Good morning, Chicago.
When Cristina Moreno enrolled her daughter, Camila, in kindergarten last year at St. Frances of Rome in Cicero, she felt certain the school would provide a well-rounded education and social environment for years to come.
Moreno, a single mother of two from Cicero, sends Camila to St. Frances with support from the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program, which she called a “great help” financially.
In the fall, the expiration of the Invest in Kids program left Moreno scrambling to search for other scholarships and financial aid options to ensure that Camila, 7, and her son, Carmelo, 5, could attend St. Frances of Rome next year.
Moreno is one of many parents whose children’s educational future is in limbo following the expiration of the Invest in Kids program, and among the families, both tax credit recipients and full-tuition payers, searching for education options as at least six Catholic schools are set to close across the state.
And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Bally’s Chicago bucks trend with casino revenue gains in January, while new hotel plan remains under review
In January, revenue at the temporary Medinah Temple casino grew 9.1% to $9.3 million in adjusted gross receipts, according to monthly data released Wednesday by the Illinois Gaming Board. Bally’s Chicago passed Harrah’s Joliet to rank third in revenue among the state’s 15 casinos.
Judge rejects request for hold on challenge to Donald Trump’s place on Illinois primary ballot
A Cook County judge on Wednesday rejected a request to put a hold on a legal challenge to former President Donald Trump’s place on the Illinois’ March 19 Republican primary ballot.
Attorneys for the former president had filed a motion to halt legal proceedings in Illinois until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on an appeal of a Colorado Supreme Court decision that found Trump disqualified from running for the presidency in that state under the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Cook County prosecutors drop charges against students accused of distributing fake Daily Northwestern page
Cook County prosecutors dropped charges against two Northwestern University students amid controversy over the decision to pursue a criminal case against them for allegedly circulating a fake page of the student newspaper to protest the school stance on the crisis in Gaza and Israel.
Red crossbills, bald eagles and other unexpected birds have been spotted in Chicago this winter
In the South Loop, it had been more than a decade since the appearance of seven long-eared owls caused a ruckus in the neighborhood. Last month a pair returned.
Bald eagles are native to most of North America, but it can be rare to see them within city limits — like the one spotted two weeks ago flying over the North Branch of the Chicago River.
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Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren speaks during a press conference at Halas Hall in Lake Forest on Jan. 10, 2024.
Chicago Bears season ticket packages will cost an average of 8% more in 2024
In Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren’s message to season ticket holders, he said individual increases will range from 6.2% to 11.3% for a 2024 schedule that will include one preseason and eight regular-season games at Soldier Field.
Aces re-sign Candace Parker in bid to win 3rd WNBA title in a row
The Las Vegas Aces re-signed two-time MVP Candace Parker on Wednesday, a missing piece late last season when they won their second consecutive WNBA championship.
The 30 best photos in the month of January by Chicago Tribune photographers
In this installment of the best photos of the month, you’ll find coverage of the the frigid temperatures that took hold in the Chicago area, the final game of the season for the Chicago Bears and many other moments that tell the story of the lives of people who live in the Chicagoland area.
Column: Some actors just have that voice. Here’s why we listen.
Michael Phillips writes: “Some actors have it, and we love it: a speaking voice so naturally musical or mysteriously pleasing, that millions the world over respond with variations on the same reaction. I’d listen to this actor read the phone book.”
Column: The most watched shows of 2023 are not what you think they are
“The top 10 overall streaming programs in 2023 were not streaming originals, but traditional format shows that originated on old-school TV,” writes Nina Metz.
