Good morning, Chicago.

A series of layoffs targeting City Hall custodians have sparked the latest budget back-and-forth between Mayor Brandon Johnson and aldermen.

Johnson’s administration has pinned the recent firings of nine custodians on the 2026 budget aldermen passed against his will. The mayor’s City Council opponents have insisted the onus is on him.

But details of the city’s budget process show all sides had a hand in making the decisions that led to the custodians getting laid off.

Read the full story from the Tribune’s Jake Sheridan.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including which suburban mall is making the best parking spots metered, the Chicago conductor that Bad Bunny requested to perform at the Super Bowl with him and our Fat Tuesday guide.

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Demetrius Johnson walks with attorney Josh Tepfer, right, following a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court building in Chicago on Sept. 18, 2019. (José M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)

Aldermen to vote on $29.2 million to settle four Detective Reynaldo Guevara lawsuits

City attorneys are recommending aldermen spend $29.2 million to settle four wrongful conviction lawsuits tied to disgraced former Chicago police Detective Reynaldo Guevara.

That hefty sum puts Chicago once again on track to far outspend its budget for police-related lawsuits this year. Aldermen earmarked $82.6 million for such cases in 2026, even after spending over three times that amount in 2025.

Four-year-old Josiah, with his grandmother Mariely Rivera, and great-grandfather, Carlos Rivera, visit the grave of his mother, Stephanie Gutiérrez, who was killed in 2022, at Fairview Memorial Park in Northlake, Jan. 15, 2026. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

‘I feel like there’s no help’: Mother, family members question lack of charges in woman’s 2022 shooting death

The last time Mariely Rivera’s daughter was in her house, she got in her mother’s bed, laid down next to her and hugged her.

“Mom, I have made my decision,” her daughter said. “I’m going to go back with him.”

Stephanie Gutiérrez was 20 — an adult — and all her mother could do was ask her to think about what she was doing. Gutiérrez shared a 1-year-old son with a partner who, according to Rivera, abused her. Soon after, she was back with her boyfriend and texted a friend: “I’m so sad I swear I should’ve never (came) back sis.” Two days later, Gutiérrez was dead.

Gov. JB Pritzker answers questions from reporters on Jan. 20, 2026. Pritzker’s January calendar shows he had two scheduled conversations with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell while Goodell was in Chicago for the Bears-Packers playoff game. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

Gov. JB Pritzker talked Bears with NFL commissioner, says progress is being made to keep team in Illinois

While Indiana officials play up their efforts to lure the Chicago Bears across the border for a new stadium, Gov. JB Pritzker said yesterday that he and his staff have made “progress” to incentivize the football team to stay in Illinois.

The governor’s comments come as Pritzker’s January calendar shows he had two scheduled conversations with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell while Goodell was in Chicago for the Bears-Packers playoff game on Jan. 10.

Workers stand in a parking lot and assess damage on Aug. 19, 2025, after a weekend storm tore the roof off of a Mount Prospect condominium building. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Trump administration denies Illinois appeal for disaster relief; Pritzker calls decision ‘politically motivated’

The Trump administration has denied the state of Illinois’ appeal for a disaster declaration that would have unlocked federal assistance to thousands of residents affected by heavy rains and flooding last summer, a decision that Gov. JB Pritzker denounced as politically driven.

State Rep. Margaret Croke, a Democratic candidate for comptroller, participates in a forum at Rainbow PUSH Coalition in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood on Nov. 18, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Gov. JB Pritzker endorses Margaret Croke in Democratic primary for Illinois comptroller

With just over a month until the March 17 primary, Gov. JB Pritzker endorsed state Rep. Margaret Croke for the Democratic nomination for Illinois comptroller, bolstering the Chicago lawmaker’s bid against three challengers.

Parking spaces at Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook are filled with vehicles during holiday shopping season in 2015. (Chuck Fieldman/Pioneer Press)

Oakbrook Center adds paid parking option for close-in spots

People who want closeup parking at Oakbrook Center shopping mall in Oak Brook can now purchase the convenience now that the mall operators have added a third option to go along with its general and valet parking.

Hunter Hess, of the United States, executes a trick in the halfpipe finals during the World Cup U.S. Grand Prix freestyle skiing event in Copper Mountain, Colo., Dec. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Hugh Carey)

Column: Olympic halfpipe skier Hunter Hess is easy to root for if you value freedom of speech in America

Olympic halfpipe skier Hunter Hess, a 27-year-old halfpipe skier from Bend, Ore., was asked at a news conference Friday what it means to him “to wear Team USA gear and the American flag.”

Instead of saying he was proud of America, Hess told the truth, writes Paul Sullivan.

