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NBC Chicago's new studio marks end of daytime TV era

The nearly 70,000-square-foot space on the first floor of the NBC Tower is where Springer used to do his syndicated show.

Business

NBC 5&#x27;s new studio at NBC Tower marks the end of Chicago&#x27;s daytime TV production era, but bets big on the future of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="local news" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/01/09/media-future-streaming-fox-nbc-wgn-reader-wbez-2026" data-vars-content-id="6016cc2a-e01c-455e-a923-d90534b3b4d0" data-vars-headline="NBC Chicago&#x27;s new studio marks end of daytime TV era" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/01/09/media-future-streaming-fox-nbc-wgn-reader-wbez-2026" target="_self">local news</a>.Why it matters: The investment boosts local news — but underscores how far Chicago has drifted from its once-dominant role in daytime TV.

Kitty's Cosmopolitan Club delivers elevated cocktails

Drinks aren't cheap, but the balance, strength and service make Kitty's a standout.

Food and Drink

I love wine, but as my friend and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Twin Cities" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities" data-vars-content-id="07409809-4619-4a00-8740-850296b2747f" data-vars-headline="Kitty&#x27;s Cosmopolitan Club delivers elevated cocktails" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities" target="_self">Twin Cities</a> colleague Torey says, &quot;It doesn&#x27;t always love me back.&quot;The big picture: I&#x27;ve been ordering cocktails when I go out, and a tasty, balanced, strong drink isn&#x27;t always easy to find.

Taking the tipping temperature of Axios readers

Please help us take the tipping temperature of Chicago diners.

As Chicago&#x27;s tipping future hangs in the balance this month, we want to know how you all feel about the issue.Why it matters: We hope the data helps servers, restaurant owners, diners and politicians make better decisions.

Illinois pushes back on latest Trump voting order

The Illinois ACLU says it would disenfranchise millions of voters.

Election

Illinois advocates are challenging President Trump&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="latest effort to change voting laws" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/25/trump-elections-executive-order-citizenship-proof" data-vars-content-id="1c207705-be16-4233-a92b-7e6f3a70c53f" data-vars-headline="Illinois pushes back on latest Trump voting order" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/25/trump-elections-executive-order-citizenship-proof" target="_self">latest effort to change voting laws</a>, which would create voter lists that the Postal Service would use to identify who gets a mail-in ballot.Why it matters: The U.S. Constitution <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="places the job of election administration" data-vars-click-url="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S4-C1-2/ALDE_00013577/" data-vars-content-id="1c207705-be16-4233-a92b-7e6f3a70c53f" data-vars-headline="Illinois pushes back on latest Trump voting order" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S4-C1-2/ALDE_00013577/" target="_blank">places the job of election administration</a> in the hands of the states and Congress.

NBC 5 Chicago adds film critic Richard Roeper to its lineup

The veteran columnist will join newscasts as well as digital platforms.

News

NBC 5 is landing another high-profile <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chicago media voice" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/01/26/lou-cannelis-fox-32-nbc-5-sports-bears-bulls" data-vars-content-id="e0f9ca37-8912-4681-b1d3-47c04b9f61ed" data-vars-headline="NBC 5 Chicago adds film critic Richard Roeper to its lineup" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/01/26/lou-cannelis-fox-32-nbc-5-sports-bears-bulls" target="_self">Chicago media voice</a> to its roster. The latest: Columnist and media personality Richard Roeper has been hired to file entertainment and culture stories across platforms starting Friday.<ul><li>He will make regular appearances on afternoon and evening newscasts, as well as on the station&#x27;s lifestyle program, &quot;Chicago Today,&quot; while also delivering content to digital and social media sites. </li></ul>

What to know about Chicago's tipped wage debate

Legislation passed by City Council and vetoed by the mayor may or may not help servers.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson last month blocked a City Council decision to pause <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="scheduled increases" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/06/27/chicago-tipped-workers-wage-tip-tax-debate" data-vars-content-id="813f5a06-795b-4574-b7af-3bfdabe688a3" data-vars-headline="What to know about Chicago&#x27;s tipped wage debate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/06/27/chicago-tipped-workers-wage-tip-tax-debate" target="_self">scheduled increases</a> in the city&#x27;s tipped minimum wage.Why it matters: The veto keeps wage hikes moving forward, with ripple effects for workers&#x27; paychecks, restaurant costs and menu prices.

CVS opens new type of store in Chicago

The smaller store offers bilingual staff and walkable access for largely Spanish-speaking area.

Health

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CVS Pharmacy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/12/cvs-stores-pharmacies-drugs-retail" data-vars-content-id="1874c13d-d9f5-4e75-856c-4d81929ee549" data-vars-headline="CVS opens new type of store in Chicago" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/12/cvs-stores-pharmacies-drugs-retail" target="_self">CVS Pharmacy</a> is launching a new type of store and the first one is in Chicago&#x27;s Brighton Park neighborhood.Why it matters: The drugstore giant&#x27;s new pharmacy-only stores are meant to be more accessible and staffed and stocked with what the community needs.

New ad blitz targets tariffs on small businesses

A small business organization is using posters to highlight tariff challenges for entrepreneurs.

