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Afternoon Briefing

Friday, March 20, 2026

Good afternoon, Chicago.

If the Chicago Bears want an enclosed stadium, no need to cross state or city lines, one local architect is suggesting. Why not create one where the team already plays?

Edward Peck has come up with a proposal to build a translucent roof on top of Soldier Field, in an effort to keep the team in Chicago. The proposal expands capacity with new suites and fan amenities “to challenge the assumption that Soldier Field is no longer viable,” Edward Peck, the managing director of Edward Peck Design, told the Tribune.

But the proposal has no connection to the team, the city, or the Chicago Park District, which owns the stadium. Most importantly, there is no identified way to pay for it.

Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.

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news
U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García speaks during a press conference at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights headquarters in the Loop on Sept. 28, 2025. García is stepping down at the end of his term. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Independents seek opening in 4th District, upended by US Rep. García’s controversial retirement

With the likely successors to four other outgoing congressional Democrats from the Chicago area chosen in Tuesday’s primary, the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García is emerging as the most competitive federal race on Illinois’ November general election ballot.

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business
A United Airlines plane takes the overpass, which is the approach strip to the runway, as cars enter and leave Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Sept. 22, 1967. (William Vendetta/Chicago Tribune)

Vintage Chicago Tribune: How O’Hare became a ‘first in the nation’ airport

Major changes have been a constant at O’Hare, from when construction equipment first tore up Orchard Place farmland to construct a military aircraft assembly plant there in the early 1940s to the recent modernization plan’s East-West runways which cleared the way for creation of the new “O’Hare Global Terminal.”

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sports
Illinois’ David Mirković tries to get by Penn’s Michael Zanoni during the first half, March 19, 2026, in Greenville, S.C. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

David Mirković has record night for Illinois. ‘He just wants to rip your head off,’ coach Brad Underwood says.

A 6-foot-9 forward from Montenegro, David Mirković set an Illinois freshman NCAA Tournament record with 29 points and an overall Illinois tournament record with 17 rebounds to lead the third-seeded Illini to a 105-70 win over No. 14 seed Penn last night.

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eat. watch. do.
The sign on TimeLine Theatre’s new home in the Uptown neighborhood was illuminated in a marquee lighting ceremony at 5035 N. Broadway in Chicago on March 19, 2026. (Aubrey Jane)

New TimeLine Theatre marquee illuminates Uptown, at the end of long search for a home

A little over half of the 21,000-square-foot project is contained within the shell of a former furniture storage warehouse built for the W.C. Reebie and Brother Company in the 1910s, with the rest new construction.

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nation & world
President Donald Trump arriving to speak at the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy presentation with the Navy Midshipmen football team in the East Room of the White House, March 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Trump administration sues Harvard, saying it violated civil rights law and seeking to recover funds

The Justice Department filed a new lawsuit today against Harvard University, saying its leadership failed to address antisemitism on campus, creating grounds for the government to freeze existing grants and seek repayment for grants already paid.

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