Planes whizzing around the city for the annual Chicago Air and Water Show are a sign that summer is winding down. But before the planes came dark skies and tons of rain, with several parts of the Chicagoland under flash flood and severe weather warnings.
But enough about the weather — let’s recap what else happened this week.
Chicago Public Schools students return to the classroom Monday as school leaders continue to hammer out the district’s budget. At Wednesday’s school board meeting, CPS CEO Macquline King presented a balanced budget that divided members, who must pass a spending plan by the end of August. Plus, the University of Chicago announced that it will pause admissions for Ph.D. and master’s programs across several schools amid mounting financial strains.
The city of Chicago is facing its own budgetary problems, with the city’s chief financial officer speaking Tuesday about how new state actions could help. But City Hall did score a win when the mayor and Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2 reached a tentative contract agreement following years of bargaining.
Both Republican
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and Democratic state politicians headed to Springfield this week for their party’s day at the Illinois State Fair. The politicos weren’t there merely to catch the Snoop Dog show and take in the butter cow, but also to give stump speeches, talk nationwide redistricting efforts and gear up for the 2026 midterms. Meanwhile, the Texas House Democrats who fled to Illinois last week said Thursday that they plan to return to Austin after lawmakers adjourn their current special session and California Democrats introduce their retaliatory map designed to neutralize the Texas GOP’s efforts.From the crime and public safety beat, another corrupt Illinois politician is going to serve time, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office declined to charge the officers who shot and killed Dexter Reed during a March 2024 traffic stop and the Chicago police officer who fatally shot Officer Krystal Rivera earlier this year was stripped of police powers after being accused of battery against another female officer.
Chicago is the subject of more threats from President Donald Trump. After mobilizing National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., to help fight crime, the president suggested doing the same in the Windy City. Trump also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska on Friday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
It’s been a little more than a week since the latest round of U.S. tariffs took effect, but it’s difficult to interpret the impact they’ve had on the economy. While the stock market soared to historic highs this week, the latest report from the consumer price index showed the cost of some everyday goods is climbing and the Federal Reserve announced that, across the board, inflation was unchanged.
Back home, the Chicago Bulls are preparing to get back out on the court, releasing their schedule for the 2025-26 season, which starts on Oct. 22, and across town, the Sky notched their 11th loss in 12 games, as injured star Angel Reese sat out for a sixth straight.
Things aren’t much better for Chicago area baseball fans. The Cubs are falling further back from first place in the NL Central, the White Sox are 44-78, and Clarendon Hills suffered a stinging defeat in their opening game of the Little League World Series, losing 16-1.
But you know who had a good week? Swifties. The pop star announced her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” late Monday and appeared on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast Wednesday to discuss the upcoming record.
Now let’s get to it. Can you guess who said what this week? Take the Tribune’s Quotes of the Week quiz to find out.
Missed last week? You can find it here
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or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.