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It’s the middle of the week already. Get sorted with today’s headlines from WTTW News. |
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(WTTW News) |
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Mayor Brandon Johnson flatly rejected on Tuesday a plan to bridge a portion of the city’s $1.19 billion budget gap without hiking taxes on large firms by nearly doubling garbage fees and hiking liquor taxes.
Johnson dared members of the Chicago City Council to override his veto of a budget that would charge homeowners $18 per month to have their trash and recycling picked up to generate an additional $55 million annually. While Chicago homeowners now pay $9.50 per month, it costs the city $37.50 per month to haul away each home’s garbage, according to a task force report.
“Look, they’re going to have to find 34 alders who can compel working people that they’re gonna balance the budget off of their backs,” Johnson said, vowing to “protect the working people of Chicago.”
Senior Chicagoans would be charged $9, but the proposal does not identify how the city would allow older Chicagoans to apply for the discount or ensure it was not abused.
It would take 34 alderpeople to override a mayoral veto.
Even as City Council members returned to City Hall on Tuesday after the Thanksgiving holiday, there is no clear path to a deal with just 28 days left before the deadline to avoid an unprecedented shutdown of city government.
More context:
Much of the debate over Johnson’s 2026 spending plan, which imposes $623 million in new taxes on the wealthiest Chicagoans and largest firms, has centered on his proposal to impose a $21 per month per employee tax on companies with more than 100 employees.
Johnson continued Tuesday to campaign for the tax, which would generate $100 million to fund violence prevention and youth employment programs, even after his spending plan failed to advance to the full City Council more than two weeks ago.
Chicago Budget Director Annette Guzman joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss the budget negotiations.
“There’s a lot of discussion around: How do we appropriately fund the government?” Guzman said. “‘How do we make sure that services that are critical to the day-to-day life of residents of the city of Chicago, business in the city of Chicago, as well as people who come to visit our city every single day — how do we ensure that we’re properly providing for [them].’” |
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The Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza. (Eric James Walsh) |
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After being cast as the Grinch for limiting the capacity of visitors to Chicago’s wildly popular German-style Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza, city officials say they are working with the market’s organizers to allow more people to enjoy the experience, safely.
The number of visitors admitted to the market at one time was capped at 1,533 this year — almost 2,000 fewer people than the limit in 2021, when the market operated under COVID-19 restrictions.
Normal capacity is 4,000 to 5,000 people, with spikes of “shoulder to shoulder” crowds in the week before Christmas, according to Mark Tomkins, CEO and president of the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, which organizes the Christkindlmarket.
Tomkins said his organization was shocked when, just hours before the market was set to open for the season, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications handed down the new capacity restriction.
Why?
It’s based on a code interpretation of allowing for 20 square feet per person on the 20,000-square-foot plaza, plus additional capacity factored in for the market’s Timber Haus and tent, Tomkins said.
Vendors have had to lay off staff, many of them employees who come back year after year and rely on the seasonal employment, Tomkins said.
The limit has since been raised by 1,000, and the city and market organizers continue to hash out a plan to “manage the flow of visitors so that the volume meets the needs of the vendors,” a city spokesperson said.
Tomkins said he’s appreciative of the conversations his team has had with the city, but Tomkins said 2,500 people is still well below “the bottom level” of foot traffic vendors need to survive. Ultimately, a venue change may be in order. |
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A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent takes part in an early morning operation in Park Ridge, Ill., Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (AP Photo / Erin Hooley) |
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Attorneys representing the Chicago Headline Club and local journalists who fought for a broad injunction limiting federal agents’ use of force have abruptly moved to dismiss their lawsuit as the Trump administration’s vastly increased immigration efforts across Illinois appear to have “ended.”
In a three-page filing, attorneys representing the Chicago Headline Club, Chicago Newspaper Guild Local 34071, Block Club Chicago and other media organizations said now that Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino and scores of federal immigration agents have left the Chicago area, “the situation that precipitated the relief sought in this litigation has changed in a material way.”
