It’s Thursday. Make it to the weekend with these stories from WTTW News.
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Cardinal Blase Cupich appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Jan. 27, 2026. (WTTW News)
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Three Catholic cardinals are speaking out about some of the Trump administration’s recent foreign policy actions. Cardinals Blase Cupich, Robert McElroy and Joseph Tobin last week released a statement questioning military action over Venezuela, Greenland and Ukraine. The cardinals urged the U.S. to change its agenda on foreign policy to one that is focused on peace. Their criticisms come on the heels of a Jan. 9 address from Pope Leo XIV to diplomats gathered in the Vatican.
In their letter, the cardinals denounced war as “an instrument for narrow national interests.” They said war should be a last resort in efforts to confront evil around the world, to sustain the right to life and human dignity and to support religious liberty. Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, has also been vocal about the federal immigration crackdown in the U.S. He released a statement in October saying he stands with migrant communities.
Cupich joined “Chicago Tonight” to talk about U.S. foreign policy, immigration enforcement and recent school closures.
On why they released their letter:
“We, in making this statement, saw that the consensus since the end of the second World War, about how nations work together, is evaporating. That is a consensus about the sovereignty of nations and their borders with Ukraine, the invasion by Russia of Ukraine, also the Venezuelan action, also how different disputes are resolved in a peaceful way, through dialogue. All of that seems to be going by the wayside, and so we wanted to make sure that we don’t lose the perspective of what is morally correct and morally the framework that should be used in having foreign policy developed.”
On when it’s time to speak up:
“I think we want to make sure that included in the debate, in the national debate, is a moral framework, and we wanted to make sure, particularly, that the voice of the people whose rights are violated, where a lack of human dignity is observed, … that the voices of the poor, of the weak, are heard.”
On Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign:
“We see a lower number of people being free to come to worship, and that’s very sad... I’ve had some priests who are of a different color being targeted and arrested, stopped, because of their color, and asking them to prove that they’re citizens. That’s not America.”
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Military personnel in uniform, with the Texas National Guard patch on, are seen at the U.S. Army Reserve Center, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Elwood, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
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The decision by the Trump administration to send 375 members of the Texas and Illinois National Guard to Chicago cost taxpayers $21 million, according to a new report by the Congressional Budget Office.
In all, President Donald Trump’s decision to send federalized National Guard troops to Chicago; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Memphis; Portland, Oregon; and New Orleans cost approximately $496 million through the end of December, according to the report prepared for U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee.
Some backstory:
The president federalized a total of 375 members of the Illinois National Guard and 200 members of the Texas National Guard to Chicago in early October amid a series of increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement actions during what the Trump administration called “Operation Midway Blitz.”
The troops were prevented from deploying into Chicago by a federal judge who ruled that she found “no credible evidence there is a danger of rebellion in the state of Illinois.” That decision was upheld by a three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Texas National Guard troops returned home just before Thanksgiving, in what Mayor Brandon Johnson called an “unconditional surrender.”
According to the Congressional Budget Office report, 200 Texas National Guard troops remain under federal authority and mobilized in Texas, at a cost of $4 million per month.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Dec. 23 that Trump did not have the power to deploy the military in Illinois. Shortly afterward, Trump announced he would no longer seek to send troops into Chicago or Portland.
All federalized Illinois National Guard troops were returned to local control on Jan. 21, according to a statement from the U.S. Military’s Northern Command.
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Leighton Criminal Court Building (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
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Cook County’s chief judge has updated his office’s electronic monitoring protocols, expanding court operations and revising what constitutes a major violation.
Chief Judge Charles Beach had pledged to overhaul the county’s EM system following the high-profile arson attack on a Blue Line train last year, allegedly carried out by a man free on electronic monitoring.
“These updates reinforce the Court’s commitment to timely judicial oversight and clear lines of responsibility,” Beach said in a statement. “Electronic monitoring is a tool of the court, and these protocols help ensure violations are addressed promptly, transparently and consistent with judicial authority."
Under the revised protocols, anyone on EM who is accused of a major violation — like an unauthorized absence or tampering with a monitoring device — will be returned to court within 24 hours, no matter when the violation is reported.
Previously, that could only happen from Monday to Friday, but courts will begin handling those violations on weekends now too, beginning Feb. 7.
Under the new protocols, an unauthorized absence of more than three hours on weekdays will also now qualify as a major violation requiring the defendant to appear back in court. That limit had previously been set at 48 hours.
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More From WTTW News:
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A new R&B and house music festival is happening at Union Park in May. It's called ‘Forever Mine,’ and it'll be headlined by Kaytranada, Keyshia Cole, Kelly Rowland and more.
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Back in the Day: January 29, 1981 - American League Owners Approve White Sox Sale to Jerry Reinsdorf
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Back in August 1980, longtime White Sox owner Bill Veeck had agreed to sell the team to Eddie DeBartolo, a shopping mall magnate who owned NHL and NFL teams, but was blocked by the league which voted against the deal happening. On this day 45 years ago, Veeck found his buyer and the sale was approved by his fellow American League owners. Jerry Reinsdorf, a tax attorney who made his fortune in real estate, alongside his business partner Eddie Einhorn, agreed to purchase the team for around $20 million. The two had originally been part of groups attempting to purchase the New York Mets and the San Diego Padres, respectively. Fun fact: in 1960, when Reinsdorf was a tax attorney, he
worked on a case involving the tax delinquency of Veeck. Reinsdorf has owned the White Sox since 1981, but has a long-term agreement with Justin Ishbia for a potential future sale of the Chicago White Sox that is not guaranteed and won’t happen until at least 2029. The White Sox ended 2025 with a 60-102 record.
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This Week’s Arts & Culture Events
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Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.
Josh Terry: As the first month of 2026 comes to a close, this city has already packed a year’s worth of must-see cultural offerings into the calendar. With these four events, it’s clear that there’s no stopping Chicago’s arts communities from delivering enriching shows, exhibits, concerts and more for your viewing pleasure. From a four-time Tony Award-nominee premiering on the North Shore, to two must-see exhibits from veteran artists, dive into a new memory and a thrilling experience below.
Theater: “Mary Jane” — Northlight Theatre
“Mary Jane,” a Tony-nominated play that premiered in 2017 and was penned by Pulitzer finalist Amy Herzog, makes its debut at Skokie's Northlight Theatre this weekend. It stars Lucy Carapetyan as the titular protagonist, and its story follows a “determined mother caring for her chronically sick child.” For tickets and showtimes, click here.
Art: Carroll Dunham, “Drawings: 1974-2024” — Art Institute of Chicago
Painter Carroll Dunham has been a working artist for the past five decades, beginning in New York City in the 1970s. On Saturday, a massive collection of his drawings will be put on exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago. It marks the first time a museum has made an exhibit exclusively highlighting Dunham’s drawings. For more details, click here.
Art: “Eli Williamson: Fellowship” — Evanston Art Center
South Side native and photo essayist Eli Williamson is unveiling a collection called “Fellowship” in Evanston. It “visually explores the sacred spaces where Black men and boys learn, grow, and heal in each other’s presence.” The series has been on display since Jan. 24 but will run until March 1. On Sunday, Feb. 1, you can RSVP for an opening reception at the Evanston Art Institute from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, click here.
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Restaurant Week is in full swing. What’s your favorite place to grab
a bite in your neighborhood?
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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