The Rundown | Chicago News

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Tuesday, January 27, 2026 Jan 27, 2026

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Elected officials in Minneapolis are warning Chicagoans they should be ready for increased violence and surveillance tactics by federal agents if the city sees another deportation blitz. Chicago's 2026 festival and event lineup is out now, with events starting in May with the Maxwell Street Market and continuing through the end of the year. Bulls forward Matas Buzelis has again been chosen as an NBA Rising Star. Plus, three Democrats vying to become Illinois’ next U.S. senator shared a stage in Chicago Monday night. It was the first face-to-face debate between U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.

Monday, January 26, 2026 Jan 26, 2026

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The Chicago law firm representing Renee Nicole Good's family has released a statement on the killing of another Minneapolis resident by federal immigration agents over the weekend. Three frontrunners in the Democratic primary election for retiring U.S. Senator Dick Durbin’s seat are sharing a debate stage Monday night at the University of Chicago’s International House. Many of Chicago’s top chefs and restaurateurs gathered Sunday night for the annual Banchet Awards. Plus, 40 years ago today, the Chicago Bears won their first and only Super Bowl, permanently cementing the legacy of the ’85 Bears.

Friday, January 23, 2026 Jan 23, 2026

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A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must keep federal funds flowing to child care subsidies and other social service programs in Illinois and four other Democratic-controlled states. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is calling for ICE to end its operations everywhere. The Chicago shelter Harmony House for Cats is hosting its first tuxedo cat soirée Friday night at Burning Bush Brewery in the city’s North Center neighborhood. Plus, a federal jury called Juan Espinoza Martinez “not guilty” on Thursday. Espinoza Martinez was accused of offering $10,000 for the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino in one of the most contentious cases tied to “Operation Midway Blitz.”

Thursday, January 22, 2026 Jan 22, 2026

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The Illinois Department of Human Rights has filed a housing discrimination charge and is investigating the landlord of the South Shore apartment building raided last year by immigration agents. An extreme cold warning will go into effect Thursday night for the Chicago area, with windchills expected to reach 35 degrees below zero in the early morning hours on Friday. The Chicago Public Library announced the grand opening of Legler Regional Library’s food pantry. Plus, how Operation Midway Blitz has interrupted the plans for one Chicago couple who got arrested and detained last October — just 8 days after getting married.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026 Jan 21, 2026

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Federal prosecutors have rested their case against Juan Espinoza Martinez, the Chicago man accused of offering $10,000 for the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino. Cook County officials worry more people will get sick as they’re pushed out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program with eligibility requirements changing on February 1st. Chicago is preparing to host UNESCO’s International Jazz Day in April. Plus, more than 170,000 Illinois residents are behind on their student loan payments. People are at risk of having their wages garnished now that the Trump administration plans to restart collections on federal loans in default.

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Jan 20, 2026

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A new report explores what’s behind ongoing enrollment decreases in Chicago Public Schools. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is denouncing President Trump’s threats to annex Greenland and throwing support to Danish sovereignty. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says his office has filed more than 50 lawsuits and more than 100 amicus briefs during the first year of President Trump’s second term. Plus, in January of 1966, Martin Luther King Jr. moved into an apartment in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood with his family. Sixty years later, local playwright Willie Round has written about this pivotal time in King’s fight for fair housing, education and employment in his new play “Lawndale King.”

Friday, January 16, 2026 Jan 16, 2026

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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has changed his tune on who needs to pay off the remaining debt from the Soldier Field renovation 23 years ago. Former Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the 40th Annual Interfaith Breakfast in Chicago. Divisions emerged over Gaza in the race for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. Plus, the Chicago Bears are entering the second round of the playoffs, and fans aren’t leaving anything to chance. During last weekend’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers, fans shared their superstitions and game-day rituals they rely on.

Thursday, January 15, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

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Child care workers rallied outside the Trump Tower in Chicago’s River North neighborhood to condemn the federal funding freeze for child care programs. The final day to enroll in a federal Affordable Care Act health insurance plan is January 15, but the Illinois state-run marketplace has extended its deadline to the end of the month. Chicago is unveiling a first-of-its-kind support center on the South Side for women returning from incarceration. Plus, the Trump administration is using a legal shortcut to make it easier to cut down trees in national forests. Illinois’ Shawnee National Forest, the state’s only national forest, is an early battleground against the increasingly popular tactic to fast track timber sales across the country.

Wednesday, January 14, 2026 Jan 14, 2026

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The Supreme Court is allowing a downstate Republican Congressman to sue Illinois for the way it counts mail-in ballots. The U.S. House has passed a spending package to cut $125 million from lead pipe replacement funding. The city of Chicago is set to pay nearly $1 million to settle another police misconduct lawsuit stemming from 2020 protests against the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Plus, a new exhibit at the Chicago History Museum documents a long tradition of resistance in Chicago's Latino communities. The exhibit is called Aqui en Chicago, and it’s the result of a protest organized by local high school students six years ago.

Tuesday, January 13, 2026 Jan 13, 2026

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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he’s been in meetings with Bears leadership recently about the possibility of keeping the Bears in Illinois as the team mulls a move to Northwest Indiana. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says a teen curfew ordinance set for a vote next week is more “thoughtful” than the one he vetoed last year. The National Weather Service says an extended system of wintry weather could result in several back-to-back opportunities for snowfall. Plus, 2026 will bring several big names to Chicago stages. And while Chicago always has a constant hum of performances, there are some big tickets on the horizon.

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