The Illinois General Assembly is back in Springfield this week, with the chance to advance legislation lawmakers couldn't knock out before the holidays.

Why it matters: Legislators could be considering a bill that would make name changes easier, something transgender people and survivors of domestic violence support.

• The bill would eliminate a requirement to publish a public notice of a name change, and petitioners could request that their address be omitted from court documents if it could put them or their family in danger.

State of play: Domestic violence survivors and other advocates are also hoping lawmakers take action on "Karina's Bill," which would allow law enforcement to remove a person's firearm immediately if requested by a domestic violence survivor in an emergency order of protection.

Zoom out: In addition to new bills to consider, about 300 new laws are in effect as of Jan. 1.

Minimum wage: The state minimum wage increased from $14 to $15.

• Tipped workers in Illinois are now getting $9 an hour, up from $8.40.
• Tipped workers in Chicago got a bump earlier this year up to $11.02 an hour, something some restaurant owners worried would affect their profits.

Pay transparency: Employers with 15 or more employees now need to list pay scale and benefits for every posted position.

• Women and people of color are historically paid less than their white male counterparts, and proponents of the transparency practice say this would help mitigate that by making pay public.

Reproductive rights: An expansion of the Human Rights Act, the new law protects people from discrimination based on medical decisions such as fertility assistance and abortion.

What's next: The legislative session begins Wednesday.

Go deeper: More new laws in 2025

The Chicago Bears (5-12) wrapped up their awful 2024/2025 season Sunday with a 24-22 win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

Why it matters: Sunday's win doesn't. The season slipped away months earlier after a Hail Mary loss in Washington.

• Yet, yesterday was the first time the Bears beat the Packers since 2018. It also ended a 10-game losing streak this season.

Zoom in: The Bears had several opportunities this year, but the losses exposed former head coach Matt Eberflus' inability to win close games, resulting in a firing mid-season.

Reality check: No one expected this team to flop so hard, which now has general manager Ryan Poles' rebuild under serious scrutiny.

Caleb Williams and the offense

The first overall pick in last year's draft was called a "generational talent." The only question was whether the Bears organization would develop the young flamethrower.

• That question was largely answered after a rollercoaster season that saw Williams and the Bears rank dead last in yards per game.

Reality check: Williams was not helped by one of the worst offensive lines in football.

The defense

After the Bears started the season 4-2, the defense looked like it was going to be one of the best units in football. Yet, after Tyrique Stevenson's meltdown in Washington and a key injury to safety Jaquan Brisker, the defense fell to 25th in the league by the end of the season.

Read more

🌹 After honoring former Bulls superstar Derrick Rose on Saturday, the team announced it will retire his jersey next season. (NBA)

🗳️ Congressman Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) is considering a run for chair of the Democratic National Committee. Jackson represents the South Side and is the son of Rev. Jesse Jackson. (Axios)

🥵 2024 was the warmest year ever in Chicago, and some experts believe the lack of tree cover in some neighborhoods could be part of the problem. (Block Club)

Kendall County is the fastest growing county in Illinois, while Cook County continues to shrink.

By the numbers: Kendall County's population grew by 8.4%, increasing from a five-year average of about 124,600 in 2014-2018 to about 135,100 in 2019-2023.

• Kendall is about 50 miles west of Chicago and includes Oswego and Yorkville.
• Cook County's population decreased by about 0.7%, down from an average of 5.2 million people from 2014-2018 to 5.1 million people from 2019-2023.

Zoom out: Illinois' population over the last decade went down by 1% from 12.8 million to 12.6 million residents, a decline that has been characterized by politicians and pundits over the years as a sign that the state is moving in the wrong direction.

Go deeper: The fastest growing (and shrinking) U.S. counties.

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👋 Hi, it's Carrie!

A new spot in Streeterville is bringing Chicagoans a taste of down under.

What to expect: Calling itself "Chicago's first Australian all day café" Chapel Street Café at the Mag Mile Hilton has a large dine-in area, coffee and to-go pastries and a bar serving cocktails and Australian wines.

Context: Owner Shawn Uldridge is from Melbourne and named the restaurant after the famous shopping and cultural strip that runs through the city.

Best bite: The full milk pancakes ($13.50) are sweet enough to skip the syrup, but do dab some of the vanilla mascarpone on top with a bite of the poached pear.

• For a savory option, The Chapel Street ($21) has eggs with a side of baked beans, avocado and roasted tomatoes. It's a hearty deconstructed brekkie sandwich, but heads up, the beans have pork.

The intrigue: The vegemite sandwich wasn't on the breakfast menu but you can order it on a slice of toast with butter. For the uninitiated, as I was, it tastes like very salty butter.

If you go: Chapel Street Café is open daily from 6am to 11pm.

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