Good morning, Chicago.
Some suburban voters are facing key decisions about hiking property taxes in the April 1 election, but if the past is precedent, “the few will decide for the many” again, according to a report from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ office.
Referendums for $45 million in infrastructure spending in Western Springs, $94.9 million in school upgrades in Northbrook, and for permission to go above state tax caps in the Northfield Park District, Prospect Heights and Roselle are on the ballot. And Pappas’ office has found a small number of voters — largely rich, white homeowners — tend to have the strongest turnout for these types of property tax votes.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s A.D. Quig.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including the vehicle recovered from the Fox River, differing expectations for the Cubs and Sox and nine bakeries, restaurants and more that our critics are raving about.
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Pope Francis’ doctors considered stopping treatment to ‘let him go’ after serious breathing crisis
Pope Francis’ medical team briefly considered suspending treatment after a Feb. 28 breathing crisis but instead decided on an aggressive course that put his organs at risk, the doctor coordinating the pope’s hospital care said in an interview published yesterday.
Andrew Boutros, a former fed and ‘go-getter’ on cusp of being named interim U.S. attorney in Chicago
Veteran Chicago lawyer and former federal prosecutor Andrew Boutros is expected to be appointed by the Trump administration to serve as interim U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, sources told the Tribune.
Boutros, 47, now the co-chair of the government investigations and white collar group at Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP in Chicago, was among those vetted for the White House by U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, a Peoria Republican, who conducted several rounds of interviews over the past month, several sources familiar with the process said.
Human remains found in car pulled from the Fox River belonging to Elgin woman missing since 1983
Human remains were found inside a car pulled from the Fox River that belonged to Karen Schepers, an Elgin woman who has been missing for nearly 42 years.
The identification process could take several weeks, Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley said.
Family of West Side man found dismembered shocked and confused as investigation continues
Roy Lipford had been looking forward to a visit with his brother Michael, a longtime West Sider, this spring. The family needed some positivity, he said, after Roy’s daughter died unexpectedly in February. He’d retired that same month and had been excited to return to Chicago, where he’d lived as a young adult and where Michael had spent most of his life.
Instead, Roy Lipford found himself in town last week to identify Michael’s remains.
In Chicago, US EPA workers protest Trump, say rollbacks will put ‘every American at risk’
A crowd of more than 100 people, including workers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, rallied outside its regional headquarters in downtown Chicago to protest regulatory rollbacks as well as funding and personnel cuts ordered by President Donald Trump.
While the administration says it is spearheading government efficiency, current federal employees and the 1,000 probationary workers across several agencies who were fired in February are speaking out against the reductions.
Illinois returns stolen land to Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
The Prairie Land Potawatomi Nation has reclaimed land in Illinois that was promised to the tribe’s leader 175 years ago but stolen by the federal government 20 years later.
A law signed by Gov. JB Pritzker last week transferred Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area in north-central Illinois.
Chicago Bears Q&A: Could GM Ryan Poles trade up to grab Abdul Carter? What about a safety or tight end at No. 10?
With the NFL draft less than a month away, questions about what the Chicago Bears might do with the No. 10 pick are flying around. Brad Biggs tackles those questions — and many other topics — in his latest Bears mailbag.
Column: End of spring training means new beginnings — and different expectations — for Cubs and White Sox
The truth about spring training for players, coaches, equipment managers and media alike is you can’t wait to get there and you can’t wait to leave, writes Paul Sullivan.
The freshness of a new beginning wears off after a week or so, and the monotony of spring training drills is in full bloom in the final week. Preparing for a 162-game baseball season is a long, meticulous process, made more complicated by the introduction of pitch labs, video analysis and generally micromanaging a team through better technology.
Curated secondhand shopping tours in New York City help move vintage fashion forward
“Step into the World of Iconic Style: A Private Tour of Vintage Fashion Archives” was recently launched by Shannon Hoey, owner of New York Vintage. Now, anyone can book an appointment to peruse this virtual museum of style; but unlike at a museum, visitors can touch the artifacts and even make TikTok videos of themselves modeling pieces worn by Rihanna, Cardi B, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé.
This rental-only showroom is a treasure trove for celebrities and their stylists in search of flamboyant pieces that bring drama to the stage, music videos and magazine covers.
‘The Studio’ review: A Hollywood satire that skewers the same old targets while ignoring the current reality
It took five people to conceive of “The Studio” — including Seth Rogen and frequent writing partner Evan Goldberg, along with Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory and Frida Perez — which is a lot of show creators considering the result is deeply unfunny and little more than a rehash of past Hollywood sendups, writes Tribune TV and film critic Nina Metz. But maybe that’s just emblematic of (gestures vaguely at everything).
Critic’s Choice Food Awards winners: 9 outstanding Chicago restaurants, bakeries and more
The winners of this year’s Critic’s Choice Food Awards include our picks for best barbecue — highlighting a Chicago spot that opened less than a year ago — a bakery that is a culmination of art, dance and creative expression and our pick for Outstanding Chicago Classic honors a spot that received both a coveted James Beard Award and saw a stream of customers after a visit from Anthony Bourdain.
