The Rundown | Chicago News

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Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Feb 10, 2026

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2025 was a big year for Chicago’s tourism industry – the city’s official tourism bureau says hotel demand was up by more than 2%. The Art Institute of Chicago has acquired its first Norman Rockwell painting. The lineup for this year's Sueños Music Festival has dropped. Plus, we hear from two teen brothers from suburban West Chicago who have been documenting federal immigration raids in Minnesota.

Monday, February 9, 2026 Feb 09, 2026

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The Archbishop of Chicago is calling for an apology from the White House after President Trump shared a racist video on Truth Social last week. About 50 homes in south suburban Dixmoor were without water for multiple hours this weekend due to two back-to-back water main breaks in the area. The director of the Grant Park Music Festival, Giancarlo Guerrero, performed with Bad Bunny during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday. Plus, many Asians have not come forward with stories of being targeted by federal agents in the Trump administration’s deportation campaign. We hear about why communities have been so hesitant, and what might be changing.

Friday, February 6, 2026 Feb 06, 2026

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A federal judge is allowing a Chicago woman who was shot by a Border Patrol agent last fall to release evidence from the case, including text messages sent by the agent who shot Marimar Martinez five times. Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin says federal immigration enforcement must change before the Department of Homeland Security can receive extended funding. Volunteers in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood were on a mission to keep people warm this morning by giving away free coats, hats, gloves and scarves. Plus, Chicago proudly claims Florence Price as one of its own. It was in Chicago where she became the first Black female composer to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra. This week, a new opera about Price premiered in Minnesota.

Thursday, February 5, 2026 Feb 05, 2026

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Many independent grocery stores could be at risk because of new federal work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is in Chicago this week for his forthcoming immersive project “Theater of the Mind.” A high school choir from Chicago’s south side known for competing in America’s Got Talent performed at Loyola University Chicago on Wednesday for Black History Month. Plus, Chicago public schools plan to celebrate Black History Month with everything from a business fair to an assembly highlighting the Harlem Renaissance. But Chalmers Elementary School on the west side kicked off the month with a meet and greet with the chickens that will live in their school's courtyard.

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 Feb 04, 2026

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A federal judge in Indiana has ordered the Trump administration not to deport the Chicago man acquitted in January of putting a bounty on the head of U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino. Illinois is joining a network run by the World Health Organization, and the move comes after the U.S. officially withdrew in January from the WHO. The Chicago Blackhawks will play their final game Wednesday before a three-week long break for the Winter Olympics, where forward Teuvo Teravainen will be playing for Finland. Plus, it’s been four months since Marimar Martinez was shot by a Border Patrol agent on Chicago’s Southwest Side and survived. Now Martinez is ready to speak up. On Tuesday, she testified before Congress.

Tuesday, February 3, 2026 Feb 03, 2026

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Illinois has faced a decades-long pension funding crisis, and Governor JB Pritzker yesterday announced a plan to fix it. The Black Excellence Revue from Second City is back for its fourth year with the show “Black and Highly Flavored.” It’s the first-ever Wetlands Week at Shedd Aquarium. Plus, some Northwestern students and faculty are questioning administrators after a symbol known to represent opposition to equal rights for women and minority communities appeared on campus.

Monday, February 2, 2026 Feb 02, 2026

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Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust in Chicago’s River North is the first bank in the nation to go under in 2026. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has pumped $5 million into a super PAC supporting Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton’s bid for U.S. Senate. A theatrical production based on marching band traditions in historically Black colleges and universities kicked off its tour in Chicago. Plus, the Obama Presidential Center will feature a museum and library when it opens in June. Chef Cliff Rome is shaping the vision for dining at the complex.

Friday, January 30, 2026 Jan 30, 2026

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Martin Luther King moved to Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood in January 1966 to fight against racist real estate practices in the city, and others continue his work today. Some small business owners across the Chicago area closed up shop today as part of a general strike to protest immigration enforcement across the country. Forty years ago this week, the space shuttle Challenger exploded just after liftoff. One of the seven crewmembers onboard was Christa McAuliffe, and WBEZ’s Jim Nayder spoke with McAuliffe in 1985, not long before the Challenger disaster. Plus, a new essay collection visits the places that shape Midwestern literature. “Lingering Inland: A Literary Tour of the Midwest” features prose about the neighborhoods and spots that inspired regional writers.

Thursday, January 29, 2026 Jan 29, 2026

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A former downstate cop has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for murdering an unarmed Black woman in her Springfield-area home. Sean Grayson, who is white, fatally shot Sonya Massey in 2024. The Chicago City Council recently passed an ordinance to ban the sale of some hemp-derived products. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced a campaign to address the dangers of some micromobility vehicles, such as electric bikes and scooters. Plus, the International Puppet Theater Festival descends upon Chicago every January. This year, the Chicago group Manual Cinema is putting on its production “The Fourth Witch,” which puts a twist on Macbeth.

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 Jan 28, 2026

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The group National Nurses United is hosting a candlelight vigil and a rally in Chicago in honor of Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal agents over the weekend in Minneapolis. Pretti was also a nurse at a VA hospital. The state of Illinois is teaming up with a Chicago-based charity to operate the first statewide abortion fund. Second-term Chicago Alderperson Byron Sigcho-Lopez is seeking a spot on the fall ballot for the 4th Congressional District. Plus, In a west suburban school district, an administrator heard that two of her former students were collateral victims of President Donald Trump’s Chicago-area deportation drive. So, she tried to help.

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