US and Canada will renew their fierce women’s hockey rivalry in today’s Olympic matchup
Photos: Eyes on Italy’s 2026 Winter Olympics

In an image taken from video, Giancarlo Guerrero, left, the chief baton of Chicago’s own Grant Park Music Festival, leads a group of string players during Bad Bunny’s performance of the halftime show at the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California. (NFL)

Yes, that was Chicago conductor Giancarlo Guerrero performing with Bad Bunny

Four minutes into Bad Bunny’s halftime show during the Super Bowl, the camera panned over two rows of grinning string players.

Leading them with graceful, sweeping beats and a sparkling hibiscus flower on his lapel? Giancarlo Guerrero, the chief conductor of Chicago’s own Grant Park Music Festival, the free orchestra series that plays at Pritzker Pavilion every summer.

Column: Seattle Seahawks’ emphatic Super Bowl victory highlights some offseason priorities for Chicago Bears
Super Bowl halftime show: Bad Bunny nets 135M viewers to Kid Rock’s 6M

Catherine O’Hara, a cast member in the Apple+ series “The Studio,” poses for a portrait on March 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Catherine O’Hara died from a pulmonary embolism. Cancer was the underlying cause.

Catherine O’Hara died from a pulmonary embolism, with cancer as the underlying cause.

A Los Angeles County death certificate lists the pulmonary embolism, which occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery in the lungs, as the immediate cause of the actor’s Jan. 30 death at age 71. Rectal cancer was the long-term cause.

Shaw’s Crab House Mardi Gras specials include a shrimp po’boy. (Lettuce Entertain You)

Fat Tuesday 2026 guide: Where to go for Mardi Gras and Carnival restaurant and bar specials

Whether called Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday is celebrated around the world as a last chance to enjoy decadent food and party before the Lenten fast begins. Chicago doesn’t go all out for the occasion like New Orleans or Rio de Janeiro, but you can get a taste of those traditions at area bars and restaurants offering entertainment from brass bands to burlesque shows, along with special menus featuring gumbo, king cake, sazaracs and hurricanes.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/10/daywatch-johnson-and-budget-critics-trade-blame-over-layoffs/ 

Kering Erupts After Gucci Sales Beat Estimates, Igniting “Turnaround Hopes”

Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/10/2026 – 07:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/kering-erupts-after-gucci-sales-beat-estimates-igniting-turnaround-hopes 

Libertyville guard Jenna Stowe tempered her expectations for her sophomore season.

Stowe, who also plays soccer, knew the varsity team was a possibility but tried not to get her hopes up.

“I prepared myself for either outcome,” she said. “I came into tryouts with an open mind.”

But Stowe proceeded to open people’s eyes. After making the varsity team, she scored 14 points on 4-of-5 3-point shooting during the Wildcats’ season-opening win over Barrington.

“I was definitely excited but also nervous about not making any mistakes,” Stowe said. “When I made my first 3-pointer, it gave me confidence, and my teammates kept encouraging me to shoot. After the second one went int, I really tried to stay calm and let the game come to me.

“After the game, it was a really special feeling to have my first varsity game go that way. But I knew that was only the start and there was more to come.”

Libertyville’s Jenna Stowe attempts a shot during a nonconference game against Maine South in Park Ridge on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (Nate Swanson / News-Sun)

Indeed, the 5-foot-4 Stowe has helped the Wildcats (23-5, 12-1) overcome a series of injuries to remain in the hunt for the North Suburban Conference title and earn the top seed in the Class 4A Rockford Guilford Sectional.

Stowe is averaging 5.0 points, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals, is shooting 34% from beyond the arc and also takes some of the ball-handling pressure off star junior point guard Lily Fisher.

“Jenna can play point guard and give Lily a break,” Libertyville coach Greg Pedersen said. “She doesn’t turn the ball over and finds people in space and can run the offense. On a team without Lily, her numbers would be staggering.

“She has long arms and is really disciplined and also reads the floor well and is able to get steals, tips.”

With Fisher sidelined for the Wildcats’ conference game against Lake Forest on Feb. 5, Stowe handled the majority of the duties at point guard. She finished with seven points and five steals in Libertyville’s 43-34 win.

“My main goal was to take care of the ball and create opportunities to find my teammates,” Stowe said. “It was a must-win game for the team. … That was a great team win on the road.”

Fisher, whose older sister Emily is a junior guard at Nebraska, said Stowe has been essential in the Wildcats’ pursuit of a second straight conference title.

“Jenna brings a lot to our team on the court,” Fisher said. “One of her biggest strengths is her basketball IQ. She makes smart decisions, sees the floor well and knows how to get all her teammates involved. She’s also really consistent and dependable, which makes a huge difference for us.”

Stowe has impressed senior shooting guard Ella Pawelczyk too.

“Jenna has become a crucial part of our team, especially our offense,” Pawelczyk said. “As a point guard, Jenna brings a sense of calm to the court. She plays one of the hardest positions and handles it so well. She sees the court so well and is always able to find the open player.

“You can really tell her confidence has increased, and that’s going to be super important going into the postseason.”

