Good morning, Chicago.

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday sided with pesticide manufacturer Monsanto in a closely watched Roundup case, ruling that federal law overrides state claims that the company failed to warn consumers about cancer risks associated with its products.

The 7-2 decision in Monsanto v. Durnell overturns a Missouri verdict won by St. Louis gardener John Durnell, who argued years of exposure to the herbicide contributed to his non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The court ruled that states cannot require product warnings that exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations. It approved Roundup in 1974 and stated it posed no adverse health effects when used as directed.

However, glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, has been classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” since 2015 by the World Health Organization.

The ruling carries significance for agricultural states like Illinois, one of the nation’s largest producers of corn and soybeans and among the heaviest users of glyphosate-based herbicides such as Roundup.

Read the full story from the Tribune’s Christiana Freitag.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including why the first felony conviction from Operation Midway Blitz is on the rocks, what the latest Chicago tourism figures show and what to know if you’re going to the 2026 Chicago Pride Parade.

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Chicago resident in risk of deportation after Supreme Court allows Trump to strip Syrians of legal protection

Quite simply, Hatem describes the last 10 months as “hell.”

The Syrian citizen has temporary protected status, a legal protection from deportation that was put in jeopardy in September 2025 after the Trump administration moved to strip the status from Syrians. Although the courts postponed the program’s termination, he was fired from his sales job in October due to the uncertainty, and has been unemployed since. He has been rejected from job applications and Ph.D. programs.

Related:

• Supreme Court’s ruling to end protections for Haitian, Syrian immigrants could have broader impact

First felony conviction from Operation Midway Blitz on rocks amid grand jury scandal

One of the only felony convictions secured by federal prosecutors in Operation Midway Blitz now appears to be under threat, as a scandal over alleged grand jury misconduct continues to swirl around the U.S. attorney’s office.

Anthony Gonzalez Alvarez, 27, of Lyons, pleaded guilty in April to a felony charge stemming from a traffic altercation with Border Patrol agents in Brighton Park in October.

Illinois to see greater protections from ‘junk fees,’ ticket-buying bots, Gov. JB Pritzker says

Illinoisans will soon see fewer unexpected “junk fees” and greater protections from robots snatching up concert tickets, lawmakers and Gov. JB Pritzker said at a signing for a handful of consumer protection bills yesterday.

Chicago rises to nearly 57 million visitors last year, despite drop in international tourism

Navigating a sharp decline in international travel to the U.S. and other headwinds, Chicago saw an increase in tourism last year, with 56.8 million visitors spending a record $21.5 billion in the Windy City, according to data released yesterday by Choose Chicago.

The city welcomed nearly 1.5 million more visitors than in 2024 as it continues to climb back toward pre-pandemic levels, with domestic tourism up across the board.

Chicago aldermen rip proposed parking meter buyers’ ICE ties in hearing

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has repeatedly invoked a non-disclosure agreement to justify not sharing information with the public and aldermen as the City Council vets a planned sale Chicago’s parking meter system.

As Johnson’s top attorneys cited it again yesterday at a council hearing on the proposed deal, the companies on the other side of the confidentiality pact offered to tear it up on the spot.