purist, so I don’t like the new system. All the new pitching, runner and extra-inning rules have changed the game so much that I think Abner Doubleday is spinning in his grave. MLB has ruined the game.” — Jim Dulski

“I’m personally a fan of the ABS system; if nothing else, it’s confirmed what most baseball fans already knew, [that] C.B. Bucknor is not a very good umpire.” — Sam Kaune

“I prefer the old way. The game comes with an umpire and he or she should be the first and last word on the field. If the umpire is consistently bad, replace them.” — Eugene Solo

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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia

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