Libertyville’s Jenna Stowe (1) guards Lake Zurich’s Lexie Kahle during a North Suburban Conference game in Libertyville on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. (Rob Dicker / News-Sun)

The playoffs are right around the corner. On Feb. 17, the Wildcats will play eighth-seeded Zion-Benton in the 4A Mundelein Regional semifinals.

“I cannot wait for the postseason,” Stowe said. “It’s really exciting to be a part of a team that has high goals. We’ve had a lot of success so far, and we’re focused on continuing to improve and hopefully making a deep postseason run.”

This is only the beginning for Stowe.

“I’m happy with my season,” she said. “But I still have so much to improve and to keep working on.”

Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/10/libertyville-high-school-basketball-jenna-stowe/ 

WASHINGTON — The heads of the agencies carrying out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda will testify in Congress Tuesday and face questions over how they are prosecuting immigration enforcement inside American cities.

Trump’s immigration campaign has been heavily scrutinized in recent weeks, after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two protesters at the hands of Homeland Security officers. The agencies have also faced criticism for a wave of policies that critics say trample on the rights of both immigrants facing arrest and Americans protesting the enforcement actions.

Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Rodney Scott, who heads U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Joseph Edlow, who is the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, will speak in front of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

The officials will speak at a time of falling public support for how their agencies are carrying out Trump’s immigration vision but as they are flush with cash from a spending bill passed last year that has helped broaden immigration enforcement activities across the country.

The administration says that activists and protesters opposed to its operations are the ones ratcheting up attacks on their officers, not the other way around, and that their immigration enforcement operations are making the country safer by finding and removing people who’ve committed crimes or pose a threat to the country.

Under Lyons’ leadership, ICE has undergone a massive hiring boom funded by Congress last summer and immigration officers have deployed in beefed-up enforcement operations in cities across the country designed to increase arrests and deportations. The appearance in Congress comes as lawmakers are locked in a battle over whether DHS should be funded without restraints placed over its officers’ conduct.

Lyons is likely to face questioning over a memo he signed last year telling ICE officers that they didn’t need a judge’s warrant to forcibly enter a house to arrest a deportee, a memo that went against years of ICE practice and Fourth Amendment protections against illegal searches.

During Scott’s tenure, his agency has taken on a significant role in arresting and removing illegal immigrants from inside the country. That increased activity has become a flashpoint for controversy and marks a break from the agency’s traditional job of protecting borders and controlling who and what enters the country.

Under the leadership of commander Gregory Bovino, a group of Border Patrol agents hopscotched around the country to operations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte and New Orleans where they were often accused of indiscriminately questioning and arresting people they suspected were in the country illegally. Bovino says his targets are legitimate and identified through intelligence and says that if his officers use force to make an arrest, it’s because it’s warranted.

A Border Patrol agent and Customs and Border Protection officer both opened fire during the shooting death of Alex Pretti, one of two protesters killed in Minneapolis in January. The other protester, Renee Good, was shot and killed by an ICE officer.

After the Pretti shooting, Bovino was reassigned and Trump sent his border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to assume control.

USCIS has also faced criticism for steps it has taken including subjecting refugees already admitted to the U.S. to another round of vetting and pausing decisions on all asylum cases.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/10/trump-immigration-chiefs-congress/ 

In the NFL, where the next big event is rarely far off, the scouting combine is fast approaching. The league will descend on Indianapolis for a week beginning Feb. 23, and the start of the new league year March 11 isn’t far behind.

The Chicago Bears have been deep in scouting meetings, and the coaches have returned to Halas Hall after time off following the divisional playoff loss. With the organization seemingly set with the combination of coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams — the two biggest hurdles struggling franchises (see the Bears for most of the last two decades) usually are trying to clear — the perspective is different when considering areas of need and improvement.

After the Seattle Seahawks’ 29-13 demolition of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Sunday, here are some related thoughts to the Bears offseason and the work ahead as they attempt to put together consecutive winning seasons for the first time in 20 years.

1. The Seahawks defensive front throttled the Patriots.

The Patriots punted on eight of their first nine possessions, with the outlier being a kneel-down at the end of the first half. In many respects, it was a mirror image of what the Philadelphia Eagles did to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl the year before, mauling Patrick Mahomes and Co. up front.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio employ similar 3-4 base fronts that are rooted in split-safety zone coverage. The safeties can fill the alleys against the run, and the teams have a competitive advantage when they can rush the quarterback with four defenders and drop seven in coverage.

There isn’t a lot of smoke and mirrors. Both schemes are highly disciplined, and to make it go, they rely on having monsters up front who can win one-on-one matchups.

Former Bears safety Adam Archuleta, an analyst for CBS, posted on social media that the Seahawks didn’t try to outsmart anybody.

“Genius isn’t tricking people, running exotic blitzes or using dozens of different coverages,” Archuleta wrote. “Genius is getting all 11 players on the same page and playing faster than the other team.”

