- State of the union. The Trib breaks down how the new civil unions law will work.
- Penny for your thoughts. Ousted Cook County President Todd Stroger tells final Board meeting he is proudest of the 1-cent sales tax hike because it saved jobs and services, the Trib reports. He also expresses bitterness at media treatment. M’Donna? Stroger also praises the work of cousin and former finance chief Donna Dunnings—ousted in the scandal surrounding ex-felon busboy-turned-Stroger aide Tony Cole. Dunnings exits the meeting in tears after Todd’s tribute.
- Wait ’til next year? The Cubs reportedly concede defeat in battle for state support of $200 million Wrigley facelift. The Sun-Times says the team’s owners are now exploring options involving city TIF money or cash from expansion of downtown restaurant tax district.
- Like the phoenix rising from the ashes? Trib architecture critic Blair Kamin says Chicago Park District’s new Northerly Island plan could be one of Daley’s “defining legacies—a people-friendly showcase of 21st century ecology.” The site was home of Meigs Field, a commuter airport until 2003, when Daley had it bulldozed in a shocking midnight raid.
- Supreme sunshine? The high court questions the government’s broad use of FOIA exception with a decision expected before summer, the Associated Press reports. Chief Justice John Roberts commented on the public’s frustration with FOIA, saying, “It takes forever to get documents.”