Thank you to @ChicagoTribune and Zareen Syed for telling this important story.

Breaking News: The Trump administration halted Harvard’s ability to enroll international students, a major escalation in its battle with the school. nyti.ms/3SLG7gW

Experiences, not exhibitions, are coaxing folks off their couches and into cultural institutions. Here are some worth checking out. trib.al/MceIdIm

As Chicago schools struggled to respond to a surge of students still learning English, teachers got creative, using Google Translate, using online resources--and in at least one case, traveling to Mexico and Guatemala to learn Spanish. By Reema Amin Mina Bloom & Kae Petrin

I helped explain to the Chicago Tribune the enourmous and irrational damage the NIH funding freeze is causing at Northwestern. chicagotribune.com/2025/06/07/wor…

My latest: I spoke with lab directors and researchers at Northwestern about the deep and dangerous impact of having nearly $800 million in federal funds frozen ⬇️

Northwestern announces cost-cutting measures amidst growing financial pressures trib.al/SMHjgjZ

NEW: Miami Herald reports that a 17-year-old migrant child - found living in a shed after ICE deported his mother, and who is a suspected victim of labor trafficking - was taken out of a Florida foster care facility in handcuffs and shackles and turned over to ICE.

The Chicago Tribune is offering buyouts to our journalists. This move by Alden Global Capital, our rapacious ownership group, shows a total lack of vision and respect for the newsroom and the city we serve. We will do whatever we can to support our members. (1/4)

BREAKING: A federal judge says Trump illegally deployed the National Guard to help with LA protests and must return control to California. apnews.com/article/califo…

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Israel will face "severe punishment" after it launched strikes that targeted the country’s nuclear program and left the leader of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard dead. apnews.com/live/israel-ir…

City of Boston officials filed a public records request with ICE, asking for detailed information on arrests and tactics in the city as Mayor Michelle Wu continues to strike a defiant stance against the Trump administration. trib.al/4Aq11Su

Good morning, Chicago. Here are some top stories to start your day: - Effort to require Chicago businesses install security cameras gets pushback - Public access to video of CPD officer's fatal shooting is delayed - Q&As with stars of "The Bear" trib.al/LfEl0NY

Lionel Boyce spoke with enthusiasm and thoughtful detail about his training as an actor to portray a pastry chef on “The Bear,” staging at restaurants and learning skills and techniques to help launch him into new heights. trib.al/0n4INxM

Liza Colón-Zayas spoke about learning how to play a chef on “The Bear,” and how she’s “glad Tina wasn’t sanitized and sugar-coated.” trib.al/Z1qpdt1

Advocates look at next steps after Illinois law requiring halal, kosher options at state-run facilities left out of state budget. Story from ⁦Zareen Syed⁩ chicagotribune.com/2025/07/01/hal…

Lombard’s booming Yemeni coffee shops underscore demand for ‘third places’ and culturally appropriate nightlife trib.al/lAc1lHq

I don’t post on this platform anymore, but today is an exception. I’ve been laid off by the Chicago Tribune. It was a joy working with so many amazing people in this newsroom.

I know that I want to continue writing long form essays on food, culture and American Muslims. I need a sustainable home for my work. So! I plan to start a Substack. Please consider pledging a subscription, below. You won’t be charged until I turn it on. halalamerican.substack.com

The “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip,” the leading international authority on food crises said in a new alert. trib.al/QtrtKXI