Good morning, Chicago.
If you frequently get takeout or delivery in the city, you may soon be on the hook for remembering something beyond your food order. Under a proposed Chicago ordinance, people who want plastic utensils with their carryout and delivery meals from local restaurants would need to request them. Read more here from my colleague John Byrne.
Meanwhile, last week President Joe Biden announced a vaccine mandate for companies with 100 or more employees. A number of Chicago-area companies are welcoming the new rules, which may provide an immediate catalyst for businesses seeking guidance — and legal backing — on implementing the potentially divisive requirement.
— Nicole Stock, audience editor
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The Illinois Senate on Monday approved a wide-ranging energy policy overhaul that sets ambitious goals for a carbon-free future and staves off the threatened shutdown of two of the state’s six nuclear power plants, handing Gov. J.B. Pritzker a key legislative victory heading into his reelection bid.
For the Republicans seeking to challenge Pritzker next year, the bill offers an opportunity to tie the first-term Democrat to power bill hikes that will in part go toward a nearly $700 million bailout of three nuclear power plants owned by the parent company of scandal-plagued Commonwealth Edison.
Chicago Ald. Jim Gardiner’s alleged conduct prompts FBI probe, sources say
Federal investigators have launched an inquiry into Ald. Jim Gardiner’s conduct in office, including whether he retaliated against constituents for political purposes, sources told the Tribune.
FBI agents recently spoke to a variety of individuals with knowledge of Gardiner’s conduct, and approached Gardiner himself last week, sources said.
Despite a bid of more than $120 million, a group hoping to buy Arlington International Racecourse to continue horse racing there fears it may be a lost cause. Roy Arnold, former president of the track and CEO of Endeavor Properties, said he was one of three finalists in the running to purchase the track in Arlington Heights.
But since hearing that from track owner Churchill Downs Inc. more than a month ago, he hasn’t heard back, he said. That’s a sign to him that they may go with another bidder such as the Chicago Bears — and doom any chances of racing there.
A water park, a vertical neighborhood, and a school: Winning ideas in Thompson Center design contest
The James R. Thompson Center could be transformed from an unkempt state office building into a “vertical neighborhood” anchored at ground level by an indoor park next to the Chicago Transit Authority station, with commercial and related spaces on the first few floors that give way to private residences on the upper levels and a rooftop garden. Or home to a new prototype for a public school. Or, sure to be a social media crowd favorite, a water park.
Met Gala 2021: Best and worst red carpet looks during fashion’s biggest night
After skipping last year due to coronavirus concerns, the Met Gala returned last night. This year’s official theme was “American Independence,” leaving plenty of room for interpretation. These were the best and worst looks on the red carpet.
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