Happy first birthday to the Chicago Public Square membership program. Thanks to those who’ve answered the call over the last year—including Crissy Kawamoto, Ken Hooker, Michael Weiland, Werner Huget, Stephan Benzkofer, Susan Swords Steffen, Marc Magliari, Denise Mattson, Wendy Greenhouse and Carmie Callobre. You can join them here for just pennies a day. And now the news:
■ So the April 2 runoff will almost certainly bring Chicago its first black female mayor—the largest such U.S. city with that distinction—and maybe, in Lightfoot, its first out LGBT mayor.
■ See their speeches here: Lightfoot and Preckwinkle.
■ The Tribune’s Heidi Stevens: Whoever wins, “the outcome is good news” …
■ … but probably not for the business community, according to Crain’s Greg Hinz.
■ Also headed to a runoff: Two candidates for city treasurer.
Embattled alderman survives. Even as he faces federal charges of shaking down a Burger King franchise, Ed Burke strolled to reelection in his Southwest Side ward …
■ … but the Sun-Times’ Neil Steinberg says Burke may be finished anyway …
■ … and Burke’s successor as chairman of the powerful Finance Committee faces a runoff in April.
■ An alderman accused of encouraging his staffers to take their shirts off to earn raises is out …
■ … along with at least two other incumbents …
■ … and a Trump-loving 19-year-old challenger to Ald. Marty Quinn.
Cubs lose 2. The Tribune editorial board says the club’s owners put their money on the wrong teams in two Wrigleyville-area aldermanic races.
■ Politico’s rundown of winners and losers includes House Speaker Michael Madigan (winner) and downtown business interests (losers).
‘Marching is good, but voting is a lot better.’ Columnist Mary Mitchell bemoans young voters’ absence Tuesday.
■ Chicago barely avoided setting a record for low voter turnout.
‘I’ve been crying all day.’ Outside a Chicago hospital, a mother pleaded to see her son, who’d been critically wounded by police.
■ A woman is suing Chicago, complaining a cop—her ex-boyfriend—goaded her into shooting herself in the face.
■ Police have released a photo of a man wanted for shooting and killing a 17-year-old on the Northwest Side Monday night.
■ A former suburban police chief is on probation after shooting his 22-year-old son.
■ See video here.
■ The draft of Cohen’s opening statements.
■ The documents Cohen was set to present to back up his case that Trump has become “the worst version of himself.”
■ The new Democratic chairman of the House Oversight Committee opened the session with this vow: “The days of this committee protecting the president at all costs are over.”
■ The Onion: “White House Convenes Panel Of Scientists To Make Case That Trump Capable Of Crushing Train With Bare Hands.”
Downtown food court. The newest of Chicago’s trendy dining halls is slated to open this fall in the “big red” former headquarters of CNA Financial.
■ Nominated to the board of Chicago-based Boeing Co.: Trump’s former UN ambassador, Nikki Haley, who—as South Carolina’s governor—fought Boeing workers’ attempts to unionize.
In otter news … The Shedd Aquarium is offering guests the chance to touch, train and play with sea otters—but it won’t come cheap …
■ … and maybe you could do it for free on a river in downtown Milwaukee.