The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division says it's opened an investigation into Mayor Brandon Johnson's hiring.

Why it matters: The letter outlines what the Trump administration and some MAGA activists have identified as race-based hiring that they say discriminates against white candidates.

• The DOJ says the investigation is to determine whether Johnson has violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans hiring based on race.

Driving the news: The letter from DOJ Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon references remarks Johnson made Sunday at a church on the South Side.

What they're saying: "In your remarks made yesterday at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn, you 'highlight[ed] the number of Black officials in [your] administration,'" the letter to Johnson says.

• "You then went on to list each of these individuals, emphasizing their race," the letter continues, with a list of the various positions in the Johnson administration held by Black people.
• "If these kind of hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions in your administration, then it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions," the letter says.

Zoom in: Some of the positions Johnson highlighted included two deputy mayors, positions held by Black women, and the city's chief operations officer, who is a Black man.

• Johnson made the comments during a nearly 50-minute interview Sunday with Bishop Byron Brazier as part of his media blitz touting his accomplishments at the midpoint of his tenure.
• "It is the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago," Johnson said.

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The Bears' stadium drama has fans and lawmakers feeling whiplash.

Why it matters: The stadium saga has pitted suburbs versus the city while fans watched almost four years go by without construction starting on a state-of-the-art stadium.

The latest: In a new statement, the Bears pivoted away from prioritizing the lakefront as the home of their new stadium, instead focusing on the land they own nearly 40 miles northwest of downtown in Arlington Heights.

• It would be the first time in franchise history that the team wouldn't play in the city limits.

What they're saying: "Over the last few months, we have made significant progress with the leaders in Arlington Heights, and look forward to continuing to work with state and local leaders on making a transformative economic development project for the region a reality," the Bears said Friday in a statement.

The other side: "The Bears again w/ the full stadium misdirection package," state Rep. Kam Buckner said on X. "A hard count to bait Springfield, play-action fake to sell the lakefront dream, then a double reverse back to Arlington. This isn't a development plan, it's a masterclass in stadium whiplash."

The big picture: The Bears shifting away from building a new stadium in Chicago will have political reverberations, too. Johnson, unlike his predecessor, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, collaborated with the Bears on the new stadium proposal.

• Now, it will be Johnson who will likely be the mayor who lost the Chicago Bears.

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One bright spot in this bummer housing market: More local listings are shaking loose.

Why it matters: Some homeowners sitting on low mortgage rates are finally selling, and year-over-year listings are up in Chicago.

Yes, but: While many U.S. markets have seen inventory top pre-pandemic norms, Chicago is not one of those markets, per Realtor.com.

The intrigue: The mortgage "lock-in effect," as experts call it, isn't going away anytime soon.

• In all 50 states, over half of mortgages have rates below 4%, according to Cotality, an industry data provider.
• In the Chicago area, 61% of all mortgages are under that rate.

Between the lines: Most who took out new mortgages in recent years have rates above 6%.

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✝️ The Chicago archdiocese will host a citywide mass for the new pope at The Rate on June 14. (Axios)

🗳️ Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) announced she will not run for Illinois' open U.S. Senate seat in 2026. (Sun-Times)

🎭 "Hamilton" will return to Chicago next March at the CIBC Theatre after pulling out of a planned Kennedy Center run. (Tribune)

🏀 Michael Jordan's jersey from the '92-'93 season sold for $2.6 million. (ESPN)

After three decades on local television, food reporter Steve Dolinsky is calling it quits.

The latest: Dolinsky announced Monday he is leaving NBC 5 to join Levy Restaurants.

What they're saying: "Thirty years covering the same beat in the third largest market is quite a run," Dolinsky tells Axios.

Flashback: Dolinsky started his career reporting on Chicago's food scene at CLTV in the mid-'90s. In the 2000s, he became the lead food reporter at ABC 7. He left the station for NBC 5 in 2021.

• He also reported for Chicago radio station WBEZ.

Zoom in: Dolinsky has been an advocate for Chicago's foodie scene, which exploded during his time covering it. He has won 13 James Beard awards and two Emmys.

Zoom out: Chicago news stations have significantly shrunk their coverage of restaurants and food.

What's next: While Dolinsky ends his television tenure, he'll still be running his Pizza City Fest, which will return to Chicago in August and Los Angeles next spring.

Go deeper

Our quest to crown the best Italian beef has begun, and the matchups are more intense after first-round voting.

• Biggest winner: Mr. Beef captured 92% of the vote over Odge's.
• Closest match: Frannie's barely squeaked past Bari Foods.
• Biggest upset: The pride of the South Side Tony's Beef defeated Duck Inn with relative ease.

State of play: Round two matchups are set, pitting Portillo's vs. Buona Beef and Tony's vs. Johnnie's.

Vote here! We'll keep the polls open until 4pm.