
Good afternoon, Chicago.
Chicago’s new plan to legalize video gambling terminals — finally passed last month as part of the 2026 budget after years of debate — is not a done deal as Mayor Brandon Johnson and key aldermen say negotiations must continue.
The ongoing discussions between Johnson’s administration and aldermen over the gambling terminals mark the first major efforts to amend the budget passed by the City Council against the mayor’s wishes in late December.
Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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Chicago man charged with throwing ex-wife Caitlin Tracey down stairs in a Loop high-rise to be held pending murder trial
By the time Adam Beckerink walked into a Cook County courtroom to face charges in Caitlin Tracey’s homicide, it had been more than a year since Chicago police found Tracey dead with her foot severed in a high-rise located at 1201 S. Prairie Ave. Read more here.
More top news stories:
- Ex-ComEd CEO convicted in scheme to bribe Madigan joins onetime colleagues in federal prison
- Volunteers clean up at Beyond Borders Cafe after driver fleeing police crashes into building

La Grange OKs demolition of historic Jackson Square building for condo development
Over persistent community opposition, the La Grange board of trustees unanimously approved a 5-story, 39-unit condo complex on the site of the Jackson Square Antique Mall building at 112 E. Burlington Ave. Read more here.
More top business stories:
- AbbVie reaches deal with Trump administration on drug prices in exchange for tariff relief
- As Chicago Harbor Lock faces federal cuts, Illinois senators push for more funding

Chicago Bears ask fans what they think about a new northwest Indiana stadium
The Bears sent a survey to season ticket-holders yesterday asking what fans would pay for various seats, from general admission to suites, at a new enclosed stadium in the Hoosier State. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
- Column: Should Bears coach Ben Johnson’s postgame Packers remark have stayed behind closed doors?
- How can the Bears disrupt Matthew Stafford? 5 questions before the divisional-round game.
- Ayo Dosunmu has been a stabilizing force for the Chicago Bulls. Is he also one of their best trade assets?

After their patriarch was deported to Pakistan, family vows to keep beloved Humboldt Park sub shop open
Asif Amin Cheema, owner of Best Sub #2, was deported to Pakistan on the first day of the new year, leaving behind a beloved customer base and a business he had started from scratch in 2003. Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
- McDonald’s faces class-action fraud lawsuit claiming lack of ‘actual rib meat’ in McRib
- Lake Forest/Lake Bluff native is artistic director of a theater, directs a play, will act in another play later this year

3 prosecutors quit after push to investigate ICE shooting victim’s widow
Three Minnesota federal prosecutors resigned over the U.S. Justice Department’s push to investigate the widow of a woman killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and its reluctance to investigate the shooter, according to people with knowledge of their decision. Read more here.
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