The Seahawks sacked Patriots quarterback Drake Maye six times, just as Fangio’s defense sacked Mahomes six times a year ago. The Seahawks had seven defensive linemen and outside linebackers play 34% or more of the snaps, with Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, Dexter Lawrence and Derick Hall all standing out. That’s the same thing Fangio got the year before with a wave of disruptive big men, including Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, Josh Sweat and Jordan Davis.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is sacked by Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon during the first half of the Super Bowl on Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Macdonald mixed in blitzes using defensive backs, including former Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon, and that’s something Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen showed a knack for being able to do this past season.

A menacing pass rush has taken over three of the last five Super Bowls. Four years ago, the Los Angeles Rams tied the Super Bowl XX Bears with seven sacks, as Aaron Donald and Von Miller had two apiece and ex-Bear Leonard Floyd led the assault on the Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow. The 2015 Denver Broncos and the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers “Steel Curtain” defense are the only others to have seven sacks in a Super Bowl.

The Bears aren’t going to move off of Allen’s 4-3 base scheme, but they will make the defensive line a priority this offseason. Allen was creative despite missing key pieces for big stretches of the season, and the results were generally strong. He got aggressive in the postseason as the Bears pressured Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love 17 times (eight QB hits) in the wild-card victory and the Rams’ Matthew Stafford 10 times (four sacks) in the divisional round.

Allen had to lean heavily into blitz packages. Over the course of the season, when the Bears rushed only four, the results were too inconsistent. The solution is finding more difference makers and more depth across the board — not just another edge rusher.

The Bears are bullish on the future of defensive end Austin Booker, who totaled 4½ sacks and eight QB hits in the final six games, playoffs included, but competition is needed.

While it’s true that general manager Ryan Poles needs to address the defensive line beginning next month, it’s not like he didn’t make an effort last year. The Bears signed tackle Grady Jarrett and end Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency. They just didn’t provide the kind of high-level play the Bears got from the interior linemen they added on the offensive side. Jarrett battled through a right knee injury, and Odeyingbo suffered a torn Achilles tendon. Rookie end Shemar Turner, a second-round pick, was lost to a torn ACL.

Even with all three healthy, the Bears need some combination of upgrades and competition to elevate the profile of Allen’s defense. The timing is right because it’s a solid draft for defensive linemen.

Schematically, the Bears won’t look like the Seahawks or Eagles. But they should strive be in a position where they can create chaos with four linemen. Like Archuleta said, it doesn’t involve a trick. It just requires the right players.

2. No one needed to watch the Super Bowl to understand the Bears have to find a solution at left tackle.

Patriots tackle Will Campbell (66) and Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall exchange words during the second half of the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Patriots rookie Will Campbell, drafted No. 4 last April, had a miserable showing, allowing 14 pressures (and 29 total in the playoffs). That fueled all sorts of discussion about Campbell’s arm length (measured at 32 5/8 inches at the combine last year) and how that makes it difficult for him to defend the edge against elite pass rushers.

New England managed to protect Campbell for much of the season, but when the Patriots ran into top-tier defenses with elite pass rushers in the playoffs, he got exposed time and again.

You can’t blame the Patriots for playing Campbell at left tackle as a rookie. No one was going to draft him that high and play him on the interior right away, and he was a highly regarded prospect coming out of LSU.

“I think he would be an unbelievable guard if someone has the (guts) to play him there,” a national scout for another team told me at this time last year, “but if you’re drafting him and you don’t have an established left tackle, you’re probably starting him there first and you see how he handles it.”

This ties back into the Bears, who used Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, rookie second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo and finally All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney in the divisional-round loss at left tackle. Coach Ben Johnson and his staff had a lot of game plans over the course of the season in which it was clear a top priority was protecting the left tackle.

That meant helping whoever was lining up there that day with a variety of options, including Thuney, tight ends, running backs and even wide receivers. It meant bootlegs for Williams, quick games, running to the opposite side and just about everything else you can imagine. It was particularly evident in the first game against Green Bay as the Bears did all they could to prevent Micah Parsons from wrecking the offense.

The Patriots finally ran into an opponent in the Seahawks against whom they couldn’t protect Campbell adequately. He was exposed by the best defense in the NFL. He couldn’t handle speed off the edge or power down the middle, and that’s why his metrics and arm length are topics again.

As good of an offseason as Poles had turning the middle of the offensive line from a problem into the strength of the roster, the Bears were unable to upgrade at left tackle and wound up relying mostly on a college right tackle in Trapilo.

Bears offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (75) tries to shed defenders off of running back Kyle Monangai (25) in the fourth quarter against the Packers on Jan. 10, 2026, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

What the options are remains to be seen. It’s possible the Bears would consider re-signing Jones, who will be an unrestricted free agent. Trapilo’s recovery from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee could sideline him for the bulk of the 2026 season.

Surely the front office will evaluate potential options in Round 1 of the draft. The Bears have a snug salary-cap situation, currently projected at $5.3 million over the estimated total by Over The Cap. The champion Seahawks, for what it’s worth, are sixth in the league with an estimated $72.2 million in room.