A new monthlong guerrilla ad campaign is hitting Chicago on Monday to bring attention to small businesses that have been affected by tariffs.Why it matters: According to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="surveys by the Council on Foreign Relations" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cfr.org/articles/what-americans-really-think-about-trade-and-tariffs" data-vars-content-id="212dc5a1-ce18-4403-bc2d-b949b5c51d34" data-vars-headline="New ad blitz targets tariffs on small businesses" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cfr.org/articles/what-americans-really-think-about-trade-and-tariffs" target="_blank">surveys by the Council on Foreign Relations</a>, 2 in 5 Americans mistakenly believe a tariff is paid by a foreign country. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Research from the New York Fed" data-vars-click-url="https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2026/02/who-is-paying-for-the-2025-u-s-tariffs/" data-vars-content-id="212dc5a1-ce18-4403-bc2d-b949b5c51d34" data-vars-headline="New ad blitz targets tariffs on small businesses" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2026/02/who-is-paying-for-the-2025-u-s-tariffs/" target="_blank">Research from the New York Fed</a> and Columbia University shows that nearly 90% of the tariffs President Trump enacted in 2025 were paid by U.S. firms and consumers.

New Sound Cafe remixes former record shop

Owners turned a long-vacant building into a cafe designed for neighbors to gather and connect.

Once a gospel record store, New Sound Cafe in Chicago&#x27;s Austin neighborhood is filling a need for local meeting spaces.

CBS News layoffs shut down CBS News Radio, affecting Chicago's WBBM

CBS News Radio started in Chicago in 1927.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CBS News layoffs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/20/cbs-news-layoffs-paramount-skydance" data-vars-content-id="9dbdf0d3-2cf3-469c-9d3f-7522729592ad" data-vars-headline="CBS News layoffs shut down CBS News Radio, affecting Chicago&#x27;s WBBM" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/20/cbs-news-layoffs-paramount-skydance" target="_self">CBS News layoffs</a> will disrupt a key national news pipeline for Chicago&#x27;s top-rated all-news station, WBBM Newsradio.The big picture: CBS News laid off 6% of its staff on Friday to cut costs. The cuts include shutting down CBS News Radio, which began broadcasting in 1927 and offered national newscasts to over 700 stations nationwide. <ul><li>CBS News Radio traces its roots to Chicago as United Independent Broadcasters before rebranding and moving to New York.</li><li>WBBM Newsradio, owned by CBS Radio for decades, was sold to Audacy in 2017.</li></ul>Yes, but: WBBM still relies on those CBS national newscasts, which anchor its hourly format.What they&#x27;re saying: The announcements were made to staff on Friday morning via two memos from CBS News leadership. <ul><li>&quot;While this was a necessary decision, it was not an easy one,&quot; they said, referring to the radio cuts.</li><li>&quot;A shift in radio station programming strategies, coupled with challenging economic realities, has made it impossible to continue the service.&quot;</li><li>Locally, Audacy declined to comment on what the station will do when the newscasts end on May 22. </li></ul>State of play: The radio cuts are notable given CBS News&#x27; legacy as a pioneer in news radio.<ul><li>Its flagship program, &quot;World News Roundup,&quot; is the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="longest-running" data-vars-click-url="https://www.radiohalloffame.com/cbs-world-news-roundup" data-vars-content-id="9dbdf0d3-2cf3-469c-9d3f-7522729592ad" data-vars-headline="CBS News layoffs shut down CBS News Radio, affecting Chicago&#x27;s WBBM" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.radiohalloffame.com/cbs-world-news-roundup" target="_blank">longest-running</a> daily radio newscast in the country.</li><li>WBBM — Chicago&#x27;s only all-news station — ranked No. 1 in January ratings, with CBS national reports as a key part of its format.</li></ul>Zoom out: It&#x27;s been a tough month for the WBBM family. Longtime morning host John Hultman died March 15 at 89.<ul><li>Hultman and co-host Felicia Middlebrooks dominated morning ratings in the 1980s and 1990s.</li><li>&quot;I didn&#x27;t lose just a colleague. I lost my friend,&quot; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Middlebrooks wrote" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/felicia.m.hill.5/posts/pfbid0V6PPSxJuQdrGjRcd85Rm3gYBaHdnkbq4VcfjWEkdyrWgutF7EnBt5VSbiwboYgd5l" data-vars-content-id="9dbdf0d3-2cf3-469c-9d3f-7522729592ad" data-vars-headline="CBS News layoffs shut down CBS News Radio, affecting Chicago&#x27;s WBBM" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/felicia.m.hill.5/posts/pfbid0V6PPSxJuQdrGjRcd85Rm3gYBaHdnkbq4VcfjWEkdyrWgutF7EnBt5VSbiwboYgd5l" target="_blank">Middlebrooks wrote</a>.</li></ul>

O'Hare, Midway brace for spring break crush amid shutdown chaos

The annual spring break for Chicago schools means a surge in traffic.

Travel

O&#x27;Hare and Midway are bracing for a spring break travel surge — just as delays and disruptions <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pile up nationwide" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/17/dhs-shutdown-tsa-fema-ice-democrats-discharge" data-vars-content-id="a9cf6a2c-0384-40c4-91f0-fddb3a8eb465" data-vars-headline="O&#x27;Hare, Midway brace for spring break crush amid shutdown chaos" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/17/dhs-shutdown-tsa-fema-ice-democrats-discharge" target="_self">pile up nationwide</a>.Why it matters: Chicago Public Schools&#x27; spring break is sending thousands more travelers through local airports at a moment when a prolonged federal shutdown is straining the system.

Business 🏦

NBC 5 Chicago adds film critic Richard Roeper to its lineup

What to know about Chicago's tipped wage debate

Taking the tipping temperature of Axios readers

NBC Chicago's new studio marks end of daytime TV era

Kitty's Cosmopolitan Club delivers elevated cocktails