Good morning, Chicago.
Before Jonathan Jackson entered Congress in 2023, a construction company he owned received nearly $750,000 through Gov. JB Pritzker’s landmark Rebuild Illinois infrastructure program, even though records show the company had scant experience and initially lacked the certification it needed to acquire state funds as a minority business.
The payments to Jackson’s 3 I Roadwork Inc. began in the year after he endorsed Pritzker’s first bid for governor in 2018. That endorsement came months after Pritzker’s campaign quietly hired Jackson as a $13,000-per-month political consultant.
The revelations about the state work and the political connections illustrate closer ties between the two Democrats than previously understood and as they both seek third terms next year — and as Pritzker’s name circulates as a potential candidate for president in 2028.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including how a garden store worker became part of the “Broadview Six,” how the Bears clinched their first playoff spot since 2020 and what to know as shake-ups at a classical station continue with the exit of a longtime host.
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How a garden store worker became part of the ‘Broadview Six’
Joselyn Walsh was working from her Pilsen home last month when her phone began to ring. It was a special agent from the FBI, the caller said, and they needed to speak with her. Unfamiliar with the number, the 31-year-old part-time researcher, part-time garden store worker dismissed the call as spam. But then her cell sounded again. This time, Walsh googled the 10 digits flashing up at her. Sure enough, it was the FBI headquarters in Chicago. And they had a warrant out for her arrest.
Walsh is among six protesters facing federal conspiracy charges in one of the most high-profile cases to emerge from Operation Midway Blitz, the Trump administration’s mass deportation mission in Chicago this fall.
CPD recovering a steady number of ‘ghost guns’ despite legislation meant to curb them
“Privately made firearms” are now the sixth most common make of gun recovered by CPD, topped only by familiar brands such as Glock, Taurus, Smith & Wesson, Sturm & Ruger and Springfield. Data from CPD show the department logs, on average, one gun recovery every seven hours throughout the year.
Ghost guns have been recovered all over Chicago, but more than 10% of them were recovered in the Englewood (7th) District on the South Side this year, the most of any patrol district.
Cook County property tax troubles trigger school district losses, reform demands
The due date for property tax bills has come and gone, but Cook County officials remain under siege. On one side, a group of pastors are pressing the assessor, members of the Board of Review and the treasurer to unwind this year’s bills for South and West siders and cap future bill increases. On the other side, suburban school districts are begging to receive their share of property tax revenues to make payroll.
Caught in the middle are leaders — most of whom face reelection in less than 90 days — with only limited capacity to address their claims.
Aldermen pass 2026 budget in historic revolt against Mayor Brandon Johnson
Aldermen passed the final part of a counterproposal to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 budget on Saturday, in a historic meeting that redraws the political lines at City Hall and further imperils his progressive agenda.
The consequential day was punctuated by hours of floor speeches with the usual finger-pointing and grandstanding between the council’s ever-deepening factions, before a final 30-18 vote on the remainder of a $16.6 billion budget for next year that Johnson has failed to stop. The revenue package of that plan passed in a 29-19 vote a day earlier.
Chicago’s Fourth Annual ‘You Name a Snowplow’ contest commences
If you’ve been searching for opportunities to use your snow puns — look no further. Chicago’s Fourth Annual ‘You Name a Snowplow” contest is back.
CPS finds buyers for 3 closed schools, but repurposing remains a challenge
The low-slung building shows few signs of life: Ivy branches snake up the exterior walls, weaving through cracked brick and boarded-up windows. Its marquee sign reads like an epitaph, with faded block letters: “John G. Shedd Elementary School. A great place to learn!”
Chicago Bears fans celebrate winning season as team considers move to Indiana: ‘They need to stay in Illinois’
Crossing the line. That’s what the Bears are considering amid growing concerns that Illinois lawmakers will not approve the financial incentives needed to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights and look at northwest Indiana as a possible new home.
“They need to stay in Illinois,” said Tony Huette, of Moline, as he tailgated with Charlie McGuire in the Waldron parking lot next to Soldier Field on Saturday before the Chicago Bears’ 22-16 overtime win against the Green Bay Packers.
Chicago Bears clinch their 1st playoff spot since 2020
The Bears clinched a playoff spot yesterday thanks to the Detroit Lions’ 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The combination of a Bears Week 16 win — in epic fashion thanks, to DJ Moore’s overtime touchdown — against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night and a Lions loss yesterday was enough for the Bears to lock up their spot in the postseason.
- Improbable win puts Bears in control of the NFC North: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on Week 16
- Undrafted Jahdae Walker grabs game-tying TD for the Bears: ‘We put that in our rookie’s hands’
Shake-ups at classical station continue with exit of longtime WFMT host
On Dec. 10, classical station 98.7 WFMT announced that Peter van de Graaff would take over its long-running program “Exploring Music” from its founding host, the conductor and composer Bill McGlaughlin, next year.
McGlaughlin worked for the station on yearly contracts since he was hired to host “Exploring Music” in 2003. Both a WFMT spokesperson and McGlaughlin confirmed that his present contract expires on Dec. 31.
Amid tariffs and immigration fear, Saucy Porka’s South Loop location closes after chef was stabbed
The decision to close one of Saucy Porka’s locations was a tough one for Amy Le to make. After over a decade in the South Loop, Le, the founder and owner of the Asian and Latino cuisine restaurant, shut down that location on Dec. 15 after a difficult year.
In October, the restaurant’s beloved Chef M was beaten up by three men on his way home from a late shift. He was stabbed in his stomach five times and in his back three times, and a nerve in his right hand was sliced, leaving him unable to cook.