It was a warm one this week in Chicago. With a high of 65 degrees Monday, the city broke a century-old weather record. But just as quickly as the warmth came, it went. Temperatures dialed back down heading into the weekend, with strong winds and light flurries in the forecast.
But enough about the weather. Let’s get into the news.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker delivered his State of the State address Wednesday. In it, the two-term Democrat railed against President Donald Trump and his federal funding cuts to the state — which he claimed total $8.4 billion. More cuts could be coming. The U.S. Department of Transportation threatened to withhold $128 million for Illinois highways on Tuesday after a federal audit revealed illegally issued commercial driver’s licenses in the state.
Pritzker’s right hand, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, also took a jab at the president. In Stratton’s first TV ad for her U.S. Senate campaign, six people cast expletives directed at Trump — including U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth. The Illinois Democrat made further headlines when calling for an immediate hike in the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour. The policy proposal drew criticism from the other U.S. Senate candidates during a debate hosted by WFLD-Ch. 32, which also televised debates this week for Cook County assessor and Board president.
In other local news, more than $1.1 billion in medical debt has been erased for Illinoisans, the Chicago Plan Commission approved a proposal for a new 12-story apartment building in Lakeview, and the Boss is coming back to Chicago. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band announced their latest tour Tuesday, which will include a stop at the United Center in April.
Across state lines, a key Indiana state spending committee voted unanimously Thursday to establish a northwest Indiana stadium authority, another step toward potentially luring the Chicago Bears out of Illinois. Gov. Pritzker responded to the news Friday, acknowledging that the team is unlikely to stay in Chicago. Relatedly, the Bears promoted Press Taylor from passing game coordinator to be the team’s new offensive coordinator after Declan Doyle departed for the Baltimore Ravens.
In national news, the Supreme Court on Friday struck down Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, ruling he could not use an emergency powers law to enact import taxes without first getting congressional approval. But the president secured wins on other fronts: An arts panel approved his plans for a new ballroom at the White House, and nine members of the Board of Peace pledged $7 billion toward Gaza relief on top of another $10 billion from the U.S.
Also this week, the Department of Homeland Security’s top spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, announced she’s leaving her high-profile role. Her exit comes as a federal judge accused the Trump administration of violating a December ruling that found many detained immigrants had been illegally denied a chance at release. DHS also began requesting that social media companies provide information on users who oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Meanwhile, the social media company Meta was under scrutiny this week as its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, testified at a landmark trial in Los Angeles. Zuckerberg’s company is accused of making kids and teens addicted to their platforms.
It was a good week for Team USA at the Olympics. It was an even better week for comeback stories. Star Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin won the women’s slalom, ending her eight-year medal drought at the Winter Games, while 20-year-old figure skater Alysa Liu — who only returned to the sport two years ago after retiring in 2022 — skated her way to the top of the podium, taking home the first U.S. gold medal in the event in over two decades. Other American medalists this week included speedskater Jordan Stolz, who claimed a third Olympic medal, the U.S. women’s hockey team, which beat Canada 2-1 in overtime Thursday to win gold, and two Chicago-area speedskaters, Glen Ellyn’s Ethan Cepuran and Oak Park native Emery Lehman, who earned silver for team pursuit. But that’s not all! Here’s the complete list of winners.
The country lost several big names this week. Actor Eric Dane, the 53-year-old star of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria,” died of ALS less than a year after he announced his diagnosis. Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor known for his roles in “Apocalypse Now,” “The Godfather” and “Tender Mercies,” died Sunday at age 95. And the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, the Chicago-based Baptist minister, civil rights icon and two-time presidential candidate whose knack for capturing media attention made him a central figure in national politics for more than six decades, died Tuesday. He was 84.
Those are the headlines. Here’s the Tribune’s Quotes of the Week quiz, this time with excerpts and utterances from February 15 to 21. Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.
