Good morning, Chicago.
Less than a year ago, two Elgin detectives were named to the police department’s new cold case unit. Soon after Chief Ana Lalley presented the unit’s first – and, so far, only – members with an unconventional idea: What if, in the spirit of generating interest and leads, Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian regularly shared their work with the public? What if they even … hosted a podcast?
The detectives were dubious.
They had listened to true crime podcasts before and even liked some of them. And they knew their first case – the disappearance of Karen Schepers in April 1983 – would make a compelling story.
But to put a podcast together, themselves, and host it? To investigate the most difficult cases, often ones that have gone unsolved for decades, and take an audience along for the ride for the improbable victories and inevitable failures? To share with the world their search for Karen Schepers, a young Elgin woman missing for more than 40 years?
The detectives had plenty of reasons to be skeptical.
Their chief pushed them to do it, anyway – and it worked.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Andrew Carter.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including a look at the coal industry in Illinois, a backstage tour of the Cadillac Palace where a touring production of “Moulin Rouge!” rolled into town with nearly 300 costumes and where to make a reservation for Easter brunch.
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Momentum builds for nuclear power in Illinois as state aims to reach Gov. JB Pritzker’s energy goals
As Illinois closes in on its deadline of being carbon-free by midcentury, even as demands for energy rise, legislators are looking to satisfy both needs through a strategy many so far have tried to avoid: allowing new, large-scale nuclear reactors to be built in the state.
Gov. JB Pritzker rips Trump tariffs on first Fox News appearance, calls them ‘taxes on working families’
Gov. JB Pritzker used his first-ever appearance on Fox News to take his criticisms of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs to the network’s conservative-leaning audience, labeling the Republican administration’s levies on imports “taxes on working families.”
Trump’s love affair with dirty coal can’t compete with market realities
Like a TV network’s summer reruns, Trump is back with a pro-coal agenda. Among his targets are Illinois and other states with their own clean energy laws, which promise to end the nation’s use of coal to generate electricity and wean the nation from gas-fired power.
Industry data tell another story. Coal, once a dominant sector of the economy, is in steep decline because it can’t compete against cleaner, less-expensive energy sources.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s resistance to ethics reforms draws criticism
When Mayor Brandon Johnson came into office, his handpicked City Council ethics leader hoped the new mayor promising big change might truly reform the rules meant to keep elected officials in line in the famously corrupt city.
But then Johnson instead fought those efforts, Ethics Committee Chair Ald. Matt Martin said. And he has done so again and again.
After a server at a Pilsen restaurant was attacked, a community wants justice
The footage of two women brutally attacking a server at Taco Azteca, a longtime Mexican restaurant in Pilsen, last weekend has left a neighborhood reeling, according to residents and local leaders. The now viral video has raised concerns of safety in the neighborhood and left other workers in the area fearful.
As police continue the search for the two aggressors, the images of the beating over a $50 check still haunt some of the other workers at the restaurant, said co-owner Martha Garcia.
Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele to undergo season-ending elbow surgery
The worst-case scenario has come to fruition for Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele.
Steele will undergo season-ending surgery Friday to repair the flexor tendon in his elbow and address the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), manager Craig Counsell announced yesterday. The extent of the damage to Steele’s UCL won’t be known until the doctor gets eyes on it during the procedure. The Cubs will have a better timetable for Steele’s recovery after the surgery.
Chicago Sky trade for the No. 11 pick in 2025 WNBA draft — giving them two first-round selections
The Chicago Sky loaded up on late first-round draft stock in a trade with the Minnesota Lynx. The Sky announced they acquired the No. 11 pick in the 2025 draft in exchange for the rights to their 2026 first-round pick. This trade nullified the pick swap that Minnesota initially gained in last year’s trade for the No. 7 draft pick, which the Sky ultimately used to select Angel Reese.
The Sky now own the Nos. 10, 11, 16 and 22 picks in tonight’s draft.
For generations of Little Leaguers and softball players, Thillens Stadium was Chicago’s Field of Dreams
Chicago’s field of dreams was born on an early spring day in 1938. Mel Thillens awoke to the sight of his kid brother standing next to his bed. Ferdy Thillens said he and his buddies needed a place to play softball.
“We put a plate in a prairie, and it just grew from there,” Mel Thillens subsequently recalled to a Tribune reporter.
Prairie was Chicagoese for an empty lot. In this instance, it meant a substantial piece of land north of Kedzie and Devon avenues.
With the Tony-winning costumes in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” over-the-top extravagance is just right
Each time the nationally touring production of “Moulin Rouge!” rolls into a new city, an entire truck is required to transport the show’s costumes: a rainbow palette of corsets, cancan skirts, tailcoats, top hats and heeled boots that evokes the opulence of the 1899 Parisian setting. In total, the production travels with 297 costumes for the principal actors and ensemble performers, plus about 200 for understudies and swings.
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is currently playing through April 20 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.
Chicago Palestine Film Festival looks at more than the war in Gaza to showcase ‘Palestinian joy’
At a time when Palestinian existence and resilience are under a microscope, the Chicago Palestine Film Festival is spotlighting all aspects of Palestinian culture and tradition with the 24th annual event, which began Saturday.
Much of the film festival, which runs through April 26, takes place at the Gene Siskel Film Center and includes many screenings as well as panel discussions and social gatherings.
Easter 2025: 70 Chicago restaurant specials, from brunch buffets to hearty dinners
Easter is one of the biggest brunch occasions of the year, but also a time for hearty dinners centering on roast lamb and honey-baked ham, and baskets filled with sweet treats. Celebrations at Chicago restaurants run the gamut, featuring decadent buffets, egg decorating, a traditional midnight feast and a drag show.
Whether you’re seeking a meal where the kids can meet the Easter Bunny or looking for someone else to cook the food for your at-home gathering, these 70 restaurants are providing all the goodies.