“Specifically, it appears that Operation Midway Blitz, has ended,” they wrote. “The roughly 200-225 DHS agents led by Defendant Bovino who traveled from Los Angeles to the Chicagoland area are no longer operating in the Northern District of Illinois. Moreover, since Defendant Bovino and his agents left the Northern District, Plaintiffs’ counsel has not received a single report of unconstitutional behavior that necessitated this case since November 8, 2025.”
The lawsuit was filed after journalists, protesters and clergy members claimed they had been targeted by federal immigration agents, who subjected them to a “pattern of extreme brutality” through their usage of riot control weapons without justification. |
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Back in the Day: Dec. 3, 1985 - Bears Tape ‘Super Bowl Shuffle’
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On this day 40 years ago, 25 players for the Chicago Bears trekked to Lincoln Park venue Park West to record a song called “The Super Bowl Shuffle.” Yes, it was still the regular season of the 1985 NFL campaign, and the Bears had five games left to play before entering the playoffs. The day prior, they were hit with their first loss of the season against the Miami Dolphins. Still, they recorded a song that confidently, and thankfully accurately, predicted their eventual victory at the Super Bowl in February 1986. While 30 players had agreed to take part in the music video, five bailed after the loss to the Dolphins, including quarterback Jim McMahon and running back Walter Payton. “It was pretty audacious of us to talk about going to the Super Bowl, winning it,” McMahon explains in “The Shuffle,” a new HBO documentary about the song. “We still got games to play, and we just lost.” When it was released later that month, the track became a hit. It sold over 500,000 copies, was nominated for a Grammy and hit No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. |
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Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for Dec. 3-Dec. 9 |
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Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.
Wednesday, Dec. 3:
Erykah Badu at Chicago Theatre. Tickets..
The pioneering “Queen of Neo Soul” makes an appearance downtown for two shows at an iconic venue. This is night two.
Advance Base, Kristin Daelyn at Color Club. Tickets.
Chicago songwriter Owen Ashworth hosts his annual Christmas show.
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones at Salt Shed. Tickets.
The jazz fusion mainstays hit Chicago on their “Jingle All the Way” tour.
Friday, Dec. 5:
Fort Frances at Hideout. Tickets.
Veteran local folk rockers always put on an incredible show at this cozy Bucktown venue.
The Lawrence Arms, Samiam at Metro. Tickets.
For 11 years, this Chicago punk group has hosted career-spanning “War On Xmas” shows. This is night one of two.
Adamn Killa at Reggie’s Rock Club. Tickets.
It’s not every day a recent “Chicago Tonight” guest plays Reggie’s Rock Club.
Saturday, Dec. 6:
The Lawrence Arms, The Flatliners at Metro. Tickets.
For 11 years, this Chicago punk group has hosted career-spanning “War On Xmas” shows. This is night two of two.
Sunday, Dec. 7:
Cusp, Sleeper's Bell, Uniflora, Answering Machines at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
Two pillars of independent music journalism—The Ugly Hug and Post Trash—team up for this stacked show of local indie rock acts to benefit the OCAD Mutual Aid Fund.
Dijon at Salt Shed. Tickets.
This artist is behind Pitchfork’s number two album of the year.
Jason Narducy at SPACE. Tickets.
The Evanston native celebrates his new book “Mostly The Van: A Collection of Stories” with a solo gig at a hometown venue.
Monday, Dec. 8 and Tuesday, Dec. 9:
Andrew Bird, Macie Stewart, Lia Kohl and Whitney Johnson Trio at Fourth Presbyterian Church. Tickets for Monday and Tuesday.
What might be the best Chicago holiday tradition for live music is this talented songwriter’s intimate “Gezelligheid” shows at a historic church.
Tuesday, Dec. 9:
Golden Smog at the Vic Theatre. Tickets.
A rock'n'roll supergroup known for its rotating lineup now feature features Jeff Tweedy, Gary Louris, Kraig Johnson, Dan Murphy, Marc Perlman and Steve Gorman. |
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Where's your favorite place in Chicago for holiday shopping? Tell us why.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM |
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Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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