Good morning, Chicago.
A small but focused crowd is expected tonight on the South Side to see if the Chicago White Sox can avoid making major-league history.
Wearing black is optional.
Rookie Jonathan Cannon, who has done a respectable job since joining the rotation, takes the mound against the Los Angeles Angels in what should be a strange, playoff-type atmosphere between two last-place teams playing out the string.
On one hand, most Sox fans coming out want their team to win. On the other, who doesn’t want to say they witnessed history?
A White Sox loss would give them 121 for the season, breaking the 62-year-old record set by the 1962 New York Mets, an expansion team set up to lose. A Sox win gives them a chance to do it all over again on Wednesday night, and Thursday in the home finale if they win the first two games. The Sox must go 6-0 the rest of the way to finish tied with the Mets.
Read the full column from the Tribune’s Paul Sullivan.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
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US is sending more troops to the Middle East as violence rises between Israel and Hezbollah
The U.S. is sending a small number of additional troops to the Middle East in response to a sharp spike in violence between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon that has raised the risk of a greater regional war, the Pentagon said Monday.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Chicago to push for abortion rights, Democratic votes
Pelosi stressed the importance of the November election during an appearance at an abortion rights event in Chicago on Monday.
“Winning is a decision. Mobilize, message, money — no regrets the day after the election,” the California Democrat told several hundred people at a luncheon fundraiser at the Hilton Chicago put on by Personal PAC, a political advocacy group for abortion access in the Midwest.
CTU announces ‘no confidence’ in CPS CEO Pedro Martinez
CTU’s announcement comes amid ongoing collective bargaining negotiations and debate over whether the Chicago Board of Education, whose members have the sole power to terminate Martinez, should buck the union’s desires and former CTU organizer Mayor Brandon Johnson — in favor of stability in district finances and leadership.
Residents concerned over discontinuation of ShotSpotter: ‘How will the police know where all the shootings are?’
Claudia Rodriguez said shootings are so frequent in her Chicago Lawn neighborhood that the sound of gunshots doesn’t surprise her. Despite the constant fear she and her children live in every day, she found some security in knowing that technology helped police respond to shootings fast, she said.
But on Monday morning, for the first time in years, a shooting near the hair salon where she works wasn’t picked up by the gunshot detection system known as ShotSpotter, a controversial mechanism Mayor Brandon Johnson has criticized as inaccurate and too expensive.
Mars Wrigley selects developer for its historic candy factory on Northwest Side
Mars Wrigley has chosen a commercial developer to reconstruct its historic factory site on the Northwest Side, the nearly century-old birthplace of the Snickers and Three Musketeers candy bars.
Court filings: Former Portage mayor says no to new trial while feds ask for one
Former Portage Mayor James Snyder and federal prosecutors agree on one point — in light of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning his bribery conviction involving the purchase of garbage trucks, his case should be remanded back to U.S. District Court in Hammond, where a jury convicted him during two separate trials.
From there, not surprisingly, the two sides diverge. Per his filing, Snyder rejects the government’s argument that he could have been convicted of either bribery or soliciting a gratuity and said there’s no legal basis for a retrial without a re-indictment. Federal prosecutors argue a new trial is the next step since a jury already convicted him.
To fend off potential state takeover, Evanston/Skokie District 65 may close schools, lay off staff
Administrators from Evanston/Skokie School District 65 announced that the district will implement a deficit reduction plan that will likely include layoffs, school closures, audits, and potential bus route decreases to avoid being taken over by the state.
Chicago Bears offense begins its clean-up process after Sunday’s ‘should win’ game became a reality-check loss
A day later, Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet was still agitated, still bothered he hadn’t handled his pass protection duties with more polish. Less than 7 minutes remained Sunday in Indianapolis and Kmet and the Bears had taken over possession for a potential go-ahead fourth-quarter drive.
But that series ended as quickly as it began — with Kmet getting beat around the edge by Colts edge rusher Laiatu Latu, who swiped the football out of quarterback Caleb Williams’ right hand.
Will the Chicago Sky re-sign Chennedy Carter? Who are potential free-agent targets? What to know for the WNBA offseason.
Even though the Sky finished in 10th place at 13-27 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018, the 2024 season was ultimately a success for the franchise. The Sky drafted two top talents in rookies Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, recouped most of the draft capital squandered by former coach/GM James Wade and strengthened the foundation of a multiyear rebuild.
But that type of success relies on future moves. Now Pagliocca and the Sky front office enter a crucial offseason featuring a deep free-agent market and two important draft selections. Here’s what to know about the next six months for the Sky.
Comedian Moshe Kasher performs during the 2017 Bonnaroo Arts and Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. (FilmMagic/Getty)
Whereya from? Whaddaya do for a living? Comic Moshe Kasher and the art of crowd work
Kasher has perfected one of the most controversial aspects of contemporary stand-up comedy: Crowd work. In Chicago, we call this improvisation. We claim it as a local export. Stand-up comedy, though, has long held a love/hate with audience banter. Not Kasher.
