Good morning, Chicago.
Already the Chicago area’s most closely watched primary campaign this year, the race for Cook County state’s attorney devolved into some confusion and much frustration this weekend as city election officials acknowledged a mistake in communicating how many vote-by-mail ballots were being counted and results between the two Democratic candidates continued to tighten.
On Sunday evening, after the latest round of city mail-in ballots were tabulated, retired Appellate Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke still held a slight but dwindling lead over university lecturer and government official Clayton Harris III. O’Neill Burke was beating Harris 50.2% to 49.8%, with just 2,015 votes separating them, according to unofficial results from the Chicago Board of Elections and Cook County Clerk’s office.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s A.D. Quig and Claire Malon.
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Lexi Graybill, 7, feeds hay to a 3-week-old Jersey calf on March 20, 2024, in Rockton, Illinois. Lexi’s grandfather, Doug Graybill, owns and operates Deerland Dairy with his family. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Illinois farmers anxious after ramping up production for food program that was delayed
A dairy farmer in northern Illinois was dumping milk down the drain two hours west of Chicago. Three and a half hours away in central Illinois, another farmer was running out of cold storage space for his poultry. Meanwhile, over 3 million Illinoisans live in food deserts, and food pantries across Chicago have struggled to meet unprecedented demand.
Dr. Randy Morris, left, talks with patient Ashley Kawash and her husband Ashraf Kawash before a procedure at the Naperville Fertility Center on March 20, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Illinois poised to become a haven for out-of-state IVF patients amid conservative backlash
During their five-year struggle with infertility, Bre and Chris Yingling went through several rounds of in vitro fertilization, the most recent attempt ending in stillbirth over the summer after a 38-week pregnancy.
Despite their recent heartbreak, the couple from Palmyra, Missouri — just a few miles from the Illinois border — hope to try to have a child again later this year. Yet they face an added layer of worry and stress this time around, due to the looming fear that IVF could be at risk in their conservative state, which by law defines life as beginning at conception and has banned abortion in nearly all circumstances.
Poll worker Avaria Jones, right, hands paperwork to voter Tommie Brown during the Illinois primary election on March 19, 2024, at Marshall High School in Chicago. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)
Will President Biden’s arrival in Chicago for DNC be met with a hug or a shrug?
Chicago will play host to President Joe Biden’s renomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in August, but the voting in Tuesday’s presidential primary indicates the city’s welcome may be less than wholehearted.
Gene Cassano leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on March 5, 2024. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
Chaotic federal juice-loan case has links to FBI efforts against Chicago Outfit figures
The first objection in the recent extortion trial of Addison businessman Gene “Gino” Cassano came about five seconds into opening statements, when a prosecutor mentioned the term “juice loan.”
Three days later, the proceedings abruptly ended in a mistrial after an FBI agent testified he was assigned to investigate “organized crime,” a term the judge had explicitly barred to avoid prejudicing the jury.
Road markers directing cyclists to the Marquette Greenway near the intersection of East 102nd Street and South Avenue G, on Nov. 9, 2022, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
New piece of pedestrian greenway from Chicago’s East Side set to be built in Michigan
Work on the far east end of the Marquette Greenway is set to begin with a groundbreaking in New Buffalo on April 3. Though some parts of the trail have been built in Chicago and Indiana, the April work will mark the start of construction in Michigan.
White Sox first baseman Gavin Sheets swings his bat while warming up before playing the San Fransisco Giants during the home opener at Guaranteed Rate Field, April 3, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Could the Chicago White Sox really move to Nashville? It’s complicated.
White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf pushed back last summer against rumors the team could abandon its South Side home for Nashville, but his December meeting with that city’s mayor kept the rumors alive. And some worry the team will eventually use a possible move as leverage in negotiations with Mayor Brandon Johnson, perhaps forcing the city to funnel scarce tax dollars into a new downtown stadium.
‘It was a bit shocking’: Roller coaster 48 hours ends with OF Kevin Pillar back on the White Sox
White Sox are ‘still sorting through some things.’ Here’s our projected 26-man roster for opening day.
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Nominate your organization for the Chicago Tribune’s 2024 Top Workplaces
The Chicago Tribune is seeking nominations for our 15th annual Top Workplaces special report, in which we explore how organizations create and sustain a positive and productive culture. We’ll also compile a list of this year’s Top Workplaces in the Chicago area.
The bistecca alla Fiorentina at Tre Dita. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
Restaurant news: Tre Dita in Lakeshore East among 9 notable openings and closings in Chicago and the suburbs
Bistecca alla fiorentina, tagliatelle al ragù bianco and schiacciata are just some of the signature dishes at Tre Dita in Chicago.
The highly anticipated restaurant opened at the luxury St. Regis Chicago hotel in the Lakeshore East neighborhood on March 16.
