Welcome back! We hope you are adjusting to the darker evenings after daylight savings time ended Sunday. There was a lot happening this week, so let’s review.
Now in its fifth week, the federal government shutdown is officially the longest on record. The effects of the shutdown are being felt acutely in the transportation sector. This week, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight reductions at the 40 busiest airports in the U.S. — including Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare international airports — with the aim of cutting service by 10%. SNAP benefits are also in limbo for almost 2 million Illinoisans. On Thursday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to fully fund the food program for the month of November, and while an appeals court upheld that ruling, late Friday the Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal from the White House, temporarily blocking the order.
Meanwhile, Operation Midway Blitz entered its third month. A day care worker was detained by federal immigration agents at a Spanish-immersion school in North Center on Wednesday and 14 women were arrested while protesting outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Broadview Friday morning.
The west suburban facility has been the source of much controversy in recent weeks, with detainees alleging inhumane conditions. On Wednesday, a judge issued a temporary restraining order, requiring government officials to provide enough food, water and bed space for those kept there. It’s even prompted a response from Pope Leo XIV, with the Chicago-born missionary calling on the Trump administration to allow detainees to receive communion.
Also this week, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis said top government officials lied in their testimony about threats posed by protesters and issued a sweeping injunction that puts more permanent restrictions on the use of force by immigration agents. That same day, U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino claimed federal agents’ operations had been “going very violent” around the city’s Southwest Side.
Tuesday was Election Day for many parts of the country, and Democrats notched big wins in several states. Democratic candidates for governor won their races in Virginia and New Jersey, Maine residents voted in favor of a stricter gun control law and California voters approved new congressional boundaries that could give the party as many as five additional seats in the U.S. House. In New York, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor, defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Locally, political candidates had until Monday to file their paperwork for the March primary election. Shortly before his chief of staff, Patty Garcia, submitted her candidacy for the 4th Congressional District seat, U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García quietly dropped his bid for reelection. It wasn’t until Wednesday, after the filing deadline, that García formally announced he was retiring because of his family and health, prompting criticism for effectively ceding his seat to the sole Democratic candidate on the ballot.
In other election news, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton earned a key endorsement in the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she will not seek reelection to the U.S. House.
Despite blowing a late lead, the Chicago Bears managed to pull off yet another wild, last-minute win Sunday. In the final seconds of the game, Caleb Williams connected with rookie tight end Colston Loveland, who scored a 58-yard touchdown to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 47-42. Looking ahead to Week 10, the team returns to Chicago for a matchup against the New York Giants at Soldier Field. Here’s what to watch in Sunday’s game.
And in the world of entertainment, People magazine named actor Jonathan Bailey, who stars in Netflix’s “Bridgerton” series and has appeared in movies like “Wicked” and “Jurassic World Rebirth,” the 2025 Sexiest Man Alive. Plus, the 2026 Grammy nominations were released Friday — and Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga appear to be in the running for the most trophies.
Now let’s get into it. Think you know who said what this week? Take the Tribune’s Quotes of the Week quiz to find out. Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/08/quotes-quiz-november-8/
