Good morning, Chicago.
Under a blazing sun, dozens of skiers and snowboarders last week whizzed down a hill just north of the Illinois state line. Despite the blinding white of the slopes, most trails on Wilmot Mountain are typically replenished with artificial snow, which ski locations across the globe are increasingly relying on as pollution from burning fossil fuels changes the climate, increases average global temperatures and shortens winters.
And as lovers of winter sports from around the world prepare to watch one of the most popular sporting events kick off Friday, organizers for the Winter Olympics are also racing to adapt to the new reality.
Unseasonably warm winter temperatures in northern Italy — an average rise of 6.4 degrees Fahrenheit since it hosted the Winter Games in 1956 — and a reduced snowpack will require 2 million cubic yards of artificial snow to ensure consistent conditions for athletes. New snowmaking systems have been installed in Bormio for Alpine ski racing and ski mountaineering, and in Livigno for freestyle skiing and snowboarding events, according to The Associated Press.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Adriana Pérez.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: what stricter ballast rules on freighters will mean for the Great Lakes, what happened at SoxFest Live and who won big at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
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Gov. JB Pritzker throws Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton a $5 million lifeline for her US Senate bid
Gov. JB Pritzker threw his two-term former running mate a $5 million political lifeline, largely bankrolling a political action committee aimed at helping Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton win the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, recent federal campaign finance documents show.
Still reeling from Operation Midway Blitz, Chicago casts wary eye toward Minneapolis
Like many Chicago-area residents, Katie Bunt watched in horror as federal agents conducted Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, and did what she could to push back on the immigration raids as they swept through the city and suburbs.
She hadn’t anticipated that immigration enforcement eventually would escalate further than it did here.
“Every big action ICE and DHS are taking is a clue to the next place that it could be worse,” Bunt said. “I did not expect it to be worse in another city.”
‘Oh god, what do we even do?’: Family of Linda Brown to launch missing person advocacy program
Jen Rivera was used to chasing open cases. For years, the southwest suburban mother of four has poured herself into true crime investigative podcasting, working directly with families to shed new light on their stories in the hopes that renewed attention would yield closure.
But when Rivera’s aunt Linda Brown went missing last month, she couldn’t wrap her head around her family having a case of their own.
Stricter ballast rules on freighters demanded to protect Great Lakes from invasive species
To prevent further spread of potentially catastrophic invasive species in the Great Lakes, the Canadian government is moving forward with tighter restrictions on all freighters. But standards finalized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2024, meanwhile, apply only to a fraction of the lake-going vessels.
Voting is open for Chicago’s ‘You Name a Snowplow’ contest
Recent cold spells have put Chicago’s snowplows to work, and soon, they’ll be on the streets outfitted with new nameplates. Voting is now open for the city’s fourth annual “You Name a Snowplow” contest.
‘The patriarch of Black radio’: Pioneering host Jack Cooper modeled success as broadcaster, businessman
On a Sunday night in November 1929, a tinny, static-clad voice spat out from a low-voltage AM broadcast tower on Chicago’s South Side.
The voice belonged to Jack L. Cooper, a former Chicago Defender columnist, former boxer, former semi-pro baseball player, vaudevillian, singer, dancer, actor, playwright — and, by some accounts, ventriloquist. The words announced a new “All-Negro Hour,” featuring comedy, music, news, drama, sports and commentary by Black performers for a Black audience.
It was the birth of Black radio.
3 takeaways from SoxFest Live, including the team’s most intriguing competition and Kyle Teel’s WBC team
Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel appeared in 78 games as a rookie in 2025 with the White Sox, slashing .273/.375/.411 with 11 doubles, eight home runs and 35 RBIs. He’s looking at the WBC as another opportunity to keep growing.
Here are three more takeaways from the weekend with the completion of SoxFest Live.
- Column: A spark is kindled at SoxFest — and White Sox players agree it’s time to believe
- White Sox trade for ‘high-octane arms’ — pitchers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin from Boston
Noted author George Saunders is shown in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago on Jan. 9, 2013.
George Saunders comes home to talk about his new book ‘Vigils’: ‘I could never not be a South Side of Chicago guy’
George Saunders stood listening for an encouraging word to crackle in the receiver of a payphone on Stony Island Avenue. It was 1984, decades before his ascension to the literary heights of bestselling books, national awards and presidential interviews. He was working as a roofer and dialing from a public phone once a week to the Field Museum, looking for a career change of sorts. If they hired him as a security guard, he thought, maybe he could work his way up to curator.
Saunders will return to Chicago on Feb. 9 to promote his new book “Vigil,” his fourth novel and the latest addition to a body of work boasting dozens of short stories, essays, reportage and one children’s book. The Chicago Humanities will host the event at Francis W. Parker School in Lincoln Park.
Homewood’s Maple Tree Inn faced a fire and three location changes. Last year, it celebrated 50 years.
Maple Tree Inn in Homewood celebrated a huge milestone in 2025 that many restaurants don’t reach: 50 years in business.
The restaurant serves Cajun/Creole staples such as shrimp and grits and chicken, sausage and seafood jambalaya.
But for current owners Katie and Erich Wennberg, the Maple Tree Inn is more than a restaurant; it’s their life.
Bad Bunny wins album of the year at the 2026 Grammy Awards, a first for a Spanish-language album
Bad Bunny won album of the year at the 2026 Grammy Awards for his critically-acclaimed “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” closing out a surprising and history-making night. It is the first time a Spanish-language album has taken home the top prize.