Good morning, Chicago.
Opening day in Chicago conjures a lot of emotion for a lot of people, and to a great many of them it’s one big family reunion. Indeed, “Opening day is a holiday,” as the saying went on the T-shirts of a lot of fans yesterday, and many greeted old friends and familiar faces with refrains of “Happy New Year.”
So it was across the street from Murphy’s, outside the entrance for the bleachers, where Christopher Sorley said he arrived at 5 a.m. He plopped down a folding camping chair and sat in the dark for a while as friends slowly began to line up next to him, drawn to Wrigley by the pull of a new season and old bonds that grow deeper by the year.
“It almost brings a tear to my eye,” Sorley said, and over the past 15 years he’d found community and friendship in the seats beyond the outfield fence. “We’ve been catching up. We’ve been catching up for the past 15-20 minutes here, just, ‘How was your winter? What’s going on? … The pipes burst,’ you know?
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Andrew Carter.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including why a vending machine in Wrigleyville is giving away thousands in cash, new plans for Michael Jordan’s former Highland Park mansion and a review of the play “Modern Gentleman.”
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Travelers line up at a TSA checkpoint at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, March 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)
Senate approves funding for TSA and most of Homeland Security, but not immigration enforcement
The Senate early this morning approved Homeland Security funds to pay Transportation Security Administration agents and most other agencies, but not the immigration enforcement operations at the heart of the budget impasse that has jammed airports, disrupted travel and imposed financial hardship on workers.
The deal, which the Senate approved unanimously without a roll call, next goes to the House, which is expected to consider it today.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, looks at photos of Jose Medina and Sheridan Gorman during a press conference on March 25, 2026, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty)
Sheridan Gorman’s family blast officials for using her name in ‘political arguments’ about Loyola student’s death
The parents of slain teenager Sheridan Gorman criticized Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for their remarks about her death, saying in a statement that they want to “ensure that what happened to her does not happen again.”
“We will not allow Sheridan’s name to be used in political arguments — but we will insist that her loss leads to real answers and real change,” the family said in a statement.
Rep. Greg Casar speaks during a press conference with Sen. Bernie Sanders in the U.S. Capitol on March 26, 2026, in Washington. They introduced a bill to protect sports fans and taxpayers from professional sports team relocations. (Heather Diehl/Getty)
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ bill aims to slow — or stop — teams like the Chicago Bears from moving to other states
He doesn’t even really root for the Chicago Bears, but U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders says he wants to ensure Bears fans — and sports fans of all stripes — are protected from the heartbreak he suffered as a teenager, when his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers left for Los Angeles.
Sanders, the independent Vermont senator and two-time presidential candidate, threw his support behind long-shot legislation yesterday that would give communities a chance to keep their professional sports teams if their owners threatened to leave.
The entrance gate to Michael Jordan’s estate in Highland Park is seen on April 29, 2016. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)
Buyer who paid $9.5M for Michael Jordan’s Highland Park mansion has a new plan to convert it into a museum
After scuttled efforts at selling co-ownership shares in the mansion and renting it for short-term stays, the commercial real estate executive who paid $9.5 million for retired Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan’s massive mansion heads to the Highland Park City Council on Monday with detailed plans to convert the home into a living museum.
Kevin Urbanski, right, shows Matthew Hallberg the $11 he got out of the fintech company Acorns compounding vending machine at Big Star Wrigleyville on opening day, March 26, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Acorns giving away thousands in cash from a Wrigleyville vending machine during three-day investment promotion
As banking giveaways go, fintech company Acorns is offering Chicagoans something a little more valuable than the traditional pens and calendars.
Acorns is handing out cold, hard cash.
A U-Haul truck is parked outside of West Suburban Medical Center on Thursday, March 26, in Oak Park. (Cam’ron Hardy/Pioneer Press)
West Suburban Medical Center closure leaves patients, workers scrambling
The hospital’s closure comes after a yearlong financial crisis. Walk-in patients were no longer accepted after 4 p.m. Wednesday and Oak Park Fire Department officials were informed the hospital’s emergency room was no longer accepting ambulances.
Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong takes the field to face the Nationals on opening day Thursday, March 26, 2026, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Column: Chicago Cubs got a bargain in Pete Crow-Armstrong’s new deal, even as he’s still growing as a player
To no one’s surprise, the loudest cheers during yesterday’s opening-day introductions at Wrigley Field were reserved for Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, writes Paul Sullivan. It didn’t take long for Crow-Armstrong to bind himself to Cubs fans — or for the Cubs to realize they needed to keep him around as long as possible to keep the Wrigley Field ATM running smoothly.
That’s why Crow-Armstrong’s six-year, $115 million extension, which was announced shortly after the Cubs’ 10-4 loss to the Washington Nationals, is considered a steal for the organization.
White Sox pitcher Shane Smith reacts to a pitch during the second inning of an opening-day game against the Brewers on Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
‘Not good, at all’: Chicago White Sox strike out 20 times, walk 10 batters in 14-2 opening loss in Milwaukee
No White Sox player had led off the season with a home run — until yesterday. Second baseman Chase Meidroth worked a full count against Milwaukee Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski before launching a home run to left field. Meidroth pumped his fist as he made his way to first base.
The good times didn’t last long for the Sox.
Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (23) celebrates a basket alongside Houston guard Milos Uzan during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston. (Eric Gay/AP)
Illinois rides defense to 65-55 win over Houston for 2nd Elite Eight berth in 3 years — vs. Big Ten rival Iowa
Illinois entered the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament with one of the top-rated offenses in the country, but it needed to match Houston’s elite defense to pull out the gritty win. The third-seeded Illini came through with a 65-55 victory over the second-seeded Cougars to advance to the Elite Eight, putting up their lowest scoring output in a win this season.
Alec Phan and Kaylah Marie Crosby in “Modern Gentleman” by About Face at Raven Theatre. (Jenn Udoni)
Review: In ‘Modern Gentleman’ by About Face, a trans man faces the dating scene
Dating in the Tinder era can be tough in the best of circumstances, writes Emily McClanathan. Between the endless swiping through superficial profiles and the risk of being ghosted, catfished or worse, it seems like a win against the odds when someone actually finds love. Add to that the grief of a broken engagement and the uncertainty of navigating romantic connections as a newly out trans man, and it’s easy to understand why Adam, the protagonist of “Modern Gentleman” at About Face Theatre, feels apprehensive about putting himself back out there.
Fortunately, in this world premiere by Chicago playwright Preston Max Allen, Adam (Alec Phan) has supportive people in his corner.