Good morning, Chicago.

Serving as a member of the Chicago Board of Education can mean upward of 25 hours per week attending meetings, reviewing hundreds of documents, visiting schools and hosting office hours. All on a volunteer basis.

Two board members have left full-time jobs. Others say it’s difficult to juggle the demands of the role with personal and professional responsibilities.

But a new bill in the Illinois House would pave the way for board members to receive compensation, a change advocates say could broaden representation as it transitions to a fully elected body.

Read the full story from the Tribune’s Kate Armanini.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: a look at yesterday’s International Women’s Day protest where hundreds marched to Trump Tower, tracking the Bears in NFL free agency and restaurant and bar specials for St. Patrick’s Day.

Today’s eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History

Detainees put items into clear plastic bags given to them by masked federal agents near an exterior door at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 13, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Feds violated immigration court order, wrongly deported hundreds, court filing alleges

The federal government knew it had wrongfully arrested Henry Cordova Jaya. He had been detained by immigration agents last year during President Donald Trump’s ramped-up immigration enforcement raids in violation of a court order restricting warrantless arrests.

In January, the government acknowledged that his arrest was a violation of the 2022 Castañon Nava consent decree. In early February, lawyers for the federal government said in a court filing that they were seeking Cordova Jaya’s release from custody. But instead of releasing Cordova Jaya, the government kept him in detention for 18 more days and then sent him back to Ecuador, according to a new filing in federal court.

Jacqueline Jackson walks behind the casket of her husband, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, as their sons Jesse Jackson Jr., left, and U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson, right, walk as pallbearers after Jesse Jackson’s funeral service at Rainbow PUSH Coalition, March 7, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Rev. Jesse Jackson’s family and closest friends offer one last goodbye

They sent the Rev. Jesse Jackson home Saturday the only way it could have been done: with Gospel music, testimony that often brought people to their feet and story after story about a man who rose from humble beginnings to become one of America’s most influential Civil Rights leaders.

Read our full coverage: Remembering Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, a titan of civil rights

Democratic candidate for the Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District, Jesse Jackson Jr., speaks to the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, Feb. 5, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

As South Side Congressional race nears end, candidates attend town halls, self-defense class and funeral

Between tributes and songs, the crowd celebrating civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. at Friday’s homegoing got a not-so-subtle call: Vote for his son.

For a short speech in front of thousands, Jesse Jackson Jr. stepped up to the cross-shaped lectern. The former congressman is balancing grief over his father’s death with a political campaign to win back the seat he resigned from amid a campaign finance scandal that sent him to prison.

Felicia Yauch, left, holds hands and shouts with her friend Terrisa Scott, both of Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, during a women’s day march at Daley Plaza in Chicago’s Loop, March 8, 2026. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)

International Women’s Day protest sees hundreds march to Trump Tower

A few hundred protesters marched yesterday to Trump Tower as part of nationwide Women’s March events in honor of International Women’s Day. Protesters gathered in the Loop’s Daley Plaza carrying signs with references to abortion, immigration, the war in Iran and women’s rights.

Andres Rodriquez walks through a lounge at Verano’s headquarters on Feb. 17, 2026, in Chicago. Verano is a publicly traded multistate cannabis company. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

From startup seedling to cannabis powerhouse, Verano has navigated the industry’s ups and downs

When Illinois took the plunge and legalized medical marijuana in 2013, restaurateur George Archos decided he would get in on the ground floor. Archos, who grew up in the family restaurant business, had already opened several successful Wildberry Pancake and Cafe locations in Chicago and the suburbs, and was convinced his hospitality experience would serve him well in the nascent cannabis industry.

The budding entrepreneur has since turned Chicago-based Verano from a pipe dream into one of the largest publicly traded cannabis companies in the country. And he still owns seven Chicago-area restaurants.

Michael Crawford, the Collinsville water plant’s chief operator, inspects a clarifier tank at the facility on Feb. 11, 2026. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

Illinois orders 21 communities to remove forever chemicals from drinking water by 2029. But who will pay?

Sitting on the Mississippi River flood plains, Collinsville is among a handful of Illinois communities that draw drinking water from the American Bottoms aquifer.

The Metro East town of 30,000 is also one of 21 communities, covering 47 water systems, that contain levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS that exceed state and federal standards, according to a statewide investigation by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. From small towns along the Mississippi to suburban cities like Crest Hill, the drinking water of more than 400,000 Illinoisans is at risk of contamination.

