Good afternoon, Chicago.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s call for an immediate increase in the federal minimum wage drew criticism at a debate from her two main rivals for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, who each called her plan politically unrealistic.
In the hourlong debate hosted by Fox WFLD Ch.-32 Chicago last night, U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly of Lynwood and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg said they supported a phased-in minimum wage increase, but chided Stratton for claiming her plan was “bold” when they thought it would never pass Congress.
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Political leaders across Illinois mourn the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s death: ‘A giant of the civil rights movement’
Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson ordered public buildings across the city and state to fly flags at half-staff in honor of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died at 84 after rising from an upstart Chicago organizer to a national leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Read more here.
More top news stories:
- President Donald Trump praises the late Rev. Jesse Jackson as ‘good man,’ claims he disliked Barack Obama
- Proposed cuts to housing-first programs would be ‘going back like 30 years,’ advocates warn
U.S., Nippon Steel to reline Gary Works blast furnace this year
U.S. Steel’s Gary Works facility, later this year, will receive its blast furnace reline through Nippon Steel’s investment into the American company. Read more here.
More top business stories:
- Not-for-profit organization buys three lots in North Chicago to develop into houses for first-time buyers
- River Forest seeks community feedback on Madison Street building plan
Oak Park’s Emery Lehman — in 4th and final Olympics — and Glen Ellyn’s Ethan Cepuran get silver in team pursuit
A journey that began when he was 9 years old and took him all over the world — from his home in Oak Park to the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Pyeongchang, South Korea, and Beijing, and to global competitions in Norway and Poland — ended today in the most bittersweet of ways for Emery Lehman: with a flag-draped lap around the ice and a silver medal, seconds short of a dream finish. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
- Chicago Cubs and White Sox players tout unity after MLBPA leader Tony Clark’s abrupt resignation
- Column: Ilia Malinin isn’t the 1st star athlete to flop on the big stage — and he can turn it into a positive
Restaurant news: Belmont Tavern revives a dormant Polish dive bar with history and cocktails in Chicago
Bartender and author Nick Kokonas has transformed a former neighborhood Polish dive bar into a historical cocktail bar in Chicago. Belmont Tavern is expected to open in Avondale sometime in February. Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
- Lolla headliner Rüfüs Du Sol will play Wrigley Field this summer
- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are coming to Chicago
Martin Luther King landmark in Atlanta is revived at a tense moment for historical sites
A building where Martin Luther King Jr. wrote speeches and mapped out strategies for the fight for civil rights has been restored and added to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park. Read more here.
More top stories from around the world:
