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Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
The Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz for July 26
It was another hot and humid week in Chicago. With dangerous heat engulfing the city, residents again turned to box fans and AC units for relief from the soaring temps — that is despite recent spikes in electric costs. The heat subsided only to welcome thunderstorms that knocked out power for 50,000 ComEd customers. But it wasn't all doom and gloom this week. After years of construction, four North Side Red Line stations reopened Sunday, and in some good news for homeowners, Mayor Brandon Johnson said he won't seek a property tax hike in his upcoming budget proposal. Gov. JB Pritzker, along with 17 other Democratic governors, petitioned the Trump administration to release nearly $7 billion in withheld federal education grants. On Friday, the Department of Education did just that. But local education leaders are still struggling with their own funding problems. At Thursday's Chicago Board of Education meeting, Chief Budget Officer Michael Sitkowski reiterated that Chicago Public Schools has identified $165 million in spending reductions, including cuts to its administrative staff and vendor contracts, but the district is still searching for a solution to its $734 million budget deficit. Two of the four defendants in the 'ComEd Four' case were sentenced this week. Ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and the utility's former lobbyist Michael McClain will spend two years in prison for their part in the elaborate scheme to bribe then-House Speaker Michael Madigan. New Tribune reporting shows arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are up in Chicago since President Donald Trump took office, and local children recently received deportation letters from the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, on Friday, a federal judge in Chicago blocked the Trump administration's challenge over sanctuary policies in the state of Illinois. In global news, the United States cut short ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas on Thursday, while hunger and malnutrition surges in Gaza. France also announced this week that the country will recognize Palestine as a state. Three big names in the world of celebrity and entertainment passed away this week. Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the 54-year-old actor best known for his role as teenage son Theo Huxtable on 'The Cosby Show,' died in an accidental drowning Sunday in Costa Rica. Ozzy Osbourne, lead singer of Black Sabbath and godfather of heavy metal, died at the age of 76, just weeks after his farewell show. And professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan died Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest. He was 71. Plus, the Chicago Cubs and White Sox play each other in this weekend's City Series at Rate Field. It's a matchup with stakes for both teams, as the Sox come off their best roadtrip since September 2022 and the Cubs just dropped from first place in their division. That's it for the headlines! Now here's the Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz for July 20 to 26. Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.


Chicago Tribune
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
The Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz for July 19
Temperatures cooled down in Chicago this week, but there was plenty of heat at City Hall. Mayor Brandon Johnson's granny flat ordinance was stalled by opponents, efforts to override the mayor's veto of a teen curfew rule failed and City Council members began jockeying to be the next Zoning Committee chair as Ald. Walter Burnett vacates the position at the end of the month. The midterm election may seem far away, but many races are well underway. U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for Sen. Dick Durbin's soon-to-be-empty seat, is already airing ads. The Cook County Democratic Party began issuing endorsements (or in some cases, no endorsements) this week. Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza appears to be eyeing a second mayoral bid after announcing her decision to not to run for reelection as the state's top fiscal officer. And in the very crowded primary for Illinois' 9th Congressional District, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss earned the support of fellow progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren. On Thursday, hundreds of people took to the streets in Chicago and in cities across the nation to protest President Donald Trump and his policies. Meanwhile, the president — still facing criticism over his handling of records in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case — asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to unseal grand jury transcripts, and the House scrambled to put forward a resolution calling for transparency regarding the Epstein files. It wasn't a great week for national media. Congress approved $1.1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which will impact NPR, PBS and hundreds of other locally-operated television and radio stations across the country. 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' was also canceled by CBS, with the host announcing Thursday that the final episode will air in May 2026. Plus, it was a week full of All-Stars. The MLB's Midsummer Classic was Tuesday, and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong made his All-Star debut alongside a slew of other youngsters and rookies on the winning National League team. And in the midst of collective bargaining negotiations with players, the WNBA is hosting their All-Star festivities. If you're looking for something to do this weekend, take your crew out for a slice of the city's newest delicacy: the Chicago Dog Deep Dish pizza, a collaboration between Lou Malnati's and Portillo's. Well that's it for this week! Now for the fun stuff. Here's the Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz for July 13 to 19. Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.


Chicago Tribune
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
The Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz for July 12
It may only be July, but the March 2026 primary races are heating up! On Tuesday, two state legislators joined the crowded field of Democratic candidates looking to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky in Illinois' 9th Congressional District. But that's not the only race to watch — at least three other congressional seats could be up for grabs. Recovery efforts continued this week after the devastating July Fourth flash floods in Texas. President Donald Trump toured the flood site Friday, while officials faced mounting criticism over the lack of emergency warnings about quickly rising waters that killed at least 120 people, including over two dozen at an all-girls summer camp. More than 170 people remain missing. Attorney General Pam Bondi also announced that the Justice Department and the FBI have concluded that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide and didn't have a client list — even though just months ago Bondi claimed to have such a list. The announcement was met with skepticism and backlash from far-right conservative personalities and influential members of President Trump's base. Speaking of sketchy public figures, ex-Ald. Ed Burke was released from prison Tuesday after serving less than half of his two-year sentence. Federal prosecutors want former ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain, who was convicted of bribery, to be sentenced to nearly six years in prison. And an investigation into last week's mass shooting in River North remains ongoing, though police said the attack was targeted. In other local news, Chicago's longest-serving alderman, Walter Burnett, announced that he will step down from the City Council this month. The announcement has fueled speculation that the 27th Ward politician could be tapped to lead the Chicago Housing Authority. Mayor Brandon Johnson, meanwhile, is pushing the City Council's Zoning Committee to pass a proposal that would clear the way for the construction of more garden apartments and 'granny flats.' Plus, Chicago Public Schools announced more layoffs Friday. In a statement, the district said it was firing 1,458 employees to adjust for enrollment and programming changes. It's the second round of CPS layoffs this summer. The third (and perhaps final) NASCAR Chicago Street Race was this past weekend, with Shane van Gisbergen winning both the Xfinity and Cup Series races. Mayor Johnson said Tuesday he's open to NASCAR returning to Chicago, but hinted that the city may need a better deal to sign a contract extension. Looking ahead to this weekend, the MLB draft kicks off Sunday night. The White Sox own the No. 10 pick, and the Cubs will pick at No. 17. And former Chicago Cubs manager Lee Elia, whose long-winded, expletive-laden 1983 tirade against Cubs fans was cemented in the team history, died Wednesday. He was 87. Without further ado, here's the Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz for July 6 to 12. Want more quotes? You can find past editions of Quotes of the Week, here.


Chicago Tribune
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
The Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz for June 14
This tumultuous week ended with Illinois political giant Michael Madigan getting 7 1/2 years in prison for corruption. The historic sentencing is the latest chapter in the long story of corruption in Illinois politics. Unrelated to Madigan, Senate President Don Harmon faces more than $9.8 million in fines for allegedly breaking an Illinois election law. Gov. JB Pritzker traveled to Washington, D.C., to testify with the governors of New York and Minnesota in a U.S. House hearing on state sanctuary laws. The hearing was a key moment in the nation's ongoing unrest over the White House's immigration policies. When protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles turned violent this week, President Donald Trump ordered National Guard and Marine troops to go to California to quell the unrest. Gov. Gavin Newsom and other blue state governors saw this move as an overstep that only made the situation worse. Chicago's own protests this week stayed relatively peaceful and are expected to continue over the weekend. The City Council and the mayor's office were busy this week. Aldermen advanced an ordinance that would allow them to block short-term rentals such as Airbnbs when voters in a specific precinct call for it, the Board of Education voted to approve a new interim schools chief and the city could be on the hook for $24 million to settle three wrongful conviction cases. Thursday was a bad day for air travel. A JetBlue flight from Chicago rolled off the runway at Boston's airport and an Air India flight crashed minutes after takeoff, killing 241 people on board. A single passenger survived. In the world of sports, the Cubs bullpen has been hot this month. The White Sox made a trade this week, and one of their biggest fans, the pope, was seen donning a White Sox hat. The pontiff will deliver a virtual message at Rate Field on Saturday. Plus, Chicago Sky star Allie Quigley recently announced that she is retiring. The WNBA legend remains one of the best shooters in the history of women's basketball. Now for the fun stuff. Test your knowledge of who said what this week with the Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz, this time with excerpts and utterances from June 8 to 14. Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.


Chicago Tribune
31-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
The Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz for May 31
And that's a wrap on May! Where did the month go? While we try and figure that out, here's what happened this week: Lawmakers in Springfield have been busy as the spring legislative session comes to a close. In addition to trying to pass a spending plan without 'broad-based' taxes before Saturday's deadline, state senators are considering a huge transit bill that would address a $771 million shortfall in Chicago-area transit agencies' budgets. Two big measures have also advanced in the final days of the session. The Illinois House passed a bill that would legalize medical aid in dying for terminally ill people, and state legislators voted to ban police from ticketing and fining students for minor infractions at school, a common practice uncovered in the Tribune-ProPublica investigation 'The Price Kids Pay.' The former awaits approval by the Senate and the latter now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk to be signed into law. Chicago-born Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover got some good news this week. In a controversial decision, President Donald Trump commuted his federal life sentences. But Hoover will remain in prison, serving a 200-year sentence for his state court conviction for murder. Tariffs dominated the news again this week. The president announced Sunday that the U.S. will delay its 50% tariff on goods from the European Union until July 9 to allow time for negotiations. But on Wednesday, a federal trade court blocked the administration from imposing taxes on imports under an emergency-powers law, as tariffs must typically be approved by Congress. Still, that doesn't mean they're going away quite yet. A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the president can temporarily continue collecting tariffs while he appeals the trade court's decision. For more on that, here's where things stand. Elon Musk is leaving the Trump administration. The announcement came shortly after the Tesla CEO criticized Trump's 'Big, Beautiful, Bill' during a CBS interview. As the billionaire returns to his business ventures, he faces some big challenges. In Chicago sports news, Caleb Williams addressed murmurings that he tried to avoid being drafted by the Bears in 2024, saying 'I wanted to come here.' In Thursday's win over the Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot broke the all-time franchise scoring record, a title previously held by her wife, Allie Quigley. And Sox fans can honor one of their own being elected pope at a celebration at Rate Field on June 14. Tickets went on sale Friday. Plus, Chonkosaurus is back! The famed snapping turtle was spotted basking in the Chicago River this week. If — like Chonk — you're looking to lounge outside in the beautiful weather this weekend, check out our patio guide for 25 spots around the city. Without further ado, here's the Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz from May 25 to 31. Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week. Best of luck!