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Good afternoon, Chicago.
The Chicago Teachers Union escalated pressure with the school district yesterday in ongoing contract talks, ahead of a vote on a budget amendment that has been in the works for months.
Stacy Davis Gates, CTU president, sent a letter to two top Chicago Public Schools officials saying the district had refused the union’s final compromises, “precipitating more disruption and chaos for all district stakeholders.”
The union president doesn’t threaten a strike, but the possibility of one hangs over the letter. Both sides say they are at an impasse. The teachers union is allowed to call for a strike following a 30-day “cooling-off” period after a third-party fact-finding report is released.
Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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New first deputy superintendent has cited need for common ground on police misconduct reviews
Yolanda Talley, a 30-year department veteran and most recently chief of the bureau of internal affairs, will be the first Black woman to serve as first deputy superintendent, overseeing much of the department’s day-to-day operations and reporting directly to Superintendent Snelling. Read more here.
More top news stories:
- Mayor Brandon Johnson defends asking city contractors to take pay reductions
- Downers Grove tutor, soccer coach charged with sexual assault of boy, 15
Danish people boycott US goods with fervor as others in Europe do so too
People are joining Facebook groups where they exchange ideas about how to avoid U.S. products and find alternatives. Feelings are especially strong across the Nordic region — and very possibly strongest in Denmark given Trump’s threats to seize Greenland. Read more here.
More top business stories:
- Nonstop Waukegan to Chicago, Milwaukee bus services starting soon
- Forever No More. Operator of mall staple Forever 21 files for bankruptcy protection
Opening day for Chicago Cubs: Shota Imanaga tosses 4 shutout innings and works around walks in 4-1 loss at Tokyo Dome
The Cubs collectively lacked crispness with their play on opening day in a 4-1 loss to Los Angeles in front of an overwhelmingly pro-Dodgers crowd among the 42,365 fans at the Tokyo Dome. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
- Chicago White Sox pitcher Shane Smith is turning heads in spring training: ‘His ceiling is as high as anyone’
- Chicago Blackhawks Q&A: Is Connor Bedard a disappointment? And are they too cautious in overtime?
Lollapalooza 2025: Olivia Rodrigo, Tyler, The Creator, Sabrina Carpenter and Korn
Olivia Rodrigo, last in town in 2024, will make her Lollapalooza Chicago debut. Sabrina Carpenter returns as a headliner two years after her first appearance. Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
- Review: Steppenwolf’s ‘Purpose’ has moved to Broadway, all Chicago guns blazing
- Writers Theatre’s 2025-26 season includes the local premiere of ‘Leopoldstadt’
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agree to an immediate ceasefire for energy and infrastructure in Ukraine war
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a lengthy call to an immediate pause in strikes against energy and infrastructure targets in the Ukraine war, but the Russian leader stopped short of backing a broader 30-day pause in fighting that the U.S. administration is pressing for. Read more here.
More top stories from around the world:
- Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rejects President Donald Trump’s call for impeaching judge who ruled against his deportation plans
- President Donald Trump says his administration is set to release JFK files with no redactions
