| Good afternoon, Chicago. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s call for an immediate increase in the federal minimum wage drew criticism at a debate from her two main rivals for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, who each called her plan politically unrealistic. In the hourlong debate hosted by Fox WFLD Ch.-32
Chicago last night, U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly of Lynwood and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg said they supported a phased-in minimum wage increase, but chided Stratton for claiming her plan was “bold” when they thought it would never pass Congress. Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History news Rev. Jesse Jackson is recognized with family members and Rev. Al Sharpton on Aug. 19, 2024, during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson ordered public buildings across the city and state to fly flags at half-staff in honor of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died at 84 after rising from an upstart Chicago organizer to a national leader of the Civil Rights Movement. More top news stories: business U.S. Steel Gary Works sits along the shore of Lake Michigan in Gary, Jan. 23, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) U.S. Steel’s Gary Works facility, later this year, will receive its blast furnace reline through Nippon Steel’s investment into the American company. More top business stories: sports Ethan Cepuran, from left, Casey Dawson and Emery Lehman celebrate after winning silver in men’s speedskating team pursuit, Feb. 17, 2026, in Milan. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) A journey that began when he was 9
years old and took him all over the world — from his home in Oak Park to the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Pyeongchang, South Korea, and Beijing, and to global competitions in Norway and Poland — ended today in the most bittersweet of ways for Emery Lehman: with a flag-draped lap around the ice and a silver medal, seconds short of a dream finish. More top sports stories: eat. watch. do. The Belmont Tavern at 3405 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago has been many things over
its long history — a deli, a restaurant, a butcher shop and saloon pre-Prohibition, Feb. 12, 2026. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Bartender and author Nick Kokonas has transformed a former neighborhood Polish dive bar into a historical cocktail bar in Chicago. Belmont Tavern is expected to open in Avondale sometime in February. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: nation & world Reginald Chapple, superintendent of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park, in King's former office at the Prince Hall Masonic Grand Lodge
in Atlanta, Feb. 5, 2026. The long-neglected Masonic lodge that served as the home base for King's activism will soon be open to visitors. (Alyssa Pointer/The New York Times) A building where Martin Luther King Jr. wrote speeches and mapped out strategies for the fight for civil rights has been restored and added to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park. More top stories from around the world: |