Good afternoon, Chicago.
Renegade Chicago aldermen battling with Mayor Brandon Johnson over competing 2026 budgets announced tweaks to their proposal this morning, but withheld critical details.
The City Council majority group is dropping its plan to raise the garbage pickup fee, Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, said in a statement. The group will also maintain youth summer job funding at levels first proposed by Johnson after previously pushing for a smaller amount, Villegas said.
The changes are an apparent bid to convince more colleagues to join them and blunt Johnson’s near-daily criticism that their package would hurt working-class Chicagoans.
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.
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Irma Garcia, a Chicago Public Schools cook of 23 years, unpacks groceries from a nearby food pantry in her kitchen in Humboldt Park on Dec. 11, 2025. After finishing her workday at Lowell Elementary School, Garcia walked a couple of blocks to volunteer and pick up groceries from Church of God-Le Moyne food pantry. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
CPS lunchroom workers near six months without a contract: ‘No one sees us’
Irma Garcia’s life revolves around food. Eight hours a day, she prepares hundreds of meals for students at James Russell Lowell Elementary School in Humboldt Park. But at home, her kitchen shelves are often empty. Read more here.
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Chicago weather: After deep freeze, warmer temps, possibly until New Year’s, on the way
Chicago police officer acquitted of sexually abusing handcuffed woman
Raided South Shore building’s tenants move out after judge denies pleas for more time
A roadside Christmas tree lot along Sauk Trail in Richton Park had been providing seasonal memories for about 40 years, according to owner Rick Reinbold, including being the setting for a Hallmark Christmas movie. It didn’t open this year after Reinbold decided to “pull the plug” on the operation, he said. (Paul Eisenberg/Daily Southtown)
Richton Park tree lot that was the setting for a Hallmark Christmas movie shuts down after 40 years
While “Christmas Under the Stars” lives on in reruns, its inspiration has become a ghost of Christmas past. Read more here.
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What to know about Southwest Airlines’ new boarding process
Roomba maker iRobot files for bankruptcy protection; will be taken private under restructuring
Blackhawks center Connor Bedard handles the puck during the first period against the Maple Leafs on Nov. 15, 2025, at the United Center. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Connor Bedard will be out until January after Chicago Blackhawks place him on injured reserve
The Blackhawks placed star center Connor Bedard on injured reserve today because of an upper-body injury he suffered in Friday’s 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. He will be reevaluated in January, but surgery is not expected. Read more here.
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3 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ latest loss, including dueling bigs and a quiet night from Matas Buzelis
DJ Moore comes alive for Chicago Bears with 2 TDs — including that ‘unbelievable’ Caleb Williams throw
Head sommelier Dylan Estey pours wine for Brittney Vidosh and Erik Retzer at Hawksmoor in Chicago on Dec. 9, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Rediscovering the lost luxury of sweet wines: The coziest holiday ritual you haven’t embraced — yet
Especially amid the rush of holiday gatherings, sweet wines are an everyday luxury worth rediscovering. Not out of nostalgia, but because they offer the kind of modern ritual many of us crave — a sweet, simple pause to slow down, linger and reconnect. Read more here.
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Review: ‘Phantom of the Opera’ at Cadillac Palace Theatre keeps the memories and a classic staging alive
Review: ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Clowns’ mixes up British detectives for a light holiday mystery
Honoree Rob Reiner, second from left, poses with his wife, Michele, left, and children Nick, center, Romy, and Jake at the 41st annual Chaplin Award Gala at Avery Fisher Hall on April 28, 2014, in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Son arrested after Rob Reiner and his wife found dead in Los Angeles home, AP source says
Online jail records show Nick Reiner, 32, was booked by Los Angeles police and remained in jail today. It was not immediately clear what charges he would face. Read more here.
More top stories from around the world:
Authorities renew search for the Brown University shooter after releasing a person of interest
Australia to tighten gun laws after Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre
