Baseball is back, Chicago! Opening day was Thursday for the Cubs and Sox, with the former kicking off their season at Wrigley Field against the Washington Nationals and the latter on the road playing the Milwaukee Brewers. Unfortunately, both teams got off to a less-than-thrilling start.
Local leaders reacted this week to the fatal shooting of Loyola student Sheridan Gorman, who was killed last Thursday near the lakefront in Rogers Park. The family blasted officials, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, for their remarks following her death. President Donald Trump and other politicians on the right joined in the political response to the case after the man charged with Gorman’s murder was revealed to be José Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national. On Friday, a judge denied Medina’s release, ordering that he remain detained while awaiting trial.
Meanwhile, groups of young people gathered downtown late Wednesday for the year’s first “teen takeover,” which led to eight arrests and two dozen violations. The gathering renewed conversations in the City Council about expanding police curfew powers. Also locally, Chicago unveiled its newly named “Abolish ICE” snowplow Wednesday, Mars Snacking announced it’s investing $100 million to expand its city headquarters and a pair of food delivery robot crashes are causing a stir online.
Airports across the country continued to see disruptions and extensive security wait times this week as Transportation Security Administration agents go without pay and many call off work amid the partial government shutdown. In response, early this week the Trump administration deployed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to supplement staffing at a number of airports, including O’Hare. By Friday, Trump took further action, signing an emergency order to pay TSA agents while Congress struggles to reach a funding deal.
In other national news, late Sunday an Air Canada jet landing at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport collided with a fire truck that was crossing the runway, killing the plane’s two pilots. Some 70 passengers aboard the aircraft, its remaining crew and the emergency responders riding in the truck all survived. And in an interview released Friday, Savannah Guthrie announced that she will return to the “Today” show in April following a two-month absence that began when her mother, Nancy, disappeared. Nancy remains missing, and the family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her recovery.
In an effort to halt the nearly monthlong war in Iran, the Trump administration put forward a 15-point ceasefire proposal this week. Tehran outright rejected the plan, and negotiations appear at an impasse, even as the president claimed that talks on ending the war were going “very well.” All the while, Israel on Friday threatened to “escalate and expand” its attacks on Iran and the Islamic Republic is tightening its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.
The effects of the conflict in the Middle East are hitting home in a number of ways: The stock market is tumbling, gas prices are spiking and Illinois farmers are struggling to afford fertilizer.
Speaking of farmers, the Illinois Senate passed legislation this week to rename César Chávez Day after The New York Times reported numerous sexual assault allegations against the former labor rights icon. A similar measure was signed into law in California on Thursday.
There’s good news for Bears fans who want the team to stay in Illinois: Lawmakers in Washington have proposed a bill that could stop pro sports teams from moving to other states. Plus, the Cubs finalized contract extensions with two fan-favorite players, Nico Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong, and the Illini are moving on in the NCAA Tournament. Illinois beat Houston 65-55 in the third round Thursday night, advancing to the Elite Eight to take on Big Ten rival Iowa.
Now for the fun stuff! Think you know who said what this week? Take the Tribune’s Quotes of the Week quiz to find out. Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.