Good afternoon! Last night I dreamt I was a contestant on Survivor and failed miserably until there was a bizarre acting challenge and somehow won? Anyway, here’s what you need to know today. (And yes, I’m watching the current season of Survivor.)

1. The case against the father of the Highland Park shooting suspect could set a precedent

The success or failure in the case against Robert E. Crimo Jr., the father of the accused Highland Park parade shooter, could tell prosecutors about the judicial branch’s appetite for holding parents responsible for the acts of their children, legal experts tell my colleague David Struett.

“This case will serve as kind of a bellwether,” said Hugh Mundy, a law professor at the University of Illinois Chicago.

“In the absence of legislative action, I do think that state, and maybe even the federal, [prosecutors] will attempt to find more creative means, more indirect means, to deter shootings of this kind,” he said.

Crimo Jr. earlier this year was charged with reckless conduct for signing his son’s firearm ownership application, but the case may be difficult to prove.

That’s because there is a nearly three-year gap between when the father signed the FOID card application in 2019, when his son was 19, and the attack on July 4, 2022, in which his son, Robert E. Crimo III, is accused of killing seven people and wounding dozens of others. [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. Aspiring social media stars mock Chicago’s South Side

And critics say the trend perpetuates negative stereotypes and uses Black residents as a punchline, reports Block Club Chicago.

“Shorts with more than 1 million views had taglines describing the pranks as filmed ‘in the hood’ or featuring customers ‘from the ghetto side of Chicago,’ ” reports Block Club.

“People were recorded as they played a ‘hood edition’ of Squid Games for money. Some of the people filmed were children, others older Englewood residents.”

One aspiring social media influencer, Khalid Attaf, said his videos are just supposed to be fun. But critics and media experts say these kinds of videos harm communities.

“When you have a social media representation that flattens a community, it ends up impacting how that community is treated or people from that community are treated when they interact with the world,” said Moya Bailey, an associate professor of communication studies at Northwestern University. [Block Club Chicago]

3. ComEd’s parent company has been paying the legal fees for two executives convicted of bribery

Exelon has been paying the legal fees for two now-convicted former Commonwealth Edison executives who were part of a conspiracy to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, reports WBEZ’s Dave McKinney.

“The move has created an unusual dynamic where, on one hand, the company’s subsidiary, ComEd, is cooperating with federal investigators under a deferred prosecution agreement and paid a $200 million fine for attempting to ‘influence and reward’ Madigan in a long-running bribery scheme,” McKinney writes.

“But on the other, the Exelon-financed legal teams for former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and former ComEd executive vice president John Hooker spent close to two months telling a federal judge and jury that their clients — and the power company — had done nothing illegal.” [WBEZ]

4. Foo Fighters and The Cure are among the headliners for this year’s Riot Fest

Other headliners include The Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie and Queens of the Stone Age, Riot Fest announced today, along with a full lineup.

And the music festival plans to return to Douglass Park, where neighbors have increasingly complained about using a public park for a private event. Their efforts to boot Riot Fest last year resulted in Chicago Park District officials vowing to give residents more power to weigh in.

Two festivals formerly held in Douglass Park, Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash and Heatwave, announced they are moving to other locations this year.

Riot Fest organizers told the Chicago Sun-Times they are working closely with the community and city agencies to address issues such as traffic and logistics. [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. Striking TV and film writers plan to demonstrate in downtown Chicago tomorrow

More than 100 members of the Writers Guild of America live in Chicago, and the union is expected to picket tomorrow outside of the NBC Tower downtown, reports my colleague Mitch Dudek.

“Look at the way the studios have been handling writing as a profession: They’re trying to make it a gig system instead of a career,” said Ali Barthwell, a writer with Last Week Tonight with John Oliver who lives in Ukrainian Village.

“And it is just unconscionable that they are able to turn out hand-over-fist record profit, and nothing would be possible without writers. When the power of the laborer has gone down, they have to be able to take some of that power back, and a strike is the way to do it.”

Brett Neveu, a writer and guild leader who lives in the northwest suburbs, said he isn’t sure if any big names will show up tomorrow in support of writers.

“I hope the new mayor shows up. That would be really cool. I know he’s a big union supporter,” he said. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• Ukrainian air defenses thwarted an intense Russian air attack on Kyiv. [AP]
• No major breakthroughs are expected in debt ceiling talks today between President Joe Biden and congressional leaders. [NPR]
• The U.S. needs an agency to regulate artificial intelligence, said the chief executive behind ChatGPT. [AP]
• Martha Stewart is the oldest cover model ever for a Sports Illustrated swim issue. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

Critically acclaimed writer Samantha Irby will be in Chicago for an event this Thursday with WBEZ’s Greta Johnsen to talk about her new collection of essays, Quietly Hostile. [WBEZ]

If you can’t make the event, Irby sat down with my colleague Erin Allen for a wide-ranging interview on The Rundown podcast, talking about her time living in Chicago, using humor as a defense mechanism and trying to master TV writing.

“I often joke and say ‘no one reads books,’ ” said Irby, who wrote for Hulu’s Shrill and HBO’s And Just Like That … .

“But when I say that I mean it’s because everyone watches TV. I have my core audience who know what they’re getting into. But that’s just a tiny, tiny, tiny sliver of the population. But then huge numbers of people watch a thing you made on television. It’s overwhelming, especially when no one understands how TV works and who’s at fault for the thing they hate.” [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

What is one of your favorite pets?

Susan writes:

“Growing up, I had a collie named Ladd. He was the smartest, gentlest dog. One day, my dad went jogging with Ladd. My dad slipped on the sidewalk, hit his head and passed out. It was around 5:30 on a cold February night.

“Ladd ran back to our house and barked/pawed at the door until my mom opened it. He took off, my mom followed and was able to get my dad. He was two blocks from home. Ladd was a true hero. He lived 14 wonderful years. I still think about him.”

And Janna writes:

“My family had a Weimaraner when I was in middle and high school. His name was Wrigley (yes, after Wrigley Field), and he was the absolute best dog.

“We went on runs together multiple times a week, and every time he saw my running shoes he would start jumping around with excitement. I only wore him out on a run one time: when we ran up and down a huge hill for 40 minutes straight.

“My parents have a different dog now, but I still expect to see Wrigley every time I go and visit. He has a special place in my heart!”

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