Good morning, Chicago.
Plunged into a government shutdown, the U.S. is confronting a fresh cycle of uncertainty after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep government programs and services running by today’s deadline.
Roughly 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed, some potentially fired by Trump’s Republican administration. Many offices will be shuttered, perhaps permanently, as Trump vows to “do things that are irreversible, that are bad” as retribution. His deportation agenda is expected to run full speed ahead, while education, environmental and other services sputter. The economic fallout is expected to ripple nationwide.
“We don’t want it to shut down,” Trump said at the White House before the midnight deadline.
But the president, who met privately with congressional leadership this week, appeared unable to negotiate any deal between Democrats and Republicans to prevent that outcome.
And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including the cost to taxpayers with the Bears stadium proposal, what’s next for the Cubs and a chance to win bragging rights for your favorite cookie recipe.
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Pritzker likens Trump to Putin for suggesting military use Chicago, other ‘dangerous cities’ as training grounds
Top Illinois leaders condemned President Donald Trump’s assertion that cities, including Chicago, should serve as military “training grounds,” even as they maintained there’s little they can do in their official capacities to push back against such an incursion.
Hundreds gather to protest ICE, federal push to deploy military to Illinois
Through the same downtown streets federal immigration agents patrolled over the weekend, chants of “No ICE, no troops!” rang out yesterday evening as hundreds marched against President Donald Trump’s recent surge in immigration enforcement locally.
A day after Gov. JB Pritzker announced that federal officials are seeking to deploy troops to Illinois, about 300 demonstrators gathered in Chicago to protest against the heightened U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity and troops coming to the city.
Chase of cyclist by ICE agents in downtown Chicago described as surreal by witness
Patrick Gilmore was on his way to the Clark/Lake CTA train station with a friend Sunday afternoon when they came across a line of federal immigration agents near the Dearborn Street Bridge downtown and unexpectedly stumbled onto a viral moment.
As Gilmore waited to cross the street, a cyclist approached, taunted the agents and — after a brief exchange — jetted off west along Wacker Drive as agents chased after him, Gilmore, 25, recalled in a recent interview with the Tribune.
“It just felt like we were in an actual movie,” he said.
Risk of long COVID in children doubles after second COVID-19 infection, according to study by Lurie doctor
Children are twice as likely to develop long COVID after two COVID-19 infections, compared with children who’ve only had COVID-19 once, according to a new study co-authored by a doctor at Lurie Children’s Hospital.
Judge finds the Trump administration unconstitutionally targeted noncitizens over Gaza war protests
The Trump administration violated the Constitution when it targeted non-U.S. citizens for deportation solely for supporting Palestinians and criticizing Israel, a federal judge said in a scathing ruling directly and sharply criticizing President Donald Trump and his policies as serious threats to free speech.
Work begins on South Side’s massive new quantum computing hub
Work has begun on the state’s new multibillion-dollar quantum computing campus on Chicago’s South Side. The lakefront site for the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park was for decades U.S. Steel’s South Works, one of the world’s largest steel manufacturing plants, but will now host global companies seeking to develop the next generation of supercomputers.
New Bears stadium in Arlington Heights would generate billions, but could cost taxpayers $855M for infrastructure
Construction of a new Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights would generate thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity, but would also require substantial taxpayer support for infrastructure, according to team projections released yesterday.
Seiya Suzuki and Chicago Cubs turn on ‘playoff switch,’ riding back-to-back homers to a 3-1 win in Game 1
Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly became the fourth duo to hit back-to-back home runs in Cubs postseason history, the first since Miguel Montero and Dexter Fowler in Game 1 of the 2016 National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Chicago Fire withstand a comeback and beat Inter Miami 5-3 to clinch 1st playoff berth since 2017
The Chicago Fire jumped out to an early two-goal lead and withstood a furious second-half comeback try led by Luis Suárez in a 5-3 win over Inter Miami last night.
With the victory, the Fire (15-6-11) secured their first playoff berth since 2017 and improved to eighth in the MLS standings.
Legendary Chicago blues label Chess Records marks its 75th anniversary
Polish brothers Leonard and Phil Chess founded Chess Records exactly 75 years ago. The label recorded Muddy Waters, Etta James, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor and dozens of other blues giants.
“The greatest recording studio in Chicago,” says John Primer, a veteran Chicago singer and guitarist who played gigs for years with Waters and longtime Chess songwriter Willie Dixon. “A lot of good ones, but Chess was No. 1 — and still is, in the name.”
Tribune’s 2025 Holiday Cookie Contest: It’s time to submit your recipe
It’s time to put on your apron and preheat your oven; the 39th edition of the Tribune’s annual Holiday Cookie Contest is here.
From simple but beautifully iced sugar cookies to kitchen sink creations with all your favorite goodies, we can’t wait to see what creative treats you come up with. Besides bragging rights, a sweet cash prize awaits our three winning recipes.
