Happy March, quotes readers! It was a busy news week, so let’s get right into it.
More tariffs are coming. President Donald Trump announced plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico and double China’s existing tariff starting Tuesday. The president also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine, but the meeting was cut short after a tense back-and-forth between the two leaders. Though the U.S.’ relationship with Ukraine may be on the rocks, the Trump administration is doubling down on its commitment to Israel, approving a nearly $3 billion arms sale to the country.
The shake-up in the federal government is being felt here in Illinois. Gov. JB Pritzker and other prominent state politicians signed a letter pressuring the White House to release $1.88 billion in federal funding they say is being improperly held up, while numerous local organizations received notices this week that their grants funded by foreign assistance programs were cut.
Down at City Hall, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is working to persuade the school board to make a $175 million pension payment that is needed to avert a deficit and the Department of Transportation is installing 50 speed cameras to ticket drivers in an effort to balance the budget. The City Council also narrowly passed the mayor’s $830 million infrastructure bond plan on Wednesday.
A Plainfield landlord was convicted Friday on murder and hate crime charges in the stabbing of Wadee Alfayoumi, the 6-year-old Palestinian American boy killed in October 2023. The jury also found Joseph Czuba guilty of attempted murder of the boy’s mother and two counts of aggravated battery.
In other news from across Chicagoland, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick announced Thursday he will seek the Republican nomination for Illinois governor in 2026, Dolton Trustee Jason House declared victory over embattled Mayor Tiffany Henyard in the city’s Democratic mayoral primary, and a jury has been seated for the trial of Robert Crimo III, the man accused of killing seven people in the 2022 Highland Park mass shooting.
Plus, a measles outbreak in Texas has infected at least 146 people, the Pope remains hospitalized for double pneumonia and Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, his wife and one of their dogs were found dead at their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home this week. Authorities have called the deaths “suspicious” and are conducting a “thorough search and investigation.”
Awards season comes to a close this weekend with the Oscars on Sunday. After some unexpected wins earlier this week at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (“Conclave” took home the top prize for best ensemble and Timothée Chalamet won best actor) the race for best picture, best actor, best actress and other top awards appears wide open. Who will win? Tune in this Sunday, March 2, at 6 p.m. Central.
That’s it for this week! Here’s the latest installment of the Tribune’s Quotes of the Week quiz from Feb. 23 to March 1.
Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.