UC Development Could Break Ground This Year

City Council has approved rezoning the area surrounding the United Center, moving the $7 billion project one step closer to becoming a reality. The redevelopment would include residential units, a hotel, a music hall, and more commercial spaces over 15 years of construction. [Sun-Times]

Multiple Lawsuits After Thornton Township Brawl

Kamal Woods, the boyfriend of Thornton Township Supervisor and Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, was fired from his township position after a physical altercation during a meeting in January. In response, Woods has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit. Meanwhile, others who were involved are claiming their freedom of speech rights have been violated. [Tribune 🔒]

Just add this to all of the drama surrounding Henyard 😵‍💫 [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

Who Was Studs Terkel?

Studs Terkel’s oral history “Division Street: America” explored Chicagoans’ views on civil rights, economic anxieties, and war abroad. Now, the podcast “Division Street: Revisited” is returning to these subjects 60 years later. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

In Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget address yesterday, he said raising taxes is not on the table. But the state has faced a deficit, is running out of pandemic funds, and President Donald Trump’s administration is making cuts.

So what exactly is Pritzker’s plan? Here are four takeaways from his speech.

Closing the Gap

In the fall, the state projected a $3 billion budget gap for the next fiscal year beginning in July. New estimates indicate the state will be pulling in more revenue than initially expected. Still, the governor is proposing to limit spending increases outside of health care, education, and pensions. Plus, there could still be tax increases on casino gaming and fewer deductions for legal cannabis businesses, WTTW reported.

Threats Due to Federal Funding

Pritzker said potential federal cuts could impact the following:

700,000 Illinoians will lose coverage if Congressional Republicans gut the Affordable Care Act. Rural hospitals could also close.

Around 70 meat and poultry facilities were negatively impacted after the Trump administration stopped funding food safety inspectors for nearly a month.

Meals on Wheels, which helps feed seniors and those with disabilities, is on the chopping block. The program serves 100,000 people in Illinois.

Health Care: Making Cuts and Lowering Costs

Pritzker is proposing to eliminate a program that provides medical coverage for noncitizens ages 42-64. The governor faced significant pushback when he paused the program in 2023 due to cost concerns.

Other proposals, such as a plan to forgive medical debt and a Prescription Drug Affordability Act, seek to lower health care costs for Illinoisans. If passed, the prescription drug law would target pharmacy benefit managers. These middlemen negotiate drug costs with pharmaceutical companies, and they are tied to chain pharmacies and insurance companies, Crain’s reported.

Pritzker’s proposal would give the state the ability to audit pharmacy benefit managers. A separate bill reintroduced earlier this year would create a drug affordability board that could cap high prices.

Not Mentioned: Transit Merger

While Pritzker’s proposal closes the state’s budget gap, the governor did not talk about plans to stave off a $770 million fiscal cliff facing Chicagoland’s regional transit agencies.

Lawmakers last summer proposed a merger of CTA, Metra, and Pace along with the Regional Transportation Authority. A new proposal emerged earlier this month to give RTA more power over the other agencies.

🩰 Joffery Ballet Golden Hour starts | 7:30 p.m. | $36+ | The Loop

🌳 Nature’s Art Box | 10:30 a.m. | Free | Willow Springs

💎 Jewelry Making | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Free | Ashburn

🎉 Woodson Regional’s 50th Anniversary Kick-Off Celebration | 12-5 p.m. | Free | Washington Heights

🎤 Stephen Day | 8 p.m. | $18+ | Lincoln Park

🎵 Frequency Festival | 8:30 p.m. | $20 | North Center

🎶 Laura Rain | 9 p.m. | $15 | The Loop

🪄 MagicCon Starts | Various Times | $40+ | McCormick Place

♥️ Film Screening: “Love, Simon” | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Free | Back of the Yards

🎨 Paint and Sip Hot Chocolate | 11 a.m. | Free | Oak Forest

🎭 A Night of Broadway | 5 p.m. | $50+ | Naperville

🍷 Vino Divino Wine Tasting | 7 p.m. | $79 | Logan Square

🎤 Grace O’Malley | 9:30 p.m. | $31+ | Wicker Park

🏒 Is anyone excited to watch tonight's USA vs. Canada hockey game? This game will decide who wins the entire tournament, and the last game these two teams played didn’t disappoint. The Four Nations Tournament also features Finland and Sweden, with Finland standing out as the only team showcasing a Chicago Blackhawks player — Teuvo Teravainen.