Good morning, Chicago.
Republicans will try to chip away at the Democratic Party’s virtually unassailable control of the Illinois General Assembly in next month’s election, a task that may not be made any easier by the political polarization that starts at the top of the ballot.
In a decidedly blue state, former President Donald Trump’s candidacy could hurt the GOP in legislative swing districts, said John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
“I think there is a guilt-by-association thing going on or a guilt-by-association possibility for Republicans who are running down ballot in swing districts, and even districts that maybe trend just a little bit Republican,” Shaw said.
House Republican Leader Tony McCombie of Savanna said her party is targeting just a few seats in each election as part of a 10-year plan that will carry them to the next redistricting opportunity following the 2030 census.
“The number one thing is that people expect us to fail,” McCombie said. “I have to sell hope a lot, which is not that hard, because I still am hopeful for Illinois, but it really is a challenge to raise money in this environment.”
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner and Olivia Olander.
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Mayor Brandon Johnson faces political headwinds from his progressive base
When Mayor Brandon Johnson honored the Rev. Jesse Jackson with a key to the city earlier this month, he made a point to remind the audience of his own battle inside City Hall.
“So now, with the power that the people of Chicago gave me — OK, I’mma say that one more time, because apparently there’s some people who are confused about the power that I have,” he said, to chortles from Jackson’s assembled family, friends and fans.
With legacy on the line, ex-Speaker Madigan lends his singular focus as corruption trial gets underway
Michael Madigan’s record-breaking stretch at the pinnacle of Illinois politics didn’t happen by accident.
Madigan’s singular focus was seemingly no different in federal court over the past two weeks, where it’s not just an election or piece of legislation on the line, but his legacy and likely his freedom.
‘It felt like a war’: Laquan McDonald police shooting 10 years ago shocked Chicago, rippled through halls of power
By any objective measure, it was the single most impactful police shooting in Chicago in more than 40 years, and perhaps ever.
Ten years ago, on Oct. 20, 2014, a Chicago police officer fired 16 bullets into 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Chicago has not been the same since.
Mental illness put her in DuPage County Jail. 85 days later, she was dead.
June 3, 2023. Day 76. They walked past an empty wheelchair near the door and found their mom seated alone in one of the jail’s visitation booths, her hollow eyes fixed in a distant gaze. Her cheeks were sunken. Her hands trembled. Dried blood pooled near a crack down the center of her lips.
Before schizophrenia, before jail, Reneyda Aguilar-Hurtado would sing and dance while cleaning the apartment and spend hours chatting with her two children over dinner. Now she looked too thin and frail to stand, and the few words she spoke came out raspy and faint.
Illinois passed an ambitious climate act 3 years ago. But it’s struggling to meet clean energy goals.
The 25 turbines of Midland Wind Farm in Henry County stand over 500 feet tall, and together they produce enough carbon-free electricity to power 37,000 homes.
In Illinois, a state with one of the nation’s most ambitious climate laws, clean energy’s victorious forward march is often a public — and highly visible — spectacle.
‘Stay in that loneliness’:’In Bridgeport, monks study, work and pray seeking God
At the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Bridgeport, life revolves around prayer, the pursuit of a deeper knowledge of God and self, and — despite their urban location — isolation as a means to those goals. The Benedictine monastery and its guesthouse are on the flight path to Midway Airport, but the institution’s motto is “Silence in the city.”
Hundreds of frozen waffle products recalled due to possible listeria contamination
Hundreds of frozen waffle products sold in leading retailers including Walmart and Target are being recalled because of possible contamination by the listeria bacteria, according to the manufacturer. TreeHouse Foods said Friday that it issued a voluntary recall after discovering possible contamination during testing at its plant.
Caleb Williams’ performance has been _____. The Chicago Bears-Washington Commanders game will be _____. Answering 4 key topics.
As the Chicago Bears look to extend their winning streak to four games, the Tribune’s team of writers examines what it saw over the first six games — and what might come in the months ahead — by answering four fill-in-the-blank questions.
Chicago Sports Network reacts to Comcast’s latest volley and taking a ‘financial haircut’ before Chicago Blackhawks’ loss
Craig Smith and Lukas Reichel teamed up on two goals during the Chicago Blackhawks’ 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night — but none of Comcast’s 1 million subscribers in Chicago were able to watch it through Xfinity because of stalled negotiations between the cable provider and Chicago Sports Network.
The ‘Tommy gun’ was designed for soldiers. But Chicago gangsters made it notorious.
Except for Al Capone, Gen. John Thompson would be forgotten by all but serious devotees of military history. The two never met, being cut from different cloth.
Thompson, a khaki-clad military man who was awarded a medal “for exceptionally meritorious and conspicuous service as chief of the small arms division of the office of the chief of ordnance,” was the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun. A rapid-firing rifle, it was initially designed for trench warfare during World War I.
Just a few days left to vote in the Tribune’s Holiday Cookie Contest
There’s less than a week left to vote for your favorite cookie recipe to make it to the final round of the Tribune’s annual Holiday Cookie Contest.
This year, 35 recipes are fighting to secure enough votes to be in the top 12 and get one step closer to winning one of three cash prizes.
