The White Sox are not just exploring a new stadium in the South Loop, they are looking to anchor an entirely new city neighborhood.

Why it matters: The team and developers are hoping that a new stadium could create a new economic center along Clark Street just south of Roosevelt Road.

What they're saying: "I believe the proposed Chicago White Sox stadium can be a positive anchor for the new 78 community," Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) said in a statement.

• "The addition of significant market and affordable housing, retail, and a world class baseball stadium and concert venue can be the sort of catalytic investment the city needs."

Yes, but: Dowell cautioned that it is early in the process and financials have yet to be worked out.

Context: The Sox have confirmed they are in "serious" talks to build a new stadium at "The 78," a megadevelopment planned along the south branch of the Chicago River. Developers claim it will be the 78th "community area" in the city.

• "The 78" plans include residences, commercial properties and a new research center already under construction for the University of Illinois.

The intrigue: The White Sox could build a sports entertainment district around a new stadium on the 62-acre lot that would feature restaurants, hotels and live music venues, similar to new districts in Atlanta and Dallas.

The other side: Critics are already complaining about future traffic headaches. Plus, Chicago taxpayers have shown they're not interested in supporting Chicago teams' new stadiums.

• Financing proposals for the new stadium idea have remained a mystery.
• While Gov. J.B. Pritzker has already signaled that he wouldn't support public financing, he also noted the state does use funds to support infrastructure projects for all types of businesses.

Between the lines: You don't have to go far to see what the White Sox covet: Wrigley Field's renovations led to an overhaul of the Wrigleyville neighborhood.

• The Ricketts family not only upgraded the park but also invested heavily in the surrounding area, attracting restaurants, hotels and entertainment.

Zoom in: The stadium activity comes as popularity in the South Side franchise is waning after one of the most disappointing seasons in team history. Also, a shooting at Guaranteed Rate Field remains unsolved.

• According to Forbes, the Sox saw Major League Baseball's biggest drop in attendance in 2023.

Flashback: This isn't the first time owner Jerry Reinsdorf has engaged in stadium drama.

• The Sox famously tried to leave for Florida in 1988, but then-Gov. Jim Thompson and a young(er) Democratic speaker named Michael Madigan maneuvered to use hotel taxes to fund the Bridgeport stadium.

Share this

Gender dysphoria diagnoses in Illinois rose 99% between 2018 and 2022, Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report from a new Definitive Healthcare analysis.

Why it matters: Such diagnoses rose in nearly every state in that time frame. It suggests growing demand for gender-affirming care, even amid efforts in many states to restrict access.

State of play: There are no laws restricting care in Illinois, and in fact, Lurie Children's provides comprehensive gender development outpatient care for people until the age of 25.

Be smart: Gender dysphoria is a form of psychological distress felt by people who believe their assigned sex fails to match their gender identity.

• Not all transgender people experience or are diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
• But such a diagnosis is often a first step when seeking gender-related mental health care or gender-affirming care, in order to access treatment and activate insurance coverage.

Research shows that access to gender-affirming care can decrease rates of depression and suicide, while transgender advocates say that promotion of gender-affirming care bans can fuel discrimination and hate crimes.

Go deeper

👮🏼‍♀️ A judge ruled that Chicago police officers attending the trial of the man accused of killing officer Ella French can wear their full uniforms. Defense attorneys had argued the "sea of blue" in the courtroom might bias the jury. (Sun-Times)

❄️ Parts of Northwest Indiana received more than 2 feet of snow over the weekend, with LaPorte County getting a record-breaking 21 inches. (Tribune)

🐀 The infamous "rat hole" in Roscoe Village was filled with concrete or cement, but neighbors and rat hole fans responded by digging up the filling. (NBC 5)

We continue our monthly segment crowning the best of everything, whether it's a building, band, TV commercial or local newscaster.

State of play: This town has no shortage of great sports leaders. Coaches and managers are often lauded for their winning percentages, their colorful press conferences and, well, their mustaches.

But who's the best? Ditka, Guillen, Jackson, Halas, Maddon. The names are synonymous with local greatness, but there can only be one best.

• All this week, we'll vote to crown the champion, starting today with some extreme matchups!

Methodology: We chose from both professional and collegiate ranks. Remember, we can only pick 16 to start, so we know that some great names just missed the cutoff.

Vote here. We'll keep the first round open until 4pm.

👋🏼 Hello fellow bread lovers, it's Carrie!

Driving the news: Despite the cold on a recent Saturday morning, I grabbed a coffee and hopped into line at Sugar Moon Bakery in Logan Square to see what everyone on my Instagram has been talking about.

Reality check: Thank goodness I did.

The bite: Potato, caramelized onion, white cheddar and rosemary focaccia ($5.50) and giardiniera focaccia ($4.50) were moist and fresh on the inside with the right amount of crunch on top.

• The potatoes remind me of those perfectly fried breakfast potatoes at your favorite diner, and the unique flavor of each ingredient manages to burst through — especially the onions and rosemary.

• The giardiniera focaccia was an awesome complement to my pasta dinner.

Plus, the cornflake espresso cookie ($4.50) is gooey, chocolatey, crunchy greatness that I've been dreaming about since I had it.