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  "path": "/wbez-newsletter/2026/06/03/the-rundown-whats-next-in-the-bears-stadium-saga",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-03T20:45:00.000Z",
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  "textContent": "<p><i>Good afternoon! It’s Wednesday, and whether you love it or not, NASCAR looks to be </i><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/nascar/2026/06/02/nascar-2027-grant-park-chicago-street-race-may-return-earlier-in-summer\" target=\"_blank\" ><i><u>returning to Chicago</u></i></a><i> next year. Here’s what else you need to know today.</i></p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/sports/2026/06/03/brandon-johnson-bears-chicago-stadium-arlington-heights\" target=\"_blank\" ><b><u>1. Mayor Johnson’s Springfield wins put Chicago ‘in the mix’ for the Bears stadium</u></b></a></p><p>Illinois lawmakers advanced several of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s top priorities at the end of their spring session. Just as importantly, they spiked a bill that would have cleared the Chicago Bears’ path out of Soldier Field to the suburbs, my colleagues Mariah Woelfel, Mitchell Armentrout and Michael Puente write.</p><p>“There’s no plan in Hammond. There’s none of that in the suburbs,” Johnson told WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. “We are already further along than any other site that might even be considered.”</p><p>Johnson also can take some credit for clearing the path for a new digital advertising tax that made it into the state budget, along with a social media tax mirroring the one his administration implemented last year — evidence he’s finally breaking the line of scrimmage in Springfield, he said.</p><p>Meanwhile, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said yesterday he expected a team announcement “in less than a month” that they’ll break ground in Hammond, where Hoosier lawmakers have authorized a slew of new taxes to help fund a stadium.</p><p>Braun suggested it was a no-brainer for the Bears to move to “a place that runs like Indiana, triple-A credit rating, where you get a lot more stadium built for the money you’re going to invest, where you’ve got friendly guidelines to have a business, in general, and where you’re not going to be taxed out of existence.” [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/sports/2026/06/03/brandon-johnson-bears-chicago-stadium-arlington-heights\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/06/02/what-you-need-to-know-about-illinois-new-cellphone-ban-in-schools\" target=\"_blank\" ><b><u>2. What you need to know about Illinois’ new cellphone ban in schools</u></b></a></p><p>Illinois will soon join 35 states that have already prohibited or limited cellphone use in classrooms, thanks to legislation expected to go into effect for the 2027-2028 school year.</p><p>The bill now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker, who has been a vocal advocate for limiting cellphone use in the classroom. As Chalkbeat Chicago reports, the move is a turnaround in the Illinois Legislature, which failed to pass the bill in the state House of Representatives despite unanimous Senate approval during last year’s session.</p><p>Tablets, laptops, gaming consoles and smartwatches are also banned. School-issued devices are exempt from the ban.</p><p>The cellphone ban wasn’t the only legislation passed this week taking aim at children’s device usage. Another bill heading to Pritzker’s desk outlines limitations on social media platforms’ algorithms to protect children’s privacy. Both bills received bipartisan support from state lawmakers — something Pritzker said underscored the urgency of addressing the effects of cellphones on children.</p><p>Research on the effectiveness of banning cellphones in schools is still preliminary, but results have been largely mixed. An April study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research showed a reduction in phone usage in schools with storage pouches for phones but also found a minimal impact on student test scores or attendance. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/06/02/what-you-need-to-know-about-illinois-new-cellphone-ban-in-schools\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>Chalkbeat Chicago</u></a>]</p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/06/03/susana-mendoza-announces-campaign-for-chicago-mayor\" target=\"_blank\" ><b><u>3. Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced her campaign for Chicago mayor</u></b></a></p><p>Since Johnson took office in 2023, Mendoza has telegraphed her mayoral ambitions with a steady stream of social media statements criticizing many of his progressive policies while positioning herself as a centrist, pro-police Democrat.</p><p>In her video announcement, she took passing shots at Johnson for his handling of public safety, Chicago Public Schools, mass transit and a lack of “economic growth” under his watch, according to Mendoza.</p><p>The three-term Illinois comptroller announced she wouldn’t seek a fourth term last July.</p><p>In 2019, she finished fifth on the ballot for mayor, garnering 9% of votes in the general election before Lori Lightfoot defeated Toni Preckwinkle in a runoff election. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/06/03/susana-mendoza-announces-campaign-for-chicago-mayor\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/music/2026/06/02/chicago-blues-festival-alligator-records-bruce-iglauer-lil-ed-williams-55-anniversary\" target=\"_blank\" ><b><u>4. The star of this year’s Blues Fest: Chicago’s Alligator Records, celebrating 55 years of championing the music</u></b></a></p><p>Bruce Iglauer’s “preeminent blues record label” will mark its milestone anniversary at this weekend’s Chicago Blues Festival with performances by Lil’ Ed Williams, Ronnie Baker Brooks and Nick Moss.