Good morning, Chicago.
Chicago Public Schools hired a financial advisory firm to provide an outside opinion on the district’s economic challenges as CPS faces daunting financial choices prioritized by Mayor Brandon Johnson, according to several sources close to the board.
The effort to hire Baker Tilly was led by new school board President Sean Harden, who was picked for the post by Johnson, and is a sign that CPS may be looking for solutions to pay the costs of a new teachers contract and a $175 million pension payment for nonteacher staff, the sources said. The mayor, who is closely aligned with the Chicago Teachers Union, has been trying for months to get CPS to take on the $175 million payment despite campaigning against it during his mayoral run in 2023.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Nell Salzman and Ikram Mohamed.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
Today’s eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History
Judge clears way for Trump’s plan to downsize federal workforce with deferred resignation program
A federal judge yesterday cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s plan to downsize the federal workforce with a deferred resignation program.
No sweep for either side, but Madigan jury’s split verdict still offers ‘historic’ corruption conviction
In a verdict sure to reverberate across the political landscape, a jury found ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan, once the most powerful politician in the state, guilty of bribery conspiracy and other corruption charges alleging he used his public office to increase his power, line his own pockets and enrich a small circle of his most loyal associates.
But neither prosecutors nor Madigan could declare total victory. Jurors’ final verdict was overall mixed, deadlocking on several counts — including the marquee racketeering conspiracy charge — and acquitting Madigan on numerous others.
- Democrats try to move on after ex-Speaker Michael Madigan’s conviction as GOP calls for greater state ethics reforms
- ‘Wow, we were part of something really big’: Madigan jurors on how they reached their verdict
NTSB Yellow Line crash report finds CTA disabled a braking feature, contributing to collision
A federal investigation into a CTA Yellow Line crash has found the transit agency disabled one automatic braking feature on the popular model of railcar involved, contributing to the 2023 collision.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s final report on the crash, dated the end of January, determined other factors also contributed to the crash, including the need to suddenly slow the train from the speed limit of 55 miles per hour to a complete stop. So did the presence of crushed leaves and plants, which made the rails slippery and likely worsened sliding of the train wheels, the NTSB found.
Chicago Stock Exchange successor to be reincorporated in Texas
The New York Stock Exchange announced plans for the reincorporation of its Chicago arm in North Texas.
NYSE Chicago, founded in 1882 as the Chicago Stock Exchange, is supposed to be renamed NYSE Texas. The fully electronic equities exchange will be headquartered in Dallas, pending regulatory filings.
$10M settlement approved in downstate police shooting of Sonya Massey
The family of a woman fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy outside Springfield last year that sparked protests around the nation will receive $10 million in a settlement approved by the Sangamon County Board.
Sonya Massey was fatally shot July 6 by Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson during a confrontation inside her home.
Chicago Sports Network and Wind Creek sponsorship deal teams new TV network and casino
There’s still no deal with Comcast, but the Chicago Sports Network announced a major marketing agreement yesterday with the recently opened Wind Creek casino that could be a game-changer for both fledgling ventures.
Will Venable reflects on 1st day of camp as Chicago White Sox manager
The Chicago White Sox officially opened camp yesterday with Will Venable getting a feel for his new role as pitchers and catchers reported for spring training.
- Column: White Sox return to Camelback Ranch in the age-old tale of the haves and have-nots
- Sign up for our White Sox Insider newsletter
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki likely starters for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is likely to start for the Los Angeles Dodgers when they open the season against Chicago Cubs in Tokyo on March 18 and Roki Sasaki could make his major-league debut the next day.
The two Japanese pitchers and two-way star Shohei Ohtani will be the main attraction for Japanese fans during the two-game Tokyo Series. The Cubs have Japanese players Shota Imanaga, who is slated to get a start in Tokyo, and Seiya Suzuki.
- Ryan Pressly reunites with a familiar face at Cubs camp, while Dansby Swanson is ‘good to go’ after surgery
- Sign up for our Cubs newsletter
Review: In ‘Captain America: Brave New World,’ a new Captain copes with a reckless president
“Brave New World” may be more human-scaled than most, but in terms of kinetic filmmaking technique, it rarely rises above the usual, punishing visual/digital noise, writes Tribune film critic Michael Phillips.
Column: 50 years of ‘Saturday Night Live,’ half fascinating, half underwhelming
If it felt like “Saturday Night Live” took to the airwaves in 1975 with a renegade spirit, 50 years later it’s become not only a late-night tradition, but traditional. Hitting the half-century mark is a milestone. But a show doesn’t stick around that long because it’s willing to experiment or step on toes, but because it is fully embraced by the establishment.
That’s the likely unintended subtext throughout the various behind-the-scenes documentaries produced by NBC ahead of the show’s 50th anniversary special airing Sunday. These are in-house projects that stay on-message — warm and laudatory — but they are not without their fascinating moments, writes Tribune TV and film critic Nina Metz.
