Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson said on Wednesday that the Bears’ new plan to build a stadium in Chicago will not raise taxes on city residents. “I’m going to repeat that one more time to make sure that everybody gets it,” Johnson said after the announcement. “This project will result in no new taxes on the residents of Chicago.” The Bears have previously committed to contributing $2 billion to the construction of a new stadium in Chicago, but the project is expected to cost significantly more money. At the time of publication, it was unclear where the additional funds would come from– but the B ..read more

Ahead of the Bears’ press conference unveiling their plans for a new stadium on Wednesday, they released photographic renderings of the stadium on the lakefront. The renderings include the domed stadium, with the stadium atop the current South Parking lot of Soldier Field. As for Soldier Field, the columns exist, but the stadium is gone. Here are all the renderings of the stadium. Click here to check out the renderings released by the team. Click here to follow the Under Center Podcast ..read more

Five schools from Chicago and several others in the suburbs are among the top high schools in Illinois, according to a new list. The new list, from U.S. News and World Report, titled “2024 Best High School Rankings,” reviewed more than 24,000 public high schools in all 50 states, according to editors. Editors then categorized schools based on several factors including college readiness, state assessments, graduation rate, college curriculum breadth and underserved student performance, the report said. The results formed a ranking of more than 17,660 public high schools across the country. It a ..read more

Comedian Arj Barker asked a breastfeeding mother and her baby to leave his comedy show at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday night, a decision that has sparked controversy online. In a statement posted to his Instagram page, Barker, an American comedian, said a baby sitting a few rows away from the stage was “talking” at the start of his show, prompting him to make a few jokes about it. But when the baby “called out again,” Barker became concerned. “I then calmly informed the woman holding the baby that the baby couldn’t stay,” he said in the statement. “I fel ..read more

The nation’s school meals will get a makeover under new nutrition standards that limit added sugars for the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. The final rule also trims sodium in kids’ meals, although not by the 30% first proposed in 2023. And it continues to allow flavored milks — such as chocolate milk — with less sugar, rather than adopting an option that would have offered only unflavored milk to the youngest kids. The aim is to improve nutrition and align with U.S. dietary guidelines in the program that provides breakfasts to more than 15 million students ..read more

The Chicago Bears will make a big announcement Wednesday as they reveal some of their first plans for a new, “state-of-the-art, publicly owned enclosed stadium” along Chicago’s lakefront. The announcement, set to take place at 12 p.m., will be made “in collaboration with city officials and stakeholders” at the Bears’ current home, Soldier Field, the team said in a press release. The Bears said they will also announce plans for green and open space along the lakefront, with preserved access to the shoreline for families on the Museum Campus, according to the release. The press conference will b ..read more

Nearly 20 schools in Hammond will be unexpectedly closed Wednesday due to “excessive call offs.” According to a Facebook Post, School City of Hammond says all school locations will be closed Wednesday due to call-ins. “Due to excessive call offs, School City of Hammond is unable to safely staff our buildings today, April 24, 2024 and we must cancel school at all locations,” the post read. “There will be no eLearning and the day will be made up at a future date.” According to the School City of Hammond website, the district operates 18 schools in the area. The majority of those locations are el ..read more

Visitors to a certain part of the the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago this week may have been treated to a celebrity sighting. In videos posted to Instagram Tuesday, rapper Nicki Minaj and her young son — donning a Chicago White Sox hat — appeared to visit the iconic aquarium, taking in a dolphin show and even enjoying a meet-and-greet with a penguin. But the area Minaj and her son spent the most time in wasn’t an exhibit, Minaj said in one video. Instead, it was the cafeteria. A day in the life of a boy mom,” Minaj said. “We thought were coming to go to the Aquarium. Instead, Papa had other plans ..read more

Chicago will feel more like fall Wednesday, thanks to a short-lived cold air mass that has moved into the area. According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, the average high temperature for the month of April so far has clocked in at 60 degrees. Two days this month, April hit 81 degrees, NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman said. Wednesday however, temperatures will be back down below average, with highs in the 40s along the lake and 50s further inland. Wednesday will also be breezy, Roman said, with morning clouds breaking for afternoon sunshine. Overnight, temperatures will drop even lower, falling to “ne ..read more

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