Good morning, Chicago.
Illinois reached a settlement of at least $120 million with Monsanto Co., the largest producer of now-banned PCBs, to address longstanding contamination across the state.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul sued Monsanto in 2022 over its denial of the health and environmental harms of the hazardous synthetic chemical, known as polychlorinated biphenyls. The lawsuit alleged Monsanto knowingly concealed the dangers of PCBs and continued to produce and distribute it for decades.
Under the agreement, the state will receive $80 million by March 31, which will be disbursed to Chicago and nine surrounding cities of Evanston, Lake Forest, North Chicago, Zion, Beach Park, Glencoe, Lake Bluff, Winnetka and Winthrop Harbor.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: what to know about a new law on Illinois vaccine guidelines, what happened at Wieners Circle when hungry Bears fans lined up at 5 a.m. and a look at the winners of the 2025 Holiday Cookie Contest.
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U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the ranking member, talks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Feb. 12, 2025, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Sen. Dick Durbin demands answers from Homeland Security regarding U.S. citizens caught up in immigration raids
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently claimed that no United States citizens have been caught up in Trump administration immigration raids.
But that is false, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said in a six-page letter to Noem that demands answers about the department’s detention of U.S. citizens and cites Chicago Tribune reporting.
After ominous signs from 7th Circuit, attorneys abruptly move to dismiss lawsuit restricting use of force by immigration agents
‘Shocked’: Chicago appeals judge rips lower court’s ruling to release immigration arrestees
Gov. JB Prtizker holds Illinois House Bill 767 after signing it on Dec. 2, 2025, at the Illinois Department of Human Rights office in Chicago’s West Loop. The legislation formally establishes a process for state-level vaccine guidelines and expands pharmacy access to COVID-19 and other shots for young children across Illinois. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
Gov. JB Pritzker signs law on Illinois vaccine guidelines amid ongoing tumult with Trump administration
Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation that formally establishes a process for state-level vaccine guidelines and expands pharmacy access to COVID-19 and other shots for young children across Illinois.
Resident Travaris Ivy leads the media through the apartment building at 7500 S. South Shore Drive in Chicago on Dec. 2, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
First, ICE raided their Chicago apartment building. Now, they’re being forced to vacate it.
On a freezing Tuesday morning after Chicago’s snowiest November day on record, residents of a building that made international headlines after a federal immigration raid earlier this year decried a recent court-ordered mandate to vacate their homes at 7500 South Shore Drive.
Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks during a ceremony at Malcolm X College on Dec. 2, 2025, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Aldermen call for garbage fee and liquor tax increases instead of corporate head tax
A City Council majority came out with a budget plan that raises garbage collection fees and liquor taxes while eliminating Mayor Brandon Johnson’s corporate head tax entirely for 2026, hours after he delivered a stinging rebuke to opponents of his controversial levy proposal.
Downtown alderman wants teen curfew compromise after meetup shootings
Shoppers stroll around Gurnee Mills on a Thursday afternoon. (Joe States/Pioneer Press)
Village approves chipping in for new Gurnee Mills store: IKEA?
Gurnee Mills will soon have one less vacancy after the Gurnee Village Board voted to approve an agreement to renovate vacant tenant space.
While Jocelyn Gubler, the vice president of development at Simon Property Group, didn’t specify what store would be moving into the space, but shared hints. “This retailer has been launching smaller format stores, as a complement to its larger standard-size, warehouse-type of environment that’s in 27 states and territories in the U.S.,” she said. “[One] of these stores just opened in San Marcos, Texas, earlier this year.”
Fenwick’s Logan Schultz (77), Jake Thies (8) and Mike Murphy (5) celebrate with the trophy after defeating East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship game in Normal on Dec. 2, 2025. (Vincent D. Johnson/for Pioneer Press)
Jake Thies’ interception is one more moment to remember for a ‘great player’ as Fenwick wins 6A state title
Capping an impressive performance that included two touchdown runs, Jake Thies returned an interception 39 yards to East St. Louis’ 3-yard line with 2:30 left, all but sealing Fenwick’s second state title. Senior quarterback Jamen Williams Jr. scored on the next play as the Friars won 38-28 at Illinois State’s Hancock Stadium.
Providence’s Xavier Coleman (2) tries to shake a St. Francis defender during the Class 5A state championship game in Normal on Dec. 2, 2025. (Vincent D. Johnson / for the Daily Southtown)
Big catches. Big plays. Just another day at state office for Providence’s Xavier Coleman. ‘Kudos to my team.’
Xavier Coleman hauled in four catches for 107 yards and a touchdown, but the Celtics came up just short in the final seconds, losing 39-35 to Wheaton St. Francis in the Class 5A championship game at Illinois State’s Hancock Stadium.
With center Drew Dalman (52) blocking, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams throws a pass in the first quarter against the Eagles on Nov. 28, 2025, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Stats show troubling trend in Caleb Williams’ accuracy, but Ben Johnson says to ‘throw those out the window’
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had a pair of “oh, no” throws Friday that would have been the talk of the week had the Bears not beaten the Philadelphia Eagles on a national stage.
Are the 9-3 Bears the best team in the NFC? 5 pressing questions after Week 13.
Bears’ Week 16 matchup with Green Bay Packers scheduled for prime-time kickoff
Nora Riordan picks up a free hot dog as Bears fans line up, Dec. 2, 2025, at The Wieners Circle in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood after coach Ben Johnson took his shirt off in a postgame celebration for a win over the Eagles. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Bears fans line up again for free Wieners Circle hot dogs, cheering ‘thank you, Ben Johnson’
It happened again. A line of hyper and hungry Bears fans started forming outside The Wieners Circle at 5 a.m. yesterday, despite the bitter 23-degree temperature. It was all in the name of free hot dogs, courtesy of Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who rose to the hot dog stand’s challenge and took off his shirt after Friday’s win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Column: When a shirtless coach and a free hot dog rallied an entire city. Only in Chicago.
The Tribune holiday cookie contest winners. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
2025 Holiday Cookie Contest winners announced
For the 39th annual Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest, readers submitted recipes for sweet treats, including biscotti and shortbread, bars and balls, and classic chocolate chip and sugar cookies. Some recipes were decades old, passed down from grandparents, aunts, neighbors and friends, and tweaked as the years have gone by.
More than 1,800 readers cast over 3,800 votes to decide the 12 finalists that Tribune staffers baked for judging. Guest judges Justin Lerias of Del Sur, Reema Patel, previously of Sarima Cafe, and Asa Balanoff Naiditch of Blame Butter selected this year’s top cookie.
Tribune’s 2025 Holiday Cookie Contest: Get the winning recipes
