Hello, Chicago.
Some 136 newspapers in the United States have closed over the past year, news deserts have expanded and Web traffic to the nation’s major newspapers has fallen sharply this decade, according to a report released yesterday that struggles to bring hope to the ailing news industry.
Even as entrepreneurs launch digital news sites, often backed by philanthropies, their growth has not reached a pace sufficient to offset losses, according to the Northwestern University report.
Stepping back to take an even broader look at the industry is even more troubling. Since 2005, the number of newspapers published in the United States has increased from 7,325 in 2005 to 4,490 today, according to the Medill State of Local News report. The circulation of daily newspapers, which averaged between 50 and 60 million people at the turn of the century, now stands at just over 15 million.
Read the full story.
And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including the status of the request to send the National Guard to Illinois, captain Nick Foligno returning to the Blackhawks after his daughter’s heart surgery and a new sports bar opening in Chicago, exclusively showing women’s sports.
Today’s electronic newspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Ask Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles and games | Today in History
Illinois asks Supreme Court to reject Trump’s ‘dramatic’ request to authorize National Guard deployment
Illinois lawyers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the Trump administration’s “dramatic” request to be allowed to send National Guard troops to the Chicago area to help with immigration enforcement while the case is under appeal.
In the 46-page response, the state said it would be inappropriate for the High Court to become involved at this stage of the proceedings, where a district court’s decision has not yet been decided on appeal.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem accuses Gov. JB Pritzker and the media of “attempting to demonize” immigration officials.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem yesterday criticized the media and politicians, including Gov. JB Pritzker, for “attempting to demonize” federal immigration agents and the Trump administration’s enforcement operations, and she urged citizens to thank law enforcement officers and “cook a meal for their families.”
The White House begins demolishing part of the East Wing to build Trump’s ballroom
The White House yesterday began demolishing part of the East Wing, the first lady’s traditional base of operations, to build President Donald Trump’s ballroom.
James Comey’s lawyers say charges against him are motivated by Trump’s ‘personal animosity’ and should be dismissed
Lawyers for former FBI Director James Comey urged a judge to dismiss the cases against him, calling them vindictive pursuits motivated by “personal animosity” and orchestrated by a White House determined to seek retaliation against a perceived enemy of President Donald Trump.
Federal judge refuses to stop Northwestern from disciplining students boycotting anti-bias training
A federal judge in Chicago refused yesterday to issue a temporary restraining order to a group of Northwestern University graduate students who are boycotting the school’s controversial anti-bias training video on anti-Semitism.
Disney+ and Hulu cancellations increased after ABC briefly pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Subscription cancellations at Disney+ and Hulu increased during the month in which ABC briefly canceled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” ”, according to data from subscription analysis company Antenna.
Captain Nick Foligno returns to Chicago Blackhawks after daughter’s heart surgery: ‘She’s an inspiration to me’
Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno returned to practice yesterday after a five-day leave due to his daughter’s heart surgery.
Milana Foligno, 12, was born with congenital heart disease and had her first surgery at 3 weeks old.
Coby White to miss at least first 2 weeks of Chicago Bulls season as calf injury persists
The Bulls will begin the season without their longest-tenured player as guard Coby White remains sidelined with a right calf strain.
Restaurant News: Babe’s Sports Bar Opens in Logan Square, First to Feature Only Women’s Sports in Chicago
Babe’s Sports Bar, Chicago’s first and only women’s sports bar, has opened in the Logan Square neighborhood.
“White Flight” is a new novel by boxer, storyteller and professor Bill Hillmann
In Bill Hillmann’s new novel, “White Flight” (Tortoise Books), you’ll discover a story full of substance and style, power and passion. Like much of Hillmann’s writing, it is autobiographical, real, and imbued with creative imagination. It tells the story of a family who, in the 1990s, moved from Rogers Park to La Grange and later to Brookfield. It’s peppered with excitement and turmoil, centering on Joe Walsh (based on Hillmann), a sister shot with a gunshot wound, a brother returning to his bad habits after being released from prison, boxing success and derailed dreams of the Olympics, the power of love and dreams and the fragility of hope.
Review: Back and bigger than ever, 2025’s Ear Taxi is a smooth ride
Against all odds, the Ear Taxi Festival is back – and how.
Elevating the niche and undercelebrated world of contemporary classical music, this massive music festival only happens once every few years. But in a disruptive arts funding landscape, this one could have sprouted in the most challenging environment yet for music festivals, writes Hannah Edgar. That’s saying something, considering the last Ear Taxi took place in fall 2021.
But where state and municipal funding has faltered, public funding has increased significantly with this Ear Taxi.
