Good afternoon. It looks like it could rain tonight, but tomorrow’s forecast includes plenty of sunshine. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. Dexter Reed struggled with mental health issues for years before he was killed by Chicago police, documents show

The news raises questions over whether anything could have been done sooner to help Reed and prevent last month’s deadly shootout during a traffic stop that also wounded a police officer.

The news raises questions over whether anything could have been done sooner to help Reed and prevent last month’s deadly shootout during a traffic stop in which he wounded a police officer.

Reed said he struggled with schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder in a series of lawsuits he filed after he attacked his uncle in 2021, my colleagues at the Chicago Sun-Times report.

And a police report for that incident shows Reed’s grandmother informed officers he had “mental problems but does not want to get checked out.”

Andrew M. Stroth, the lawyer representing Reed’s family, wouldn’t discuss Reed’s mental health. But he said Reed was working to turn his life around after the attack with his uncle.

“Dexter Reed had a will to live,” Stroth said. “Dexter Reed was trying to eat healthy and exercise and play hoops, and he was getting his life back on track. And then this traumatic incident happened with the police.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. Highland Park will bring back Independence Day celebrations this year

Highland Park plans to bring back its Independence Day celebrations two years after a gunman opened fire during the northern suburb’s annual parade, killing seven people and wounding dozens of others, my colleague Emmanuel Camarillo reports.

Roberta Dietzen, whose husband was wounded in the attack, thinks it’s a good thing that the parade is being held again after the city took a year of reflection in 2023.

“You can’t stop all these wonderful things from happening because of this incident,” she said. “I’m all for it.”

Susan Vanderhorst, who was at the parade two years ago, said the reintroduction of the traditional parade is a step toward the community getting back some sense of normalcy.

“I know there are people that are never going to recover because of their physical injuries, but I think mentally it helps us all to move on,” Vanderhorst said. “Of course no one is going to forget it.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Stephen Colbert is coming to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention

The comedian is bringing his Late Show to Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre during this summer’s Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19-22, my colleague Darel Jevens reports.

“I lived in Chicago for 11 years and it holds a special place in my heart, and not just because of all the Polish sausage that’s still lodged in my aorta,” Colbert said.

“Chicago is where I cut my comedy teeth performing at The Second City, and it’s also where this South Carolina boy got an education in winter. Did you know that tears can freeze?”

Audience tickets for the shows are not yet available. It will be the first full-on production of The Late Show in another city since the COVID-19 pandemic. [Chicago Sun-Times]

4. An early spring could have an effect on bird migration

Robins, red-winged blackbirds and other birds that migrate shorter distances could arrive in Chicago earlier than usual, my colleague Jessica Ma reports.

“On average, a lot of these species are arriving four or five days earlier than they were 40 years ago,” said Stephanie Beilke, the senior manager of conservation science at Audubon Great Lakes. “It’s a little tricky to necessarily notice.”

The earlier migrations could create food supply problems. Peak migration typically occurs in May, and birds tend to time their migration with the availability of food.

But with an early spring, there could be a “mismatch in the availability of food and when birds arrive,” Beilke said. [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. Walter ‘Slim’ Coleman, a ‘supreme organizer’ who helped elect Mayor Harold Washington, dies at 80

Coleman was a “a dyed-in-the-wool radical activist of the 1960s who for decades harnessed the power of the city’s poor to challenge its power structure and achieve social justice goals,” my colleague Mitch Dudek reports.

One of Coleman’s biggest accomplishments was helping to organize a voting drive in Chicago’s poor white communities that helped elect Mayor Harold Washington, the city’s first Black mayor.

“Slim believed the real power was in organization, putting people in the streets and packing people into government meetings, and building alternative institutions that served people and put pressure on mainstream institutions to reform, or otherwise face the fear that radicals like Slim would defeat them,” said Michael Klonsky, a friend who served as national secretary of Students for a Democratic Society in the 1960s.

Services are pending. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• President Joe Biden announced new sanctions on Iran for attacking Israel. [Politico]

• A juror in former President Donald Trump’s hush money case was dismissed after expressing concern over her identity becoming public. [AP]

• A volcano in Indonesia erupted at least five times, causing authorities to close an airport and nearby residents to evacuate. [AP]

• Many baby boomers own homes that are too big. Can they be enticed to sell them? [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

What are the most popular dog breeds in Chicago?

My colleagues at Curious City analyzed data on more than 84,000 dogs registered with the city to find Chicago’s top dogs, as well as which breeds are most common in which neighborhoods.

At the top are mixed breeds, with nearly 12,000 reported since 2018. In the No. 2 spot are pitbulls, followed by Labrador retrievers, German shepherds and goldendoodles. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

What summer isn’t complete without a beach read? So I’d like to know what was your favorite book to read while bathing in the sun?

Mary G. writes:

“I haven’t had much time to read on the beach for the last several years because I own a small landscaping company and we work on Saturdays. However, when I was a precocious middle schooler in the late ’70s, I read several books during spring breaks while lounging poolside at a lovely Florida hotel.

“They included Forever by Judy Blume, The Other Side of Midnight by Sidney Sheldon, The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough and Fear of Flying by Erica Jong.

“My sisters, who are 8.5 and 6.5 years older than I, sought to corrupt my young mind by suggesting I read these racy tomes.”

And Michael Blackwell writes:

“One of my beach reads this summer is Liarmouth by John Waters. His first ever novel is being made into a movie directed by himself, his first film in 20 years. And the movie stars Aubrey Plaza from White Lotus fame. Juicy …”

Feel free to email me and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week.