Darren Bailey, right, answers a question as fellow Republican gubernatorial candidates Rick Heidner, from left, James Mendrick and Ted Dabrowski debate in downstate Washington, Jan. 15, 2026. (Troy Stolt/for the Chicago Tribune)

Illinois 2026 GOP primary for governor features four candidates and one familiar face but big donors sit out

Four years ago, the six-way Republican primary for governor was impossible to miss. More than $100 million was spent largely on TV ads, including $35 million from Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who not-so-subtly steered GOP voters toward the candidate he deemed easiest to defeat that fall: Darren Bailey.

A downstate farmer and former state lawmaker who leaned heavily on his evangelical Christian faith, Bailey won that primary — then lost to Pritzker in November by nearly 13 percentage points. Now, he’s back, seeking a general election rematch in a GOP primary field of four.

Almost nothing else from 2022 has returned with him.

Chicago Bears defensive end Daniel Hardy (92) celebrates after a victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sept. 28, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Tracking the Chicago Bears in NFL free agency: Special teams standout Daniel Hardy signs 2-year deal

The busiest week on the NFL’s offseason calendar is upon us.

The free-agent negotiating period opens at 11 a.m. today, and free agency officially begins at 3 p.m. Wednesday with the start of the 2026 league year. At that point, any contracts negotiated or trades agreed to can become official.

The Bears have flexibility now heading into free agency. What are their biggest needs?

Don Herbert, better known as Mr. Wizard, demonstrates the principles of the inclined plane in 1954 using one of his famous Rube Goldberg contraptions made out of household equipment. (Fran Byrne Photography)

Mr. Wizard’s science show held children spellbound

An experiment began on March 3, 1951, in the studios of what is today NBC-5 in Chicago. The question it sought to answer was: Could television use entertainment to educate the children of the country about science?

Raised is offering a variety of cocktails for St. Patrick’s Day. (Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel)

St. Patrick’s Day 2026: Restaurants and bars with Chicago River views, unlimited food and drinks, and more

Chicago hosts one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the world, centering on the tradition of dyeing the Chicago River bright green and parades held throughout the city and suburbs.

Regardless of your own heritage, you can don something green and celebrate Chicago’s deep Irish roots at one of 57 spots.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/09/daywatch-should-chicago-school-board-members-be-paid/ 

Federal Appeals Court Upholds Temporary Protected Status For Over 300,000 Haitians

Tyler Durden
Mon, 03/09/2026 – 07:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/federal-appeals-court-upholds-temporary-protected-status-over-300000-haitians 

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military said it killed six men Sunday in a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean as part of the Trump administration’s campaign against alleged traffickers.

Sunday’s attack brought the death toll to at least 157 people since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in small vessels in early September.

As with most of the military’s statements on the more than 40 known strikes in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. It posted a video on X that showed a small boat being blown up as it floated on the water.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

In a meeting with Latin American leaders on Saturday, Trump encouraged them to join the U.S. in taking military action against drug-trafficking cartels and transnational gangs, which he said pose an “unacceptable threat” to the region’s national security.

To that end, Ecuador and the United States conducted military operations this past week against organized crime groups in the South American country.

With Saturday’s gathering, Trump aimed to demonstrate that he remains committed to focusing U.S. foreign policy on the Western Hemisphere, even while waging a war on Iran that has had repercussions across the Middle East.

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

The boat strikes also drew intense criticism following the revelation that the military killed survivors of the very first boat attack with a follow-up strike. The Trump administration and many Republican lawmakers said it was legal and necessary, while Democratic lawmakers and legal experts said the killings were murder, if not a war crime.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/09/us-military-strike-alleged-drug-boat/ 

Associated Press

BRUSELAS (AP) — El ministro belga del Interior, Bernard Quintin, afirmó el lunes que una explosión ocurrida durante la noche cerca de una sinagoga en la ciudad oriental de Lieja fue “un acto antisemita despreciable” y que fiscales federales estaban investigando, mientras varios países de Europa refuerzan la seguridad debido a la guerra entre Estados Unidos e Israel contra Irán.

La policía de Lieja informó que la explosión en el exterior de la sinagoga ocurrió en las primeras horas de la madrugada del lunes. Nadie resultó herido, pero las ventanas de un edificio frente a la sinagoga reventaron.

