Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
It’s no secret that many Chicagoans are stretching their wallets to keep up with the high cost of eggs — if they can find a carton at all.
In today’s newsletter, we introduce you to a local pastor who has decided to try a solution for his community — a giveaway of 40,000 eggs this weekend.
Plus: A new book chronicling the cocktails of Chicago, a pair of young musicians preparing for an international tour and more community news you need to know below. 👇
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Pastor takes action on ‘egg crisis,’ will give out 40,000 eggs on South Side
Reporting by Cindy Hernandez
Eggs for everyone: As egg prices soar due to bird flu, the Rev. Charlie Dates is leading an effort to distribute 40,000 eggs to community members.
Key context: Many have had trouble finding eggs at grocery stores or can’t afford eggs at current prices — which are nearly 60% more expensive than last year. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture expects egg prices to rise 41% this year over last year’s average of $3.17 per dozen.
Where they’re from: Dates, who is head pastor at Progressive Baptist Church in Bridgeport and Salem Baptist Church in Pullman, said the churches purchased the eggs from wholesale distributor Sysco.
How it will work: The eggs will arrive in a refrigerated truck Thursday, Dates said. Volunteers will unload the eggs and package them into cartons before loading them back into the truck for distribution at five locations on the South Side Saturday.
The goal: Each person who shows up will receive a carton of eggs, and Dates said he hopes to have enough eggs to pass out to nearly 3,000 families.
Where to find:
- 47th and Wells
- 55th and Wells
- 35th Street and King Drive
- 87th and Wells
- 108th Street and Michigan Avenue
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- EPA cuts: President Donald Trump ordered closures of offices at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that help low-income communities overwhelmed with pollution. It’s unclear how many positions will be cut in Chicago, but union officials estimate the cuts may affect 20 to 30 of about 1,000 EPA regional employees.
- Scare at O’Hare: Wednesday’s early morning shoot-out at O’Hare Airport was sparked by two local rappers, whose fight near baggage claim spilled onto the street, where one man was shot.
- Per-mile tax?: Under proposed legislation, Illinois would explore the viability of reducing reliance on the state’s gas tax by putting in place a “road usage charge” — essentially a tax on the number of miles driven.
- Field union rallies: Members of the Field Museum’s labor union and their supporters rallied Wednesday to protest low wages and the slow progress of contract negotiations with management after nearly 1½ years.
- Ravinia’s new season: This summer’s festival touts Lenny Kravitz, Janelle Monáe, Juanes, Beck, celebrity chef showcases — and more.
- Pi Day deals: Since Pi Day is essentially the Super Bowl for pie businesses, we’ve listed some restaurants and bakeries serving up π-inspired deals on Friday.
- 1½ stars for ‘Opus’: In this hopeless pop music satire, the violence is over the top, as is the acting from a skilled cast, including Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich and Juliette Lewis, writes Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper.
SUN-TIMES BOOK CLUB 🍸
‘Chicago Cocktails’ book serves up recipes, stories behind Windy City-inspired drinks
Reporting by Erica Thompson
Chicago’s neighborhoods are a veritable playground for cocktail enthusiasts, if you know where to look.
Bucktown bar Remedy offers the “Rhubarbarella,” a gin drink inspired by the tart vegetable and the sci-fi film “Barbarella.”
Andersonville’s Elixir has the “Chicago Fire,” a tequila drink that pairs strawberries with habaneros.
And Thalia Hall’s basement bar, Punch House, serves a “Pilsen Pisco” as vibrant as the neighborhood.
But instead of crisscrossing the town for those concoctions, drinkers can now make them at home.
They are among 100 recipes in the new “Chicago Cocktails” book, released by Cider Mill Press. Part of a series that also highlights libations from cities including New Orleans and Tokyo, the book organizes Chicago-inspired drinks by neighborhood. It also features interviews with bartenders, managers, entrepreneurs and others who have shaped the cocktail scene.
Author Nicole Schnitzler said she was aiming to showcase the creativity, hospitality and communal environment found in the city’s bars and restaurants.
“My hope is that it is really an ode to Chicago and the ways in which the industry is showing up for its city,” said Schnitzler, 39, of Lake View.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Chicago-area teens selected for National Youth Orchestra
Reporting by Rafaela Jinich
Two Chicago-area teenagers will perform on some of the world’s biggest stages this summer after being selected for the 2025 National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, a prestigious program run by Carnegie Hall.
Paloma Furst Chavira, 16, a violinist from Park Forest, and Elyse Schlesinger, 18, a horn player from Hoffman Estates, were the only two musicians from Illinois chosen for this year’s ensemble.
“I am incredibly excited — it’s such an honor to have this experience,” Furst Chavira said. “Getting to go on tour and perform at Carnegie Hall is a dream come true.”
Each year, nearly 1,000 young musicians audition for the National Youth Orchestra, submitting video recordings showcasing their technical skill and ability to interpret music.
“I had heard from so many people that this is the ensemble to do in high school, and if you can get in, it’s amazing,” Schlesinger said. “Getting to play with such talented musicians is just so exciting.”
The National Youth Orchestra will spend two weeks in New York training with top professional musicians before performing at Carnegie Hall on July 20. Then, the orchestra will embark on a six-city tour of Asia, performing in Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
Chicago Handshake aside, since that’s technically not a cocktail: What do you think should be Chicago’s signature cocktail? Tell us why.
Reply to this email (please include your first and last name, age and neighborhood). To see the answers to this question, check Friday’s Morning Edition. Not subscribed to Morning Edition? Sign up here.
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Written by: Matt Moore
Editor: Angie Myers