Daywatch: Autopsy finds Tylenol murders suspect died of pulmonary embolism

Good morning, Chicago.

An autopsy has concluded that James Lewis, the lone suspect in the 1982 Chicago Tylenol murders, died of natural causes in his suburban Boston home last month.

The Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced Thursday that Lewis, 76, died of pulmonary thromboembolism — a blood clot in the lungs.

As the Tribune first reported, Lewis’ body was found in his downtown Cambridge condominium just after 4 p.m. July 9. Police said Lewis’ wife, who was out of town visiting relatives, had asked someone to check on her husband after she was unable to reach him.

Read the full story from the Tribune’s Christy Gutowski and Stacy St. Clair.

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Lollapalooza’s new contract with Chicago could make this year’s fest the biggest ever, and give the city a bigger cut

Except for the remote version held during COVID-19, Lollapalooza has been a marquee event for Chicago’s “front yard,” Grant Park, every summer since 2005.

But besides the festival’s usual public safety, weather and traffic challenges, this year marks the first test of a new contract overseen by a new mayor, Brandon Johnson. The deal to keep Lolla in Chicago for at least another 10 years — inked by the mayor Johnson later defeated, Lori Lightfoot — makes this year’s fest potentially the biggest Lollapalooza yet: It allows up to 115,000 attendees per day, up 15,000 from the previous contract.

Racist watermelon-eating contest alleged as Northwestern football hazing lawsuits mount

A new lawsuit describing more sexualized and racist hazing in Northwestern University’s football program alleges Black freshmen players were forced to compete in watermelon-eating contests.

The allegations are among the newest of a mounting stack of lawsuits the university faces amid its ongoing hazing scandal. At least 12 related lawsuits have been filed against the university since the scandal broke in early July.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced Thursday he had filed two more separate lawsuits against the university, with more expected in coming days.

Trump pleads not guilty to federal charges that he tried to overturn the 2020 election

The former president appeared before a magistrate judge in Washington’s federal courthouse two days after being indicted by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith. Of the three criminal cases he’s facing, the most recent charges are especially historic since they focus on Trump’s efforts as president to subvert the will of voters and obstruct the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory. His refusal to accept defeat and his lies about widespread election fraud helped fuel the violent riot on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Bally’s pushes Medinah temporary casino opening to September

Anyone who took the over bet on when the Bally’s Chicago temporary casino at Medinah Temple would open is looking like a winner.

The target date, which has already been pushed back several months, is now slated for September, the company said during its second quarter earnings call Thursday.

Column: Chicago Cubs face a measuring stick for October with a weekend series against the MLB-best Atlanta Braves

The best team in baseball comes to Wrigley Field on Friday when the Atlanta Braves meet the Chicago Cubs for a three-game series.

Shortstop Dansby Swanson faces his former teammates for the first time since signing a seven-year, $177 million deal in December, and the Cubs get a chance to prove their recent 12-3 stretch isn’t just a byproduct of a soft part of the schedule.

If not for Lollapalooza, the Cubs-Braves series might be the hottest ticket in town, writes Paul Sullivan.

Review: ‘A Compassionate Spy’ is a Manhattan Project espionage story that began at UChicago

The latest Steve James documentary “A Compassionate Spy,” opening Friday at the Gene Siskel Film Center, made its world premiere late last summer at the Venice Film Festival.

What has happened since then? “Oppenheimer.” In the context of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster, James’ flawed, absorbing examination of physicist Theodore Hall, at 18 the youngest member of the Manhattan Project, now plays differently, more urgently, than it did a year ago, writes critic Michael Phillips.

Lollapalooza food: The best Chicago bites at Chow Town, plus the debut of Dessert Island

Fueling up during Lollapalooza is vital to keeping energy high during the four-day festival. Over the years, the fest’s Chow Town — the vast strip of food and drink vendors along Columbus Drive — has expanded to include options for a wide range of dietary needs, catering to vegans, omnivores, sweet tooth cravings and everyone in between.