La calle permaneció acordonada mientras los investigadores registraban la zona, indicó un comunicado.

“La explosión frente a la sinagoga de Lieja fue un acto antisemita despreciable que apuntó directamente contra la comunidad judía de Bélgica”, escribió Quintin en una publicación en X. “La seguridad en torno a sitios similares seguirá reforzándose”. No estableció ningún vínculo entre la explosión y la guerra con Irán.

Bélgica, Francia y Alemania figuran entre varios países europeos que han dicho que reforzarían la seguridad en respuesta a la guerra, y también han insistido en que no están desempeñando ningún papel activo en el conflicto junto a Estados Unidos e Israel.

El ministro de Transporte de Bélgica ha exigido que se refuerce la seguridad en torno a la red ferroviaria del país.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/09/blgica-describe-una-explosin-cerca-de-una-sinagoga-como-despreciable-ataque-antisemita/ 

Six armed and masked suspects forced their way into a Winnetka home late Sunday afternoon and held a resident at gunpoint while taking objects from the home, Winnetka police said in a news release.

The offenders forcefully entered the home, in the 700 block of Rosewood Avenue, after one of them posed as a food delivery worker to gain access to the home, Winnetka police said. The suspects held the victim at gunpoint inside the residence while they demanded specific items from the home.

The victim was ultimately able to escape the home, according to the news release. After receiving a call reporting the incident, police responded at about 5:27 p.m.

Before police arrived, the six suspects had fled, possibly in a black Acura RDX SUV with no license plates, police later determined.

The victim did not require medical attention or transportation to a hospital, per the news release.

Winnetka Police are continuing to investigate and are asking anyone with information to call 847-501-6034.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/09/winnetka-man-at-gunpoint-home-invasion/ 

Ashley Stevenson of St. Charles, along with her husband and children, took some time to visit the LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles on Saturday to enjoy the outdoors by experiencing the annual Maple Sugaring Days festival.

“I came here five years ago and we’re back now because we’ve added another little one that we wanted to do this with,” Stevenson said as her family prepared to enter the event. “We know it’s a lot of work to get the syrup. One of my daughters, in particular, uses a lot of syrup on her pancakes in the morning.”

The event offered Saturday and Sunday by the Kane County Forest Preserve District gave families the opportunity to watch naturalists tap into maple trees in search of what some call the liquid gold that eventually yields true maple syrup.

Organizers said the celebration is a rite of spring in the area that helps free visitors from cabin fever.

Before the event, Laurie Metanchuk, community engagement director for the Kane County Forest Preserve District, said this was the 31st year for the celebration and confirmed that the warm temperatures predicted over the weekend would get the maple sap flowing.

“It’s all about warm days and cold nights and that’s exactly what you want in order to have the sap start flowing in the maple trees,” she said before the event. “We know it’s going to be a great weekend for this. We had 2,100 people a year ago.”

Metanchuk said that while many visitors have come before, the “need to get outside after a long winter is a huge part of it.”

“I always think of the start of spring as whenever Maple Sugaring Days is, whether it matches up with the calendar or not,” she said. “I think a lot of people feel the same way and like getting out and listening to music and maybe enjoying some of the old-time traditions like seeing how trees get tapped and how the land provides food. It’s a really fun event and not a high-pressure thing and an easy way to ease into spring.”

Last year, local Riverlands Brewing created a maple-enhanced beer for the fest and was back this year with a new formula, Metanchuk said.

“They have created Maple River – it’s a little lighter and a little sweeter than the version they had last year,” she said. “I think they like to change it up from year-to-year.”

A maple cafe was also offered at the event including hot cider, doughnuts, cookies and ice cream sundaes. There was also a sampling station to try out local maple syrup and a craft area.

Ashley Stevenson’s husband Ian said he remembered learning about tapping maple trees “back in third grade. We did it in the neighborhood that we live in. We tapped those trees.”

“It’s still amazing that people figured this out. The whole tapping a tree thing and then to boil it down into a product that is as delicious as maple syrup,” he said.

Inside the beer tent at the fest, Ryan Griffin of St. Charles was enjoying this year’s beer from Riverlands Brewing.

“We brought the whole family this year. It’s a little windy, a little breezy and we’ve got ice cream and coffee and now a beer,” he said.

Meanwhile outside, volunteers offered short presentations on the collection of sap as well as others supervising the drilling of logs to mimic the tapping of a tree while still others stood around a smoking fire boiling sap down for syrup.

