Good morning, Chicago.
Almost immediately after President Donald Trump was elected to a second term in November, Illinois Democrats began stressing the need to provide legislative protections against potential action by the White House on issues such as immigration and abortion.
“We’re going to be a check on Donald Trump. As a state, we have rights. And we did it in his first term and we’ll do it again,” House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a Democrat from Hillside, said shortly after the election. “But now that he’s been re-elected to a second term as president, there’s a lot of conversations that are happening. A ton.”
With six weeks left in the spring legislative session, lawmakers have a range of measures before them that backers say are necessary to protect Illinois’ progressive policies.
Read more on the proposals from the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including tributes to Pope Francis and what happens when a pope dies, a look at the most expensive zip codes in Chicago, and how the Cubs and White Sox are faring so far this season.
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Pope Francis dies at 88
Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humility and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives over climate change and critiques of capitalism, died today. He was 88.
Bells tolled in church towers across Rome after the announcement, which was read out by Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived.
Related:
- Global tributes pour in to honor Pope Francis after his death
- What are the Catholic Church’s rites after the death of a pope and the election of a new one?
- Key dates in the life of Pope Francis
Wisconsin governor can lock in 400-year school funding increase using a veto, court says
The Wisconsin governor’s creative use of his uniquely powerful veto to lock in a school funding increase for 400 years may be “attention grabbing,” but it was constitutional, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.
Capital One $35 billion purchase of Discover Financial gets regulatory approvals
The pending merger between Capital One and Discover Financial services received approval from several regulators Friday, bringing the $35 billion tie-up closer to completion.
The Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency signed off on the deal, which was first announced in February 2024.
With Cook County Jail’s population again on the rise, officials weigh the reasons
After a decline following statewide bail reform — and years of reductions prior to that — the county’s jail population has begun to tick up once again.
In an internal report obtained by the Tribune via a public records request, the Cook County sheriff’s office found that the average daily jail population has risen by about 12% in recent months, reaching its highest level in eight months at the end of March. The report also found sharp increases in detention for some charge types for which State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has implemented policy changes.
Many factors can influence the ebb and flow of the jail’s population, and experts pointed to a number of potential considerations when evaluating it, including arrest rates and judicial decision-making.
Illinois looks to rein in drug intermediaries over high costs, but legislation is unresolved and industry says the efforts are flawed
After years of outcry, Gov. JB Pritzker has thrown his support behind efforts to require pharmacy benefit managers to change how they do business in Illinois. Pritzker has called for legislation that would prevent PBMs from directing patients to pharmacies where they have a financial interest, bar them from pocketing certain savings on medications and require them to open their books to state regulators, among other changes.
Illinois allows kids as young as 10 to be put in detention. A bill before the state House could change that.
Illinois doesn’t allow children under 10 to be held in detention facilities. But last year, there were about a dozen admissions of children under 12 and more than 60 of children who were 12 years old, according to data from the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission.
Cases like those are the subject of a bill that was passed in the state Senate last week that, if approved by the House and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, would essentially ban the detention of kids 12 and under, with some exceptions for 12-year-olds accused of certain violent crimes.
The bill would do away with an option for youthful offenders that a report from the state’s Juvenile Justice Commission described as “potentially life-altering” and disproportionately detrimental to Black children.
These were the 10 priciest ZIP codes for Chicago homebuyers in 2024
Property values surged in almost every corner of the Windy City in 2024, with the citywide average increasing by more than $6,500 from the previous year.
Edgar Quero delivers a clutch 7th-inning, 2-run hit as the Chicago White Sox beat Boston to end a 6-game skid
The clutch hit put the White Sox ahead in an eventual 8-4 victory in front of 32,632 at Fenway Park. The White Sox snapped a six-game slide and earned their first road win of the season (1-8).
3 takeaways as the Chicago Cubs miss out on the series sweep again, falling in 11 innings to Arizona
The Cubs know their offense isn’t going to be lights-out all the time.
Manager Craig Counsell even said before yesterday’s game that teams can run into hot pitchers or go into a slump.
One game doesn’t qualify as a slump, but the Cubs were only able to scratch out four hits in a 3-2, 11-inning loss to Arizona in front of a Wrigley Field crowd of 29,062.
“It was just a quiet offensive day,” Counsell said. “We only had four hits, and one was a check swing hit and two were off the infielder’s glove.
Biblioracle: David Szalay’s novel ‘Flesh’ has an approach I wouldn’t have thought would work
Within the first 20 pages of David Szalay’s new novel, “Flesh,” I knew that I would be writing about the book, but I truthfully had no clue what I might have to say, writes John Warner.
Spring allergies are back. Here’s how to check pollen levels and keep from sneezing.
Allergy season can be miserable for tens of millions of Americans when trees, grass, and other pollens cause runny noses, itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing.
Where you live, what you’re allergic to and your lifestyle can make a big difference when it comes to the severity of your allergies. Experts say climate change is leading to longer and more intense allergy seasons, but also point out that treatments for seasonal allergies have become more effective over the last decade.
Here are some tips from experts to keep allergy symptoms at bay — maybe even enough to allow you to enjoy the outdoors.
Take care when planting for a healthy tree
What’s the most important step in planting a tree or shrub? Thinking it through first.
“How a tree is planted makes a huge difference in how healthy it will be and how long it is likely to live,” said Spencer Campbell, Plant Clinic manager at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. “Making sure you know how to do it properly can prevent many problems years later.”
Here are some tips from the Plant Clinic for planting trees and shrubs.
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