3. Bears at Seahawks to open the 2026 season?

It could happen. The NFL usually lets the defending champion have a banner-raising ceremony on Thursday night of Week 1, and the Bears have a shot at being the opponent as the league typically seeks a marquee matchup.

Other potential opponents for Seattle: the Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Patriots.

Chicago Bears’ 2026 opponents are set. Here’s who they will play.

The league announced the Rams and 49ers will play a regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia, and most signs point to that game falling in Week 1, which would make sense given the travel requirements. Given the recent struggles of the Cardinals and Giants, you probably can remove them from consideration, and while the Chargers were a playoff team and would be a compelling matchup, they don’t drive big television numbers.

That leaves four juicy options: Williams and the Bears, Mahomes and the Chiefs, the defending AFC champion Patriots and the Cowboys, who remain a television darling. The last time the league had a Super Bowl rematch to open the season was 2016, when the Broncos and Carolina Panthers ran it back.

The Cowboys played on opening night this past season in Philadelphia. If the league doesn’t want them in this slot for a second consecutive year, the leading candidates (in no particular order) would be a Super Bowl rematch with the Patriots, the Chiefs and the Bears.

The Australia game could fall on a Wednesday or Thursday, so the Seahawks playing on a Thursday probably isn’t a lock.

4. The Patriots didn’t just have the easiest schedule in the NFL this season, it was the softest slate in more than 25 seasons.

New England’s regular-season opponents had a .391 winning percentage, and the Patriots played only three games against teams that finished with a winning record: two against the Buffalo Bills and one against the Steelers.

According to CBS Sports, the .391 winning percentage for opponents was tied for the third-easiest schedule in the last 50 years for any team — not just a Super Bowl qualifier. Only the 1999 Rams (.363) and 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.379) had softer schedules.

New England cruised to a 14-3 record, three games better than the Bears (11-6) — who played the fourth-easiest schedule (.458), also trailing the Broncos (.422) and Cowboys (.438).

Both the Bears and Patriots played the AFC North and went 3-1. The Patriots benefited from two games each against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins and also feasted on the NFC South, sweeping those four teams. The Bears will take a run through the NFC South in 2026 with home games against the New Orleans Saints and Buccaneers and road trips to Atlanta and Carolina.

The Patriots’ postseason journey went through some highly talented defenses. The Chargers (ninth), Houston Texans (second), Broncos (third) and Seahawks (first) were all in the top 10 in scoring defense. The Chargers offensive line was beat to heck by injuries, and of course the Broncos were without starting quarterback Bo Nix.

All of the discussion about a quirky schedule and breaks along the way would have been a forgotten footnote had the Patriots won Sunday. Instead, it tells at least a small part of how they reached the Super Bowl stage.

If the NFC North remains highly competitive — a good bet — the Bears will have a challenging schedule in 2026.

5. When Seahawks outside linebacker Derick Hall sacked Drake Maye, forcing a fumble that teammate Byron Murphy recovered with 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Brad Maynard’s place in the Super Bowl record book was pretty safe.

Patriots punter Bryce Baringer punts to the Seahawks during the first half of the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The Patriots faced third-and-6 when Maye was sacked, and had he hung on to the ball, New England almost certainly would have asked Bryce Baringer to punt for the ninth time. Maynard holds the Super Bowl record for punts in one game: 11 as a member of the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, a 34-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, who had one of the best defenses in league history.

When the Seahawks scored less than two minutes later to go ahead 19-0, the game was close to over and the Patriots certainly weren’t going to be in position to punt three more times, let alone four.

“Should be safe now,” Maynard texted after the Maye turnover. “One of these days (the record will be broken). Hopefully you and I are in our 80s.”

Baringer is one of eight players to have eight or more punts in a Super Bowl. The Ravens’ Kyle Richardson — also in Super Bowl XXXV — is the only other punter with double digits. He had 10 in that game.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/10/chicago-bears-super-bowl-offseason-needs/ 

It looked like laundry day across the league following the NBA trade deadline, including for seven new members of the Chicago Bulls. And Illinois senior guard Kylan Boswell is progressing in his injury recovery to return to the Illini — who will have fun this week with Jake Davis wigs.

Every Tuesday, Tribune writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead — for the Bulls, Sky and local college basketball teams. Want more? Sign up for our Tribune sports newsletter.

Former Bulls make debuts in Minnesota, Boston, Detroit

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu goes up to shoot against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim)

The week after the trade deadline is full of fresh faces and readjustment as players get settled in with their new teams around the league.

Ayo Dosunmu looked right at home in Minneapolis, where he was welcomed to the court with a standing ovation in his debut for the Timberwolves. Although the Timberwolves floundered in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Dosunmu provided a rare bright spot with 11 points and two steals off the bench. Julian Phillips also logged his first appearance with the Timberwolves in the same game, scoring a basket in four minutes on the court.