Volunteers at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles supervise the boiling down of maple sap Saturday, March 7, 2026, during the Maple Sugaring Days festival. (David Sharos/For The Beacon-News)

Dan Johnson of Elburn said Saturday was his first visit to the fest and that he was accompanied by his son and his wife and his grandchildren.

“I know how much it takes to get the syrup and it’s a lot of work and I needed to see how they did it back in the day,” Johnson said. “This is a good thing for the grandkids to see. Realizing the Earth gives us food and how our grandparents had to do a lot more than go to the grocery store – and it’s probably a lot better for you.”

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/09/maple-sugaring-days-in-st-charles-offers-sweet-reason-to-get-outside/ 

Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of stories looking at contested races in the March 17 primary election.

The Republican race in the March 17 primary election in Illinois Senate District 33 is between Danielle Penman and Jessica Breugelmans.

The winner in the GOP primary will face Michele Clark, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, in the Nov. 3 general election.

Danielle Penman

Penman, 49, of St. Charles, is running for the first time for the Illinois Senate and said voters are talking about taxes and the high cost of living.

“People are tired of the high taxes. On the state level they complain about property taxes and wanting to know what can I do to help lower them,” Penman said. “They want accountability in terms of where their tax dollars are going and why they are being asked for more and more taxes all the time.”

The cost of living is something that residents say includes “gas being too high, groceries are still high.”

“Some people express frustration over having to cover the tax debt in Cook County,” Penman said.

Danielle Penman is running in the Republican primary in Illinois Senate District 33. (Danielle Penman)

If elected, Penman said her goals include health care reform in Illinois and working on education and affordability issues.

“As a nurse and an elected official I’d like to work on health care,” she said. “Affordability, access to health care – we have a lot of health care deserts, a lot of health care organizations that are closing doors, limiting or ending services because of health care in the state. So, looking at ways to make sure it is affordable and accessible is something I want to do regardless of what ZIP code they’re in.”

In terms of education, “I’m really passionate about providing students more career path opportunities and partnerships,” Penman said.

“I think we need educational reform and school choice, and I think parents should have options about where their children are going and their tax dollars should follow it,” she said. “We need more competition to make sure we’re getting top education.”

“Affordability,” Penman insists, “means trying to limit unfunded mandates and pushing forward for a forensic audit of all programs and departments in the state to see where we can get rid of waste, fraud and abuse that’s costing taxpayers.”

Jessica Breugelmans

Breugelmans, 44, of Geneva, is running for the first time for the Illinois Senate and said that issues in District 33 includes taxes, education and safety.

In regard to taxes, “They are absolutely crushing. the taxes are just causing people to leave the state.”

As far as education, she said, “we shouldn’t be lowering the standards in the state which we just did.”

“We need to, instead, rise to meet them,” she said.

The safety issue concerns “people wanting safe communities to live in.”

Jessica Breugelmans is running in the Republican primary in Illinois Senate District 33. (Jessica Breugelmans)

If elected, Breugelmans said she wants to work on “making Illinois affordable for families and small businesses, as well as restoring trust in government through fiscal responsibility and strengthening our schools.”

“I would oppose new taxes when it comes to making things more affordable,” she said. “Typically, the budget is passed in the wee hours of the night on Memorial Day weekend and thousands of pages are dumped on legislators’ desks with only a couple of hours to review it. We have to demand more transparency in that budgeting process.”

Restoring trust, Breugelmans said, “Means insisting on responsible budgeting.”

For schools, “We need to ensure our educational system is focused on student success” which includes “first and foremost – not lowering those standards. We need to focus on the fundamentals in the classroom and make sure our kids can do them and stop the unfunded mandates that we’re sending to the school districts.”

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/09/penman-breugelmans-square-off-in-gop-primary-in-illinois-senate-district-33/ 

The Cubs have reached their first off day of the spring, a timely arrival with the absence of eight 40-man roster players at the World Baseball Classic.

Roster cuts are starting to take place for the Sox. They made 10 moves Friday, followed by optioning pitcher Tanner McDougal to Triple-A Charlotte and reassigning pitcher Noah Schultz to minor-league camp on Saturday. They have 55 players remaining in camp.

“Those guys were outstanding,” Sox manager Will Venable said of McDougal and Schultz on Saturday. “Both of them did a great job. We talked early in camp about using this to build a foundation for a long, healthy and productive season. They did a great job of doing that and then saw what they did on the mound.