</p><p>As my colleague Courtney Kueppers reports for WBEZ, the label has weathered the advent of CDs, online streaming, industry consolidation and, locally, the closure of dozens of blues venues. Through it all, Iglauer has been steadfast in championing blues and trying to keep the genre thriving in a world that’s hyperfocused on pop’s next big thing.</p><p>“I’m thinking about the careers of this new generation of blues musicians, and how many of those careers I can launch at the age of 78,” said Iglauer, who is still looking for his next artist to sign — someone “raw” and “not too polished.” “I intend to live forever, but just in case I don’t, I want to have a legacy that people will remember, not so much for my name, but for the artists and the music.” [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/music/2026/06/02/chicago-blues-festival-alligator-records-bruce-iglauer-lil-ed-williams-55-anniversary\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/food-drink/2026/06/03/popup-bagels-chicago-rosca-local-bagel-shops\" target=\"_blank\" ><b><u>5. Is Chicago suddenly a bagel town? The heated rivalry between indie shops and Big Bagel</u></b></a></p><p>The viral PopUp Bagel’s Chicago arrival has sparked long lines and outrage. But judging from other newcomers, our hunger for bagels may just be getting started, food contributor Maggie Hennessy reports.</p><p>The wave of big money-backed newcomers follows a recent, citywide proliferation of indie bagel shops, whose artisanal products seek to upend the long-held perception that Chicago just isn’t a bagel town.</p><p>That includes actual pop-ups like Middle Brow’s comically charred, sourdough Beachwater Bagels each Saturday to seven-month-old Dorothy’s Bakery, serving up overnight fermented sourdough bagel sandwiches a 10-minute walk east of PopUp Bagel’s inaugural Chicago site.</p><p>There are other locals too. In Pilsen, Rosca proffers sourdough bagels made from freshly milled wheat berries that it infuses with Mexican-inspired flavors like red mole. South Loop-based Tilly Bagel Shop bakes fluffy, chewy sourdough bagels throughout the morning in two locations. Upmarket delicatessen Zeitlin’s recently added a second Lincoln Park location, where it serves pert, springy bagel sandwiches. And if you are fast enough to get your order in at an unspecified time each Tuesday (tip: sign up for the text message service), Holey Dough & Co. will reward you with plump and squishy New York-style bagels. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/food-drink/2026/06/03/popup-bagels-chicago-rosca-local-bagel-shops\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><b>Here’s what else is happening</b></p><ul class=\"rte2-style-ul\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;\" id=\"rte-5febc040-5f89-11f1-a4d9-bd5fb76deed1\"><li>In one of the largest attacks on a Gulf nation since the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, one person died and dozens were injured at Kuwait’s main airport. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-lebanon-war-kuwait-ceasefire-3-june-2026-de2d1814c0f38252bf0383be859c870b\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>AP</u></a>]</li><li>CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss defended firing a “60 Minutes” correspondent after he criticized company leadership. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/03/business/media/bari-weiss-scott-pelley-cbs.html?unlocked_article_code=1.nVA.7Itq.p3yJRMRGuNSc&smid=url-share\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>New York Times</u></a>]</li><li>Acceptance of same-sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. flattened after more than two decades of steadily increasing support, with an ongoing decline among Republicans, a new Gallup poll found. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/gallup-poll-same-sex-marriage-morality-e12acb151446ac1b7970c0825bf1d072\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>AP</u></a>]</li><li>The YMCA is offering free summer memberships to Chicago teens. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/06/03/ymca-free-summer-memberships-chicago-teens-brandon-johnson\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</li></ul><p><b>Oh, and one more thing …</b></p><p>Have you ever ridden a Chicago elevator that groaned a little too loud or jerked a little too hard? Maybe to reassure yourself, you looked at the inspection certificate, but what you found was even more concerning: not the inspection date, but the font of just a few words on the document.</p><p>The line in question is toward the top left corner of the page. It reads, “This certifies that, I have, [ON THIS DATE] inspected the elevator at [ADDRESS].”</p><p>The words “this certifies that” are in Comic Sans. Yes, the font used for lemonade stands is used on an official city document. But Comic Sans doesn’t appear on every inspection certificate.</p><p>Designers may choose a font to convey a certain tone to their readers. But in this case, it may offer a peek into the technological backend of local government. It might also be an indicator for requesting an elevator inspection, WBEZ’s “Curious City” reports. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/curious-city/2026/06/03/why-does-chicago-use-comic-sans-on-some-elevator-inspection-certificates\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><b>Tell me something good …</b></p><p>It’s Pride Month, and I’m wondering: What is your favorite book, movie, TV show or other media with a prominent LGBTQ+ storyline?</p><p>Jerry writes:</p><p>“‘Mad Honey’ by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is a compelling story that wraps a murder mystery around themes of gender identity and relationships with plenty of social commentary to make it highly relevant. The less you know about this book, the better, as it takes you on an unforgettable mind bending journey. So don’t spoil the intrigue and appreciation by reading plot descriptions or summaries.”</p><p>Feel free to email me, and your response may be included in the newsletter this week.</p>",
  "title": "What’s next in the Bears stadium saga: The Rundown",
  "updatedAt": "2026-06-03T20:45:01.372Z"
}