Good morning, Chicago.
An early-season storm is expected to lead to chaotic and dangerous travel conditions for rush hour this morning across the Chicago area — offering residents a quick taste of what’s to come this winter with a forecast of larger snowfall totals than in recent years.
The conditions are “definitely not normal” for this early in the season, said Gino Izzi, senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Chicago.
“It’s not really common that we get snowfall rates like we’re expecting with the lake-effect snow band,” Izzi said. “It’s pretty unusual. It sometimes happens once a year, once every two or three years.”
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Adriana Pérez and Laura Turbay.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: why scrappy entrepreneurs are setting up shop in the Loop, Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Bears’ Week 10 win, and which New Year’s Eve show will broadcast live from downtown Chicago this year.
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Government shutdown cancels 400 O’Hare flights and delays 1,000 ahead of snowstorm and more disruptions
As a Federal Aviation Administration emergency order to cut flights because of the government shutdown entered its third day yesterday, travel was further disrupted at O’Hare International Airport, with over 400 flight cancellations and over 1,150 delays by early evening.
Supreme Court’s deliberate review of Donald Trump’s Illinois National Guard plan signals a cautious approach
President Donald Trump has been able to depend on the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority to uphold his unprecedented broad use of executive power. But when it comes to sending the National Guard into Illinois, there are signs a Trump victory might not be a slam dunk.
Unlike in many of the administration’s other high-profile legal battles, the high court has moved cautiously on the Illinois dispute. The justices have given lawyers until today — two weeks after issuing their October order — to file additional briefs, a sharp contrast to the three-day turnaround the court allowed when the case first landed on its docket.
Pepper-sprayed Berwyn family rattled after getting caught up in federal blitz
Rafael Veraza and Evelin Herrera were headed to Sam’s Club in Cicero with their 1-year-old daughter Saturday for diapers, eggs, milk and other groceries, when they heard car horns and helicopters. Just across the city line, federal agents were descending on Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
Inside Chicago’s growing resistance movement against Operation Midway Blitz: ‘Small acts have huge consequences’
For the past two months of President Donald Trump’s so-called Operation Midway Blitz, federal agents have engaged in a norm-defying assault on the Chicago area. In Little Village, restaurant doors have remained locked and business along 26th Street has slowed.
The resistance born there, though, has spread. A movement that began in Chicago’s Latino enclaves has arrived in neighborhoods everywhere, breaking through segregation and boundaries long defined by race and socioeconomic status. A city known for its resilience and a take-no-nonsense attitude has found another reason to unite.
High stakes for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s progressive agenda in head tax push
An impassioned Mayor Brandon Johnson was in his element as he tailored his pitch to reinstate Chicago’s corporate head tax during a recent West Englewood town hall.
“There’s a reason why more of our people have left this city than any other group,” Johnson told a mostly Black audience at the Nov. 1 town hall organized by his supporters. “We ought to demand the ultrarich do more, so that we can get more.”
Energy bill gives Illinois regulators new power over rates, how electricity is generated
As Illinois lawmakers finished their work for 2025, they began backing away from their four-year-old pledge that the state would produce electricity only from carbon-free sources by 2045.
Scrappy entrepreneurs are setting up cafes, coffee bars and stores in the Loop. ‘A recovery has started.’
A group of scrappy entrepreneurs is taking advantage of the Loop’s slow but steady recovery, opening dozens of new downtown restaurants and stores this year.
Farewell, and thank you: A Tribune writer takes his leave after 50 years of witnessing history
Ron Grossman was asked to introduce himself and say farewell in 1,300 words.
“Ron Grossman was born during the Great Depression, wasn’t very athletic, and is Jewish.”
Chicago Bears keep finding a way to finish: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Week 10 win
It’s becoming a bit of a challenge for Ben Johnson to come up with fresh remarks for his players in the wake of a series of dramatic wins.
That’s because the Bears, a team that for a few years had routinely found new and inventive ways to lose, are now winning games with clutch performances in key moments.
- Week 10 recap: Caleb Williams rallies Bears past New York Giants 24-20, their 6th win in 7 games
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s redemption story continues with 2 sacks and a forced fumble in Bears win
‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ will broadcast live from downtown Chicago this year
Chicago will join Times Square on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” this year, with Chicago’s New Year’s Eve celebrations televised for the first time on the ABC broadcast.
Former Bears player Israel Idonije tackles a new challenge: Restaurants in his South Loop neighborhood
Spend any time in Chicago’s South Loop and you can’t help but notice its charms — from world-class museums and historic buildings to its proximity to lakefront beaches and parks. The one thing missing? A variety of great places to eat, drink and hang out. That’s the opinion of former Bears defensive end Israel Idonije, who has lived in the South Loop — or SoLo, as he likes to call it — since 2014.