“For young guys to be out there and have that presence, a feel for the zone, a feel for their pitches, it was great to see.”

Every Monday during spring training, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead — for the Cubs and White Sox.

Want the latest baseball news? Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune to read it all — and sign up for our Cubs Insider and White Sox Insider newsletters.

Cubs RHP Shelby Miller eying September return from Tommy John surgery

Chicago Cubs’ Shelby Miller on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Shelby Miller is not ruling out a return from Tommy John surgery before the end of the season.

Miller, who underwent the procedure in October, was told by surgeon Dr. Keith Meister a couple of weeks ago that he wanted to see if the right-hander could get into a big-league game by September. Miller is scheduled to get an MRI on March 17 on his arm, then start playing catch, the first step in his ramp-up process.

“(Dr. Meister) wrote off on, ‘hey, we’re gonna get you back this year’ just by the way I’m rebounding on workouts and the way my arm looks and feels,” Miller told the Tribune on Sunday. “My goal is hopefully be back even a little bit sooner than that (September), depending on how I feel, but I’m really optimistic about getting back this year and contributing.

“I feel like I’ve taken a pretty big step forward in the gym, and the way my elbow’s recovering and not getting sore from all the lifts and stuff I’m doing, I feel like I’m ready to go.”

Miller, 35, spent the first 3 1/2 months of the 2021 season with the Cubs, appearing in three games before being released. That didn’t diminish his love for the organization or the city, and Miller was drawn to the competitive roster they’ve built, leading to a two-year contract last month with a club option for 2028. Miller posted a 1.98 ERA in 37 appearances for Arizona last season before a trade to Milwaukee, where he had a 5.59 ERA in 11 outings before his season-ending surgery.

“At this point in my career, it’s all about who’s going to give you the best opportunity to get that ring on teams that offer you deals, and this seemed like the best fit for me,” Miller said.

This recovery and rehab process is familiar to Miller, who had Tommy John surgery in 2017. His October surgery involved more repair of his flexor tendon than his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), but he also had an internal brace procedure to ensure his UCL would be 100% OK moving forward. Miller’s timeline benefits from building up as a reliever versus a starter who would need to get up to multiple innings before returning.

“It’s more about just the way I recover,” Miller said. “How am I feeling after I start throwing, is there any soreness, how’s my stuff, how is my sweeper and fastball and my sliders and then you just go from there.”

Sox LF Andrew Benintendi gets back in the swing after dealing with right side soreness

Chicago White Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi waits for live batting practice at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz., on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Andrew Benintendi batted with the bases loaded during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday at the Peoria Sports Complex.

After taking a strike, the designated hitter ripped a two-run single back up the middle.

Benintendi had two hits, both singles, in the 5-1 victory. It was the left fielder’s second game back after missing time because of right side soreness. He was scratched from the lineup on Feb. 27 and returned to Cactus League play on March 5.

“It was one of those things where we were just being cautious early in camp,” Benintendi told the Tribune before Saturday’s game. “It was still February, so no real reason to push it.

“I had swung a few days before (the March 5 game against the Cleveland Guardians) with no pain or anything like that at all. It felt good to get back out there.”

During this portion of camp, Benintendi said he’s continuing to work on getting his timing back down. Benintendi is 5-for-13 (.385) in five games this spring. He’s had back-to-back seasons with 20 home runs.

“Just trying to get back in that feel,” he said. “Work on depths, whether it’s going the other way or catching it out front — which obviously comes with seeing more pitching.

“Looking forward to that.”

As a whole, Benintendi likes how the team is connecting.

“It’s been great so far, the energy in here has been great,” Benintendi said. “Everybody has gotten along. It’s a pretty strong group.

“As everybody says, the vibes are good right now. We’re going to keep doing that.”

Number of the week: 254

Dru Baker of the Chicago White Sox steals second base during the fourth inning of the spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Camelback Ranch on Feb. 22, 2026, in Glendale, Ariz. (Jeremy Chen/Getty Images)

The Sox entered Sunday leading all of spring training in total bases (254).