Nikola Vučević also made a strong impression in a loss off the bench in his debut with the Boston Celtics, logging 11 points and six rebounds in only 23 minutes despite going 1-for-6 from 3-point range. Kevin Huerter was the only former Bull to get a win with his new team over the weekend, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the New York Knicks with eight points in eight minutes off the bench.

Several traded players still have yet to make their debuts with their new teams. The Charlotte Hornets shut Coby White down through the All-Star break due to lingering calf injuries that have impacted his play all season. After being swapped with the Knicks for Guerschon Yabusele, forward Dalen Terry was traded from New York to the New Orleans Pelicans and subsequently waived.

WNBA submits new CBA counterproposal

After months of waiting and a crucial meeting in New York City, the WNBA finally submitted a counterproposal for the collective bargaining agreement on Friday to the players’ union.

According to a report by ESPN, this latest proposal made significant concessions on mandated standards for housing and facilities such as requiring teams to provide rookies and players on minimum salaries with one-bedroom apartments. WNBA teams have been required to provide housing to players — either through a stipend or a physical space — since the league’s inception.

Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter sued by minority partner for allegedly ‘self-dealing’ to devalue other shares

However, this new proposal to the league essentially did not budge on revenue sharing. Players are pushing to receive 30% of gross revenue. The league has countered with an offer that is less than 15%, although it raised the potential salary cap to $5.65 million (from $1.5 million) with future growth expected.

The WNBPA has not released an official reaction to this counteroffer. With the anticipated dates of preseason barely two months away, the players’ union faces a turning point in the coming weeks — either concede or strike.

Kylan Boswell progressing

Illinois guard Kylan Boswell drives against defensive pressure from Minnesota’s Bobby Durkin on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)

Illinois senior guard Kylan Boswell was set to return to practice on Monday as he continues his recovery from a fractured right hand.

Boswell has been out since Jan. 20 with the injury, but he has been ramping up activity, including shooting.

“He’s progressing pretty nicely right now,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood told reporters Monday.

Underwood said he did not expect Boswell to be in uniform for Tuesday’s game against Wisconsin. Boswell will have a doctor’s appointment later in the week to evaluate how his hand responds to the activity.

Jake Davis appreciation

Illinois’ Jake Davis during a game against Washington on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)

When Illinois returns to State Farm Center on Tuesday, the student section will sport an interesting new look. The Illini are giving the first 800 students through the door Jake Davis wigs in honor of the junior forward’s long, curly hair.

“Jake’s pretty proud of that hair, and it works for him,” Underwood said.

The giveaway comes after Davis made two free throws with one second to play Saturday at No. 10 Michigan State to send the game to overtime. It was a moment Underwood called “just huge.”

Davis has made 35 of 88 3-pointers this season but just 10 of 13 free throws.

“We were all talking as coaches, like how many of us have ever been in that moment?” Underwood said. “That’s not the easiest environment to shoot in, and he just stepped up there like it was nothing, and he said he was nervous. He should have been. He just stepped up there and did what great shooters do and what great leaders do, and that’s show his mettle.”

The Spartans went on to win 85-82 in overtime to hand the Illini their first loss since Dec. 13 and break their 12-game winning streak. So Illinois will be in unfamiliar bounce-back territory, as will freshman guard Keaton Wagler, who finished the night 2-for-16 from the floor, but 10-for-12 from the free-throw line.

“He didn’t shoot very well against Maryland and came out pretty good the next night,” Underwood said of Wagler’s 46-point performance at Purdue. “Keaton’s Keaton. He’s unfazed by all that stuff.”

Number of the week: 6-foot-7.5

Chicago Bulls center Nick Richards (13) pulls down a rebound in the first half of a game against the Denver Nuggets at the United Center in Chicago on Feb. 7, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

The Bulls became one of the shortest teams in the NBA at the deadline, with a median height of 6-foot-7.5. The team’s mean average height is 6-foot-4 due to the notable shortness of main rotation guards Tre Jones (6-foot-1) and Rob Dillingham (6-foot-2) and two-way guards Yuki Kawamura (5-foot-7) and Mac McClung (6-foot-2).

Center Nick Richards — who was acquired in the final of seven trades during deadline week in a swap for Ousmane Dieng — is the tallest player on the roster at 6-foot-11. He is also the only available true five as the Bulls prefer to play Jalen Smith (who has been in and out of the rotation with a calf injury) at the four. Backup center Zach Collins is sidelined until after the All-Star break and could miss a significant chunk of the season after that hiatus.

Week ahead: Bulls

Chicago Bulls’ Matas Buzelis dunks during the first half of a game Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Wed: @ Celtics, 7:30 p.m., CHSN

The NBA will celebrate All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles from Thursday to Sunday. The Bulls do not have an All-Star on the roster, but Matas Buzelis and Mac McClung will both participate in the Rising Stars challenge. Both players declined to return to the dunk contest this year.

