Daywatch: Critic’s picks for what holiday shows to see
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Good morning, Chicago.
More than a week after Election Day, Republicans secured the 218th seat needed to flip the House from Democratic control. The full scope of the party’s majority may not be clear for several more days — or weeks — as votes in competitive races are still being counted.
But they are on track to cobble together what could be the party’s narrowest majority of the 21st century, rivaling 2001, when Republicans had just a nine-seat majority, 221-212 with two independents. That’s far short of the sweeping victory Republicans predicted going into this year’s midterm elections, when the party hoped to reset the agenda on Capitol Hill by capitalizing on economic challenges and Biden’s lagging popularity.
For Biden and House Democrats, the likelihood of keeping power was always slight. Since 1906, there have been only three midterms in which the party of the president in power gained House seats: 1934, when the country was struggling with a Depression, 1998 when the U.S. was buoyed by a soaring economy, and 2002, when President George W. Bush had a sky-high approval rating amid the national feeling of unity after the Sept. 11 attacks. See a geographic visualization for how the balance of power has shifted in the midterms.
In Springfield, Republican state legislators chose new leaders after a poor election showing allowed Democrats to maintain supermajorities in the House and Senate.
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Pilsen residents call for broader study, push city to ‘close the door’ on polluters on the Southwest Side
On the Southeast Side, residents were successful in their campaign to get the city to deny a permit that would have allowed a scrap metal shredder to open in their neighborhood. In Pilsen, residents are fighting a similar — but potentially more difficult — battle against Sims Metal Management, owner of a shredder that has operated in the neighborhood since the ‘90s.
Now, some are saying the total effects of past and present actions by industries need to be taken into account in communities like Pilsen.
Lori Lightfoot chastises security detail for parking in a bike lane
Following an uproar on social media, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot chastised her security detail for parking in a bike lane while she picked up doughnuts.
It’s not the first time Lightfoot’s police detail has drawn headlines. In 2020, the Tribune reported that the city of Chicago dismissed the majority of tickets issued to Lightfoot’s security detail by red-light and speed cameras, including some that were recorded at times when the mayor was scheduled to be attending non-city events.
Community responds with support in wake of Jewish cemetery vandalism
The vandalism at a Waukegan Jewish cemetery has prompted a quick response from the city and condemnation of the hate crime from the community.
About 40 tombstones at the Am Echod Cemetery were defaced with red spray paint, including more than a dozen stones that were painted with red swastikas. The vandalism at the cemetery in the 3000 block of Grand Avenue was discovered Monday morning.
Chicago public schools receive $48 million in donations from MacKenzie Scott: ‘This gift comes right on time’
During the week before Thanksgiving, education leaders in Chicago got a pleasant surprise when they learned that philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is gifting a combined $48 million to public schools in the city, adding to the list of other Chicago organizations that have already received contributions from the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in recent months.
Scott donated $25 million to Chicago Public Schools, $16 million to the Noble Network of Charter Schools and $7 million to LEARN Charter School Network.
‘Always going to be Chicago through and through:’ Jasmine Jordan on Jordan Brand, the importance of women in sneakers — and expanding the roster
As a child, Jasmine Jordan wasn’t initially into the family shoe. She opted for what was popular for kids her age — Skechers. She never could keep a pair long, though, because once her father saw them, he would toss them. Eventually she would come to love — even favor — the sneakers made in her father’s image.
When Michael Jordan signed a deal with Nike in his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, the brand was nowhere near as known as it is today. Adidas and Converse were at the top of the basketball shoe game, and Nike was making track shoes. Jordan Brand is its own entity at Nike, and a different Jordan is working to make her mark on the shoe world there — Michael’s eldest daughter, Jasmine Mickael Jordan.
It’s the holidays, what Chicago shows should I see? A critic’s picks for the season
With Chicago companies roasting old chestnuts and throwing some new logs on the seasonal fire, here’s our annual guide to festive theatrical attractions with an eye on shows the whole family can enjoy together.
There’s a little less, especially in the neighborhoods, than before the pandemic but the survivors are coming back strong. Let’s start with a look at what you can find in downtown Chicago, still the most festive part of Chicago when it comes to the holidays.