Week ahead: Cubs

Japan’s Seiya Suzuki hits a home run during the third inning of a World Baseball Classic game between Japan and South Korea on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Monday: off
Tuesday: at Rangers, 3:05 p.m.
Wednesday: vs. Royals, 3:05 p.m.
Thursday: vs. Mariners, 3:05 p.m.
Friday: at White Sox, 3:05 p.m.
Saturday: at Rockies, 3:10 p.m. 104.3 The Score
Sunday: vs. Dodgers, 3:05 p.m. Marquee, 104.3 The Score

Seiya Suzuki had been looking forward to being back at the World Baseball Classic for years.

He got to experience the WBC in 2017 at 21 years old, recording 14 at-bats, and was in line to have a major role on Team Japan for the 2023 tournament until an oblique injury forced him to withdraw. Suzuki, though, seized the big stage during pool play Saturday. He slugged a two-run home run to pull Japan within a run of South Korea in the first inning, then put them ahead in his next at-bat with a solo home run. He added a bases-loaded walk in the seventh to again break the tie as Japan went on to beat Korea 8-6.

Although he opted out of the WBC to focus on preparing for the season, Shota Imanaga understands what Suzuki might be feeling representing their country.

“For him, it’s a great opportunity,” Imanaga said Saturday through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “They’re expecting him to get those extra-base hits, and he’s been able to produce. He’s doing a phenomenal job.”

Former big-leaguer Adam Jones sent manager Craig Counsell a video Saturday from his view in the Tokyo Dome as fans chanted Suzuki’s name right before one of his home runs.

“The place goes crazy and everybody’s hugging each other — really, really cool,” Counsell said. “That’s a great experience, and that’s why you play in the WBC for moments like that.”

Week ahead: White Sox

Seranthony Domínguez of the Chicago White Sox pitches during the spring training game against the Colorado Rockies on Feb. 23, 2026, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (Ric Tapia/Getty Images)

Monday: vs. Rockies, 3:05 p.m.
Tuesday: at Athletics, 3:05 p.m.
Wednesday: vs. Angels, 3:05 p.m.
Thursday: at Giants, 8:05 p.m.
Friday: vs. Cubs, 3:05 p.m., CHSN
Saturday: vs. Dodgers, 3:05 p.m., CHSN
Sunday: at Royals, 3:05 p.m.

Relievers Grant Taylor and Jordan Leasure are already seeing the benefits of having Seranthony Domínguez and Jordan Hicks at camp.

“I pick Jordan’s a good bit on what he likes to do and how he has had success,” Taylor said after pitching a scoreless inning on Saturday.

The Sox signed Domínguez — who is currently with Team Dominican Republic for the WBC — to a two-year deal in the offseason and acquired Hicks as part of a trade with the Boston Red Sox.

“It’s super exciting,” Leasure recently told the Tribune. “Picking up Hicks and Domínguez, those are two huge pieces. And you still have Grant Taylor. The arms we have are super exciting, but I think most importantly how we’re all jelling together and working together.

“It’s one thing to have great players, but to have great people is another. Everyone in here is a really great person outside of this game, that makes playing together a lot easier.”

The group is pushing each other.

“There’s always talks about after outings on what guys did well, there’s talks about velo and whatever,” Taylor said.

“Healthy competition between those guys, and it also frees you up a little bit to be able to just go out and perform because you know you have really, really good guys behind you.”

What we’re reading today

World Baseball Classic: Who are the 17 Cubs and White Sox competing? And what are the big games to watch?
Column: Jason Benetti’s new gig as voice of ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ yet another blemish for Chicago White Sox
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell shares special moment with son Brady, an Arizona Diamondbacks prospect
How the Chicago White Sox roster is shaping up with opening day less than 3 weeks away
Chicago Cubs prospect Jefferson Rojas, 20, showing off his elite bat in impressive camp performance
Chicago White Sox pitchers are ‘stacking days together:’ A look at their recent spring starts

Quotable

“That’s what Edward does pretty well. A lot of his strikes are on actually balls, makes the pitch look like a strike. It’s actually a ball, but you get a swing. That’s the ultimate in pitching, I think. And Edward has the ability to do that, and he does get that.” — Cubs manager Craig Counsell on Edward Cabrera’s stuff

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/09/cactus-league-report-rosters-are-shaping-up-for-the-cubs-and-sox-and-the-world-baseball-classic-heats-up/ 

US Home Relistings Hit Record High As Spring Buying Season Kicks Off, And One-Third Are Cheaper

Tyler Durden
Mon, 03/09/2026 – 06:55

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/us-home-relistings-hit-record-high-spring-buying-season-kicks-and-one-third-are-cheaper