Week ahead: Best college games

Tuesday: Wisconsin men at No. 8 Illinois, 7 p.m., Peacock
Wednesday: No. 2 Michigan men at Northwestern, 7:30 p.m., BTN
Saturday: Northwestern men at No. 7 Nebraska, noon, BTN
Sunday: Indiana men at No. 8 Illinois, noon, CBS

The Illinois men get a respite at home after a tough stretch of three top-10 road games in three weeks, though Wisconsin and Indiana, 16-win teams, aren’t exactly pushovers. The Badgers handed Michigan its only Big Ten loss on Jan. 10 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Northwestern, on a three-game losing streak, has one of its toughest weeks of the year on tap with Michigan at home and Nebraska on the road.

What we’re reading this morning

How Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler rose from No. 261 recruit to Big Ten Player of the Year candidate
Column: Despite the fire sale, Bulls players aren’t interested in the rebuild narrative
Meet the Mexican immigrant who made retirement banners for Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Derrick Rose
NBA trade grades: Did the Bulls get enough for Coby White? And what’s with all the 2nd-round picks?
Rod Strickland, 59, ‘honored’ to have DePaul jersey retired: ‘It means more now as an older gentleman’
Who are the 7 new Bulls? Meet Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simons and the rest of the deadline additions.
With Coby White’s trade, the Bulls cut ties to the past — and give up the heart of their locker room
Moraine Valley’s Reggie Strong, told he would never walk again, returns to basketball as 24-year-old freshman
Bulls lose a 2nd-round draft pick in the Coby White trade because of injury concerns
DePaul’s upset bid fizzles out late in its 3rd straight defeat — but ‘all in all, the fight is there’
Artūras Karnišovas embraces change with Bulls after making 7 trades: ‘The play-in is not our goal’
Column: Artūras Karnišovas finally gave the Bulls a complete makeover. But does he have a plan?

Quote of the week

“Every year is different. They’re a vastly superior team to us. I’m not going into all the reasons why. They have better players. They’re better coached. They’re a better team than us this year. I thought we battled really hard in our first game. It was a two-possession game with about four minutes to go. … Our last three years’ teams, we had pretty good teams. Right now, we’re struggling. We’re playing a lot of young kids that aren’t really ready for this level right now. Sometimes you’ve got to take some lumps and go through it to figure things out.” — Northwestern men’s coach Chris Collins on an 84-44 loss to Illinois.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/10/chicago-basketball-report-bulls-illinois-kylan-boswell/ 

Ukraine Launching Arms Exports At Centers Across Europe

Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/10/2026 – 06:55

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukraine-launching-arms-exports-centers-across-europe 

If you were around this particular patch in 1999, you might have encountered an irreverent revue called “The Irish … and How They Got That Way,” as penned by Frank McCourt, red hot at the time as the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning, mid-1990s memoir “Angela’s Ashes.”

The show was a celebration of the Gaelic soul in America and contained, as I recall, more than 30 Irish-influenced songs with authorships stretching from George M. Cohan to Bono and The Edge. Folks rolled into the Mercury Theater, then under the management of Michael Cullen, who conveniently owned the Irish pub next door, replete with a distinguished meatloaf. “The Irish” was a commercial production (now a rare thing in town) produced by Richard Frankel and Marc Routh and, while the alt critics at The Reader turned up their noses at its middle-of-the-Irish-road sensibilities (a fair criticism), it did very well. People flocked to hear an able quintet of musical-theater performers and the fiddle of Susan Voelz of Poi Dog Pondering fame.  McCourt told me at the time that the show was based on his research about the Irish American experience for an unfinished dissertation at Trinity College Dublin, and it was especially beloved in Irish Chicago. With his jovial, ruddy-faced brother Malachy, he had performed “A Couple of Blaguards” at both the Royal George Theatre and the Briar Street Theatre.

The Royal George is currently being demolished; the Briar Street has an imminent date with the wrecking ball, and boo to both.

But “The Irish … and How They Got That Way” has returned, and just a few blocks away, too.

Porchlight Music Theatre has revived the title and it’s now under the direction of the esteemed Chicago actor David Girolmo, who happened to be part of that Chicago quintet in 1999.

The show is exactly the same. Or, if there are differences, they really are too slight to be of notice.

Most oldsters like myself still will probably find revisiting the piece enjoyable. Girolmo knows exactly what the show needs, and there is a musically adroit and highly personable cast in the not-entirely-Irish persons of Emily Goldberg, the singer-musician Michael Mahler, the fine tenor Luke Nowakowski and Leah Morrow. (It’s great to hear Morrow get a legit number, for she’s invariably cast in character roles around town.) David Fiorello, sporting a Notre Dame cap, musically directs from the keys and Elleon Dobias adds the Irish strings of various kinds.  It’s as warm as a toddy on a frigid January night and as well harmonized as McDonnells curry sauce. (No Guinness in the lobby, alas; Porchlight would have made bank.)

