When Gov. JB Pritzker addresses the General Assembly today, he'll lay out his plan to plug a $3 billion-plus deficit in the 2026 state budget.

The big picture: With federal COVID-19 funds drying up and the economy slowing, Pritzker faces the biggest budget crisis of his tenure.

• It doesn't help that federal funding is in limbo as the Trump administration considers sweeping budget cuts.

By the numbers: Illinois went from an $890 million surplus last year to a $3.2 billion deficit this year, mostly because health care and pension costs spiked.

• The annual state budget is just over $53 billion.

State of play: Pritzker has hinted that new revenue streams are not an option and tax hikes would be a last resort, leaving cuts as the most likely options to balance the budget.

Yes, but: Democratic lawmakers suggested late yesterday that revenue projections have improved.

What they're saying: "It's very important that we live within our means in this state and that we not resort to tax increases as a way to balance the budget," Pritzker said last month.

Friction point: Lawmakers want more money this year, for things like schools.

The other side: Republicans blame the deficit on exorbitant spending by Democrats, who control both the governor's mansion and the General Assembly.

• Some are even going further, calling for a DOGE-like audit of state spending similar to what Elon Musk is leading at the federal level.
• Rep. John Cabello (R-Rockford) introduced a House bill that would create an Illinois Department of Government Efficiency.

Zoom in: State Republicans want to target spending on education and identify duplicative local governments for consolidation.

• Illinois has the most units of government in the country.

Reality check: The Democrats own the majority in the House, so Cabello's bill is likely dead on arrival.

The bottom line: Wednesday's speech is just the beginning of a months-long negotiation to reach a balanced budget.

What's next: You can watch today's budget address here at 12pm.

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If you're fed up with high egg prices and empty egg shelves, you may be thinking about creating your own supply with backyard chickens.

• But this is probably not the best time to pick up the hobby.

Why it matters: For decades Chicagoans have enjoyed some of the state's most liberal chicken-keeping laws and new services are making it easier than ever for residents to have them.

• However, the continued spread of avian flu among fowl and humans who work with outdoor birds makes this risky a move right now.

Zoom out: U.S. backyard chicken keepers grew from 5.8 million in 2018 to 11 million in the latest data from the American Pet Products Association (APPA).

State of play: A company called Rent The Chicken offers delivery and setup of a coop on wheels, two or four young egg-laying hens, chicken feed, and food dishes for a five-to-six month rental period across the nation, including in Chicago.

• The one-time cost in Chicago: $1,550.

Yes, but: That's not counting labor and the emotional cost when a raccoon nabs one of your hens.

The bottom line: Even with record-high prices, Chicagoans are still probably better off buying their eggs for now.

Go deeper

📜 Facing a $22 million deficit in its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, UIC may terminate its schools of literature, cultural studies and linguistics as well as those schools' nontenured faculty by the end of the academic year. (Tribune)

🏛️ Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Cydney Wallace, a board member of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, as his final pick to the hybrid Chicago Board of Education. (WTTW)

🦫 A chubby beaver is making a splash on the South Side. (Block Club)

A therapeutic exercise called RageHER is giving women and nonbinary people the space to channel their rage.

Why it matters: Studies suggest unexpressed anger can have negative physical effects, ranging from high blood pressure and GI issues to heart attacks and strokes.

Flashback: Krissie McMenamin started RageHER in Chicago in 2022 after studying for a master's degree focused on psychology and social intelligence and hearing from her professors that she hadn't really acknowledged and channeled her anger into positive outlets.

• She noticed her anger came out as passive aggression, toxic positivity or rage.

How it works: McMenamin says each event starts with a facilitator asking questions such as, "Who was allowed to be angry in your family" or "What does anger feel like in your body?"

• Eventually, participants move to the "fury floor" where rage doulas guide them through movements to express their anger and rage which can culminate in anything from screaming to beating pillows to sitting quietly to crying.

What they're saying: "There's something really powerful about being in a group where you're giving each other permission to go bigger, to express more, to witness and be witnessed by other people in this full range of feelings," McMenamin tells Axios.

If you go: RageHER takes place Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Hairpin Chicago in Logan Square. Tickets start at $35.

• Open to all women and non-binary people.

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🌱 Discover new local events.

Chicago Wine Fest at Hubbard Inn on Mar 8: Grab your closest friends and come out to this hip River North venue for a night full of fun, laughs, your favorite tunes. With so many options to try, you're sure to find something that tickles your fancy. $25-$49.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

You all know your swanky Chicago history!

Flashback: Now called the Ambassador Room, this hotel bar and restaurant in the Gold Coast was once the famous Pump Room, where celebs mingled when they were in town.

• Photos of celebs and notable faces of the 20th century still adorn the walls, like a glad-handing Richard Nixon between photos of Tina Turner and Lily Tomlin.

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