Daywatch: Chicago cyclists speak out against deadly stretch of Milwaukee Avenue

Good morning, Chicago.

Ghost guns — untraceable weapons that are often made with a 3-D printer or from kits that can be purchased online — have increasingly drawn alarm among law enforcement and politicians on both the local and national stage.

The Tribune’s Jason Meisner writes about a man charged with manufacturing ghost guns in South Side apartment — and how the case represents a new frontier in gun trafficking investigations.

Meanwhile, in Congress, a bipartisan group of senators talked over the weekend to see if they could reach a modest compromise on gun legislation in the wake of the Texas elementary school massacre. President Biden told reporters Monday, “I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope.”

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In Englewood, food leaders look ahead in wake of Whole Foods’ planned departure. ‘We need more options.’

Whole Foods opened its store at 63rd and Halsted Street to much fanfare in 2016, under the administration of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The plan to bring a premium-priced grocer to one of Chicago’s most disinvested neighborhoods was a bold one.

Englewood community leaders said that although the recent closure announcement saddened them, they weren’t wholly surprised by the news. Community members agree that whatever happens at 63rd and Halsted is only one part of the story. All said that what Englewood needs are options.

Deadly stretch of Milwaukee Avenue raises concern among cyclists as the season gets underway

When cyclists cruise along Milwaukee Avenue in Old Irving Park on the Northwest Side, they whiz by the never-ending construction and bike memorials as unsettling backdrops.

This half-mile stretch, from Kilbourn Avenue to Addison Street, has become one of the deadliest for bikers to ride in all of Chicago, some cycling advocates say, with its heavy car traffic, a major Metra reconstruction project, and little protection for bikers and pedestrians. With summer looming and gas prices continuing to surge, advocates fear that a busier than usual bike season could be a lethal one without better safeguards for bikers.

Life sciences developments are booming in Chicago, bringing jobs and helping fight ‘brain drain’

Much of Chicago’s office market remains stuck in the doldrums, but another economic engine has come to life, ready to remake the city into a hub for advanced industry and research. New towers dedicated to life sciences and biotech are already rising in an arc around the downtown core, with more likely on the way.

“It really is the next industry for Chicago,” said Regina Stilp, principal of Farpoint Development, part of a team chosen by the city to transform the former Michael Reese Hospital site on the Bronzeville lakefront into a $7 billion mixed-use development.

My worst moment: ‘Top Gun’ co-star and ‘South Side’ creator Bashir Salahuddin on having a show canceled before it even aired. Twice.

In “Top Gun: Maverick” starring Tom Cruise, who is back in the cockpit as a fighter pilot, Bashir Salahuddin plays a chief warrant officer named Hondo. “In layman’s terms, he’s a super expert in multiple fields,” Salahuddin said. “And he’s kind of Mav’s right hand man — he’s the guy who, whenever Mav looks around the room, he’s the guy who is always in his corner.”

When asked by the Tribune’s Nina Metz to share a difficult moment, Salahuddin spoke of a crushing career disappointment that happened not once but twice.

Nick Kindelsperger review: 3 Sauces Hainam Chicken Rice is a one-dish wonder in Chinatown, proving sometimes one dish is all you need

Chen Yu runs what is probably Chicago’s only dedicated Hainanese chicken rice restaurant, 3 Sauces Hainam Chicken Rice. (Hainam is a spelling variation of Hainan.) Located in the basement food court of the Richland Center in Chinatown, Yu works the tiny stall all by himself, rushing between the register and minuscule kitchen to prepare each order.

Despite his lack of help, according to Tribune critic Nick Kindesperger, no place in Chicago comes as close to nailing this bewildering dish.