Good morning, Chicago.
When President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in as president of the United States inside the Capitol’s rotunda today, he will do so facing a bust of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the federal holiday commemorating King’s legacy.
It’s a disquieting contrast for some civil rights advocates who wish to fulfill the late reverend’s dream of non-violent social revolution. Events honoring King and advocating for his vision of a just society will occur across the nation as many in the U.S. observe the peaceful transfer of power in the capital.
Trump used a raucous rally yesterday on the eve of his inauguration to promise swift Day 1 action remaking the federal government, shifting federal priorities at breakneck speed and ensuring that “the curtain closes on four long years of American decline.”
Joe Biden spent his final full day as president in South Carolina, urging Americans to “keep the faith in a better day to come” and reflecting on the impact of the civil rights movement in pushing him into politics.
Today’s swearing in was moved indoors due to below freezing temperatures. The swearing-in was last moved indoors in 1985, when President Ronald Reagan began his second term.
This inauguration will be the first attended by foreign leaders. Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and conservative world leaders such as Argentine President Javier Milei and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. Xi is sending his vice president as his representative.
Here’s the schedule of today’s official inaugural events, from Trump’s address to who is performing at the balls.
And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
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On Trump inauguration day, migrant students in shadow of deportation
Chicago Public Schools wants its students and staff members to know that its buildings are public areas generally known as “sensitive locations.”
That means federal immigration agents are not permitted to enter CPS facilities unless they provide their credentials, the reason they are requesting access and a criminal judicial warrant signed by a federal judge.
But the protections for students are still uncertain and unclear to many migrant or undocumented parents and students who are anxiously waiting for the transition of power today — with President-elect Donald Trump promising the largest deportation operation in United States history, starting in Chicago.
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TikTok restores service for US users based on Donald Trump’s promised executive order
TikTok restored service to users in the United States yesterday just hours after the popular video-sharing platform went dark in response to a federal ban, which President-elect Donald Trump said he would try to pause by executive order on his first day in office.
Frigid subzero weather grips Chicago on 40-year anniversary of record low
Forty years ago today, temperatures in Chicago dipped to an all-time low of minus 27 degrees. The cold stretched to D.C., where it forced Ronald Reagan’s presidential inauguration ceremony indoors.
As a blast of Arctic air hits most of the country, Donald Trump will also be sworn in as president inside the Capitol because of the frigid conditions. Chicago won’t be spared this time either, with temperatures plunging below freezing from Sunday night to Tuesday morning. Though the cold won’t be record-shattering in the area, subzero windchills will reach a dangerous minus 20 to minus 25 degrees. As little as 30 minutes could cause frostbite on exposed skin.
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Mayor Brandon Johnson’s finance reports show trouble raising money, accounting for it
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s latest campaign finance reports suggest ongoing issues with sloppy clerical work as well as fundraising, a troubling sign for the freshman mayor midway into his term.
State records show that from July through September 2024, the mayor’s political fund raised about $3,500, at that point his lowest haul during his first two years in office — and a surprise given his role as host mayor of the Democratic National Convention that August. After that, Johnson reported an astonishingly low total of $970 raised during the next quarter that ended Dec. 31.
Mother of slain Plainfield boy Wadee Alfayoumi meets Biden for ‘human-to-human connection’
Hanan Shaheen, the mother of slain 6-year-old Plainfield boy Wadee Alfayoumi — who was fatally stabbed in an October 2023 attack that drew hate-crime charges — met President Joe Biden during a visit to the White House as he wrapped up the final days of his presidency.
The private moment between Shaheen and Biden, who lost a daughter and a son, was centered around shared grief. At the end of their conversation, Shaheen said: “We are connected by God. We both lost children.
How many presidential pardons or sentence commutations have been granted to people from Illinois?
Hundreds of requests for pardons and clemency petitions for federal convictions are filed each year, but usually just a few result in a presidential pardon or commutation of sentence. Recent presidents have waited until their last months in office before granting clemency.
We’ve reviewed the names of people who have received pardons or commutations going back to the 1950s. Here’s a look at people with Chicago or Illinois connections who have been granted clemency by a president.
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LA’s Olympic venues spared by wildfires, but the city’s rebuild could affect the run-up to the 2028 Summer Games
The devastation wrought by the deadly wildfires that ravaged sections of Los Angeles have left an indelible imprint on the region’s landscape and psyche.
The run-up to the city hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, in addition to World Cup matches in 2026 and a Super Bowl in 2027, will coincide with massive rebuilding of housing and infrastructure. That seems cruelly ironic after Los Angeles organizers sold the Games as a no-build event.
Tom Ricketts talks 2025 Chicago Cubs expectations, baseball’s ‘crazy’ spending and welcoming Sammy Sosa back
The Chicago Cubs know what is at stake this year.
The pressure only mounts for an organization trying to return to the playoffs for the first time in a 162-game season since 2018. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer made a splash last month when the Cubs acquired one of the best hitters in the game, outfielder Kyle Tucker, to give them the type of dynamic player that was missing from the lineup.
Reaching the postseason is again the expectation this year, and from Chairman Tom Ricketts’ perspective, the National League Central Division title should run through Chicago.
Related:
- What we heard at the Cubs Convention: 2025 roster not complete — and Dansby Swanson is healthy heading into camp
- Column: Sammy Sosa hogs the spotlight at the Cubs Convention, but Jed Hoyer’s future remains a hot topics for fans
- What ‘mistakes’ did Sammy Sosa apologize for? The retired Chicago Cubs slugger says it wasn’t PED use.
Hiring cycle will pick up pace now that Ben Johnson is available. Will he pick the Chicago Bears?
A slow-moving NFL hiring cycle is about to pick up speed, and the winner of the Ben Johnson sweepstakes should be revealed soon.
Johnson, the hottest offensive coordinator candidate for head coach in at least the last several hiring cycles, suddenly became available Saturday night when the Detroit Lions and their raucous fans clad in Honolulu Blue at Ford Field were shocked.
Seeking a spark for protests attracting ‘9 people and a dog,’ Al Raby brought Martin Luther King Jr. to Chicago
As historic events slip over the horizon, household names fade into a query: “Wasn’t he the guy who, uh, did … What was it again?”
Al Raby was the guy who brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Chicago.
Author Adam Haslett on Aug. 29, 2002, in New York; his new book “Mothers and Sons.” (Suzanne Plunkett / AP / Little, Brown and Company)
Biblioracle: In Adam Haslett’s new novel ‘Mothers and Sons,’ family ties run deep
The early part of the year is often a bit of a sleepy time for new fiction.
Publishers expect readers to be sated by the rush of book buying associated with the holidays. Blockbuster titles are usually slated for summer; prestige efforts by literary lights hit stores in the fall.
But a major release by a writer who doesn’t give us new novels all that often has slipped into stores this month and you do not want to miss it.
Get outside and prune your shrubs
Pruning is a great way to get outdoors in winter, breathe some fresh air, and gain a sense of accomplishment. And it’s good for your shrubs too.
“Most shrubs are dormant in winter, so it’s a good time to prune them,” said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist in the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. “With the leaves gone, you can see what you’re doing, and it’s easier to spot problems.”
