Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and with it pie-baking, turkey-basting and wishbone-breaking. If you’re still figuring out your plans for Turkey Day, check out our guide for where to get ready-made meals, desserts and the perfect wine pairings to boot. But before you start dreaming about turkeys and pies and football (oh my!), let’s get into the news.
On Tuesday, Congress passed a bill to compel the Justice Department to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein, and on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump signed it. The Justice Department now has 30 days to produce its case files on the convicted sex offender. Plus, Tom Pritzker, the billionaire Hyatt Hotels magnate and cousin of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, was repeatedly named in documents released last week by the Epstein estate, including emails between the two men from long after the late financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor in 2008.
Democrats and Republicans in Washington also came together to vote on a resolution criticizing U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García for announcing his retirement at the last minute and clearing the way for his hand-picked successor to take office. Meanwhile at the City Hall-County Building, the Cook County Board swiftly approved its $10.12 billion 2026 budget, while the Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee voted down Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget — which included a controversial corporate head tax.
A Chicago man is facing a federal terrorism charge for allegedly dousing a 26-year-old woman with gasoline and lighting her on fire in a seemingly unprovoked attack on a Blue Line train Monday night. The 50-year-old man charged in the attack is also suspected to have started a fire at City Hall last Friday and has been ordered detained while awaiting trial. Seeking to quell any concerns about safety on public transit, Mayor Johnson said that the act of violence was not “some sort of trend,” though blamed the criminal justice system, noting the suspect’s long history of felony charges.
Immigration enforcement efforts appear to be somewhat slowing down in Chicago, as Border Patrol moves its agents and operations to other Democratic-run cities such as New Orleans and Charlotte, North Carolina. Still, the courts have been busy working through a slew of cases. A judge dismissed the charges against a woman shot by Border Patrol in Brighton Park, a federal appeals court temporarily halted the release of hundreds of Operation Midway Blitz detainees and a federal judge issued a 233-page written ruling on the use of force by immigration agents in and around Chicago. That ruling, however, was stayed Wednesday by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which called it “overbroad” and said it improperly targets virtually the entire executive branch.
Pope Leo XIV also spoke out this week against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, backing U.S. bishops who condemned the mass deportation of migrants and sharing his concerns about enforcement actions in Chicago with Gov. Pritzker during his visit to Rome. But Pritzker wasn’t the only one granted an audience with the pontiff this week. Justin Ishbia, the future owner of the Chicago White Sox, met with the pope at the Vatican on Wednesday, inviting the world’s most prominent Sox fan to throw out the first pitch at the team’s future ballpark and gifting him an autographed 2005 World Series jersey.
The Chicago Bears also appear to have been blessed by His Holiness. The team won yet another nail-biter this week, with a 48-yard field goal by Cairo Santos as time expired pushing Chicago to a 19-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The Bears are now first in the NFC North with a 7-3 record, but will the team’s spate of lucky, last-minute wins continue? The Bears take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Soldier Field — looking to extend their three-game winning streak and keep their division lead.
In other Chicago sports news, the Blackhawks secured their 10th win of the season Tuesday after Connor Bedard scored his second career hat trick. Unfortunately, the success did not last as the Hawks suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday. The University of Illinois men’s basketball team didn’t fare much better in their game at the United Center. The No. 8 Illini were defeated by No. 11 Alabama 90-86 on Wednesday night.
The quotes team will be taking a break next week for the holiday, but we’ll be back with another quiz in the first week of December. Until then, have a nice Thanksgiving and take care out there!
Without further ado, here’s the Tribune’s Quotes of the Week quiz for Nov. 16 to 22. Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.
