Good morning, Chicago.
While charities in Chicago and beyond prepare for Giving Tuesday, a global day of charitable giving that takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, local authorities are urging donors to take steps to ensure their money is going to legitimate change-making organizations.
Cases of charity fraud tend to increase during the holiday season amid occasions such as Giving Tuesday and the end-of-year rush of donations to qualify for tax deductions, according to watchdog organizations.
In addition to seeking money from unwitting donors, scammers may also try to trick them into providing sensitive personal information. Here are tips to avoid charity scams.
And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Some Democrats are frustrated over Joe Biden reversing course and pardoning his son Hunter
Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden’s pardoning of his son for federal crimes, with some calling the move misguided and unwise after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law.
A top Fed official leans toward December rate cut but says it depends on economic data
Speaking at George Washington University, Christopher Waller, a key member of the Fed’s Board of Governors, said he was confident that inflation is headed lower and that the central bank will likely keep reducing its key rate, which affects many consumer and business loans.
Shoppers aren’t worried about tariffs yet but say they will be alert to prices and jobs if they hit
With incoming President Donald Trump promising to impose tariffs on imported goods, economists say shoppers soon might be looking at higher prices on big-ticket items.
“I need an idiot-proof stove,” Chicagoan John Mendoza said. “When you need an appliance, you need it. Obviously, price is a consideration. But if I had to pay more for American jobs, I would.”
Unions score a major win in Wisconsin with a court ruling restoring collective bargaining rights
Wisconsin public worker and teachers unions scored a major legal victory Monday with a ruling that restores collective bargaining rights they lost under a 2011 state law that sparked weeks of protests and made the state the center of the national battle over union rights.
SEIU threatens lawsuit over CTU contract negotiations with CPS
Service Employees International Union 73, the union that represents special education classroom assistants in Chicago Public Schools, is threatening to sue the district over a Chicago Teachers Union proposal that it says would effectively take jobs from SEIU and give them to CTU.
Mayor Brandon Johnson says he didn’t know about allegations against ex-communications director
Johnson blamed his office’s handling of harassment complaints against his former communications director on what he described as a flawed disciplinary process he inherited at City Hall.
In his first remarks to reporters since the Tribune reported on Ronnie Reese’s alleged behavior last week, the mayor said he did not know about the allegations against Reese until his office received a Freedom of Information Act request for a copy of Reese’s City Hall personnel file.
As she is sworn in, State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke decries violence and pledges new detention policy
Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke pledged to get “seismic things done” Monday morning as she took her oath of office in front of a bipartisan crowd, announcing a strict detention-seeking policy for some gun crimes and calling out what she said were “war zone numbers” of people shot in Chicago.
Mariyana Spyropoulos promises to modernize Cook County court clerk’s office
Quoting Greek philosophers and pledging to “drag the office into the modern age,” Mariyana Spyropoulos was ceremonially sworn into her new role as Cook County’s Circuit Court Clerk on Monday. The office of about 1,400 employees is the keeper of records for criminal, civil, juvenile and traffic courtrooms across the county. It has long been criticized as a patronage den that’s also difficult for the public to navigate.
Column: Thomas Brown’s top priority as Chicago Bears interim coach? ‘To unify this team’ amid chaos and division.
The mission for Thomas Brown, now that he has chosen to accept it, indeed seems impossible, writes Dan Wiederer.
With five games remaining in a sinking Chicago Bears season, Brown is suddenly at the helm of a damaged and wayward ship in stormy seas, trying to steer an exhausted football team to shore. Some shore. Any shore will do.
- 3 things we learned from the Bears, including Jaylon Johnson not backing down from postgame eruption
- ‘The most coveted job’ in the NFL: Bears GM Ryan Poles will be the ‘point person’ in head coaching search
Chicago Sky will start the 2025 WNBA season on the road against the Indiana Fever on May 17
The WNBA is coming off a record season with its most-watched regular season in 24 years and playoffs in 25 years. Fans were also flocking to games with the highest attendance in over two decades. Last season’s rookie class, led by the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese, was a big reason.
Elton John says he has lost his eyesight
Elton John says he struggled to watch his new musical because he has lost his eyesight after contracting an infection.
The singer-songwriter attended the opening night of “The Devil Wears Prada” in London on Sunday and told the audience that “I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews because, as you know, I have lost my eyesight.”
Top 10 movies of 2024: In a time of scoundrels, ‘Brutalist,’ ‘Challangers’ and the movie about the exotic dancer
The best films this year showed Tribune film critic Michael Phillips things he hadn’t seen, following familiar character dynamics into fresh territory. Some were more visually distinctive than others; all made eloquent cases for how, and where, their stories unfolded.
