Good morning, Chicago.
Near-record, unseasonable warmth will persist in the Chicago area today and tomorrow, weather officials said, with daytime highs likely to reach the upper 80s both days.
“(It) would be, actually, slightly above normal for mid-July, the peak of summer — so, really unusual for October,” said Gino Izzi, senior meteorologist with the Chicago office of the National Weather Service.
The normal high temperatures for this time of year are between 64 and 65 degrees, and the normal temperature averages between 55 and 56 degrees, according to National Weather Service historical data. The record high temperature for Oct. 12 was 84 degrees in 2008, and for Oct. 13, it was 88 degrees in 1975.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Adriana Pérez.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: how CPD solved a 65-year-old cold case of the brutal murder of an 8-year-old girl, what happened on the sidelines of the Chicago Marathon and Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Bears’ loss to the Packers.
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Who knew about Amtrak’s Bridgeport plans, and when did they know?
Bridgeport Democrats trying to stave off Amtrak’s attempt to move maintenance operations into the neighborhood find themselves in a rare bind — fighting both longtime union allies who support the project’s promised trade jobs and the rail company they are convinced advanced its plans for years without their full knowledge.
Gov. JB Pritzker entered the fray Friday, saying via a spokesman Amtrak pulled a “bait and switch” on government officials and neighbors in its rollout. And the governor’s office suggested a state-owned easement in the Bridgeport property could complicate Amtrak’s efforts to move ahead without state support.
Illinois Senate race: Juliana Stratton, F-bomb ads behind her, leans on primary performance versus Don Tracy
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton may be best known among voters for the F-bomb-filled ads she ran to show she had the fight to take on President Donald Trump on her way to winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
“F−−− Trump,” U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and others say in the February ads, as Stratton contends: “They said it, not me.”
Closing a 65-year-old cold case, CPD says 8-year-old girl was brutally murdered by a young Chicago cop
It was a crime that shocked the city and stayed a mystery for decades, but now police say they have solved the killing of Gloria Kowalewicz using DNA technology. And the perpetrator, they say, was a young man who wore a CPD star.
Illinois cannabis customers bought more at lower prices, while sales revenue and taxes fell, new state report shows
Illinois consumers continued setting records for buying cannabis products and enjoyed lower prices due to increased competition, but sellers’ revenue shrank, a new state report shows.
Total reported retail sales dropped to about $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2026, down from nearly $2 billion the year before, according to the state’s annual cannabis report.
Chicago Marathon spectators cheer for charity, culture and support for the running community
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Between energy-boosting pickle shots and life-sized cutouts of Pope Leo, racers in this year’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon had plenty of help from the sidelines. Many organizations set up stations along the course, some raising money for causes, others representing cultural communities in Chicago.
Bears and Packers fans come together to credit Mike Ditka for role in creating fierce and storied rivalry
A parking lot full of Packers fans wearing cheesehead hats and Jordan Love jerseys isn’t the place where you’d usually find much respect for anyone associated with the Bears.
But, at yesterday’s game, Green Bay devotees made it a point to commend one of Chicago’s most accomplished coaches and players. Mike Ditka, they told the Tribune, had a lot of passion and helped make the legendary rivalry great.
“When Ditka was there, running things, it was always intense, it was always a fierce rivalry,” said Calleb Zyduck. “Hard nosed football.”
- Remembering Mike Ditka, the Chicago Bears Hall of Famer and Super Bowl-winning coach
- Column: Chicago mourns Mike Ditka, the Pennsylvania kid who became the ultimate symbol of our town
Chicago Bears get humbled after stoking Green Bay Packers rivalry: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Week 5 loss
Peak Mike Ditka would have delivered postgame sound bites — no filter — because there’s no way to hide from how ugly this one was.
That’s the way Da Coach was, and it’s one of the many reasons that endeared him to so many.
Two days after the death of Ditka, a central and wonderfully colorful character in the longstanding feud between the Bears and Packers, his former team was humbled on an otherwise gorgeous Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.
- Bears bench Tyson Bagent for Case Keenum — and both QBs contribute to 5-turnover day at Lambeau Field
- Jordan Love’s deep strikes for Green Bay Packers sink Bears defense in a blowout that leaves ‘scars’
Column: Chicago White Sox vow to get back up after a painful knockout blow in the ALDS
Three years after knocking out Tim Anderson, Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez knocked the White Sox out of the postseason.
Or did the White Sox knock themselves out, asks Paul Sullivan.
So a storybook Sox season turned into a fractured fairy tale in the end. For 6½ months it was a moonage daydream. And for the last three games it was a Freddy Krueger-like nightmare.
- Chicago White Sox season ends with a record 21 strikeouts in a 2-0 loss in ALDS Game 5
- Game 5 photos: White Sox vs. Guardians
Funny you should ask: Chicago scientist says humor makes for better researchers
Letonia Copeland-Hardin understands the importance of earning an audience’s trust. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Chicago, she must do that every time she engages with members of the community in her work studying the relationship between pollutant exposure and cancer risks.And as a stand-up comic, she must do that every time she steps on stage.
Voting has begun in the 40th annual Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest
Your recipes are in and now it’s time to vote in the Tribune’s 40th annual Holiday Cookie Contest.Readers can vote once per day below for the recipe they want to see advance to the final round. Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 23.