Elleon Dobias in “The Irish … and How They Got That Way” by Porchlight Music Theatre at Ruth Page Center for the Arts. (Anthony Robert La Penna)

Talk about a show ripe for an update, though. Ending the story in the 1990s doesn’t really cut it anymore and some of the focus on, say, Ronald Reagan (not exactly McCourt’s favorite Irish American) feels dated now, as, to be honest does the extended John F. Kennedy reverie. Certainly, such iconic figures still are very much part of the story but a lot has happened in Ireland and America since 1999.

Of course, both McCourt brothers are now deceased (Frank died in 2009; Malachy in 2024), so it would need a new collaborator. Somebody should step up. “We are the music makers,” the show asserts, and that’s still true with each successive generation.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

Review: “The Irish … and How They Got That Way” (3 stars)

When: Through March 15

Where: Porchlight Music Theatre at Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.

Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Tickets: $24-$110 at 773-777-9884 and porchlightmusictheatre.org

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/10/review-irish-got-that-way/ 

Struggling AI Startups Kept Afloat Despite Never Becoming Profitable

Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/10/2026 – 06:30

https://www.zerohedge.com/ai/struggling-ai-startups-kept-afloat-despite-never-becoming-profitable 

Professional and aspiring writers have opportunities for recognition, publication and financial awards from competitions produced by the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park.

Hemingway Foundation Executive Director Keith Strom explained that the organization has two missions: “First, to preserve, educate, and explore the creative achievements through the various influences found in Ernest Hemingway’s life and works; second, to support writers and artists of all backgrounds.”

The competitions conducted by that organization fulfill that second mission.

Two of the competitions are open only to students from School Districts District 200 Oak Park-River Forest, District 201 Berwyn-Cicero/Morton, District 208 Riverside-Brookfield, District 209 Proviso Township and District 401 Elmwood Park.

The Hemingway Foundation Student Scholarship is open only to juniors from those districts who have a grade point average of at least 2.5. Applicants are required to write a 300-600-word essay based on a given prompt. The top three finalists have their work included in the annual “Hemingway Shorts” literary journal. In addition, the first-place award winner receives a $1,500 college scholarship.

Submissions are accepted from Feb. 15 to March 15.

Strom reported that the anthology publication series, “Hemingway Shorts” is in its 11th year and “contributes significantly to our mission.”

High school seniors from those districts, that have a grade point average of at least 2.5, are eligible to compete in the Allan O. Baldwin Memorial Student Scholarship competition.

That contest was started in 2020 and is dedicated in memory of the former Hemingway Foundation Chairman and Treasurer. It also requires a 300-600-word essay on a given prompt.

Submissions are accepted from Feb. 15-March 15.

Megan Baxter was the 2025 winner of the “Hemingway Shorts” competition. (Megan Baxter)

Writers of all levels and from anywhere can enter a Short Story Contest for possible inclusion in the “Hemingway Shorts” literary journal. Each year, one overall winner receives $1,000 in addition to being included in the journal. Ten finalists also have their work published in the journal. Works must be 2,000 words or less.

Submissions to the Short Story Contest are open through April 3.

Megan Baxter, who lives in New Hampshire, was the 2025 “Hemingway Shorts” winner. She said that she entered the competition for the first time because, “I had made a transition last year from publishing primarily personal essays and nonfiction to fiction, so I was on the lookout for fiction competitions.”

Her winning essay, “The Pool,” was about “two teenage girls in a rural town who are going out to find a location to shoot a student film, that’s a rumored place in their community,” Baxter said. “It’s a lot about memory and girlhood and friendship and the way that stories develop in rural places.”

Baxter is particularly proud to have been honored by the Hemingway Foundation.

“It’s always such a wonderful thing to have a piece published, especially to have your name associated with such an incredible writer. It was a real honor.”

In addition to being an author of three books, Baxter teaches creative writing to young people through an online program for Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan.

Jenna-Marie Warnecke, who lives in New York City, was one of ten finalists in the 2024 “Hemingway Shorts” competition.

Her piece is called “The Creation of Art.” “It’s a fictionalized imagining of the first person to ever create a piece of art,” Warnecke explained. “It explores how it feels to be an artist and how human it is.”

Warnecke said she entered the competition because, “When I saw that the Hemingway Foundation was having this contest, I immediately thought of this story because Hemingway was a huge influence on me when I first started writing. Reading Hemingway taught me the power of sparse language and how to be really effective by saying less.”

Being included in that publication “was a dream,” Warnecke concluded, “because of how much Hemingway had influenced me.”

Writers are also encouraged to submit works for consideration in the Foundation’s “A Moveable Read Blog Series.”

“The recognition of these authors and their works is one of the most satisfying aspects of my role at the foundation,” Strom said.

More information about the contests is at hemingwaybirthplace.com/programs-events.

Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/10/hemingway-foundation-writing-contests/