? Below: Ayaz Ahmed of Morton Grove was arrested in June with an expired visa. He died shortly after a deportation flight, and a family attorney questions whether he received adequate medical care.
?️ Plus: An Army veteran finds renewed purpose in baking, Illinois' hemp ban is pushed back for some businesses and more news you need to know.
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Attorney sounds alarm: Ayaz Ahmed, 61, of Morton Grove, died shortly after a deportation flight to Pakistan in July. He had no criminal record and suffered from multiple chronic health conditions, a family lawyer said. In the days before his deportation, Ahmed was transferred through several detention facilities, according to the lawyer.
The arrest: Ahmed was arrested in June by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and faced deportation for having an expired visa, according to attorney Hashim Siddique, who said he was hired to expedite the deportation because relatives feared his health would deteriorate in custody.
Calls for action: Some Chicago advocates are calling for an independent criminal investigation into Ahmed's death and ICE's medical standards.
Fallout continues: The Justice Department on Tuesday questioned the authority of U.S. District Judge April Perry to hold a "mini-trial" over the wreckage of Chicago's "Broadview Six" case, further signaling a likely challenge before the judge can put U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros on the witness stand.
Date nears: Though Perry doesn't believe what Boutros told her about the "Broadview Six" case, Justice Department officials suggest there's little she can do about it. Yet, Boutros and others face the possibility of sanctions or a criminal contempt finding in Perry's courtroom. Perry has said Boutros must testify this month.
Military career: For 24 years, Chicagoan Quinton McNair, 49, was a helicopter mechanic in the Army, deploying to places across the world, including Kosovo, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was also a drill sergeant and later a sexual assault response coordinator for a brigade of about 3,500 soldiers. When he retired in 2019 and returned home, McNair said he struggled with PTSD and depression, felt isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic and used alcohol to cope. Then he found baking, stumbling on an online recipe.
Next chapter: McNair said his early attempts at baking were so uneven he jokingly made online posts with the hashtag "Strugglebeard Bakery," referencing his growing beard after two decades of being clean-shaven. Eventually, the cookies got better and community members and friends across the country asked for his baked goods. In 2020, he started a business out of his home kitchen in Matteson, and by 2023, he opened his Hyde Park storefront.
'For the community': In his bakery, McNair sells products from minority-owned businesses, and to celebrate the store's third anniversary, he threw a street festival with community partners and performers. He is still Strugglebeard Bakery's only baker, often working 12- to 14-hour days. It's all part of his commitment to community, he told the Sun-Times this week, as he hustled to fill orders for Veterans Day. "The driving purpose and point behind the bakery is ... to be something purposeful for the community," he said.
Today's clue: 6A: Local singer Tramell, who won the recent 2026 Chicago Made Music Showcase
Last Friday, just before his 9th birthday, Alex Anning gave away 500 bags of groceries to Englewood residents, in partnership with the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. It was the young Chicagoan's second grocery drive, following his first a year ago with the support of his mother, Kymbria Young-Anning, executive director of Season to Soar, a nonprofit focused on helping the next generation become leaders who serve their communities.
Kikanza Harris Scott, director of community impact at the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, said the event was particularly important as community members continue to face food insecurity, including those who have lost access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
Alex, who spent the afternoon running around and handing out grocery bags, said he hoped people would leave the event feeling grateful and happy, and while there, "have a fun time!"
What is the most recent hobby you've picked up? What made you want to give it a try?
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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Michael Lansu
Copy edited by: Satchel Price
