Good morning, Chicago.
Aldermen voted to make Ald. Gilbert Villegas chair of the Chicago City Council’s powerful Zoning Committee yesterday, following a long-running stalemate that slowed development.
The monthslong standoff had recently shut down the critical committee’s meetings, grinding to a halt approvals for zoning changes needed to greenlight construction projects large and small.
“There’s a lot of people that want to build in this city, and I think we have to put the signal out there that Chicago is open for business,” Villegas said from the City Council floor after winning the seat.
The appointment came as a last-second twist, driven by members of the council Black Caucus who agreed to back Villegas in exchange for one of their members getting his former leadership post.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Jake Sheridan and Alice Yin.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: what to know about flooding on Chicago’s Northwest Side, what to know about a controversial Illinois credit card swipe fee ban and how to nominate a workplace for Chicago Top Workplaces 2026.
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Judge allows suit to proceed against Alden nursing homes alleging understaffing
A judge has cleared the way for a trial over a class action lawsuit claiming the operator of Alden nursing homes in the Chicago area systematically understaffed its facilities to make more money, increasing the safety risks of its patients.
Floods overtake Chicago’s Northwest Side after rainiest April day since 2013: ‘People really got slammed’
Daily rainfall at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport reached 2.43 inches on Tuesday, making it the rainiest day in April since 2013, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Chicago had recorded over 9 inches of precipitation this season, making it the city’s second-wettest spring on record, according to the University of Illinois State Water Survey.
Feds move to block controversial Illinois credit card swipe fee ban, siding with banks in ongoing legal fight
The federal government is looking to stop a controversial Illinois law banning certain credit card fees, a move that appears to favor financial institutions that have fought the state law in court for more than a year.
Shelters squeezed harder as domestic abuse survivors seek help in record numbers: Report
Illinoisans trying to escape domestic violence sought help in record numbers in 2025, according to a new report from the organization that runs the state’s domestic violence assistance hotline.
Opponents of Earthrise sprawling solar farm get temporary reprieve from Will County court
Homeowners opposed to a 6,100-acre solar farm near Manhattan scored a legal win Wednesday with an order granting them ability to present evidence and cross-examine the developer.
Will County Judge Victoria Breslan granted a temporary restraining order that effectively bans the Will County Board from voting on the project until an attorney for the homeowners is given a chance to present evidence and cross-examine representatives from Earthrise Energy. The County Board was scheduled to vote on the Earthrise’s Pride of the Prairie solar farm Thursday.
Garfield Park neighbors and elected officials mourn wife and son of former Cook County commissioner
Barbara Deer and her son Kaleb died in a murder-suicide, officials said, sending shockwaves through Chicago political circles as the city’s West Side laments the losses in one of its most prominent families.
Their deaths were discovered late Tuesday after a family friend called police to the Deer home when Kaleb’s twin brother, Kanaan, reported a notification on his Apple Watch that his mother had taken a hard fall. Late Wednesday, the Cook County Medical Examiner ruled the deaths of Barbara and Kaleb a homicide and suicide, respectively.
Indiana Toll Road allowed to increase tolls for possible Bears stadium
Drivers passing through Northwest Indiana will have to pay more in toll costs in the coming months as the state and the region prepare for a potential Chicago Bears stadium.
The Indiana Finance Authority approved a resolution Tuesday to allow the Indiana Toll Road to increase tolls by at least 1.5% or by inflation, whichever is greater, twice a year in exchange for $700 million in payments.
Column: United Center closes up shop for its 2 tenants with no signs of relief for Bulls and Blackhawks fans
If you spent a good part of the last seven months trekking out to the United Center to watch the Bulls or Blackhawks, congratulations, writes Paul Sullivan. Your work is done.
Our boys of winter have completed the task of losing games when it matters, and you helped the cause by showing your undying support in hopes of a future payoff. Now that the ice has melted and the hardwood court has been disassembled, it’s all a game of percentages for the Bulls and Hawks.
- Blackhawks rally past San Jose Sharks for 5-2 victory, finishing season at 29-39-14
- Blackhawks announce multiyear extension for GM Kyle Davidson
For ‘Jazz’ of a different sort, head to the Art Institute’s once-in-a-lifetime Matisse exhibition
The 1940s were looking dire for Henri Matisse. The Nazis had just invaded France, and an operation to treat his abdominal cancer had saved his life but taken a grisly toll on his body.
Amid that bleak backdrop, Matisse unveiled a dramatic new visual language: colorful, vibrant cut-paper collages. In 1947, faithful reproductions of the compositions, made through a hand-stenciling technique called pochoir, were released as a limited-run book, “Jazz.”
Nomination deadline extended for Chicago Top Workplaces 2026
There’s still time to earn recognition as a Top Workplace in Chicagoland.
For the 17th year, the Chicago Tribune will honor outstanding workplace culture in the region. Any organization with 75 or more employees in the region is eligible to compete for a Top Workplaces award.
