Good afternoon. I introduced my nephews to “The Ballroom Blitz” last night and now have the song stuck in my head. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. A suspect in the fatal shooting of police Officer Aréanah Preston unknowingly provided details to detectives, authorities say

Four teens have been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Preston, who was fatally shot Saturday during an alleged robbery by the group of teens, authorities announced today.

The charges were filed against Joseph Brooks, 18, Jakwon Buchanan, 18, Trevell Breeland, 19, and Jaylan Frazier, 16, who was charged as an adult.

Authorities say private surveillance video captured the shooting, and Frazier later called a friend and discussed the attack.

The friend contacted police, put Frazier on speakerphone and allowed detectives to listen as they talked, prosecutors said. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered yesterday for a prayer vigil at the 5th District police station, where Preston was assigned.

“She was intelligent, she could communicate, she was a Goliath of a person,” said Tyrone Pendarvis, commander of the 5th District. “Because that’s the type of officer we need.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. Neighbors step up to help migrants at an overcrowded police station

The Lightfoot administration’s plan to use police stations as temporary shelters for incoming migrants appears to be falling apart.

The 12th District station in the Pilsen neighborhood has begun turning away new arrivals, a migrant told Block Club Chicago. The station had nearly 100 people staying inside, said Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, whose 25th Ward includes the station.

Sigcho-Lopez said he has proposed using nearby churches and closed schools as temporary shelters, but officials have brushed him off.

“We have Latino communities who are ready, but we need help,” Sigcho-Lopez said. “We’re the last ones to be included. We have the infrastructure, the bilingual infrastructure, but we can’t do it without help.”

Frustrated with the devolving situation, Sigcho-Lopez and residents helped move migrants from the crowded police station to a temporary shelter created in an empty building. [Block Club Chicago]

Meanwhile, Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García and other Illinois House Democrats are pushing for more federal funds to help the influx of migrants arriving in Chicago. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Inflation slowed last month to its lowest level in two years

Some good news for Americans struggling with high prices on everyday items: Inflation eased for a 10th straight month in April, according to figures released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Prices rose 4.9% last month compared to a year ago. That’s below last summer’s peak of 9%, sparking some hope inflation is on a downward path as the Federal Reserve tries to cool down the economy.

But policymakers are still concerned inflation could become a permanent threat and be harder to further bring down, reports The Washington Post. And rising loan payments and the threat of a recession pose significant risks for many Americans. [Washington Post]

4. More than 50 people applied to be Chicago’s next police superintendent

And more than half of the applicants are people who were at one point affiliated with the Chicago Police Department, according to the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, which is tasked with narrowing the field of candidates.

Not among the applicants is Fred Waller, who will serve as interim police superintendent when Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson is sworn into office May 15.

This is the first search for police superintendent since the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability was created in 2021.

The commission will now interview all qualified candidates, narrowing down the field to three finalists to be sent to Johnson by July 14. [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. The Art Institute’s summer blockbuster is a showcase of Van Gogh’s barely known work

Is there anything new that can possibly be said about Vincent van Gogh?

Jacquelyn N. Coutré, associate curator of painting and sculpture of Europe at the Art Institute of Chicago, and Bregje Gerritse, a researcher at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, believe the answer is a resounding “yes,” writes Chicago Sun-Times contributor Kyle MacMillan.

The two organized a new exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago that takes the first-ever in-depth look at artworks created by Van Gogh and four of his fellow Post-Impressionists in Asnières and other nearby locales along the Seine River just outside of Paris.

The exhibit, “Van Gogh and the Avant-Garde: The Modern Landscape,” opens May 14 and contains 75 paintings and drawings from public and private collections around the world. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• U.S. Rep. George Santos, the New York Republican whose series of lies made him a national punchline, was charged with several financial crimes. [NPR]
• Tonight’s CNN town hall with former President Donald Trump takes on added stakes after yesterday’s verdict in writer E. Jean Carroll’s civil suit. [NPR]
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will be in Peoria on Friday. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• An Australian woman survived 5 days in the bushland on wine and candy. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

The first 12 weeks of parenthood can be a trial by fire, and the U.S. has wrestled for decades with how to support new families — but by every measure our efforts have fallen dramatically short.

Today, WBEZ launched a series called “The First 12 Weeks” that takes readers into the private spaces of parenthood to see the joys, the frustrations and the needs of three Chicago-area mothers in their babies’ first weeks of life.

Contributor Elly Fishman and WBEZ photographer Manuel Martinez spent months with the families at home and in their neighborhoods, meeting both in person and over Zoom, to witness the intimate and sometimes overwhelming moments of new parenthood. [WBEZ]

The project is also collecting stories from new parents at First12weeks@wbez.org.

Tell me something good …

Mother’s Day is Sunday. What’s your favorite memory of your mom?

Jim Jolley writes:

“When I had just started high school, one day my mother, who worked at Woolworth’s, brought home for me a beat-up guitar she paid $1 for.

“That was the start of nearly 40 years of lifelong enjoyment and finger calluses. To this day, every time I pick up what is now my fourth guitar from that first one, I think of her and the journey her little purchase put me on.”

And Marisa Riis writes:

“My mom immigrated to the U.S. from Thailand in 1958. She raised three kids in the Chicago area, and had a long career in nursing.

“She would mix up idiomatic expressions all the time. When she ate delicious food, she would exclaim, ‘That hit my spot!’ My siblings and I would laugh and laugh. Whenever we came home from a long vacation, she would declare, ‘Home sweet house!’

“My mom has been gone now for 10 years, but when my family and I get together, we say, ‘Home sweet house,’ and remember our mom.”

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