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This week, everyone’s moving. The Bears are dragging the NFL commissioner through northwest Indiana. BTS is migrating to Soldier Field with 50,000+ screaming fans in tow. Pokémon fossils are headed to the Field Museum like they heard the weather sucks less indoors. And two people in Joliet relocated $5,000 in Funko Pops via garbage bags and an Uber. A modern American migration story.
Everyone's moving.
The week's thread
The Bears gave Roger Goodell the grand tour of… some dirt. Specifically, the Arlington Heights racetrack they impulse-bought back in 2023, which is still just a field with dreams and maybe a raccoon problem. For variety, they also showed him two sites in northwest Indiana, in case the plan is to confuse everyone into exhaustion.
Arlington Heights is still the prom queen, apparently because over half their season ticket holders live within 25 miles. Kevin Warren keeps calling it “expanding,” not “leaving Chicago,” which is cute. Just a little $855 million public infrastructure tab to make the dream real—don’t worry, they swear it’s not for the stadium itself, just everything else that makes a stadium work. Totally different.
But here’s the kicker: they still need lawmakers to pass a bill just to start construction. So the mayor, who literally campaigned on closing this deal, is now just standing there like a guy waiting for a bus that might not come.
So yeah. Everyone’s still waiting. Possibly forever. Read more
Okay, can we talk about the Rams now? Pastor Joe Basile posted what we're all thinking. The answer is yes. Mostly. The divisional round is Sunday. Everyone's moving on.
BTS is coming to Soldier Field BTS is hitting Soldier Field for two nights—August 27 and 28—with ARMY presale starting January 22 and general onsale January 24. Make sure your Weverse and Ticketmaster emails match or you’ll be sobbing outside the queue in full merch. Read more
Pokémon fossils are coming to the Field Museum The Pokémon Fossil Museum makes its international debut in Chicago on May 22. Tyrantrum next to SUE the T. rex. Archeops next to the Chicago Archaeopteryx. It runs through April 2027. This is not a fever dream. This is paleontology with Pikachu. Read more
Meanwhile, in the burbs
Geneva's police station is begging for retirement The city is putting a $59.4 million public safety referendum on the March 17 ballot. The current station has a backup generator from the early 1980s, a booking room with drainage backups, a closet with breaker panels that officers sleep in after long shifts, and limited garage storage for squad cars with $20K of electronics baking in the cold. The photos are something.
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Nicor wants another $6 a month Less than two months after their last rate increase was approved, Nicor filed for a $221 million hike. That's about $6 more per month for the average residential customer. The company says it's for "safety and reliability investments." The Citizens Utility Board says Nicor's rates will have increased by 170% in less than a decade if this one goes through. Everyone's moving. Your money is moving to Nicor. Read more
Two people stole $5,000 in Funko Pops from a Joliet apartment Demetrius Greene, 41, and Stacey Jones, 46, entered an apartment on Marble Street under the pretense of retrieving a personal item. Then they started putting collectible Funko Pop figurines into garbage bags. The tenant told them to stop. They did not. Greene allegedly shoved him against a table. They left via rideshare. Police pulled over the car a couple miles away and found them in the backseat with the figurines. Greene was charged with robbery. Jones was charged with burglary. Classic. Read more
Weather, Unfortunately
Thursday (today): Expect snow showers developing at night with a high around 25-26°F and low of 14-23°F. Grey. Cold. Normal.
Friday: Snow showers continue throughout the day with temperatures reaching 35-36°F and dropping to 16-23°F overnight.
Saturday: Scattered snow showers remain likely with a high of 20-23°F and low of 8-10°F.
Sunday: More of the same. Stay inside.
One small move that saves you later…
Crack one faucet to a slow drip before you go to bed. That tiny, annoying trickle keeps water moving just enough to help stop pipes—especially the ones on exterior walls or in cold, unused corners—from freezing solid and turning into a burst‑pipe nightmare.
It’s the plumbing equivalent of leaving a night-light on: cheap, easy, and way less stressful than waking up to an indoor ice rink.
Here are some useful things to…
Eat: Chicago Restaurant Week starts January 23 and runs through February 8. 550+ restaurants. $30 for brunch/lunch, $45 or $60 for dinner. Reservations are open. First Bites Bash already sold out. Plan your moves now. Read more
Do: Stay inside and watch the Bears-Rams game on Sunday. Your couch is ready.
Avoid: Driving through Elk Grove Village at exactly 15 mph in Busse Woods. They will ticket you at 16.
For the parents
Chicago Botanic Garden's Orchid Show runs February 7–March 22. 10,000 blooming orchids in the greenhouses. It's warm, humid, and the opposite of January. "Orchids After Hours" on Thursday nights includes cocktails. Tickets required. Read more
Impress your friends with this
Why now: Make something that will get you proposed to.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground chicken
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
Italian seasoning, garlic, parsley
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken stock
Fresh basil
Steps:
Mix chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, parmesan, garlic, herbs. Shape into ~30 meatballs.
Brown in butter. Set aside.
Sauté garlic in sun-dried tomato oil. Add tomato paste.
Deglaze with stock. Add cream, parmesan, Italian seasoning. Simmer.
Return meatballs. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Top with basil.
Note: Pairs well with a buttery Chardonnay and the warm glow of someone finally texting you “ok fine, marry me.”
Deep read…
"Losing the War"
By Lee Sandlin, first published in the Chicago Reader, 1997
Why it's worth your time: A Chicago writer's 35,000-word essay on World War II that argues Americans remember the war mainly as movies and myths—and that this cultural memory obscures the chaos, the psychology, and the actual history. It's been called a contemporary classic of war writing. It's long. It's worth it. You have a deep freeze coming.
This newsletter was powered by cold air, bad decisions, and the ghost of Soldier Field.
Tips please.
We’re always watching the news, but your block sees things first. Reply with your neighborhood and one thing that made you pause, squint, or text someone “???”
Talk Tuesday.
-The Chicago Signal