? Below: For years, transit agencies in other major American cities have had powers to develop underused transit-owned land. The Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act catches Chicago up to its peers. But it goes further by granting power to buy and develop land for reasons unrelated to transit.
?️ Plus: Many Chicago Public Schools students are struggling to finish college, a Magnificent Mile revival and more news you need to know below.
? Keeping score: The Blackhawks fell to the Panthers, 3-2.
?️ Today's weather: Mostly cloudy with a high near 62.
? Heads up: Lake Street bridge will remain closed until Wednesday, as construction is behind schedule. CTA Green and Pink Line trains will continue to be rerouted.
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⏱️: An 8-minute read
New findings: Chicago Public Schools students are increasingly earning college credits while still in high school and are graduating and enrolling in college at higher rates than in the past, but many still struggle to finish college and earn a degree. That's according to a recent report by To&Through Project and the UChicago Consortium on School Research, coupled with district data.
Key context: The report notes that students who started college in 2019 and those who graduated high school in 2025 went through major events that affected their schooling, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign last year. Still, overall college completion rates among CPS students have slowly increased over time.
More support needed: The data indicates that while more high schoolers are reaching the next level of their education, many still need additional resources and support once they get there.
Unprecedented power: When lawmakers passed the law creating the Northern Illinois Transit Authority nearly a year ago, they concentrated power over the CTA, Metra and Pace to decide on fares, control construction projects and set rail and bus service. Tucked inside the thousand-page-plus law, they also granted NITA unprecedented power to buy and develop land near transit.
Key context: Transit-oriented development is the method for building on underused land near transit to boost ridership. The point is to make those areas more desirable places to walk, live, work and shop. The NITA Act grants the agency power to buy and develop land for reasons unrelated to transit, one expert said.
Zooming in: The law gives NITA sweeping powers to build on land near transit. It allows NITA to undertake public-private partnerships, called joint developments. The agency can take on debt, offer incentives for developers, and condemn land, so long as it has a municipality’s approval.
Mag Mile revival: The mile-long stretch of North Michigan Avenue is experiencing a long-promised renaissance, following a tumultuous decade of store closures, empty storefronts and little foot traffic. The shopping destination is seeing a flurry of new store openings such as Uniqlo and the Hello Kitty Cafe, while at least five retailers have announced plans to open locations in the coming months.
More coming: A number of leasing deals coupled with more than $250 million in capital investments by landlords and retailer confidence pushed North Michigan Avenue’s retail vacancy down to 25.8% from 33.8% in 2025, according to Chicago-based brokerage firm Kirsch Agency.
A pair of suburban races for Springfield lawmakers are competitive fights heading into the Nov. 3 election, even as many incumbents statewide are running unopposed.
26th District state Senate seat: Rep. Nabeela Syed, a Democrat from Inverness, is challenging incumbent Republican Darby Hills of Barrington Hills, who was appointed to the 26th District state Senate seat in early 2025. The northwest suburban district includes parts of Cook, Lake, McHenry and Kane counties.
52nd House District: Democrats are also hoping to unseat Republican Martin McLaughlin as he faces Maria Peterson again. In 2024, McLaughlin eked out a victory against Peterson, defeating her by fewer than 50 votes.
Key context: Democrats hold super-majorities in both the Illinois House (78-40) and Illinois Senate (40-19). Every Illinois House seat is up for election Nov. 3, while voters will decide 39 state senate races, two-thirds of the total members.
In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.
Going to the opera: Michael Abels joins the show to talk about "Omar," a new opera inspired by the extraordinary life and writings of Omar ibn Said, a Muslim scholar captured in West Africa and enslaved in South Carolina.
Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.
Today's clue: 9A: Metra estimate (abbr.)
Lizz Wright never imagined releasing an album and opening a café in the same week.
"I learned to mind what you ask for," she joked. "I’m exhausted but so grateful."
Last month, the jazz chanteuse and professionally trained chef and her wife, Monica Haslip, opened their newest spot, the Hunt, at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts on University of Chicago's campus. It's named for the late Chicago artist and sculptor Richard Hunt, whose works are seen on the South Side.
The Hunt builds off Wright and Haslip's other business, Carver 47 Food & Wellness Market at Little Black Pearl Art & Design Center.
Opening the doors to the Hunt came just three days before Wright released her latest album, "Nearness," a collection of standards and spirituals. Wright told the Sun-Times that she sees parallels between writing a song and creating a dish.
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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Michael Lansu
Copy edited by: Satchel Price
