Good morning, Chicago.
Illinois lawmakers in the closing hours of the General Assembly’s spring session last month became the first in the nation to ban banks and credit card companies from charging retailers a seemingly small fee on sales taxes and tips.
But since Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the ban into law, financial institutions that opposed the measure have ratcheted up their opposition and amplified their rhetoric, saying the move isn’t just bad for them but will also cause headaches for consumers.
Just last week a trade association representing credit card companies and banks began running online ads in Illinois declaring the ban “MAY FORCE YOU TO PAY FOR PARTS OF PURCHASE IN CASH,” and print ads saying, “Tipping on your credit card is closed to Illinoisans.”
While some supporters — which include many Democrats and Illinois’ main association for retailers — say those claims are hyperbolic, the new law is setting up what could be a yearslong fight between the state and financial institutions that argue the overhaul is not only a bad idea but is unrealistic because it calls for implementation in a little more than a year.
At issue are fees charged to retailers, restaurants and other businesses when they accept credit or debit card payments.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Olivia Olander.
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Humbled political titan Edward Burke sentenced to 2 years in prison in corruption case; judge fines ex-alderman $2 million
By the time former Chicago Ald. Edward Burke ambled up to the courtroom lectern at the end of a nearly six-hour sentencing hearing Monday, he looked and sounded little like the Democratic powerhouse who had sermonized in the City Council for decades and was caught on an FBI wire talking about making the cash register ring.
Instead, Burke looked every bit of his 80 years, a deposed politician with silver, thinning hair, in a dark suit and pocket square, striking a humbled tone.
Moments later, U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall sentenced Burke, the former chairman of the city’s Finance Committee and one of the last vestiges of the old Chicago political machine, to two years in federal prison in a corruption case that rocked city politics and ended his storied and controversial six-decade career.
- Timeline: Ed Burke, once Chicago’s longest-serving alderman, sentenced to 2 years in federal prison
- Ed Burke through the eyes of editorial cartoonist Scott Stantis
City Council members react to Ed Burke sentencing
Joining Chicago’s long list of disgraced council members should taint Burke’s reputation, alongside his role leading white aldermen in the “Council Wars” of the 1980s that saw Chicago’s City Council split along racial lines when Mayor Harold Washington governed, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th said.
Still, for some aldermen who long served with Burke, seeing the old colleague be sent away is painful.
It’s not your imagination. Chicago traffic has gotten worse since the pandemic, report finds.
Chicago is one of the most congested cities in the country, ranking second only to New York City last year for the severity of traffic, a recently released annual study found.
The region also had one of the biggest jumps in traffic congestion in 2023 compared with pre-pandemic, according to the new report from mobility analytics firm Inrix, made public today. Traffic was up 18% over 2019 levels, tying for the highest growth among the cities studied.
Boy, 16, charged with murder in shooting of retired Chicago police bomb technician
A 16-year-old boy turned himself in and was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of retired Chicago police Officer Larry Neuman, police announced Monday.
Authorities said they were still searching for a second suspect in Neuman’s slaying Thursday morning near his home in Garfield Park. The boy, whose name wasn’t released Monday, was charged as an adult with first-degree murder and is set to appear in court today, the Chicago Police Department said.
Chicago school board candidates tops off at 47 candidates across 10 districts
The Chicago Board of Education currently comprises seven board members appointed by the mayor. But earlier this year, state legislators settled on the formal transition from the current seven-member appointed board to the new, hybrid elected model.
World War II veteran from Burbank celebrates 100th birthday
When asked about his secret to living so long, he said simply “the man upstairs.” Lawrence Szydlowski still lives in the house he has owned for 68 years and spends time with his three children, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Along with potential divine intervention, the veteran said he believes his consistent positive attitude and spirited nature support his health.
Northwestern University celebrates groundbreaking at Ryan Field
Demolition of the former 98-year-old stadium wrapped in early June and construction has since begun with plans to be completed by the 2026 football season. Construction manager Greg Cuttell said the project is on schedule and is building down before vertical and stadium footprint work begins.
Sky rookie Angel Reese is on track to be a WNBA All-Star — and she’s chasing a Candace Parker record on the way
Accolades are piling up for Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese six weeks into her WNBA career.
Reese is on track to be voted onto the league’s All-Star team, on which she might join top players such as Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Arike Ogunbowale. And along the way, she also could break multiple WNBA records — including a double-double milestone set by Candace Parker.
As Cubs rookie Michael Busch locks in at the plate, his defense at 1st base continues to improve
Michael Busch knew his chase rate and lack of walks were an unsustainable combination.
The electric beginning to Busch’s Chicago Cubs career featured an 11-game stretch in early April when the 26-year-old rookie clubbed three doubles and six home runs. The lefty slugger cooled off over the next month, though, posting a .170/.259/.277 slash line with 10 walks and 43 strikeouts in 108 plate appearances.
From a Steppenwolf play to a violin shop, writer Cormac McCarthy’s memory lives on in Chicago
Cormac McCarthy’s legend lingers here. A job in a Southwest Side auto-parts warehouse, the University of Chicago, Steppenwolf, even Oprah Winfrey — all are connected to the prolific writer’s body of work in some way.
New documentary ‘Outrage’ covers the early days of AIDS and the story of Danny Sotomayor
The film is a thoughtful trip back in time that shows how Chicago AIDS activist Danny Sotomayor’s life would echo into the future. It makes great use of its interview subjects, such as Sotomayor’s older brother David, longtime activist Rich Garcia and journalist Tracy Baim. Sotomayor is seen and heard in newly unearthed interviews.
Review: In compelling ‘Little Bear Ridge Road’ at Steppenwolf Theatre, Laurie Metcalf meets her match
Tribune theater critic Chris Jones can’t overstate how good it is to see Laurie Metcalf, a consummate Chicago-style actor, back in the city that made her famous because it fell in love with her honesty.
