1 big thing: More secondhand shopping

2. Market Watch: Green City Market

Photo of a sculpture in a park where they are having a farmers market. 

3. Hot happy hours

Photo of a plate of oysters next to a glass of beer. 

4. Tips and hot links 

Illustration of a humongous Willis Tower looming over the earth and sending out small lightning bolts from its antennas.

Stop by to see who’s hiring

5. Dispatches from D.C.

Happy Friday! Today is National Be a Millionaire Day. So what are you waiting for? 

☔️ Today's weather: Rain with a high of 87. 

Situational awareness: We're in a lighter mode today as we're in D.C. learning new tricks of the trade for the newsletter. Back in full on Monday! 

Today's newsletter is 781 words — a 3-minute read.

📺 Monica is thankful to reader Carlos B., who responded to our story on local TV errors by saying some shows purposely use impossible Chicago addresses to prevent doofuses from showing up there as if they're real. Good point. It's similar to how movie phone numbers always start with 555. 

🍸 Justin is looking forward to tonight's happy hour in D.C. He can't wait to drink fancy cocktails at the same rooftop bar where Millard Fillmore once drank fancy cocktails. 

Chicago

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Chicago. Written by Monica Eng and Justin Kaufmann.

Axios Chicago

1 big thing: Census undercounts Illinois

2. White Sox say taunt is racist 

Photo of a baseball player being restrained from fighting. 

3. Tips and hot links 

Illustration of the Chicago municipal device made out of Chicago-style hot dogs.

New jobs to check out

4. Your takes on No Mow May

Illustration of a lawn mower next to cut grass forming the shape of a sad face

5. Photo of the day: 1960s State Street

Photo of a street with several street lights and old signs, circa 1960s. 

Happy Monday and "Welcome to the Working Week"! We are back and ready to dive in. 

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny with a high of 61. 

Situational awareness: Axios political reporter (and our new best friend) Jonathan Swan is interviewing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at 1pm. Check out the livestream. 

Today's newsletter is 853 words — a 3.5-minute read.

😇 Justin loved D.C. Especially the Wok and Roll karaoke bar in Chinatown, which lets you book private rooms till 3am 😄.

🦜 Monica is fascinated by this cool online bird migration tracker that tells you how many and what kinds of birds are currently migrating over Cook County. Thanks to our reader Julia G. for the tip. 

Want free Axios swag? Refer your friends to Axios Chicago and get cool merch like stickers, totes, hats, T-shirts and more!

1 big thing: Wrigleyville fun without baseball

Photo of a green body scultpure in a park with the Chicago skyline behind it. 

2. Dating on the cheap 

Photo of pedestrians, bikers and joggers on a concrete path. 

3. Chart of the day: Sports betting 


Illustration of a restaurant-style neon sign featuring the Axios logo, and reading "Tips & Hot Links."

5. Food Fight: Egg rolls

Photo of two egg rolls on a paper plate with a packet of mustard. 

Happy Thursday! On this day in 1934, the Union Stockyards fire burned 80 acres, making it the second-worst fire in city history. 

☀️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny with a high of 83.

Situational awareness: We are at the Axios retreat in Washington, D.C., learning things that will make this newsletter even better. So expect a lighter lift today and tomorrow. 

🎧 How It Happened: "Putin's Invasion Part V: The fight for the Donbas" is out this morning with a new documentary episode examining the fight for the Donbas — the eastern borderlands of Ukraine where the most intense fighting is now happening.

This is told through the eyes of a journalist who has been covering the war there and a soldier who has been fighting there, both since 2014.

Today's newsletter is 827 words — a 3-minute read.

🏡 Monica is intrigued by the No Mow May movement and wants to know if any of our readers are doing it or have neighbors with shaggy yards trying it. Please reply with any info!

🍽 Justin is looking forward to eating dinner tonight in D.C. where Grover Cleveland once ate dinner.

Want free Axios swag? Refer your friends to Axios Chicago and get cool merch like stickers, totes, hats, T-shirts and more! 

1 big thing: Cloudy curfew decision

Illustration of Chicago City Hall with lines radiating from it.

2. Trail Mix: TV ad wars escalate 

Photo montage of all the republican candidates running for governor in Illinois. 

Illustration of the Chicago flag with the stars changing into the words "Tips and Hot Links."

Seeking employment? 

4. Readers' favorite egg rolls

Photo of two fried egg rolls with mustard packets. 

5. Where in the world is ... Monica

Photo of a woman on her bike in front of a body of water and a city skyline. 

Happy Tuesday! Today is National Scavenger Hunt Day. So feel free to hide your friend's keys and then set up elaborate clues and riddles to help them find their car. 

⛅ Today's weather: Mostly sunny with a high of 64. 

Situational awareness: A City Council committee voted 27-3 to move the Bally's casino proposal to a full council vote. It's expected to be called tomorrow. If it passes, a permanent casino will come to River West in early 2026.

Today's newsletter is 868 words — a 3.5-minute read.

😷 Monica is finally back from the Eastern Seaboard, where almost every county she visited was in the "high risk" category. She will be wearing a mask for the foreseeable future.

👎 Justin is still amazed that Yankee fans booed and chanted "Jackie" at Tim Anderson when he hit his home run Sunday night. New York fans are just the worst. 

1 big thing: The CTU election

Photo of a group marching with protest signs. 

2. The new Chicago (map) 

Photo of a man holding paper talking off camera. 

3. Low-cost airline lands at O'Hare

Look who’s hiring

5. Old-fashioned baby names still reign

6. Where's Justin? Whiting, Indiana  

Photo of a man standing in front of a museum with a huge pink cartoon face on it. 

Happy Wednesday! It's National Cheese Souffle Day, for those who observe. 

🌧 Today's weather: Rainy with a high of 65. 

📤 Do you like to forward this newsletter to friends and family? Become an official Axios referrer and you can be rewarded with Axios swag. And even better — if we have more referrals than Axios' other local markets, Monica and Justin win too! 

But don't do it for us, do it for Chicago pride. 

Today's newsletter is 917 words — a 3.5-minute read.

😤 Monica has been thinking back to 1984, when police arrested her for curfew outside a party in Rogers Park. As her angry mom drove home from the station, Monica explained that none of it was her fault. But she was grounded anyway. Bogus.

🍾 Justin is heading to the nation's capital for the Axios retreat. He's looking forward to eating bottomless brunch where George Washington once ate bottomless brunch.

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Justin Kaufmann

Newsletter editions

Curfews don't work

🔄 Population politics

👗 Secondhand surge

⚾️ Wrigleyville without baseball

🗳 CTU election stakes