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!

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: 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: Council gambles on casino 

Rendering of a casino and hotel along a river. 

2. Local leaders react to Uvalde tragedy

3. Chart of the Day: traffic deaths

4. Tips and hot links 

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

Do you see yourself with a new career? 

5. Where's Monica? Olive Park

👏 Happy Wednesday. We're halfway to Friday and headed into a holiday weekend. Congratulations!

On this date in 1979, American Airlines Flight 191 crashed after takeoff at O'Hare, killing 273 passengers and crew. It's still the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history. 

🌧 Today's weather: Showers and breezy with a high of 70.

Today's newsletter is 805 words — a 3-minute read.

🖥 Monica is glad NBC 5 posted a video of the Emmett Till trial re-enactment presented last winter by Collaboraction Theatre Company at the DuSable Museum. She was floored by this production, which uses the unearthed trial transcript and adds a poignant finale you won't forget.

💔 Justin mourns for the families in Uvalde, Texas. Unfathomable and heartbreaking. 

1 big thing: Courts may release pot licenses

Photo of a sign that says "Smile Chicago, Weed is Legal" 

2. Chart of the Day: Midway is cheap 

3. The 1992 music scene

Photo of a band on stage at a rock club. 

Illustration of the Chicago Cloud Gate bean sculpture rotating and reflecting the Axios logo.

On the job hunt?

5. "Somewhere Over the Border"

6. Photos: Chicago beaches open

Photo of boys swimming in a lake with the skyline behind them. 

Happy Friday. Hard to believe it's already Memorial Day weekend. Make it count!

🌧 Today's weather: Blech. Cloudy with showers and a high of 61.  

Programming note: We're off Monday for Memorial Day, but we're back fresh and fragrant in your inbox Tuesday morning. 

Today's newsletter is 882 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Editor's note: We posted the wrong link to our youth mental-health story yesterday. The full story is here. 

👩‍🍳 Monica learned so much while writing about early Chinese American chef Joyce Chen for the Washington Post this month. 

💖 Justin wants to send a loving congratulations to his parents, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this weekend. To stay with the theme, they first met at the Addison Street rocks along the lakefront.

1 big thing: Youth mental health 

Illustration of a person sitting on the ground surrounded by radiating lines. 

 2. Chart of the Day: child fatalities

3. Chicago is not a "hellhole"

Illustration of a star turning into a heart. 

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

5. Food Fight: bagels

Photo of a plate of bagels with a package of cream cheese. 

Need a new job?

6. Readers: secondhand stores

Photo of a woman shopping through racks of clothes. 

 Happy Thursday! Today is National Paper Airplane Day. Do kids even do paper airplanes anymore? Or do they just use computer programs to design real planes? Probably the latter. 

🌧️ Today's weather: Chance of rain all morning. High of 78. 

Situational awareness: Mayoral candidate Willie Wilson is giving away gas at select gas stations this morning. Here is a list of locations to get free gas or to avoid traffic jams. 

Today's newsletter is 963 words — a 3.5-minute read.

📖 Monica is excited to be interviewing Qian Julie Wang tonight at 6pm for her terrific book, "Beautiful Country," as part of the Chicago Public Library's "Voices for Justice" series. You can find it here.  

🏀 Justin is rooting for Steve Kerr and Jimmy Butler in the NBA playoffs. What can I say, Chicago forever. 

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Newsletter editions

🍁 Potential pot licenses

"Hellhole?" Hell no!

Local Uvalde reaction

Curfews don't work

🔄 Population politics